Latest news
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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DROP AND COLLECT COVID TESTING SERVICE
Mon 12 Oct 2020Birmingham City Council Councillor Paulette Hamilton Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care
The Council House
Victoria Square Birmingham
B1 1BB Telephone: 0121 303 4789
E-Mail: Paulette.Hamilton@birmingham.gov.uk ____________________________________________________________________Our ref: PH/REM/SM 091020 9 October 2020
Dear Parent / Carer
Drop and collect Covid testing service
In order to help keep communities safe we’re offering free, completely optional Coronavirus tests. Birmingham City Council staff and volunteers, supported by the RAF, will be visiting areas across the city. They drop off a test, tell you the details and come back within an hour. You may already have noticed these teams, or you may see them out and about in coming days and weeks. Please don’t be concerned. They are here to help communities by making it easier for people to get tested. The teams will be wearing high-vis jackets, clearly labelled as being from the city council. If you have any doubts about who they are, ask for identification. The RAF personnel have been really helpful in supporting this service. The city council simply doesn’t have the capacity to provide all the people needed to run this service, so the RAF is providing extra people on the ground to help us. They are not here in their military capacity. You can see more information about the service here: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/news/article/701/drop_and_collect_covid19_testing_service_introduced_in_birmingham
I know this is a really difficult time for everyone, but we are all working hard to keep communities safe. Together, we can get through this.
Yours sincerely
Councillor Paulette Hamilton Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care Vice Chair LGA Community Wellbeing Board Chair of Birmingham Health and Wellbeing Board
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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 -
Re-opening Letter from Mrs Breslin
Mon 31 Aug 2020Dear Parents/Carers,
As you will all be aware, Christ the King school re-opens to all children (except Nursery/Reception children, who have been sent separate letters informing them of their specific attendance dates) on Thursday 3rd September 2020.
I understand that many of you may be worried about a return to school, particularly if your child(ren) have not attended school since March. However, I wish to reassure you that all staff at Christ the King will do everything in their power to ensure a secure, calm return and ask that you prepare your children positively for a happy, exciting year ahead. They have no doubt missed their friends, along with the daily routines and educational/social experiences we all need to keep life balanced.
Timetable for return to school on Thursday 3rd September –
School start time:
Years 1-6 return to school between 8.30-8.40am through main car park entrance OR lower entrance on Danesbury Crescent.
School finish times:
KS1 (Years 1 and 2) – finish at 2.55pm – pick up from lower Danesbury Crescent exit gate
KS2 (Years 3-6) – finish at 3.05pm – pick up from main car park entrance/exit gate
If your child needs medication, such as an inhaler, please ensure it is in date and clearly named.
The Government has stated that primary aged children do not need to wear face coverings. Research has shown they could actually increase the risk of infection for children and hamper their learning. We therefore ask that you do not send your child to school with a face covering.
Please note:
It is expected that all primary pupils will return on the dates directed, to school. Gavin Williamson (Education Secretary) has made clear that he intends to reintroduce fines for parents who do not return their children to school from September, stating… ‘It is going to be compulsory for children to return back to school unless there’s a very good reason, or a local spike where there have had to be local lockdowns.’
As a school, we are not allowed to authorise holidays in term time… so please don’t do this. Your children have missed enough time, they need to return on the date stipulated and be in school EVERY DAY if they are to be given the best opportunity to ‘catch up’. However, I must also remind parents that if your child is unwell or displays any symptoms of coronavirus (temperature, cough, loss of taste etc.) then they should not attend school. If you feel your child has symptoms of coronavirus you should speak to you GP to arrange a test. Your child would need isolate for 10 days and any other household members for 14 days. If we do have any cases within school, then bubbles may need to be closed to allow for isolation.
Please refer to my letter dated 17 July 2020 which outlines further details of what will happen when your child(ren) come back to school. It is of paramount importance that you adhere to the expectations laid out in this letter if we are to keep both children and staff as safe as we possibly can. It is essential that now, of all times, we strongly work together as a school community.
School Planners
Pupils planners for the next academic year have not yet arrived in school. When they do, each child will be given theirs, as usual, upon which we ask all parents to complete the mandatory home/school agreement/emergency contact and medical details. Please note that, due to the circumstances, in order to reduce the possibility of cross contamination, staff will only stamp/sign the planners on a Monday and Friday. As the planners are our main source of communication, we ask that should you wish to communicate anything to the class teachers from Tuesday to Thursday, a member of staff on gate duty in the morning/home time may be able to help you – or alternatively, you can leave a message with them to pass on to your child’s class teacher who will get back to you at a convenient time. Please do not ring the school office unless it is urgent…office staff cannot cope with an influx of phone calls with questions that are answered on the school website or which could wait until the morning/afternoon. Please look at the school website for regular updates/information that may answer your question. Also, visitors to the school office will be tightly managed for obvious reasons. Therefore, no more than one person at a time will be allowed entrance into the school foyer. If you ring the entrance bell once upon arrival, a member of the office staff will buzz you in, one at a time. (Please wear a mask if planning to enter the office foyer). I understand that this is not ideal, but it is a precaution, minimising time/contact, therefore reducing risk. This is more important than a little inconvenience. Thank you for your consideration, in advance.
Whilst your child will be bringing home a reading book, due to the sanitising measures we will be taking, it may take a little longer than usual to change your child’s reading book. For this reason, we will ensure that your child has books available to them to access online through their ‘Bug Club’ account so that they always have something to read.
Similarly, we will not be able to facilitate the children from Year 2 upwards doing their daily times tables practice on ‘Times Tables Rock Stars’, therefore we would ask that they log on at home each night to complete their 1 minute ‘Garage’ game.
Uniform
The school office will be open on Tuesday 1st September and Wednesday 2nd September between 10am-1pm to collect ordered uniform. Please ensure all uniform is collected on these days ready for the first day at school on Thursday 3rd September.
School Dinner Price Increase
School dinner price increased on the 1 April to £2.40 per day/£12.00 per week. For nursery full time children the price is £2.10 per day/£10.50 per week.
Dinner Debts
If you have not paid your dinner arrears for this academic year, please ensure you provide your child with a packed lunch until your debt is settled. All relevant parents have been contacted.
We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday 3 September!
Mrs Breslin
Head Teacher
Government Guidance
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
Below are the links for the government's advice on the coronavirus and school settings for your perusal:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/ -
Leader statement on current COVID-19 situation - 19 August 2020
Thu 27 Aug 2020Published: Wednesday, 19th August 2020
Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, has urged everyone to pull together to ensure the city tackles the threat posed by rising coronavirus case numbers. In a statement, Cllr Ward said:
“The rise in case numbers, although not currently on the scale seen elsewhere in the country, is extremely concerning – we all need to wake up to the severity of the current situation.
“Many people have stories of tragedy relating to their family and friends since the onset of COVID-19. We’ve all made sacrifices over the past five months to tackle its devastating impact, and that is what was helping bring the issue under control here in Birmingham.
“Most people are still doing the right things – the basics such as handwashing, wearing face coverings in the appropriate places and keeping 2m apart wherever possible.
“We all need to keep doing this. I understand that lockdown fatigue has inevitably set in for some and that the easing of restrictions means it is easy to take your eye off the ball.
“But we have to remain focussed. If we are forced to go back to the dark days of spring it will be because we haven’t collectively done our bit for the greater good of the city.
“It will set our already-fragile economy back and that could mean more job uncertainty and further struggles to make ends meet for many.
“A local lockdown could also mean some of those freedoms and liberties that we have begun to enjoy again are ripped from our grasp. We don’t want a situation where people cannot see their loved ones in care homes (as many already cannot do) or not go to their favourite restaurant.
“Nobody wants to have to wait in a lengthy queue at their local supermarket or not be able to use all of the facilities in their local park.
“Going into the next stage of restrictions will also probably mean an end to households meeting indoors, severely restricting our ability to socialise as we would like to.
“There is a risk this could all happen again if we don’t push back against the rise in Birmingham’s coronavirus cases.
“As a council, we will continue working with our partners in the NHS and other emergency services to do everything we can to halt the spread.
“We have to carry on boosting the rates of testing. They have been heading in the right direction, but if you feel unwell with one of the key symptoms or contacted by Test and Trace, it is your interests and that of anyone you come into contact with to take a coronavirus test.
“There is a role here for our colleagues in central government just as much as there is for the council or the people of Birmingham, and we will continue putting the city’s case forward. In particular we are asking government to provide more walk-in and drive-in test centres across the city so that it is as easy as possible for people to get a test. We are also asking government to increase access to tests in other locations, such GP surgeries.
“In the meantime, Birmingham will be one of the first councils in the country to pilot a ‘drop and collect’ testing service for those residents who are finding it difficult to leave their home to get a test.
“Nobody should feel forced into going to work when they could be risking many other people because they are struggling to pay their bills and we are lobbying government to ensure people are properly supported financially if they are ill or while they are self-isolating.
“Ultimately, there is a role for everyone here. Now is the time to step up and all do our bit for Birmingham, like never before.”
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Check if you or your child has coronavirus symptoms
Thu 27 Aug 2020If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), get a test as soon as possible. Stay at home until you get the result.
Main symptoms
The main symptoms of coronavirus are:
- a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
Most people with coronavirus have at least 1 of these symptoms.
What to do if you have symptoms
If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus:
- Get a test to check if you have coronavirus as soon as possible.
- Stay at home and do not have visitors until you get your test result – only leave your home to have a test.
Anyone you live with, and anyone in your support bubble, must also stay at home until you get your result.
Get a test to check if you have coronavirus
What is a support bubble?
A support bubble is where someone who lives alone (or just with their children) can meet people from 1 other household.
Find out more about meeting people from outside your household on GOV.UK.
Urgent advice: Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:
- you're worried about your symptoms
- you're not sure what to do
Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service
Call 111 if you cannot get help online. Do not go to places like a GP surgery, hospital or pharmacy.
Babies and children
Call 111 if you're worried about a baby or child under 5.
If your child seems very unwell, is getting worse or you think there's something seriously wrong, call 999.
Do not delay getting help if you're worried. Trust your instincts.
Get more advice about coronavirus in children.
More in Check if you or your child has coronavirus symptoms
- Check if you or your child has coronavirus symptoms
- Coronavirus in children
Page last reviewed: 21 August 2020
Next review due: 28 August 2020