Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Update for parents: 30th March 2020
Mon 30 Mar 2020Dear parents, children families and wider school community.
It is hoped this message finds you all well and safe.
I aim today to give you some updates and information to support all in these unprecedented times. I hope to answer many of the questions I am being asked and make you aware of some key steps being undertaken.
1: Easter holidays
For those essential workers and vulnerable children offered a place at the school during the closure, we will be remaining open for you – Monday to Friday during what is officially the Easter break. This, I know, is important for many of you as I know your shift patterns are increasing in numbers. You are supporting the community and therefore we will support you.
Important: This can only be the case for those families identified under the government guidance and is not an open invite to all. On that note:
2: Key / Essential Workers.
The definition of ‘key worker’ and later ‘essential worker’ is very wide, and as a result is complex to manage. For clarity, I have to ensure the safety of my staff and the children on site by ensuring that those deemed key/essential workers are those ‘critical to the response to Covid 19’ – such as, NHS staff, education setting workers, emergency services, care workers, food and transport.
Important here is the statement of ‘critical to the response to Covid 19’. Many employers are producing letters claiming their workers are ‘key workers’ and stating tenuous reasons for this. I have a duty to protect staff and children and therefore will rigidly vet what is deemed ‘critical to response to Covid 19’, and not what is critical to the running of a business mmodel. This is no easy task and a heavy burden, but please understand that if I say no to claims of critical workers this is done for safeguarding purposes.
Schools are ‘requested to remain open’ and headteachers do not have to do so. We are staying open, but in order to sustain this I have to manage the wellbeing of all on site. Please heed the advice given by government, ‘stay at home where safe to do so’.
3: Free School Meals:
Free school meals are made available to those entitled to the Pupil Premium, not Universal Free School Meals (please see earlier notice on the difference between Pupil Premium Meals [claimed] and Universal Free School Meals [free to EYFS, Year 1 and 2 children]).
Pack ups are available every day, Monday to Friday at reception for those entitled to these.
Voucher system: We are aware that some families would have a preference for vouchers and we are working on this. Sadly, it is not easy to achieve for many schools owing to the systems by which funds are allocated to schools. Whilst the government will reimburse schools at a later time, supermarkets do not take 'IOUs'; the system has to be in place and it is not across all schools. We hope to have this in place soon and I am aware that the government are due to provide support for this during the week.
In the meantime, the school is meeting its obligation to support those families entitled to Free School Meals by providing a daily pack up. If you are wanting one, please come to the school reception between 12 noon and 1pm.
Online activities:
I am very aware that many of you are accessing the resources made available to you online. These will be updated weekly as promised.
Some parents have contacted me to ask what they should do if they do not have access to a printer. Most tasks are designed to be achieved without a printer and this is why a book was provided for the children when they broke up. If there are some tasks you cannot access for any reason, please move onto the next. The activities are there to support you as you see fit.
It is not possible to print out packs weekly and have them collected by parents. Doing so would undermine the ‘stay at home message’ and further the risk of cross contamination. Staff are working hard to give you access to as much as possible; we appreciate this is not always easy for some of you, but we are taking all steps to provide something for everyone.
Future steps:
Around a month ago, when all this started to come to the fore, I was planning on managing this on a week by week basis, as opposed to term by term. That quickly became day by day and is now often hour by hour. It is difficult to say what will be expected in the near or distant future, however, we will be doing all we can to support you in the coming weeks.
We have system in place that can be maintained for as long as needed and we will make improvements to it as we learn and respond to the situation.
Thank you to all those parents who have already passed on their thanks to staff. I wish all you families well and ask you to heed the message. ‘Stay home and stay safe’.
I will keep you updated periodically.
Mr Seargent
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Update for parents: 30th March 2020
Mon 30 Mar 2020Dear parents, children families and wider school community.
It is hoped this message finds you all well and safe.
I aim today to give you some updates and information to support all in these unprecedented times. I hope to answer many of the questions I am being asked and make you aware of some key steps being undertaken.
1: Easter holidays
For those essential workers and vulnerable children offered a place at the school during the closure, we will be remaining open for you – Monday to Friday during what is officially the Easter break. This, I know, is important for many of you as I know your shift patterns are increasing in numbers. You are supporting the community and therefore we will support you.
Important: This can only be the case for those families identified under the government guidance and is not an open invite to all. On that note:
2: Key / Essential Workers.
The definition of ‘key worker’ and later ‘essential worker’ is very wide, and as a result is complex to manage. For clarity, I have to ensure the safety of my staff and the children on site by ensuring that those deemed key/essential workers are those ‘critical to the response to Covid 19’ – such as, NHS staff, education setting workers, emergency services, care workers, food and transport.
Important here is the statement of ‘critical to the response to Covid 19’. Many employers are producing letters claiming their workers are ‘key workers’ and stating tenuous reasons for this. I have a duty to protect staff and children and therefore will rigidly vet what is deemed ‘critical to response to Covid 19’, and not what is critical to the running of a business mmodel. This is no easy task and a heavy burden, but please understand that if I say no to claims of critical workers this is done for safeguarding purposes.
Schools are ‘requested to remain open’ and headteachers do not have to do so. We are staying open, but in order to sustain this I have to manage the wellbeing of all on site. Please heed the advice given by government, ‘stay at home where safe to do so’.
3: Free School Meals:
Free school meals are made available to those entitled to the Pupil Premium, not Universal Free School Meals (please see earlier notice on the difference between Pupil Premium Meals [claimed] and Universal Free School Meals [free to EYFS, Year 1 and 2 children]).
Pack ups are available every day, Monday to Friday at reception for those entitled to these.
Voucher system: We are aware that some families would have a preference for vouchers and we are working on this. Sadly, it is not easy to achieve for many schools owing to the systems by which funds are allocated to schools. Whilst the government will reimburse schools at a later time, supermarkets do not take 'IOUs'; the system has to be in place and it is not across all schools. We hope to have this in place soon and I am aware that the government are due to provide support for this during the week.
In the meantime, the school is meeting its obligation to support those families entitled to Free School Meals by providing a daily pack up. If you are wanting one, please come to the school reception between 12 noon and 1pm.
Online activities:
I am very aware that many of you are accessing the resources made available to you online. These will be updated weekly as promised.
Some parents have contacted me to ask what they should do if they do not have access to a printer. Most tasks are designed to be achieved without a printer and this is why a book was provided for the children when they broke up. If there are some tasks you cannot access for any reason, please move onto the next. The activities are there to support you as you see fit.
It is not possible to print out packs weekly and have them collected by parents. Doing so would undermine the ‘stay at home message’ and further the risk of cross contamination. Staff are working hard to give you access to as much as possible; we appreciate this is not always easy for some of you, but we are taking all steps to provide something for everyone.
Future steps:
Around a month ago, when all this started to come to the fore, I was planning on managing this on a week by week basis, as opposed to term by term. That quickly became day by day and is now often hour by hour. It is difficult to say what will be expected in the near or distant future, however, we will be doing all we can to support you in the coming weeks.
We have system in place that can be maintained for as long as needed and we will make improvements to it as we learn and respond to the situation.
Thank you to all those parents who have already passed on their thanks to staff. I wish all you families well and ask you to heed the message. ‘Stay home and stay safe’.
I will keep you updated periodically.
Mr Seargent
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Important information about Free School Meals
Thu 26 Mar 2020Dear all.
Free School Meals (FSM) are available at school for those who are subject to the Pupil Premium. In basic terms, those who have received meals as a result of an application to Derby City Council on circumstantial grounds, including finance.
Across the UK, schools offer what are referred to as Universal Free School Meals (UFSM) for Early Years, Year 1 and Year 2. These are not the same as those paid for under the Pupil Premium.
I appreciate that this is not straight forward as the systems are often referred to under the umbrella of Free School Meals.
For clarity - the government (and therefore we) are currently offering free packed lunches for children in the receipt of the Pupil Premium. If you are unsure if you are entitled to the Pupil Premium (you will know if you have applied and received confirmation of this by DCC) and want to check, call the school and ask Mrs Baird who is currently on the reception desk. She has the list and will confirm this with you.
Vouchers:
We are currently working to support a vouchers system, however, due to the short notice given to the changes the financial methodology is not in place city wide. We hope to offer these soon.
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Lockdown: Stay Home Stay Safe
Mon 23 Mar 2020Coronavirus update 23.3.2020 - Lockdown update
To parents/carers of children planning to attend school this week (critical key workers)
Following the latest announcement from Boris Johnson and his government this evening, I feel I should once again invite all those who have been given access to school as critical workers (both parents) to very carefully consider whether or not your child can stay at home during this enforced lockdown. It must be a last resort.
There is a clear message. Stay at home and stay safe unless absolutely essential.
I realise that a handful of key workers may have no other option, but you are strongly urged to take all possible actions. It is clear that these new control measures are significantly more important than those that have gone before and must be followed. Please take all actions possible to keep children at home or in alternative, safe care.
I am awaiting clarity from the Department of Education on how best to manage the long-term impact of the lockdown. It may be a requirement to send some children to alternative provision if they cannot stay at home and pooled access is put in place.
I would also ask you to bear in mind that these new measures, effective immediately, may impact on the number of staff who now are in a position to attend school. The school may now be required to close sooner than later. I will, of course, keep you posted if or when this may impact on our ability to open.
Social distancing:
For those of you that do choose to send your child into school tomorrow, there will be some strict social distancing measures in place which you must comply with.
- No parents/carers allowed beyond the main entrance way. This applies at the beginning and end of the day.
I am sure you can appreciate why these measures have been put in place.
If you were planning on accessing school as both parents are key workers and have no alternative provision, please let us know tomorrow morning to enable planning.
Best wishes and take care in these unprecedented times.
Mr Seargent
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Priority Critical Worker selection
Mon 23 Mar 2020For transparency, I am publishing the priority list for acceptance in school for critical key workers. The key objective is to reduce the risk of infection by decreasing school numbers to only those where no alternative safe provision is required. Staffing levels are already significantly reduced at the school and I need to protect the workforce as much as possible in order to keep critical workers in their roles.
The government definitions are vague and many roles could arguably be included in these categories. An assessment will be undertaken as to what is defined as key workers 'critical to response to Covid 19'.
An example of which could be the category of: 'food production':
Dairy farmer: Critical to response to Covid 19 ? - YES
Sweet manufacturer: Critical to response to Covid 19 ? - NO
These decision are not easy, as there is no definition that includes every job in the UK. A reasonable and justified assessment will be required. Access to school will be at the discretion of the headteacher
Note: Department for Health guidance states that children should not attend school unless there is no safe alternative. Even those in critical roles are advised to keep their child home where possible. Only where both parents are 'critical key workers' and/or vulnerable (Child Protection / Child In Need / Looked After Child [in care], Educational Health Care Plan) will a place be offered. This is in line with Derby City Council guidance issued Friday 20th March 2020.
Vulnerable child / EHCP (either parent)
- Child is subject to a protection plan / In need status
- Child is a DfE stated Looked After Child (in care)
- Child has an Educational Health Care Plan in place
1
NHS / Emergency (both /lone parent)
- Police services
- Fire and rescue
- Military personnel allocated to civil protection
2
Other critical worker (both / lone parent)
- Health (non NHS)
- Education / child care / social services
- Critical utility workers (power/Infrastructure IT/Postal
- Food /essential goods distribution
- Public transport
- Food production (critical foods/farming)
- Financial services
- Other non specific (req confirmation)
3
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Updated : Will my child’s be considered eligible for a place at school as of Monday?
Sun 22 Mar 2020School is closed:
The Government have set out clear guidelines outlining that children should remain at home for the safety of all.
Therefore, schools will only be open to those where no safe alternative is available and if required where both parents (or a lone parent) are identified as 'Key Workers' / critical to Covid 19 response. Schools are also open to those identified as 'vulnerable' or with Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP).
There will be a strict vetting process as medical guidance states that an optimum safe number is 10% of the school population and a maximum of 20%. Any more and this negates safe practice.
This is in line with Government guidance and the most recent update on school access issued by Derby City Council.
The opening of schools is not statutory and school workers are being asked to support the national effort.
In this challenging time, the school will be running a skeleton staff and in line with health care advice most staff will be working from home. A rota/shift pattern will be created to support practice.
As the week progresses and more information about demand is known, adjustments may be needed and a stricter selection process applied. This will result in action against a priority list. If required to be acted on, this will be published and specific offers made individually and the retraction of others. Such practice will also be put in place if staff illness or isolation impact on capacity.
REMEMBERAll families are required to keep their children at home - use of the school can only be offered if there is no safe alternative.
This is the Government directive and will be enforced with rigour for the safety of individuals and the community.
Headteachers have the legal right to control access to the school and therefore all decisions are at their discretion. Only where critical key workers are identified, and where no safe alternative is available, will access be given.
Note: Employment security and economic drivers cannot be a consideration.
This will of course be challenging for many and distressing for all; however we must ensure that we make sensible decisions to protect the most vulnerable and enable only those critical to the battle against Covid 19 to carry out their duties.
If you are considering arriving at school on Monday (or next week if you are shift dependent), with the view that your child may be offered a place whilst schools are closed, you should consult the attached flow chart.
Note to Key Worker Evidence
'Offered a school place' will be subject to you being able to evidence your employment status (ID/Contract/DBS/named work rota or similar) and on the understanding that if in employment, your child will only be at school during your working hours.
Where their are two parents with responsibility, it will be necessary to evidence that both are key workers in order to access care. The school retains the right to contact employers to confirm your status.
Parents of 'vulnerable children’ or with EHCPs will have already been contacted by the Learning Mentor or SENDCo.
Should a parent be found to breach any agreement or protocol the place will be retracted. This includes, in the case of 'Key Workers', if it is found that they are accessing school when not at work or where it is found that a safe alternative was available.
Should the school be placed in a situation where it cannot meet capacity it will be necessary to prioritise those roles essential to health care and security.
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Great news! Story time.
Sat 21 Mar 2020To support families whilst schools are closed, the audio story company ‘audible’ have made a wide range of story books available for free. This can be used to both educate and entertain children.
SIMPLY CLICK ON THE LINK BELOWA link is added below and can be found under class pages, where you will also find the remote learning activities for each year group
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IMPORTANT: Key Worker Information
Fri 20 Mar 2020Information for Parents – Coronavirus and Educational Settings
March 20th update
Key Worker Notice:
IMPORTANT: For the safety of you, your family and society:
Government has made it clear that if you are a key worker it is important to keep your children home wherever possible and only send them if they absolutely need to attend.
Do not place your child, other people’s children, their families and my staff at risk of infection by bringing them onsite if there are safe alternatives.
The fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in education settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals.
Schools are therefore being asked to provide care (not education) for a limited number of children whose parents are critical to the Covid 19 response and cannot safely be cared for at home.
A list is therefore provided below of who the government deem a critical Covid 19 response worker. Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home and following guidance issued, should do so where possible to reduce the risk of infection spreading.
PRIORITY OF PLACES WILL BE GIVEN TO FAMILIES WHERE BOTH PARENTS ARE CLASSED AS KEY WORKERS OR FOR SINGLE PARENTS
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 distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.
Education and childcare
This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the 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, and 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 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 COVID-19 pandemic), 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 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 COVID-19 response, as well as 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 and waste disposal sectors.
In addition, children are entitled to attend if: (you will be contacted directly if you fall into one of the following groups):
- They have an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in place. Those who have will have been contacted directly by Mrs Forte today if you have not already received a call.
- Have received individual notice by letter that they fall into another defined DfE category.
Attendance process for Key Workers:
Remember – to reduce the risk of infections, only bring your child to school if there is no safe alternative.
The school building will be open to these children between 8:15 am and 4pm.
You will be required to sign your child in and out and they should not be allowed to be ‘dropped off’. This is for safeguarding reasons.
Please note, you will be required to provide some evidence that you are within one of the categories identified. For many this will be work photo ID or letter / payslip from your establishment that confirms you are employed in that sector. This is to avoid abuse of the system and the risk of children’s attendance being higher than that necessary, thus increasing the risk of infection.
Whilst there will be educational activities available and guidance given, we wish to ensure a fair balance so that children attending school do not feel that they are having a ‘raw deal’.
Children should bring a packed lunch (unless they receive a free school meal, where a packed lunch will be provided). A basic breakfast will be provided between 8:15 and 9am.
MONDAY MORNING WILL BE BUSY AS WE PROCESS CHILDREN AND CHECK ENTITLEMENT AGAINST GUIDANCE:
Please be patient with my staff and give yourself plenty of time. Processing will start from 8 am on Monday.
- ENTRANCE WILL BE VIA MAIN SCHOOL RECEPTION
- DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD ALONE
- YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN THEM IN AND OUT
Other notes:
- Parents will be free to drop off and collect between the hours of 8:15 and 4pm. This will support those completing shift work. Reception will be manned.
- As the school is acting in a child care capacity, school uniform will not be required, however, wear something comfortable and do not wear favourite clothes. Glues, paints and similar will be in use and children will be using the outdoors area.
ISOLATION: IMPORTANT NOTE for families of ‘Key Workers’:
If your child is currently in isolation as a result of themselves or any other family member showing symptoms of Covid 19, attendance will not be allowed until after the 14 isolation period has ended.
Should your child present with symptoms, they should not attend/will be sent home.
Provision of this service is subject to having sufficient staffing available.
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Accessing remote learning
Fri 20 Mar 2020Guidance on accessing remote learning for pupils for whom the school is closed.
Where will I access learning?
The primary source for learning activities will be via the school website. This enables staff to update and add to learning opportunities regardless of how long or short the closure is. To access learning available for your child you should visit:
www.ashgate.derby.sch.uk Click ‘Children’ in the navigation bar and then ‘Class pages’.
Each year group will have a page available to them.
Where passwords are required for access, these will be provided.
In addition there is a separate, more generic page to support learning. This too can be found under Children and by clicking ‘more support activities’.
The pages can be accessed on all internet linked devices, including tablets and phones as well as laptops and desktop machines.
What will be provided?
In most cases, learning will consists of given activities for mathematics/English and Science. There will also be recommended activities for independent learning. These will be updated weekly.
Children will be provided with a folder and book to record the work they undertake.
For EYFS – activities will be set out in line with the themes and topics learned and be activity based where possible.
For pupils in years 1 to 6, the following will be provided weekly: (uploaded on a Monday)
• Daily mathematics task
• Daily English task
• 2 Science tasks per week• A series of foundation learning (history etc) on an activity grid or similar.
• Physical pack with writing resources and passwords (Sent home on Friday)A parent crib sheet will be included to help you support your child and where worksheets are used, an answer sheet will be posted on the following Monday.
Links will be provided for independent learning such as BBC Bitesize learning. It is understood that the BBC will be providing some additional activities including video learning. We will signpost similar activities for you.
What will I do if I do not have access to the Internet?
In some cases, it will be appropriate to provide packs of activities for children where the home does not have access to the internet. These will be a minority though and should not be requested unless you have no access to the school website/access to links. Packs will be provided on request only and you must inform the class teacher if you require one.
Packs will be available from the school reception on Monday and Tuesday for those who are not in attendance for Friday’s closure. If you require a pack but are in self isolation, we will aim to get one to you.
But I’m not a teacher and I don’t know how to guide my child; what should I do?
Staff will be providing a weekly ‘Parent Crib Sheet’ to support adults, highlighting which elements of learning are key and what to look for. Where there are mark sheets available, these will also be posted (the week after the tasks have been issued).
Do not worry if your child struggles accessing the learning/finds it too difficult. Move on to the next activity and come back to it later.
Will we still get updates?
Yes. Despite the school closing, you will continue to have access to information via text and website access.
Provision of Free School Meals
Those families who have free school meals will be able to collect a meal from the school reception area between the hours of 12 noon and 1pm.
The meal will be in the form of a packed lunch, including sandwich, drink, fruit and a snack.
These will be available from Monday
Should there be excess meals, these may then be offered to non-free school meal families and / or local foodbanks.
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Clarity on 7 days or 14 Isolation
Wed 18 Mar 2020Isolation periods.
Understandably there is a lot of confusion regarding isolation, particularly the period of time families should be isolated.
I hope to clarify by posting the guidance issued to schools:
- if you live alone and you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms started
- if you live with others and you or another member of the household have symptoms of coronavirus, then all household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill. It is likely that people living within a household will infect each other or be infected already. Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
- for anyone in the household who starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14-day isolation period.
I appreciate this is not as clear as we would like, but I interpret this as:
- Household 14 day isolation if anyone has symptoms in your household .
- 7 days if you live alone.
- If you are in isolation and on (for example) the 12th day of the isolation you display symptoms, you must be in isolation for a further 7 days, regardless of when you started isolation.
