Far Forest Lea MemorialCE Primary School
School Full Opening from March 8th
On Monday, the Prime Minister confirmed that pupils would be returning to School from Monday 8th March. This is wonderful news and we very much look forward to welcoming all our pupils back together.
As part of our transition we would like to collect ‘Pupil Feedback’ in order to support all our pupils coming back together. We will spend time with each class online discovering what our pupils are most looking forward to when they return We will also share how everyone will keep safe when in school.
Staff will also be in touch with families so you can share any feedback or information from this lockdown that will support us in supporting your children when they return to school. In the meantime, we will review and apply the latest Government guidance to our procedures in school. We want all families and pupils returning to feel safe and secure with the protective measures we have in place.
A revised Risk Assessment will be updated and a detailed overview provided for all our families during next week.
Our main focus in the coming weeks is the wellbeing of everyone in our school. Striking the right balance and meeting the needs of all pupils. We are still living through a global pandemic and this has altered the way we can do things.
The Prime Minister has today announced that a new national lockdown will come into force at 00:01 on Wednesday 6 January.
During the period of national lockdown, schools, alternative provision, special schools, and colleges will remain open to vulnerable children and young people and the children of critical workers only. Public vocational exams and assessments scheduled to take place in January will go ahead as planned. All other children and students will learn remotely until February half term.
All early years providers (including registered childminders but not including reception years in primary schools) can remain open during this period of national lockdown.
In these circumstances, we do not think it is possible for exams to go ahead fairly this summer. The Secretary of State for Education will be asking Ofqual to consult rapidly on an approach for alternative arrangements that will allow students to progress fairly.
We know that receiving face-to-face education is best for children’s mental health and for their educational achievement. We will be reviewing the restrictions on schools, colleges and universities and will ensure that children and young people return to face-to-face education as soon as the pressures are easing on the NHS.
This decision does not suggest that schools and colleges are no longer safe places for young people. Instead, limiting attendance is about reducing the number of contacts that all of us have with people in other households.
We have resisted closing schools until now, but in the face of the rapidly rising numbers of cases across the country and intense pressure on the NHS, we now need to use every lever at our disposal to reduce all contacts outside households wherever possible.
For vulnerable children and the children of critical workers, who can still attend school or college, as they did in March to May, and their teachers, the system of protective measures means that any risks are well managed and controlled.
We are responding to the intense pressure on the NHS, but that pressure is not driven by children. We are not seeing significant pressure from coronavirus (COVID-19) in paediatrics across the UK. The new variant appears to affect all ages but we have not seen any changes in the severity among any age groups, including children and young people.
The overwhelming majority of children and young people have no symptoms or very mild illness only. As cases in the community rise there will be a small increase in the number of children we see with coronavirus (COVID-19) who only rarely require admission to hospital.
During the period of national lockdown, schools and colleges should only allow vulnerable children and the children of critical workers to attend. Children with at least one parent or carer who is listed as a critical worker are eligible for a school place. It is not necessary for both parents to be critical workers.
Schools and colleges should speak to parents and carers to identify who requires a school place. If it proves necessary, you can ask for simple evidence that the parent in question is a critical worker, such as their work ID badge or pay slip.
The critical worker list has been updated to include new workforces whose work is critical following the end of the EU transition period. It is important these people are also identified as critical workers and their children can attend the education setting. This change will see a small increase in the overall number of critical workers.
Link to Key Worker/Vulnerable Children Questionnaire
Please copy and paste the link below into your browser:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=_tUsvO-UvEyDIXxUD0Ceed2Xv2OrW61Im7gxnfMQmxJUOFBFVklNMkc3T0ZRSlhYNlo4NjJKUTNQSC4u
Remote Learning
At Far Forest we are using Microsoft Teams as the learning platform. The link below provides guidance in how you use this. Each class page on the website also has a copy for our families to follow.
https://www.farforestlea.worcs.sch.uk/parents-guide-to-using-microsoft-teams-2/
If you have any issues accessing the site please contact school on 01299 266316 or email office@farforestlea.worcs.sch.uk - our IT team will be available to support families.
All work will be uploaded to each class page:
Little Acorns
https://www.farforestlea.worcs.sch.uk/remote-learning-6/
Maple
https://www.farforestlea.worcs.sch.uk/remote-learning-7/
Cherry
https://www.farforestlea.worcs.sch.uk/blended-learning/
Oak
https://www.farforestlea.worcs.sch.uk/remote-learning-5/
Live Lessons
These will start next week - a timetable of times has been shared by staff in order for no clashes to happen between year groups. If you need any support please contact school or email your child's class teacher. Staff are teaching in school the pupils of critical/ key workers and the children at home remotely each day. We are aware there may be a high demand at certain times of the day - we will do our best to help where we can.
PE Lessons with Mr Mac.
To make sure our children do not miss out Mr Mac has created a special page for all pupils to access at any time. This will include recorded lessons, challenge activities and links to live lessons. Please follow the link below.
https://www.farforestlea.worcs.sch.uk/pe-sports-with-mr-mac/
Due to the short notice to schools we are working hard this week to make sure everything you need is in place for our pupils and families. All staff are working through Lockdown 3.0 and are in school to ensure our pupils have the support they need.
COVID 19 School updates
Starting from June 1st the Government have asked for schools to remain open only for children who are vulnerable and for those children of workers critical to the COVID-19 response who absolutely need to attend and start the phasing back of pupils in Early Years, Year 1 and Year 6.
Far Forest Lea Memorial CE Primary School will begin phasing children back into school following the guidance set out to schools. Please see below the risk assessment and links to DFE information sites.
Handwashing
The most important thing individuals can do to protect themselves is to wash their hands more often. Soap and water and regular handwashing for at least 20 seconds is the best way of staying safe. Hand washing with soap employs mechanical action that loosens bacteria and viruses from the skin, rinsing them into the drain.
Drying hands afterwards makes the skin less hospitable to the virus. Hand sanitiser can be effective if soap is not available or the situation makes using soap less feasible (i.e. when outside) but using hand sanitiser provides none of the virus-destroying friction that rubbing your hands together and rinsing with water provides.
Parental Information
Please follow the link to parental guidance on health and well-being.