Support Mechanisms for Parents
Useful phone numbers to support our families and children during this difficult pandemic and further time at home:
Food bank (behind Eastwood Library) 01773 535255
BWP 01773 719111
Eastwood Library 01773 712209
Eastwood Children’s centre 0115 9773742
HFT 0115 8835500
MASH 03005008090
HomeStart Nottingham 0115 9624262 Befriending support for families with children under 5yrs
Broxtowe Council 0115 9177777
Notts Help yourself -online
Riley Foundation-Underwood for children with additional needs
Let’s talk wellbeing 03003002200
Drug and alcohol support CGL 0115 8960798
Safe families 01159227593
Symptoms to look out for
Anyone displaying the following symptoms should stay at home and must not enter the school premises:
We advise that everyone remains vigilant for the above symptoms and avoids exposure to anyone who is displaying these symptoms and/or has tested positive for coronavirus.
When to self-isolate
Anyone who is unwell with any of the symptoms outlined above and/or tests positive for coronavirus will need to self-isolate for the next 10 days. If they do not have symptoms, but are living with someone who does, they will need to self-isolate for the next 14 days. Those who need to self-isolate must not enter the school premises until the necessary self-isolation period has ended.
Those who have been exposed to somebody with symptoms of coronavirus do not need to self-isolate unless they develop symptoms themselves or test positive for coronavirus.
What to do if you need to self-isolate
You must notify the school that your child needs to self-isolate and how long they will need to self-isolate for. Contact the school office as soon as possible (office@greasley.notts.sch.uk or 01773 712128).
Getting tested
If symptoms are present, staying off school for a day or two is not enough. As soon as the symptoms are discussed with us (coughs and temperatures) then a test will need to take place. You can get your child tested for coronavirus via self-referral if they are displaying symptoms or live with someone who is displaying symptoms. Your child must not come to school if they need to self-isolate.
You need to get the test done in the first five days of having symptoms. You must notify the school office of the result of your child’s test as soon as possible.
When to return to school
If your child has been unable to attend school due to displaying symptoms of coronavirus, they can come back to school after 10 days of self-isolation, or if they test negative for coronavirus. If your child has been unable to attend because someone in your household has tested positive for coronavirus or displayed symptoms, but they do not develop symptoms, they can come back to school after 14 days.
Contacting the school
You will need to contact the school as soon as possible in the following circumstances:
Please contact the school office should you have any concerns or queries about the information outlined in this letter.
How to help reduce the spread of infection
It is important that everyone in our school community does what they can to help reduce the spread of coronavirus to protect themselves and others. Please remember that it is possible to spread coronavirus even if symptoms are not present.
Please ensure you and others in your household consider the following actions whenever possible:
Dear Parents and Carers,
We appreciate that the current Coronavirus crisis is causing varying levels of anxiety for everyone in the school community, especially for some of the children. It is hard to know exactly who requires support for anxiety surrounding this growing problem, as some children hold on to their fears and worries. Therefore, I am sharing the attached work book with everyone for you to use at home if you so wish. The booklet has been shared by the School’s Behaviour and Attendance Partnership (SBAP) and we feel that it could benefit many.
Take care, everyone!
Warm regards,
Mrs Bates
Messages from Mrs Bates (Spring term)
Coronavirus Communication Update
13th April 2020
Dear all,
During school closures, children can spend more time online. As a school, we still want to ensure that your child is safe at home when using their devices and accessing online material.
There is support available to keep your child safe online. Below are some useful links to help parents and carers:
Please continue to monitor your child's online use and let us know if you require our support. In addition, please contact us if there is anything that concerns you with online communication between your child and other children within school.
Stay safe, everyone!
Happy Easter,
Mrs Bates
Coronavirus Communication Update
Friday 10th April 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
Please be aware that due to extremely low numbers on our planned register for Bank Holiday Monday, we have had to make the decision to close school for one day only. School will reopen for the vulnerable, and those who need us most for emergency child care, on Tuesday 14th April 2020.
Warm regards and stay safe over the Easter weekend,
Mrs Bates
Coronavirus Communication Update
3rd April 2019
Good afternoon everyone,
I hope that you have all had a good week - whether it be in school, working from home or keeping yourself busy and occupied! It’s a strange time, and I hope that you are all managing to adapt OK.
Normally, I would be writing today to wish everyone well over the Easter holidays and to enjoy time off school. Today, that’s an adapted message as school is open over the next two weeks for the extremely vulnerable children and for the children who have front-line worker parents. For everyone else, I wish you a safe Easter period indoors with your loved ones.
Life in school continues to be very different. We are loving spending time with the children here in different ways, but are also missing the regulars. I personally miss the buzz of the corridors, seeing you all in the playground, watching lessons take place and seeing the whole school together in Rainbow Rewards. As well as seeing the whole staff team all together, as we haven’t seen each other ‘as one’ in two weeks either.
We know that life for many is very different right now. Therefore, I wanted to share some links with you that have been coming my way over the last two weeks. This may seem like information overload, and I completely understand that, so please see this blog (and the links) as a resource bank (to dip in and out of, as you need to). Don’t look at them all at the same time (and some you may not want to read at all).
Mainly, these resources are either educational, fun or to support you with well-being and mental health. They may also help you to pass the time of day or to add that smile back when you may feel low.
By sharing these links, we are also possibly providing you with things to follow over the Easter period as no work or daily class Dojos will be sent over this time. We appreciate that some children may still want to stay busy and some of the following links may support you with that. Again, no pressure or expectation to work over the next two weeks, but just ideas to keep you going if you so wish.
Helpful resources or ideas:
Zoos around the world are now doing live streaming for free, examples include:
See also
English
Maths
Science
Many of these have already been shared by teachers, through the weekly work, but some home learning books have still not been collected from school so these are purely reminders.
In addition to home learning, during COVID-19, we also need to think about support mechanisms for our mental health and wellbeing. Some of the following links are very useful and can also be accessed by adults within the school community:
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips/
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-staying-at-home-tips/
https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/
http://www.em-edsupport.org.uk/Page/7730
https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/publication/childrens-guide-to-coronavirus/
For now, I wish you all well and I am thinking of you all.
Keep inside as much as you can, folks. Keep safe and keep well. Miss you lots, but please “Keep smiling.”
Enjoy your weekend, and Easter, everyone!
Take care
Mrs Bates
Head Teacher
31st March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
Firstly, I do hope that you are all well and keeping safe. The last two weeks have been surreal and certainly the time in school has been very different (but lovely with the children that we do have). I spoke with the children today about how proud they should feel of you all for keeping the country functioning at this difficult time. Can I also take this opportunity to thank everyone, who has considered the places they require for their children in school (and only when this is absolutely essential).
As I stated last week, school is only open for those who absolutely need it most. This morning, I have been asked from the Nottinghamshire Local Authority, which families may require support over the Easter holidays. School can be open over the Easter period (including bank holidays) for those who need emergency childcare. We have reduced our daily numbers over time and we are operating with skeletal staff on a rota basis. We need to keep these numbers low for obvious reasons, but will support where absolutely needed.
As I am sure you can imagine, I am having to work at pace to staff the Easter period. Therefore, please get in touch by midday tomorrow (Wednesday 1st April) if you require emergency support over the Easter holidays. We need to know precisely how many places required and for which days ASAP please. So, please get in touch today on office@greasley.notts.sch.uk, or call 01773 712128 with this information.
Again, let us know if you want your child’s name removing from the register, and if you no longer need a school place at all (and therefore Parent Mail communication of this nature).
Best wishes and thinking of you all at this hard time. For now, take time with your family and I will continue to keep you posted.
Keep safe and well,
Mrs Bates
24th March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
Firstly, can I take this opportunity to thank everyone, who has considered the places they require for their children in school (and only when this is absolutely essential).
As I stated last night, school is open but only for those who need it most. This morning, we have been ringing the families of children, who were on the list for today, and our numbers have reduced. I thank you for this as I still have to think about keeping everyone safe, as well as the staff. We are currently reducing the list numbers so please get in touch today on office@greasley.notts.sch.uk, or call 01773 712128, if your circumstances have changed and we can reduce the days in any way (especially for this week as this will save us time calling every morning).
Currently, we still have a ParentMail group for the 90+ families, who originally required a place. Please bare with us if you are still receiving correspondence that you no longer require. We are reducing the group today, but doing this carefully so we do not want to accidentally remove you.
Again, let us know if you want your child’s name removing from the register, and if you no longer need a school place at all. If you have already told us this then we will remove you from the group today and communication about school places (during closure) will cease.
Best wishes and thinking of you all at this hard time. For now, take time with your family and I will continue to keep you posted.
Keep safe and well,
Mrs Bates
23rd March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are sure that you have now heard the latest press release from the government. We are now entering a lock down period, whereby people should only leave the house if absolutely necessary. As I type, we are still processing tonight’s messages. However, we urge you to consider what the government are imposing.
School is open for now. However, we have so much to consider (including the safety of the staff in school, who have been admirable so far in their approach to your child’s education). As a result of this, a school place is only available now if absolutely necessary. Please consider this before the morning and only bring your child to school if absolutely vital. If we feel that your child should not be in school, as they do not meet the criteria, then a place may not be offered (even if previously agreed).
There will be further publications throughout the evening, and I assume (like Thursday) that there will be more guidance before the morning. For now, PLEASE follow the advice, and restrictions, in place. Try to put your family and others at the forefront of your decisions in the morning. We are trying to STOP the spread of COVID-19 and that will not happen if we do not think and act quickly.
Best wishes and thinking of you all at this hard time. For now, take time with your family and I will update you as soon as I can.
Keep safe and well,
Mrs Bates and the Senior Leadership Team
22nd March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
Firstly, once again, may I take this opportunity to thank you for your patience and understanding during recent days surrounding the ongoing coronavirus crisis. It has been truly heart-warming to receive messages of support from our school community and for that, we are all very grateful. We closed the school on Friday with a heavy heart, but now we plan for the next stages with a smile for your children.
Following on from my last update, school is now closed for the majority of children. However, as advised by the government, we are currently open for the children of key workers (e.g. NHS staff, police, social care staff, frontline workers and delivery drivers), children who fall into the vulnerable category and those with Education Health Care Plans. This is really on an emergency ‘needs must’ basis. On Friday, the office and the management teams spent a long time looking at the list of over 90 children and speaking to parents about what childcare and days they actually needed. Based on these discussions, we are now looking at having approximately 50 children in school each day and we aim for no more than 8-10 children per classroom.
If you received a call on Friday, you have a confirmed place for the days required and these have been logged on our system for next week. We will review this next Friday, or when the government release new guidance, advice and/or restrictions. The plans for the week ahead are as follows, but may be subject to change at any point:
Examples of what will not be able to go ahead:
We are all experiencing uncertain and difficult times; as a community, we aim to support each other as best we can. Above everything, we are totally committed to supporting our children and families throughout this process.
Please be patient with us as we continue to make next week work for everyone (as guidance will no doubt change). We will be open for as long as physically possible. If you have decided that you no longer require this service, as your childcare needs are no longer needed, not immediate or an emergency need, then please let us know. The more children we have self-distancing, the safer it is for everyone, including yourselves.
Take care and we look forward to working with you next week as positively as possible.
Best wishes,
Mrs Bates and the Senior Leadership Team
Corona Virus Communication Update
20th March 2020
Dear all,
I hope you are well and enjoying some family time today.
Following a very unusual day in school yesterday, and some thinking time today, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all immensely! Myself and the staff have received some amazing cards, letters, gifts, emails and sincere thanks and we are truly grateful.
Last week wasn’t easy for anyone and yesterday was particularly strange. We kept smiling though and the day was heart-warning in so many ways!
We enjoyed rainbow day and that generated an enormous amount of food for the food banks for our school community. Thank you so much.
As I have all week, I will continue to keep you updated and posted. There will be a letter tomorrow for those families whose children will be in school next week. In addition, we will writing to you all on Monday with further plans for continued home learning. As a mum myself, I am also preparing for this, and I know it will be ‘different’. We will do our very best to ensure children continue to be engaged with learning, education and fun!
Keep safe and well everyone ... you are all in my thoughts. Also, please tell your children that Mrs Bates says, “Keep using those cheeks and keep smiling.”
For now, I leave you to try and enjoy the rest of your weekend. The very best and fond wishes,
Michelle Bates
Head Teacher
19th March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
Children of Key ‘Frontline’ Workers and vulnerable children
Once again, we thank you for the support and kind messages that you have sent both to myself and the staff over the last 48 hours. The ‘community-feel’ so far has been strong and we are all working through this together and continuing to smile. It is a difficult time and we cannot thank you enough for your patience and kindness during this unprecedented time.
As instructed by the government yesterday, schools will close tomorrow for all pupils apart from the most vulnerable and children of key workers. I was hoping for further clarification tonight from the government, over the clarity of ‘key workers’ and vulnerable children, but to no avail.
Over the last week, we have followed the Government’s guidance on how to respond to the Coronavirus and have been active supporters of the strategy to combat the crisis. We are trying to slow down the spread of the virus and whenever we make decisions, we are doing so to keep the risks low and everybody safe. Currently, the numbers of children who were planning to be in schools next week, due to one key worker within a family, is meaning the projected numbers are high. Well above the safe maximum suggested by the government of 20% of the school population.
As a result of this, we have been liaising today with local schools, Head Teachers from other families of schools, schools in larger Trusts and have followed union guidance. As of this evening, there is a developed understanding that the highest priority for childcare places in schools, over the next few weeks, will be for families where both parents are key workers or where a sole parent is a key worker. However, there may be some flexibility around this to help manage individual circumstances. Therefore, I urge you to get in touch tomorrow morning by 10am to inform us of whether both adults, or a sole parent, are key workers (or if we need to discuss your circumstances). However, I plead that you only request a place if you have good grounds and need us for emergency provision.
If you work in the following sectors, you are considered a key worker and should be able to keep sending your child/children to school to enable you to continue to work.
Key Workers: (PLEASE NOTE, this list is currently not finalised by the government and may change within hours)
We expect the list of front line workers to be expanded and clarified over the next 24 hours.
As well as considering childcare provision for all key workers within a household, we have also had to think of our most vulnerable pupils. At this moment in time, we have guidance from the Local Authority that:
Vulnerable pupils are:
Again, if you feel your child is vulnerable then please let us know. We will also make calls to you if we feel that time in school is what your child is going to require over the coming weeks.
The guidance is changing all the time and there is more and more to put in place quickly. I have to submit registers tomorrow to the Local Authority of children who will be in school on Monday. We cannot just have an ‘open door’ policy under these circumstances and you must get in touch by 10am tomorrow please.
As soon as we have an idea of how many children we are expecting, we can plan to make it happen. Please let us know if you want to take up this offer of emergency provision by:
Calling the school office on 01773 712128
Emailing school on office@greasley.notts.sch.uk
Or
By popping into the school office to tell us tomorrow morning
We will send further updates as soon as we have them and also communicate again tomorrow when we have a further plan for learning and what will be required in school Monday if you are on the register for your child/children to attend.
Once again, this is an unprecedented time and we are working hard behind the scenes to prepare for the school closures. We will work together with you to ensure that the health and wellbeing of our community and the education of children remains at the forefront of our decision making.
Thank you so much for your support.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Michelle Bates and Mr Chris Manton
(Head Teacher) (Chair of Governors)
19th March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
Firstly, may I take this opportunity to thank you for your patience and understanding during recent days surrounding the ongoing coronavirus crisis. It has been truly heart-warming to receive messages of support from our school community and for that, we are all very grateful.
Following on from my last update, I am now writing to let you know that we have been instructed to close the school to almost all children from closure on Friday 20th March 2020, until further notice.
As advised by the government, we will do all we can to stay open for the children of key workers (e.g. NHS staff, police, social care staff, frontline workers and delivery drivers), children who fall into the vulnerable category and those with Education Health Care Plans.
We are waiting for the government to publish more information on what this means, but it would help us in the meantime if you could let us know if you think your profession might fall into the key worker band. Today, we will be estimating the number of families, who are likely to require this support, based on the information you have previously supplied about parental occupations and the understanding we already have of our vulnerable children. However, please notify us by email by no later than 10am on Friday 20th March 2020 at office@greasley.notts.sch.uk if you and/or your child falls into any one of these groups.
Once we have a full understanding of the numbers involved, we can assess the requirements and finalise arrangements with the families concerned.　
All other children will need to stay at home, so we ask that you do not send your child into school from Monday 23rd March onwards. Please note that this is a national closure – as you may have heard in the news – so while it is a challenging situation, we are not alone. We will re-open fully as soon as we can and will let you know when this will be by ParentMail.
We have also pre-empted the requirement to make provision for the children of key workers or those children who fall into the most vulnerable category, and have plans in place ready to facilitate this as follows:
We are currently planning what our arrangements will be for lunchtime, especially for those in receipt of free school meals, but packed lunches may be required by some.
I am sure there will be many questions about all the arrangements moving forwards, and I promise to keep you all posted as I have the answers.
Examples of what will not be able to go ahead:
What we’ll continue doing while your child is at home
Your child’s learning is of course important to us. Therefore, we will continue to help your child to learn at home as much as physically possible for us. Today, your child will come home with a learning journal book. This will include logins for all remote learning and suggestions of activities for them to complete throughout the week. General timetables are also provided as an example if you want to add some structure to your day. In addition, teachers will be posting daily onto the class story, using Class Dojo. For now, you will have activities for week one of the school closure. Moving forwards, we will continue to send you subsequent learning for future weeks, using the same structure and format.
If your child usually receives free school meals, we will also be in touch with more information about how we will continue to provide help, with support from a scheme that the government are currently finalising.
This is as much as we know right now and we appreciate your continued patience as we deal with this ever-changing situation. We understand that this latest news will have an impact on you and your family and it is far from ideal. However, we will continue to keep in touch with any updates as the situation develops.
If you want to get in touch to share any concerns, please do not hesitate to do so via the school landline or office@greasley.notts.sch.uk. Also, remember: if you or your child feels ill and you want to know what to do next, please refer to the NHS guidelines.
We are all experiencing uncertain and difficult times; as a community, we aim to support each other as best we can. Above everything, we are totally committed to supporting our children and families throughout this process. Thank you to those parents who have sent in messages of support and encouragement to our staff - this is greatly appreciated. We continue to wish you and your family well. The children have been particularly brilliant and we have been smiling together daily!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff also for their hard work and dedication over the last few days as we have prepared for this closure. Without this, we would not be able to function and remain open for those who need us most.
All that remains is for me to wish you and yours a healthy and safe time away from school, and to assure you that we will look forward to seeing everyone back in school well in the coming future. Please keep safe, feel free to keep in touch and honestly I send my sincerest love and best wishes to everyone in the school community.
Keep smiling, children!
Best wishes,
Mrs Bates
Head Teacher
18th March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Following the Prime Ministers briefing this evening, we are hoping to seek further clarification regarding the implications for our school tomorrow. We will keep you fully updated once we have received further guidance. Thank you all for your continued support during this unprecedented time.
We understand that many of you will have questions about the weeks ahead. Please be assured that we are passing all the information we have along to you as we receive it. As I am sure you can imagine, every member of the school staff will be working very hard to ensure that the next two days are as smooth as possible. I am also exceptionally proud of the staff as they prepare work for your child/ren and school closures.
We would like to achieve something positive on Friday itself as our last normal day of operations for some time. To that end, we will be allowing children to come to school in colourful-rainbow and cheerful clothing in exchange for an item of tinned or packet food, which can be distributed to those who need it most within our school community. We know that everyone is anxious about the current climate, but we would like to try and do something as a school community to help people who need it most.
The VERY best of wishes at this difficult time. Every day, I have been talking to the children about smiling...it is so important at the moment. I will be in touch as soon as possible with further updates and plans.
Thanks again for your support to myself and the staff.
Warmest regards,
Mrs Bates
18th March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Over the last two days, we have been asked many questions about when to keep children off school and what to do in certain scenarios. We keep coming back to the most recent advice. The latest guidance can be found on the NHS and government websites. I hope that the following helps you become more aware of the latest guidelines with regard to what to do if someone develops symptoms of coronavirus.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are a new, continuous cough (this means you have started coughing repeatedly) OR a high temperature (you feel hot to touch on your chest or back and at 37.8 degrees or above). For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild infection.
What to do if someone develops symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19)
If your child becomes unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature they should be kept at home and follow the staying at home guidance on the NHS website. If they need clinical advice you should go online to NHS 111 (or call 111 if you don’t have internet access). In an emergency, call 999 if they are seriously ill or injured or their life is at risk. Do not visit the GP, pharmacy, urgent care centre or a hospital.
You will need to inform the school of their absence and state that your child is self-isolating.
As per the government guidelines, as you live with others, if you or one of them 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 becomes ill.
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.
For further information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance and please refer to the ‘ending self-isolation and household isolation’ section.
As and when staff self-isolate due to vulnerabilities, or self-isolation within their family (following government guidelines), we will let individual classes know. Rest assured, we currently have no suspected or confirmed cases amongst staff.
I hope that this letter adds support and guidance for you when trying to decide whether to self-isolate your family. Genuinely, take care of you and yours!
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Bates
Head Teacher
17th March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Given the ongoing challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic, I am writing to provide an update of how Greasley Beauvale Primary School is responding to this situation for the whole school community.
As I am sure you are all aware, there was an updated government press release last night. We are now entering another stage of delay, which requires action. At the time of writing, there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) within our school community. However, we continue to monitor the situation very closely and we are fully aware now of the need for whole families to self-isolate if they experience any of the symptoms (high temperature and/or new continuous cough).
What is the current risk level?
The risk to the public has been raised to high. Therefore, can I please urge families to follow the guidance and notify us immediately if you or your child/ren are ill with the symptoms. Consequently, this will lead to the 14 day self-isolation period enforced by the government.
The government have made clear that there is no immediate plan to close schools nationally. However, this position could change within days. We will continue to closely monitor this and update you as the situation changes.
The government will also be updating its advice in relation to what you should do if you feel you have coronavirus symptoms. You can keep up to date with this information on the NHS website.
We are also putting in place a number of additional measures to help limit the impact of our activities on the spread of coronavirus.
Cancellation of all trips
We have taken the decision today to postpone or cancel all trips until after the Easter holidays (at least). This is based on the fact that the government have advised to limit social contact and not to go ahead with non-essential contact and travel. Any trips after this remain under review, which is in the interests of the welfare of our children. We are very aware that the year 4 children are currently on their residential trip to Castleton (until tomorrow) and this was approved by the Department of Education on Sunday afternoon due to the outdoor location, events planned and risk assessments in place. All other trips planned (i.e. Magna for year 5) have associated risks due to the high volume of visitors, close proximity of other people within venues and the high exposure, for example, to touching artefacts, equipment and experiments. Again, this follows guidance from the government about avoiding confined spaces and mass gatherings and increasing social distancing.
Cancellation of school events
From today, we are restricting the movement between school communities, where we may be working closely with external providers, children and/or professionals. This includes events planned within our school until after the Easter holidays (at the earliest). These include: parents evenings, book fairs, workshops or guest speakers, and book and buttie mornings. Where possible, we will reschedule these for a later date or find alternative ways of communicating.
Please note: in order to ensure we continue to deliver on our duty of care to our children, it may be necessary to continue to hold some face-to-face meetings and we will review each situation on a case-by-case basis.
Cancellation of normal routine in the school timetable
From today, we will limit the amount of contact that children have within the school building and there will be no assemblies. This will also enable more time for handwashing and/or extra time outside in the fresh air. We will keep routine on a ‘needs must’ basis i.e. lunchtime in the hall. The list also covers the cancellation of: Rainbow Rewards, swimming, reading volunteers, food technology and cups in classrooms. With regards to water, please ensure your child has their own water bottle and these will be sent home daily for washing. In terms of lunchtime, we will also extend this by 10 minutes to ensure that more time is given to washing hands.
Cancellation of afterschool clubs
From today, there will be NO afterschool clubs until further notice.
Reminder – have we got your up to date contact details?
We should have two points of parent/guardian contact information for your child – this should include an email address and phone number (preferably a mobile number). If this requires updating, please let us know. Please email us at office@greasley.notts.sch.uk or provide us with a hardcopy written letter.
If you are worried about any symptoms, please call NHS 111. Please let us know if you or any member of your immediate family have a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 at the earliest opportunity.
Please let us know if you feel that your child is vulnerable for the virus and if there are further measures that we need to consider.
As you will appreciate, this is an unprecedented time and we are working hard behind the scenes to prepare for school closures (if they are to happen) and working remotely if needed. We will work together with you to ensure that the health and wellbeing of our community and the education of children remain at the forefront of our decision making.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Michelle Bates and Mr Chris Manton
(Head Teacher) (Chair of Governors)
12 March 2020
Dear parent/carer,
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
At the time of writing, there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) within our school or within the local area. However, we want to assure you that we are monitoring the situation closely.
What is the current risk level?
The UK Chief Medical Officers state the risk to the public remains moderate. However, the risk to individuals is low.
A government ‘Cobra’ meeting is taking place and at the present time there is no further information regarding school closures for us. I have spoken to the Department of Education (DfE) today and there is no immediate plan to close schools nationally. However, this position may change should the government move to the ‘Delay’ phase. The aim of which would be to delay the peak of the outbreak until the warmer months, which can reduce significantly the risk of overlapping with seasonal flu and other challenges that the colder months bring.
What does this mean for our school?
At present, our school will continue to operate as normal. However, we are preparing for a range of possible scenarios.
We are keen to remind all our pupils, staff, and visitors of the importance of good hygiene – in particular, regular hand washing. We have also distributed additional supplies of hand sanitisers around the school. Please support us by encouraging your child, and family members, to follow this advice at all times.
The NHS’s dedicated webpage provides a wealth of information, including what the symptoms of coronavirus are, how the virus is spread and what you can do to avoid catching or spreading germs.
See: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19
What happens if a parent/carer, child, member of staff or visitor tests positive for coronavirus?
If there is a confirmed case of coronavirus amongst our school, we will immediately update our live risk assessment and follow advice from the Public Health England local Health Protection Team. A decision on whether it is necessary to close will be based on this assessment and the decision communicated to all parents and carers immediately.
What will happen if the school closes?
In the event of a partial or whole-school closure, we will communicate to you again with any specific arrangements as a result. We are likely to use our school website, ParentMail and Dojo to distribute learning resources and work that pupils can do from home, where possible.
In preparation for a closure we are:
We should have two points of parent/carer contact information for you child – this should include an email address and phone number (preferably a mobile number). If this requires updating please let us know. Please email us at office@greasley.notts.sch.uk or provide us with a hardcopy written letter.
If you do not have internet access at home, please inform us, and we will endeavour to provide hardcopy resources where feasible.
Trips and residentials
Within our school, we have a number of trips planned. At the present time, there is no plan to cancel these trips but we are constantly reviewing this and will remain in contact with parents/carers should situations change.
If you and/or your family are planning a trip abroad, please ensure you are aware of the current advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before you depart. See: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
For returning travellers who have visited areas affected by coronavirus, please see the government’s advice: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public#returning-travellers.
Please note that these webpages are regularly updated and so it is important you check the information frequently.
Higher Risk Children
For children who may be at higher risk, should there be an outbreak at the school, we will be contacting parents individually to keep them updated more frequently. If you believe your child may be at higher risk in the event of an outbreak but we may not be aware of that, please contact the school to register for individual updates.
Parents Evenings
Parents evenings and school events will continue as planned until guidance from the DfE, NHS or government indicates otherwise.
Thank you for your continued support in this matter.
Helpline
The Department for Education have launched a helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows:
Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours – 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)
If you are worried about any symptoms, please call NHS 111. Please let us know if you or any member of your immediate family have a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 at the earliest opportunity.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Michelle Bates
Head Teacher
10th march 2020 Update
You can help to slow the spread of Coronavirus. Make sure you and your children follow these general principles to prevent spreading any respiratory virus:
Wash your hands often – with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or an alcohol-based sanitiser if soap and water aren’t available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
If you feel unwell, stay at home and don’t attend work or school.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a bin.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in the home.
If you’re worried about your symptoms, please call NHS 111 – don’t go directly to your GP or other healthcare environment.
Click here to access a NHS video showing the most effective way of washing your hands.
Click here to access an informative 'What you need to know,' blog from Public Health England.
Department for Education Coronavirus helpline - this helpline has been set up to answer questions about the virus related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline.
The latest information from the government on Coronavirus COVID-19 is updated here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
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