Half-Term Arrangements: Friday 12th February 2021 (update 5th February 2021)

You will have read in my latest updated of the 29^th January that all students will have an earlier finish on Friday 12^th February of 12.25pm to give students time back for all the hard work that they are doing with their online learning and homework.

Students will need to arrive at the usual time on the 12^th February but they will be leaving the school site at 12.25pm once they have finished lesson 3. Students will be allowed to wear non-school uniform on this day.

St Edmund’s Catholic School will be closed for the half-term break and will re-open on Monday 22^nd February 2021.  We would kindly ask that you please remind students of our expectations when they are in school: 

Attendance

The school has a duty of care to safeguard all of its students. It is crucial that we are informed of the number of students attending in advance so we can ensure in advance who is attending and measures in place for groupings for the day.   If your son/daughter will not be attending on any particular day please contact the school in advance on (023) 9282 3766 or email keyworker@saintedmunds.org.uk

Lunch/Food arrangements

The timings for break and lunchtimes will be directed by duty staff.

Please ensure that your child comes with a packed lunch as there will be no food available for students.  The school will, however, ensure that no student goes hungry should they forget their lunch.

Uniform

Students must wear full school uniform. Students who are not in full uniform will be sent home.

Equipment

All students will be required to bring in full equipment and a pair of wired headphones.  This is compulsory for students when attending the online learning seminars. Equipment checks will take place.

Social Distancing

Wherever possible students must comply with social distancing and recommended gap of 2m. 

One-way systems around the school have been implemented to comply with social-distancing requirements which has been clearly marked with tape/barriers/signs and all students must ensure that these are followed to limit bumping into other people. 

Personal Hygiene

Students should wash/shower prior to attending school.  Upon returning home students should change and shower.  Clothes should be washed prior to re-wearing. Hand gel will be provided within the school to be used frequently.  Hands should be washed thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water. Hand gel will be provided through the dispensers in the toilets. Students must not try to touch their eyes, nose or mouth, especially if they haven’t washed their hands.

Students who do not have a tissue should sneeze or cough into their elbow, not their hands. The school will ensure that there are tissues available.   Ensure good respiratory hygiene by the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach.

Behaviour Expectations

Students must comply the Governor’s Behaviour for Learning Policy. Any poor behaviour will result in a call home and the student continuing online learning at home. Any student not conforming to the school’s expectations on Health & Safety groups or refusal to follow any instructions may be excluded for a fixed period of time. This will include any student found intentionally coughing/sneezing/spitting at another student or member of school staff or causing damage to school property.  A copy of this policy can be found on our school website.

Students must:

• Follow the instructions on hygiene, such as handwashing and sanitising.
• Follow instructions on who to socialise with at school.
• Adhere to the movement around the school guidelines i.e. one-way systems, queueing.
• Inform a member of staff if they are experiencing symptoms of Coronavirus.
• Not share any equipment or other items including drinking bottles.
• Avoid touching mouth, nose and eyes with hands.
• Follow the school’s expectations about break and lunchtime play ensuring social distancing measures are conformed to.

Any student that is seen outside the school not complying with the national lockdown guidelines will be asked to stay at home for the remainder of the week and will be asked to continue the online learning from home. 

Illness

Anyone showing signs of Covid-19 should not attend school and refer onto a testing centre. The school must be informed accordingly and self-isolate and their fellow household members until the test results are received. The Coronavirus (Covid-19) causes a fever, cough, loss of sense of smell and taste and trouble breathing. Some people have a sore throat. Symptoms are a bit like those people have with a cold or the flu. The virus can be more serious in some people, especially if they are sick or have health problems. If the test is negative then the student can return to the school provision and the fellow household members can end their self-isolation.  Where the child tests positive they would need to self-isolate for 10 days. The school must be informed at all stages.

The school will continue with the lateral flow tests for those students who have consented and further details will follow in due course in regard to the new spit testing arrangements for staff/students as I mentioned in my last update.

I would like to thank you for your continued support.

Mr S Graham

Headteacher

Click here to view the full letter

Booking of Critical Worker Child Educational Provision

As indicated in the Government statement of the 4th January 2021 the school will continue with online learning for all students until the February half-term and until the Government issues their further announcement.  

EHCP/vulnerable students and children of critical workers may choose to attend school and complete the same online learning but supervised (similar to the summer term). Please email keyworker@saintedmunds.org.uk should you wish to utilise this option and be eligible.   

Places must be booked in advance (minimum of 48-hours’ notice) to ensure we can accommodate your child. Students attending this provision will be required to wear uniform and must follow our expectations as set out below. Students who are classed as clinically vulnerable must not attend school. There are no part time arrangements for this provision, so full attendance is expected unless your child is unwell.

If you fall into the critical worker category please email keyworker@saintedmunds.org.uk  and provide evidence that you are a critical worker.  Please note that those attending will be required to attend full-time.

The publication below gives an outline of those classed as a 'critical worker'

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

Critical workers

Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined in the following sections.

Health and social care

This includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare

This includes:

• childcare
• support and teaching staff
• social workers
• specialist education professionals who must remain active during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response to deliver this approach

Key public services

This includes:

• those essential to the running of the justice system
• religious staff
• charities and workers delivering key frontline services
• those responsible for the management of the deceased
• journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting

Local and national government

This only includes:

• those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the coronavirus (COVID-19) response
• or delivering essential public services, such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies

Food and other necessary goods

This includes those involved in food:

• production
• processing
• distribution
• sale and delivery
• as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines)

Public safety and national security

This includes:

• police and support staff
• Ministry of Defence civilians
• contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak)
• fire and rescue service employees (including support staff)
• National Crime Agency staff
• those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas

Transport

This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

Utilities, communication and financial services

This includes:

• staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure)
• the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage)
• information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response
• key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services)
• postal services and delivery
• payments providers
• waste disposal sectors