Latest news
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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LETTER FROM NHS TEST AND TRACE
Thu 24 Sep 202023 September 2020
Dear parents and guardians,
This is an important letter to share some information on how we can work together to make sure we can continue to give children and young people the best education in the safest way possible.
One important part of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of pupils, parents and our communities is testing for coronavirus. We all have a duty to make sure that the right people have access to get tested at the right time. Every time a test is used inappropriately, a person with Covid-19 symptoms may miss out on getting tested.
Therefore, I ask that you all follow these principles:
▪ You should only book a test if your child has any of these three coronavirus symptoms:
1. a high temperature: any new high temperature where your child feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature)
2. a new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
3. a loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal
▪ Your child does not need a test if they have a runny nose, are sneezing or feeling unwell but do not have a temperature, cough or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste because these are not normally symptoms of coronavirus.
▪ If you are unsure about whether to get a test, please check the official list of symptoms on the NHS website, which is reviewed regularly: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/
▪ Only the person with symptoms should get a test. You do not need to get a test for anyone else in the household unless they also have any of the three symptoms listed above. All members of the household need to self-isolate whilst waiting for the test result.
▪ If the person with symptoms’ test comes back positive, other members of their household should continue self-isolating for 14 days and only get a test if they develop coronavirus symptoms.
▪ If a pupil in a class or bubble tests positive for coronavirus, anyone who is advised to self-isolate does not require a test unless they subsequently develop symptoms.
No one else in the same class or bubble as the symptomatic person needs to take any action unless advised by the school. Schools have detailed guidance and access to a Department for Education and Public Health England helpline for advice and support.
Contacts of a person who has tested positive must follow the guidance carefully and in full, which means they must stay at home for 14 days. This is because it can take several days following contact with an infected person before an individual develops symptoms or the virus can be detected. Students should only book a test if they get symptoms.
The NHS has produced some guidance to help parents understand when their child can and cannot attend school which you may find useful: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthybody/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/ It is vital for children’s learning and future opportunities that they are able to return to school and college.
It is therefore vitally important that all we work together and do our bit to make this possible.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Viv Bennett CBE
Chief Nurse and Director Maternity and Early Years |
Public Health England Head of World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Public Health Nursing and Midwifery
Follow me on Twitter: @VivJBennett
Dr Susan Hopkins Interim Chief Medical Officer | NHS Test & Trace Deputy Director | Public Health England Consultant in Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Royal Free, London
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Letter from Director of Public Health - Birmingham City Council
Tue 22 Sep 202021st September 2020
Dear parent/carer,
It’s been wonderful to see children back at school, learning and seeing their friends again. I know the past few months have been hard on all of us and I’d like to thank you for your continued support.
You will have seen some changes to the way your school operates so I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of why these are vital to the safe running of school; please remember that although many aspects of society have opened up again, although in a different way, the virus has not gone away.
While changes will vary from school to school, depending on such things as building layout and number of pupils, the differences you will notice could include:
− Staggered drop-off and collection at the start and end of the day to minimise the number of people at the school entrance.
− Children will be in ‘bubbles’ to reduce contact as much as possible, but allow them to learn and play with friends.
− If a child or staff member within a bubble shows symptoms or is infected then the bubble may need to isolate, but the school will communicate with parents if this happens.
− Asking children to wash their hands even more than usual, use hand sanitisers and follow any one-way systems while staying apart as much as possible.
I know some of these changes may be hard to get used to, and they may be frustrating, but they are entirely in order to keep all children, staff and parents safe.
I would therefore ask for your continued patience and consideration as we all do our best to help each other get through this difficult and unusual time.
School staff have been working so hard to ensure schools are a safe environment for learning and playing, so please do what you can to support them and each other and we will get through this. Please also keep in mind that it is important that we all play our part in not going for a test unless we have one of the three covid symptoms, a temperature, new continuous cough or loss of sense of taste or small, or if we are asked to by the NHS or public health teams.
Birmingham City Council Director of Public Health 10 Woodcock Street Birmingham B7 4BL If you have any questions or concerns, please speak direct to your school – they are here to help.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Justin Varney
Director of Public Health Birmingham City Council
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Blended Home Learning
Mon 21 Sep 2020In anticipation of some children needing to stay at home for various reasons, including general illness and those having to self-isolate, we have facilitated the completion of remote learning on a weekly basis, so that the potential for gaps in their learning is reduced.
There will be a learning activities for children to complete each day via their Year Group Page. It is expected that all children who are at home and are well enough should complete these. Children at home are also encouraged to access the range of general remote learning platforms on their Year Group Page. Children can also look back through activities posted during lockdown in ‘archive’ section
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Full Return of all Pupils Risk Assessment
Thu 10 Sep 2020The government plan is for the full return of all pupils from September 2020: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.
School employers and leaders are required by law to think about the risks the staff and pupils face and do everything reasonably practicable to minimise them, recognising they cannot eliminate the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19). School employers must therefore make sure that a risk assessment has been undertaken to identify the measures needed to reduce the risks from coronavirus (COVID-19) so far as is reasonably practicable and make the school COVID-secure.
This risk assessment is available to view under Coronavirus on our website. -
School Attendance – Covid Update September 2020
Fri 04 Sep 2020Letter from Birmingham City Council:
A very important message for all parents/carers
4 September 2020
Dear Parent/Carer,
This is a message about school attendance.
Christ the King RC School is working in partnership with parents and Birmingham City Council to encourage children back into school following several very difficult months for parents and schools. We would like to thank parents for the work you have done in ensuring your children have received education during this period.
In March 2020 the government made it clear that no parent would be penalised or sanctioned for their child’s non-attendance at school at that time due to the Covid 19 outbreak. Schools were then closed to all but a specific group of pupils; those of key workers and vulnerable children.
Now the circumstances have changed, it is vital for all children to return to school to minimise as far as possible the longer-term impact of the pandemic on their education, wellbeing and wider development. We know that children have missed being with their friends and the wider social aspects of school.
Missing out on more time in the classroom risks pupils falling further behind. Those with higher overall absence tend to achieve less well in both primary and secondary school. School attendance is therefore compulsory again from the beginning of the autumn term.
This means from September 2020 (unless parents are formally notified of a local lockdown where schools are closed), the usual rules on school attendance apply, including:
- parents’ duty to send their child to school regularly where they are of compulsory school age;
- schools’ responsibilities to record attendance and follow up absence
- the availability of local authorities to use legal sanctions, including penalty notices and prosecution in court.
If you are worried about your child attending school the first port of call is to discuss your concerns with the school directly. The school has specialist staff who may be able to help, and all schools work closely with health and council teams who may also be able to help if needed.
In addition, this is not the time to take your child out of school for a family holiday or other term time leave. It is unlikely that any leave will be authorised by the Head Teacher after so much enforced absence from school. The more your child is in school, the more they will catch up.
Family emergencies need careful consideration. It is not always appropriate or in the best interests of the child to miss school for emergencies which are being dealt with by adult family members.
No school or local authority wants to take legal action, and every attempt to resolve parents’ concerns and improve a child’s attendance will be made before any formal action is considered.
After so much disruption to your child/ren’s education over recent months, the most important thing is that the school and parents work together to get children back into school. The school is ready to listen so please contact them if you have any worries and they will try to help you.
We wish you and your child all the best for the coming academic year.
Kind regards
Education Legal Intervention Team
Birmingham City Council
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What parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges
Wed 02 Sep 2020