Whole School Re-Opening – Monday 8th March 2021

As communicated via the school’s weekly Newsletter, we will be re-opening to all children from Monday 8^th March 2021. Many of the systems in place will be identical to those in the Autumn Term and so will be familiar to both you and the children.

Will all children return on the same date?

Yes – all primary school children, including Nursery, must attend from Monday 8^th March. This is different to some secondary schools who have a staggered return. School attendance is statutory again from this date and therefore, any absence will be dealt with as per the school’s attendance policy.

My child is clinically extremely vulnerable and has been shielding. Will they return?

No – current government guidance is that these children should stay at home. The school will need a copy of your child’s shielding letter. They should continue to access remote learning daily via Google Classroom.

I am a clinically extremely vulnerable parent – can my child return?

Yes – your child is expected to return to school from 8^th March. Please speak to the school about arranging slightly different drop-off and collection times to prevent you having contact with the larger school community.

What time does my child start and finish school?

The times are the same as the autumn term. Drop-off points are also the same:

As before, only one parent of children in the EYFS and Key Stage 1 will be able to accompany their child on to the school site. Key Stage 2 children will be met by a member of staff at the gate and expected to come onto the school site independently.

Does my child need to wear a face covering?

No – your child is not required to wear a face covering in school. Staff will not wear face coverings in the classroom when teaching.

Will my child be tested?

No – primary school children are not currently being tested for Covid-19. However, all staff members now have access to rapid testing twice a week.

What else do I need to know?

• Children should wear full school uniform and their PE kit on PE days.
• School lunches will be available as normal.
• Wraparound care (breakfast and after-school club) will resume from 8^th
• After-school clubs will resume after Easter.
• The school office will remain closed – parents should telephone or email the school.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming the children back next week. If you have any questions or concerns about your child returning to school, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Last updated 03/03/2021

Updated Risk Assessment

The school’s Covid-19 Risk Assessment has been updated to reflect all children returning to school from Monday 8th March 2021.

It can be found here – Risk Assessment: Full Opening from 8th March 2021

Changes and additions are shown in blue text.

This Risk Assessment will take effect from Monday 8th March 2021. Until then, the previous Risk Assessment will remain in place.

Last updated 26/02/2021

Updated Risk Assessment

The school’s Covid-19 Risk Assessment has been updated to reflect the national lockdown announced on 4th January 2021 by the Prime Minister.

It can be found here – Risk Assessment: Closure January 2021

Changes and additions are shown in blue text.

Last updated 25/01/2021

Remote Learning during the School Closure

Due to the government’s decision to close all primary schools until at least February half term, as part of a national lockdown, the school will only be open to children of key workers and those who are classed as vulnerable. All other children will be expected to complete remote learning from home.

All children in the school have been set up with a Google Classroom account. Each day your child will need to login and complete the tasks set for that day. A weekly timetable will be uploaded to show you the lessons for each day. Your child’s class teacher will be online and available to support your child through the messaging feature during the school day. You can also telephone or email the school office and ask for your child’s teacher to call you between 9am and 3pm. Remember to give your child small breaks between tasks.

Your child should complete all the day’s learning activities and submit them by 3.15pm each day. If work is not completed, this will be followed up by your child’s class teacher. Please remember remote learning at home is compulsory and not optional.

If you do not have access to devices or an internet connection, a weekly paper pack will be provided. Parents will need to collect this from the school today. To submit work, parents/carers will need to photograph it using a phone or tablet and either upload it to Google Classroom through the free mobile app or email it to office@strichards.hounslow.sch.uk. A new pack will be available to collect each Monday.

As this is the first time the school has moved to remote learning, we anticipate that there will be some teething problems as the children use Google Classroom more fully. We will do all we can to support you and your child during this period of closure.

Last updated 05/01/2021

End of Term Arrangements and Reporting Positive Cases of Covid-19 during the Christmas Holidays

You may have seen in the media that the Department for Education has given schools the option of taking Friday 18^th December as an INSET day. We have decided to keep our term dates the same. This means that the school will be open as planned to pupils on Friday 18^th December 2020. Your child should attend school as usual.

The government has also announced that the school needs to be made aware of any pupils testing positive for Covid-19 for the 6 days after teaching ends, as they may have been infectious whilst in school.

Therefore, if your child tests positive for Covid-19 before 3.30pm on Thursday 24^th December 2020, you must inform the school by emailing covid@strichards.hounslow.sch.uk

Do not telephone the school office as there will be no one to take your call.

In your email please state:

• your child’s name and year group
• the date they developed symptoms
• the date of their positive test result

If your child develops symptoms or tests positive after 3.30pm on Thursday 24^th December 2020, you will need to engage with NHS Test and Trace directly, who will contact you.

We continue to hope and pray that our school community remains well so that they can enjoy the festive period. We also appreciate your continued support in keeping everyone as safe as possible.

Last updated 10/12/2020

Supermarket vouchers issued by Hounslow Local Authority for FSM Pupils

On Friday last week, Hounslow Local Authority announced that they would provide £15 supermarket vouchers to children eligible for Free School Meals, retrospectively.

The school has submitted an order today and all eligible families should receive a voucher via email between the 9^th and the 11^th November 2020. As this has been organised by the Local Authority and not central Government, the voucher will be emailed from a company called Sodexo and not Edenred or the school. Therefore, please also check your spam/junk folder. When you receive your email, you will be able to choose which supermarket you would like to spend your voucher in. All the major supermarkets are available e.g. Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Waitrose etc.

If you do not receive your voucher by the 10^th November 2020, you need to contact the Sodexo helpline on 01908 303420 and press option 1. The helpline is available Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. Alternatively, you can visit https://sodexo-engage.com/p/48OT-A6F/vouchershop-help-site. A guide for redeeming your voucher can also be found by clicking here.

Last updated 02/11/2020

Updated Risk Assessment – Face Coverings

Due to the Government’s announcement this morning about social restrictions from next Monday and an increase in Covid-19 infections, we have updated our Risk Assessment regarding face coverings. The changes are in Section 1.1. and are highlighted in blue.

We thank parents and carers for their cooperation as we strive to keep everyone safe.

Risk Assessment – Full Opening in September 2020

Last updated 09/09/2020

Full School Reopening in September

Since the government’s announcement on 2^nd July 2020 that all children will return to school from September 2020, we have been planning and preparing for how to bring all children back safely using the Department for Education and Public Health England guidance.

A new risk assessment has been produced and can be viewed by clicking the link below. It is currently in draft format until it is approved by the Local Academy Committee (Governors).

What will school be like for my child in September?

• All children will be expected to attend from Monday 7^th September 2020. This includes children who were shielding or who live with someone who was shielding. Penalties for non-attendance will resume.
• The start and end of the school day will be staggered to reduce the number of people on the school site at one time. Children will need to be dropped-off and collected by one adult only (except Y5 and 6 pupils who can walk alone with parental permission) at the allocated point:

• The school office will remain closed and parents/carers will need to telephone or email the school office to arrange an appointment to come into the school.
• Children will be organised into class bubbles within larger bubbles. Children are not expected to socially distance in their class bubble, but class bubbles will be kept separate as much as possible. Staff will be allocated to a larger bubble and will be able to move between class bubbles, but this will be kept to a minimum.
• Lunchtimes will be staggered and both halls will be used. Children will be allowed to bring in a packed lunch if they are not having a school dinner.
• At playtimes, the playground and field will be zoned for each class bubble to use. Children will need to stay in their class bubble. The children will rotate around the zones weekly to access different activities.
• The curriculum will be reduced to focus on the key skills of phonics and reading, increasing vocabulary, writing and Maths. Emotional support will also be provided through the curriculum in RE and PSHE.
• In the classroom, children will sit in forward-facing rows (except in Nursery, Reception and Atlantic Class) and have their own stationery packs provided by the school.
• Children will be expected to wear full school uniform.
• Children can only bring the following items into school: A school bag or book bag with their reading book, reading record and homework book inside, a lunchbox, a water bottle, a packet of tissues, a coat/hat/gloves. All other items are restricted.

What is the school doing to reduce the risk of COVID-19?

We will be continuing to run an enhanced cleaning schedule. Handwashing will be carried out throughout the day and hand sanitising stations are positioned around the school. Tissues will available in every classroom and office space. Posters to show children how to wash their hands thoroughly and promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ message are displayed around the school.

If a staff member or pupil displays symptoms of COVID-19, they will be sent home immediately for testing. Therefore, it is important that you keep us informed of any change to your contact details, especially your phone number.

Further details about what would happen if there was a suspected or confirmed case can be found in the risk assessment.

I am worried about my child returning to school.

We understand that these are difficult times for everyone and we will do all we can to support your child’s safe and happy return to school. If you have specific concerns, please do contact us so that we can work together to ensure the best academic and personal outcomes for your child.

Risk Assessment – Full Opening in September 2020 (Draft)

Last updated 20/07/2020

Social Distancing Measures in School

Here are some photographs that show some of the social distancing measures that have been put into place in the school, as we reopen to more children.

Last updated 12/06/2020

Updated Risk Assessment

As previously communicated, the school’s COVID-19 Risk Assessment is under continual review to keep everyone as safe as possible. We have made some small changes to the previously published version. The updated version can be found using the link below:

Risk assessment of the phased reopening during COVID-19

Last updated 12/06/2020

Plans to re-open the school to more pupils

Thank you to the parents in Years 6, 1, Reception and Nursery for responding to the survey about returning to school. This has enabled us to produce a plan for how we can reopen safely to more pupils. Below are links to the school’s risk assessment and a letter sent to parents about the plan to reopen. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any queries.

Risk assessment of the phased reopening during COVID-19

Letter to parents 21.05.2020: Plan to reopen the school to more pupils

Last updated 21/05/2020

Possible return to school for Nursery, Reception Year 1 and Year 6

School leaders have been asked to start planning for the possible return of pupils in certain year groups. As a school we have been considering how we can safely do this and completing a statutory risk assessment. Parents of children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, including children who are in these year groups in the Ocean Centre, are being surveyed on two possible options. Should you wish to view these options, please see the letter sent to these parents below.

Return to School Survey Letter 14.05.2020

Last updated 14/05/2020

Possible future plans to re-open the school 11.05.2020

We heard for the first time from the Prime Minister last night about the government’s possible next steps to move the country out of lockdown. The Prime Minister shared the view that children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 may be able to return to school in some way from early June. Currently, we have no more information than you do about this plan. We expect to receive some guidance from the Department for Education in the next days or so, and at that point we can begin to make plans in accordance with that guidance.

In the meantime, our status is as it has been since the 23^rd March – our school is only open for the children of key workers who are critical to the COVID-19 response and to children deemed as vulnerable.

Please be assured that as soon as we receive the relevant guidance, new plans for how the school may open will be drawn-up and shared with you as soon as reasonably possible.

Last updated 11/05/2020

School closed during Easter Holidays 03.04.2020

The school will be closed to all staff and pupils during the Easter Holidays. The school will reopen to provide childcare for the children of key workers and vulnerable children on Monday 20th April 2020. The School Office will also reopen on this date.

Only children who have attended since the school closure due to COVID-19 should attend after the Easter break. All other children should stay at home, as per the DfE guidance.

Further learning packs will be delivered in the week commencing 20/04/2020. Your child will also receive individual login details for Education City, which they can access via a laptop or tablet whilst the school is closed.

We would like to wish you all a Happy Easter. Keep safe and God bless.

Last updated 03/04/2020

Supermarket Voucher Scheme for Pupils eligible for Free School Meals 03.04.2020

 As most of you are aware from the information shared through the media, while schools are closed due to COVID-19, we are now able to provide a weekly shopping voucher worth £15 for each pupil currently eligible for Free School Meals. Therefore, if you have two children, you will receive a voucher for £30 per week and so on. The voucher will be provided electronically.

A 16-digit eCode will be emailed to you. You’ll need this code to access www.freeschoolmeals.co.uk and choose your supermarket. You cannot use the eCode directly with the retailer, it must be exchanged for an eGift Card which you can then redeem using your smartphone in store. For some retailers, the eGift Card can also be used for online orders.

We recommend that you order your eGift Card at home before going to the store. Further instructions on how to do this are in the attached document – DfE Free School Meals Parent/Carer FAQs. This will also be added to the school website and the Facebook page for you to refer to.

The first eCode will be emailed directly to you ready for the week commencing Monday 20^th April 2020. If you do not receive it, please check your junk/spam folder. Please be aware that vouchers will be issued weekly during term-time only until the school reopens.

If you have any difficulty accessing your eCode or exchanging it for an eGift Card, please contact the School Office, which will reopen on Monday 20th April 2020.

Last updated 03/04/2020

Stay At Home 24.03.2020

Following the ‘stay at home’ announcement from Boris Johnson last night at 8.30pm, please can we ask that where possible children remain at home where they are most safe.

Current guidance is:

• You should only go outside for food or health reasons, but this must be as infrequent as possible
• You can travel to or from essential work that absolutely cannot be done from home
• You can exercise outside once a day on your own or with members of your household
• You must stay 2 metres (6 feet) away from others who you do not live with
• You should wash your hands as soon as you get home from being outside and frequently throughout the day

Further guidance on these restrictions can be found here

Key workers

The basic childcare provision we are offering is for the children of key workers who have no alternative arrangements to enable them to attend their essential work. Providing this childcare is putting children and our own staff and their families at risk of infection, hence places need to be kept to a minimum and will only be available to those families whose work is essential to the COVID-19 response. Therefore, children should only come if they absolutely have to. Otherwise, they should stay at home.

Children with EHCPs

Children with EHCPs should remain at home if it is possible to meet their needs. Provision in school will not be in the form of educational support, but will be basic childcare with the risk of infection. Therefore, it is highly likely that pupils with EHCPs will be safer at home.

Thank you once again for your support in helping us to keep everyone as safe as possible throughout this incredibly difficult time.

Last updated 24/03/2020 @9.30am

School Closure Update 20.03.2020

We have now made the decision to keep the school open for the children of key workers and vulnerable children where there is no alternative childcare option. These children have been identified and if your child falls under this eligibility criteria, you will have been contacted by the school and provided with an information pack.

If you have not been contacted, you must keep your child at home until further notice.

Pupils eligible for Free School Meals

We will continue to provide hot food at lunchtimes for all children who are eligible for Free School Meals. This will be done on a week-by-week basis. If your child is eligible, you will be contacted by the school office weekly to find out if you would still like your child to have a school meal. This will then need to be collected from the school office. Each family will be given a timeslot to come and collect their child’s lunch each day once we have numbers confirmed. Should the school kitchen need to close, alternative arrangements will be made. Also, if your household is in isolation, you will not be able to collect your meal, but we will look to the school community for support.

Pupil work during the closure

As the school is open, teachers will be continuing to work, either at the school or from home, providing they are well. We will continue to send work home or provide online resources through the school website and the Facebook group.

Communication during the closure

We will endeavor to contact each family weekly to offer support and answer any questions that may arise throughout this period. We will continue to update parents as the situation evolves via text, email and through the school website and Facebook group page. Please help us by sharing this information.

We hope you all keep well and look forward to welcoming you back through the school gates soon.

Last updated 20/03/2020 @3:00pm

School Closure Update 19.03.2020

Following on from yesterday’s announcement that schools will close for the majority of pupils, we are now relying on information from parents and carers so that we can plan accordingly and make the best decisions for our school community.

You will have just received, via school text message, a Google questionnaire to find out how many parents/carers are key workers and will require their children to continue to attend school from Monday. If your child falls under the Government’s vulnerable pupil criteria, you will have received an additional Google questionnaire to determine if you will continue to send your child to school, as they are entitled to schooling despite the closures. Please ensure that you tell us the name of your child/ren when completing this information.

Once we have this information, we will update you with the school’s plans going forward. This is a fast-moving and ever-changing situation, so your prompt responses are appreciated.

We thank you for your continued support.

Last updated 19/03/2020 @11:30am

School Closure due to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The Government has just announced that as of Monday 23^rd March 2020, all schools across England will close until further notice. This means that the vast majority of pupils will not need to come to school. Children of key workers and vulnerable children will still be expected to come to school.

We are waiting for further clarification from the Government and the LDBS Academies Trust as to what this means for our school. As soon as we have further information, we will share it with you.

We appreciate your continued patience and support in these unprecedented circumstances.

Last updated 18/03/2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Families will be aware that the school has been careful to follow the guidance from Public Health England (PHE) and the Department for Education with regards to steps we should take in response to the current Coronavirus outbreak, and this has predominantly focused on hygiene and public awareness measures.

Following announcements from the Government yesterday, the existing advice remains the same: that there is no need for schools to close, and that staff or pupils returning from certain overseas countries and those who have been in contact with confirmed cases, should self-isolate.

The new guidance is that anyone displaying symptoms consistent with Coronavirus (COVID-19) should self-isolate for seven days. Symptoms are:

• A high temperature
• A new, continuous cough

If someone in your household is showing symptoms as above, you and any other family members who live with you should stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person got symptoms. Further information can be found at the NHS 111 website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/.

We ask families to follow the advice given by the Government and Public Health England. If we send your child home from school with either a high temperature or a continuous cough then you will need to keep them at home for seven days.

Further information can be found on the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response.

What else is the school doing to minimise the risk?

In line with advice, we have also taken the following actions:

• Increased cleaning of the school, especially in areas which are touched often.
• Children are taken by the class teacher to wash their hands regularly throughout the day. Tissues and anti-bacterial hand gel are available in classrooms and office areas.
• Daily class worship will be held instead of whole-school collective worship.
• Lunchtime will be staggered to reduce the number of children in the school hall at one time.
• Only essential meetings or training will take place.

The following events have been cancelled, until further notice:

• Parents’ Evening – this will be rearranged as soon as possible
• Year 3 swimming lessons
• PTA Events
• Class assemblies and performances – these will also be rescheduled

What happens if the school closes?

The school remains committed to providing the best possible education for all of our pupils. We will continue to operate as normally as possible, but please bear with us if this has to change in the coming days or weeks.

This week, all children (Nursery-Year 6) will receive home-learning packs to be completed in the event of school closure. There will also be additional content on the school website for the children to access whilst the school remains closed. Children who are already self-isolating will have their pack posted to them.

Communication

During this uncertain time, the school will continue to provide updates via text, email and the school website. Please see the School Office to update your communication information, if your details have recently changed.

Updated 17/03/2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Department for Education Advice for Schools

The government is closely monitoring the spread of the Coronavirus and is taking action at home and abroad.

The overall risk of Coronavirus to the UK remains moderate. However we understand that people may be concerned where there are children, students or staff returning from areas affected by the virus.

Public Health England and the Foreign Office have issued advice for anyone travelling to China. This can be found at:

Latest information and advice, including travel advice, can also be found at:

Advice for parents/guardians

You should not be unduly worried about the possibility of your children catching the Coronavirus.

There is no reason why your children should not continue to attend their early years, school or further education setting as normal.

We recognise that some families or children may have travelled to affected areas during half term  If so, please refer to the FCO’s latest travel advice via the link above and see the advice below.

What action you can take?

A UK wide campaign has been launched to provide clear advice on how to slow the spread of Coronavirus.

Please help to support the campaign which promotes basic hygiene practices, such as regularly washing hands and always sneezing into a tissue, to stem the spread of viruses.

The school is providing tissues and antibacterial hand gel in classrooms and office spaces. Regular handwashing is being encouraged and posters displaying the ‘Catch It, Bin It, Kill It’ message are displayed around the school.

Returning from areas affected by the virus

As of 25^th February 2020 advice for returning travellers is as follows;

1) If you have returned from the following areas since February 19, call NHS111 to inform them of your recent travel, stay indoors and avoid contact with other people even if you do not have symptoms:

• Iran
• Specific lockdown areas in Northern Italy* as designated by the Government of Italy
• Daegu or Cheongdo, Republic of Korea)
• Hubei province, China (returned in the past 14 days)

* Bertonico • Casalpusterlengo • Castelgerundo • Castiglione D’Adda • Codogno • Fombio • Maleo • San Fiorano • Somaglia • Terranova dei Passerini: • Vo

2) If you have returned from the following areas since February 19th and develop symptoms, however mild, you should stay indoors at home and avoid contact with other people immediately and call NHS111. You do not need to follow this advice if you have no symptoms.

• Northern Italy (see map)
• Vietnam
• Cambodia
• Laos
• Myanmar

3) If you have returned to the UK from any of the following areas in the last 14 days and develop symptoms of cough or fever or shortness of breath, you should immediately stay indoors and avoid contact with other people, call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the country.

• Other parts of China outside Hubei province
• Thailand
• Japan
• Republic of Korea
• Hong Kong
• Taiwan
• Singapore
• Malaysia
• Macau

Should any of these apply to you, we would also ask that you telephone the school as soon as possible to make us aware of the situation.