E-vouchers to the value of £15 per child per week will be provided for eligible families to buy food whilst schools are closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The company that is processing the vouchers for families on behalf of the government is called Edenred. The link below takes you to Edenred’s parents and carers information page:

https://www.edenred.co.uk/reward-recipients/Free-School-Meal-Vouchers/

Schools have ordered vouchers for their eligible families via the Edenred website. On receiving a voucher order from a school, Edenred then sends an email to the family giving instructions on how to order a voucher. Sometimes these emails fall into the junk or spam file of email accounts so families need to check regularly to find the email. When families order their voucher, another email is sent with the voucher code.  For families with no access to an email address, a paper voucher will be sent to the family home in the post.

Why are the vouchers currently taking so long to reach families?

Edenred has reported a very high demand for vouchers from schools. This is because it is a national voucher scheme for all schools, and it means that some families have had to wait longer than expected for their voucher. In some cases there have been delays of up to 3 days for vouchers to arrive after the family has selected their supermarket choice. We appreciate how frustrating this is, but please be assured that vouchers will reach all eligible families soon. 

Please note that local authorities and schools are not in control of how quickly vouchers are processed, but families can continue to order packed lunches while they wait for their voucher to arrive. You can order your packed lunch by contacting your school or the Council’s Contact Centre on tel. 427 7000.

If you choose to order food online using your voucher, do check first that your chosen supermarket offers an online service

Note that most supermarkets don’t permit use of the self-service tills with a voucher payment.

April 2020

As you are all aware, Mortimer Primary School is very lucky to have the support of South Tyneside’s Healthy Minds Team behind us. During these unusual times, the team have out together four mental health packs to support our families. Please find the links below.

Download (PDF, 2.61MB)

Download (PDF, 263KB)

Download (PDF, 918KB)

Download (PDF, 2.33MB)

We were blown away with how many pupils, parents and staff took part in our Easter Egg Event 2020. We are so proud of all your hard work.

Well done to all who took part!

Happy Easter holiday to all our families and staff! May it be a healthy and happy one to all.

It officially starts now with our virtual conga.

Tips for Looking After your Emotional Well-being During

Isolation and School Closures

• It is really important to to look after you general health where possible as this can have a huge impact on your emotions. Being asked to stay at home means you may do less exercise. Exercise is really important for your emotional well-being.
• There are a number of things you can do at home to keep yourself active.
• Walk in your local area (unless we are told to stop doing so) , walk the dog, go for a run, go on a cycle ride, exercise in your garden, do some cleaning or gardening, use a trampoline, use a hula hoop, use your stairs to walk up/down on.

You can use the videos below to inspire your exercise or try some from YouTube

1. https://www.sportengland.org/news/how-stay-active-while-youre-home
2. https://www.nhs.uk/10-minute-shake-up/shake-ups
3. https://watch.lesmillsondemand.com/at-home-workouts
4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51933762

• Make sure you are sticking to your routines where possible. It can be very tempting to sleep in or nap during the day but sometimes this can make us feel worse. Regular bed times and similar sleep/wake times are good for keeping our bodies in a routine.
• We are very lucky to have lots of open spaces and parks where you could go for a walk or run. Being outdoors – even if this is on your doorstep or in your garden will lift your mood.
• Learn something new, staying at home is an ideal time to learn a new skill, some new words in a different language, a new recipe, or some key facts about a certain topic. Learning something that interests you is extremely good for your well-being.
• Do something creative – make a photo collage, learn how to draw something new, paint your nails, learn some origami, or build something. This gives us a sense of achievement and is guaranteed to lift your mood.
• Connect with others using technology. It is important to keep connected with your friends and family
• Think about your social media use- whilst it can be very good for connecting with your friends and family members- it can negatively affect our well-being. Limit your social media use where you can. You can put your phone on flight mode if you still wanted to use it for other things like listening to your music.
• Be careful with the information you read. There is lots of incorrect information online about the Corona virus- only trust information that comes from the government or NHS websites. Misinformation or reading people’s opinions may increase your anxiety unnecessarily.
• Think about how much time you spend talking and reading about the current situation as this can affect your wellbeing. It’s perfectly fine to say to people ‘can we talk about something else..’ or log out of social media/ click off news websites to give your brain a break.
• You may find that with everyone staying at home that it is busy and more stressful. You may need to ask for time or space out. Run a bath or use head phones and relaxing music to switch off and have some time for you. There are lots of free relaxation apps (Headspace, CALM) or music on YouTube.

Useful Sources of Further Support

https://www.southtynesidelifecyclementalhealth.nhs.uk/

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/

Peer Support Message Boards

On message boards like The Mix or Childline you can share how you’re feeling with other young people, as well as asking for information and suggestions for support

There might be other message boards or online groups that you find. But sometimes you might see posts, images or comments that are upsetting. It’s a good idea to look for groups that:

• have moderators, who can make sure everyone sticks to the rules
• have guidelines about what you can and can’t post
• are for your age group
• make you feel better, not worse
• don’t encourage you to do anything dangerous or harmful to yourself.

Support in a Crisis

If the young person is open to a service currently- You can contact that service for urgent support.

A young person in crisis can be triaged through the non- emergency ambulance number 111 (*please note this service by be extremely busy*)

You can also contact Children & Young Peoples Service – If you are under 16

Intensive Community Support Team

0191 5665500

If you or a family member is an immediate danger to themselves or others then call 999

During this time away from lessons we know most our pupils will have increased screen time; please monitor and look for support if you are worried. Here are some fantastic links if you have concerns.

Radicalisation advice hub

North East

https://act.campaign.gov.uk/

https://www.ltai.info/