Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Week beginning 17.01.22

  Mon 17 Jan 2022 Mr J Howe

  Covid-19 Update

  I’m sure that you will be aware that you may be able to reduce the length of self-isolation from today (Monday 17 th January.) There is still a requirement for anyone who has symptoms to self-isolate and get a PCR test. You must also still self-isolate if you have tested positive on an LFD test. In either case, the day you get symptoms or the day you get a positive LFD test is classed as Day Zero. The isolation period remains 10 days and the first of those days is Day 1 which is the day after Day Zero.

  The change is that this isolation period can can be reduced to 5 full days in certain circumstances. Firstly, your child should be well enough and without a temperature. If your child has a high temperature, they cannot end their isolation. Secondly, your child should receive 2 consecutive negative LFD results which were taken 24 hours apart. The earliest they should take the first LFD test is on day 5. Any positive test after a first negative test would mean that the first negative is null and void. This would reset the isolation period and your child would still require 2 consecutive negative tests from this point forward.

  To return on the day of a second negative test, both tests would need to be taken before 9am. You must register results with the NHS Website: https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result and you either e-mail both those results to school.  Importantly, it still remains the case that if after 10 days of isolation your child still has a high temperature, they should not return to school and you should seek medical advice such as contacting your GP or phoning 111.

   

  Multiple Infections

  Over the last week to 10 days, we now have had a number of pupils and adults in school who have had a confirmed coronavirus infection. Some of these are for the second time in quite a short period of time, in some cases less than six weeks from the first infection. This means it is really important for everybody to remain vigilant and to get children tested at the sign of any symptoms. Just because your child has already had coronavirus does not mean they cannot get it again. Please remain vigilant.

   

  Symptoms

  If your child has symptoms of Covid-19 you must still arrange for them to get a PCR test. You can book a test https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test where you can also order a test to be sent to your home. Do not use an LFD test instead of arranging a PCR. Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms must still self-isolate as described above. As throughout the pandemic, if your child displays any of the Covid-19 symptoms, you will be contacted to collect them immediately and take them for a PCR test.

   

  Home Learning

  We are aware that some children are having to self-isolate due to Covid-19 and that they may feel well enough to engage with remote learning. I want to remind you that staff are publishing home learning newsletters for their class, where children are self-isolating, at the beginning of each week on Class Dojo. If children are unwell, there is no expectation that they complete home learning; we understand that the priority is for children and families to recover from illness.

   

  Precautionary Measures

  I also want to assure you that we are working hard to manage this as carefully as possible in school, so we don’t overly disrupt your child’s learning opportunities. The start times and end times of the school day will remain as they are for the time being. We will continue to run our breakfast and tea clubs as normal at this stage. In addition, we will continue to significantly limit any mixing between classes inside the school building. Classrooms will be well ventilated and we will inform you of any positive cases in your child’s class. This will give you accurate information and help you keep your family safe. We will continue to do all we can to keep everybody as safe as possible, informing families as and when guidance is changed and doing all we can to avoid having to restrict attendance; your children have missed enough school.

  I’d like to thank you again for your support in helping me achieve this and stress that the importance of your role cannot be underestimated. We are stronger working together.

   

   

   

• Week beginning 10.01.22

  Tue 11 Jan 2022 Mr J Howe

  We are now aware of rising cases of Covid 19 in school. These are new cases that have been reported over the last few days.

  Following advice from Public Health today, can I repeat that if your child is over 5 and is a “close contact” of a positive case, eg sibling or parent, they are strongly advised to complete 7 days of lateral flow testing and submit the results to school using the following form, and also to the NHS via: https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result

  Link to school lateral flow reporting form for close contacts -

  https://forms.gle/NuAugkU4guPfVbWdA

  While demand is high, Lateral Flow Kits can be ordered online, or collected free from local pharmacies. Order coronavirus (COVID19) rapid lateral flow tests - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk.)

  We are now aware of rising cases of Covid 19 in school. These are new cases that have been reported over the last few days.

   

  Certificates

  Well done to our first certificate winners of 2022 for determination. These children have really demonstrated a great deal of resilience, when starting the new year - full of all its challenges. It is lovely, also, to see our Reception children with their certificates for home reading - an essential skill for life.

   

  Community Fundraising

  A small pat on the back for everyone, for helping raise £282.20 in the World's Biggest Coffee Morning for MacMillan Cancer Support and £279.91 for The Royal British Legion. Well done everyone at school.

   

  Deadline for Reception Places at Seaburn Dene PS

  Saturday, January 15th (this Saturday) is the closing date for securing a place in our Reception class for September 2022. If you aware of anyone, either new to the area, or looking for a school place for this September, please suggest giving our school office a call on 0191 563 4100, before then.

   

   

  

• Safeguards in School

  Tue 04 Jan 2022 Mr J Howe

  We were delighted to welcome your children back to school today at slightly different times - thanks for your patience. We have received emails from some of you asking about Covid measures and what you can do to help. I thought it best to respond to everyone at the same time with this letter.

  We are aware that the Omicron Covid variant is highly transmissible and rates are climbing locally and nationally.

  Currently we have six children and two staff members, absent as a result of Covid, however, we expect to run the school as normally as possible with some of the following measures in place.

  • The children and staff will be kept in shared, year group bubbles within the school building to minimise unnecessary transmission.
  • Adults will be wearing masks when moving around the building and at the beginning and the end of the school day when large numbers of our community are on site. We are requesting that parents and carers do the same when collecting/dropping off.
  • Children and staff will wash hands or gel frequently.
  • We will continue with high touch point cleaning throughout the school day.
  • We will have school assemblies throughout this half term, although these will be virtual until further notice.
  • We will inform you of any positive cases in a year group or phase as soon as we know about them.
  • We will monitor staff absence and try our best to cover classes with supply or our own staff. We would want to keep children in school having face to face teaching. However, last term it was beginning to get very challenging for schools to find cover staff and we expect January to be even more challenging.
  • We will take advice from Public Health if staff or pupil sickness levels become very high.
  • The classrooms have CO2 monitors.
  • Staff will also purge the air regularly by opening windows and doors.  Please ensure children wear their coats and or school hoodies to school daily.
  • After school clubs will continue until we are advised otherwise. Likewise breakfast and tea club.
  • All staff will be taking Lateral Flow Tests regularly and we would encourage families to do the same to help us all stay safe.

  If a member of your household tests positive, please test everyone in your house even if they have no symptoms. Please only send children into school if they have a negative test result if others in your house have Covid. The school office team will be happy to discuss this with you, if you are not sure.

  Please be ready to come and collect your child quickly if they become sick and ensure we have all the relevant contact details for yourself and any one you have nominated on your collection lists.

  If you travelled abroad over the holidays, please let the office know on your return and follow any isolation advice.

  We are expecting this half term to be particularly challenging and we appreciate your ongoing support to keep our community safe, well and the children learning in school.

  Class Dojo and the school emails are available if you have any further concerns or questions about the new term.

   

  Yours sincerely,

  John Howe

  Head Teacher

• Week beginning 04.01.22

  Sun 02 Jan 2022 Mr J Howe

  Parents/Carers. Happy New Year.
  As we enter 2022, we have received new guidance from the Department of Education, meaning further changes to arrangements and our risk assessment.
  In order to further prevent the spread of Covid-19 and the new variant, we are returning to staggered starts and finishes - beginning on Tuesday.
  
  Times:
  Nursery (and older siblings) - 8.45am to 11.45am/2.45pm (EYFS Yard/Y1 yard)
  Reception (and older siblings) - 8.45am - 3.15pm (EYFS/Y1 yard)
  Y1 (and younger siblings) - 8.55am - 3.25pm (EYFS/Y1 yard)
  Y2 (and younger siblings) - 8.55am - 3.25pm (main KS2 yard)
  Y3/4 (and younger siblings) 8.45am - 3.15pm (main KS2 yard)
  Y5/6 (and younger siblings) - 8.40am - 3.10pm (main KS2 yard)
  
  Gates are open precisely 5 minutes before drop off times. Children will be dismissed, in staggered intervals - at the end of the school day, to parents waiting ON Torver Crescent by class teachers. We continue with these measures to try to mitigate risks.
  
  In the year groups 1 to 6, younger children are allowed to enter school with the eldest sibling if that is more convenient to the family. If families are dropping Reception and Nursery children off and have an older sibling the older children are able to be dropped off at the same time as their younger sibling.
  
  To help us further:
  1. AVOID congregating and leave as soon as your child/children has/have come through the gate.
  2. Wherever possible stand away from the gates and the middle of the path, so children and parents with young children don't have to walk on the road.
  3. Please wear face coverings at all times when dropping off/collecting at the school gates.