Update 23.3.20 14:25

23rd March 2020Mr Bennett

23.3.20 Update

Dear all,

Just to update regarding the Mortimer Childcare.

 

We will continue to use Facebook events to help parents tell us who is coming.

Important!

For the next events please can you comment with your child’s name(s) in the event and their year group.

Please indicate by 5pm the day before to help us. We know some plans will change but that’s ok. It will just let us know any staff implications.

Form

Please fill in the key worker childcare form if you are planning on using the service even if not this week. Filling the form at home means you don’t have to wait around while we take your details.

Communication

Please only ring the school if you require urgent help. You don’t need to ring us to say you aren’t coming in, we simply close the register at 9:30. The office will not always be manned as we move through these next few weeks.

Signing in

If you have signed in your children today (Monday) then your name will be on a printed sheet from Tuesday. There is no need to show your evidence of key worker status again.

If you are using the child care for the first time you will need to sign in on the blank forms and show us your evidence.

 

Any issues please just ask. We are here to help each other!

 

#staysafestayhome

Update 22.3.20 19:45

22nd March 2020Mr Bennett
22.3.20 19:45
Dear all,
I hope everyone is safe and well. Thank you for working with us at this difficult and worrying time.
Senior leaders have continued to communicate throughout the weekend and will begin the week early tomorrow to further cement plans to support our pupils and families.
Please see the key information points from my earlier update regarding using the Mortimer childcare.
Please continue to look after each other and stay safe.
Key information for next week
Application/Contact Form
All parents wishing to access the limited child care must complete the online form or a paper based version on the first day that they need access to the school. Current guidance is that only one parent needs to be a key worker to access this service. https://forms.gle/AodjDN4NVH21m3767
Monday – Friday
The school will be open at 8:50 until 3:30pm each day.
To avoid all parents and children arriving at once, we will allow a staggered opening from 8:50 until 9:30 via the main entrance.
Children can be collected from 2:45 until 3:30pm, again via the main entrance.
Can we ask that you exercise social distancing, as defined by the government, when entering and exiting the building. As the first day may be busy we will plan to help ease this.
Accessing each day
We will post a Facebook event for each day of next week and ask that you confirm your attendance for each day so we are aware of numbers. Please can you help us by confirming your attendance by 5pm the day before or as early as possible.
Employment evidence
On the first day of using the service we will need to see evidence of your employment as indicated on your form. Examples could be: staff badge, payslip or a letter from your employer. Please read the government advice carefully and we encourage you to speak to your employer to ensure you are a key worker.
It is essential that we see this evidence.
Flexible access
Some parents, may be unsure of their needs day to day. We will do our very best to accommodate this. Levels of priority may need to be adhered to regarding which families require the care most. We may also be limited by the numbers we are allowed to safely have on school premises. Original figures were 20% of the school and we continue to reference this figure whilst further guidance is sought.
Safeguarding
Parents MUST sign their child in and out of school each day. The yard will not be open for children to enter. All children must enter the school via the main entrance with their parent.
Children will not be allowed access to mobile technology during the day as per normal school procedures.
Lunch
Please continue to order and pay for lunches via Parent Pay. The kitchen staff will endeavour to meet the requests but please prepare children that their preferred option may not be available.
School uniform
We ask that children come dressed in school uniform, whilst attending.
Bright Kids
Wrap around care is available from 7:30am till opening of school and till 6pm after school. This is a paid facility. Any enquiries should be directed to [email protected]
Thank you for your continued support and I hope this update is comprehensive and clear.

 

20.3.20 15:20 Update New Key Worker Form

20th March 2020Mr Bennett

20.3.20 15:20 Update
Dear all, this the new form you must complete if you wish to access the child care provision at Mortimer Primary school. The first form was merely to gauge numbers; this one confirms your application for childcare. Please ensure you have read the 13:10 update before filling in this form.

This form will remain open, as I recognise some parents will not need to access our support straight away, but may need to at a later date.
We need the form completing before accessing the first session of child care. The easiest way to do this is via our electronic form but we will make provision for form to be completed in school.

Evidence – in exceptional circumstances where the parent is not bringing the child to school and is unable to send any form of evidence of being a key worker with the adult – evidence (photo/scans etc) can be sent to [email protected] Please use this as the last resort, questions and quires will not be answered via this means of communication.

The Facebook events to allow you to confirm your child(ren)s attendance will be live soon. Please help us by confirming your attendance by 5pm the night before.

I will be on and off Facebook over the weekend if you need help. Please ask other parents to join Facebook and our group, to stay up to date (even just for this situation).

Thank you

New form

https://forms.gle/fAzBM5Heff5ex51C9

20.3.20 13:10 Update

20th March 2020Mr Bennett
20.3.20 13:10 Update
Mortimer Primary School – CoronaVirus school opening information
Dear all, these are unprecedented and worrying times, yet as a school community we have responded with calm and precision. We are proud of our staff and pupils; they have not flickered in the face of this event.
School closures are aimed at supporting the social distancing advice and suppress the spread of the Coronavirus. Therefore, we are closed as an education provider from the end of Friday 20th March until further notice.
From Monday 23rd we will be open to vulnerable children and pupils of key workers. This is a very different type of provision than we usually provide; for these pupils, it will be about care, not education. This is about keeping children safe and allowing key workers (such as NHS staff) to go to work and care for the sick, or to keep food supply chains moving. All expectations regarding educational provision have been lifted. Mortimer Primary is free to determine what the provision looks like and what we deem to be best for the pupils we are supporting.
Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined on the Government website. Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.
This is an offer to parents and carers and there is no requirement for parents and carers to send their children to school if they do not need or wish to do so. However, if you are at home, even as a key worker, then so should your child(ren).
Please, therefore, follow these key principles:
1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
2. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
3. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
4. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.
Key information for next week
Application/Contact Form
All parents wishing to access the limited child care must complete the online form or a paper based version on the first day that they need access to the school. Current guidance is that only one parent needs to be a key worker to access this service. The form will follow later today.
Monday – Friday
The school will be open at 8:50 until 3:30pm each day.
To avoid all parents and children arriving at once, we will allow a staggered opening from 8:50 until 9:30 via the main entrance.
Children can be collected from 2:45 until 3:30pm, again via the main entrance.
Can we ask that you exercise social distancing, as defined by the government, when entering and exiting the building. As the first day may be busy we will plan to help ease this.
Accessing each day
We will post a Facebook event for each day of next week and ask that you confirm your attendance for each day so we are aware of numbers. Please can you help us by confirming your attendance by 5pm the day before or as early as possible.
Employment evidence
On the first day of using the service we will need to see evidence of your employment as indicated on your form. Examples could be: staff badge, payslip or a letter from your employer. Please read the government advice carefully and we encourage you to speak to your employer to ensure you are a key worker.
It is essential that we see this evidence.
Flexible access
Some parents, may be unsure of their needs day to day. We will do our very best to accommodate this. Levels of priority may need to be adhered to regarding which families require the care most. We may also be limited by the numbers we are allowed to safely have on school premises. Original figures were 20% of the school and we continue to reference this figure whilst further guidance is sought.
Safeguarding
Parents MUST sign their child in and out of school each day. The yard will not be open for children to enter. All children must enter the school via the main entrance with their parent.
Children will not be allowed access to mobile technology during the day as per normal school procedures.
Lunch
Please continue to order and pay for lunches via Parent Pay. The kitchen staff will endeavour to meet the requests but please prepare children that their preferred option may not be available.
School uniform
We ask that children come dressed in school uniform, whilst attending.
Bright Kids
Wrap around care is available from 7:30am till opening of school and till 6pm after school. This is a paid facility. Any enquiries should be directed to [email protected]
 
Thank you for your continued support and I hope this update is comprehensive and clear.

20.3.20 8:15am Update

20th March 2020Mr Bennett
20.3.20 8:15 Update
School is open today.
1.Please complete the Child Care Key Worker form by 10am if possible. Following Government advice “if it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be”
https://forms.gle/SJ8dyxQhAEtcU5Qb7
2.Home learning packs for children already absent from school are available to collect until 12pm today. We still have a lot left so please bear with us we get these up.
3. No after school clubs today.
 
Further updates will follow as required.

Latest Update Regarding Key Workers and Childcare

19th March 2020Mr Bennett

*Please read the following and ONLY fill out the form if applicable.

Dear all,

Due to the CoronaVirus outbreak, Mortimer Primary School will close at the end of the school day on Friday for an unspecified time.

From Monday 23rd March, we will be operating a limited service for the children of key workers (we are still waiting for the official list from the government).

These may include: National Health Service, Armed forces, Teachers and childcare staff, Care home workers, Social workers, Police officers, community support, Prison officer or other probation staff,

Firefighters, Local authority planners, Environmental health officers and Highway Agency traffic officers. This also includes children with an EHCP and identified vulnerable pupils.

This is an optional service and will not be a typical school day. Parents who identify as key workers are able to organise their own child care arrangements. The government actively discourage the use of elderly family members to fill this role.

Any children in school will receive care from different staff members across a variety of activities. We can not state which staff members will oversee your child’s care.

As of yet we don’t know if eligible families will need to have one or two key workers to access this provision. Single key worker parents will qualify.

A reduced lunch service will be in operation but all children will be fed.

Once we have an understanding of potential numbers we will be able to share details of a full plan.

Parents will need to have proof of employment within a key worker category to ensure the right children and families are supported.

We will continue to update you and appreciate your patience in these challenging times.

Please click the link below to submit your key worker response.

https://forms.gle/jWhDM98E6tADQSfZ6

Thursday 19th March 2020 – Covid19 Mortimer Update

19th March 2020Mr Bennett

The school remains open.

Staffing

No further staff are isolating due to symptoms.

4 staff members have taken the decision to self-isolate due to underlying health conditions.

School update

  1. As you will have heard, schools in England are to close from Friday to all but most vulnerable and children of key workers.
  2. Following the government announcement, the school is waiting on full clarification of the closures. We need to fully understand the impact of the key worker situation and what it means for our pupils, our staff and parents. We will update as and when we have further information.
  3. Learning packs will be given to all children in school today. These will contain a mix of paper based and online learning activities.
  4. If your child is absent then be assured that we will get the pack to you.
    1. They can be collected from the school office from 1pm Thursday until Friday 12pm.
      1. Where possible, could close neighbours collect for others.
    2. If you are unable to get to school, we will get the pack to you over the next 24 hours. Please be patient as we organise
  5. To help alleviate parents standing waiting we are using the following for the rest of the week.
    1. KS1 pupils can come straight into school from 8:40
    2. KS2 pupils continue to access the yard
    3. KS1 and KS2 end of school days remain different
    4. Some staggering of classes exiting the school to avoid build up. Years 2, 5 and 6 will be promptly out as the bell goes.
  6. After school clubs: Signing club cancelled until further notice.
  7. Communication – we will continue to update via our Facebook page and website. Thank you for your supportive messages. They are greatly appreciated as we go through this unique period of time. Please don’t send private messages via Facebook. Our phone number remains the same and we will help with any queries where possible.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding at this time.

Wednesday 18th March 2020 – Covid19 Mortimer Update

18th March 2020Mr Bennett

Wednesday 18th March 2020 – Covid19 Mortimer Update

The school remains open.

Staffing

No further staff are isolating due to symptoms.

3 staff members have taken the decision to self-isolate due to underlying health conditions.

 

School update

  1. Year 3 trip: At present the trip is still booked as the venue is still operating. We are monitoring this daily and will update with any changes.
  2. Parent’s evening: We have cancelled this event (23.3.20). We will endeavor to rearrange these, if possible, in the future.
  3. Attendance: Our normal procedures are still in place and there will still be some children absent for regular colds, sickness etc. Parents should ring on the 1st day of the child being ill. 19. In cases where individuals have been provided with professional advice from medical professionals or have clear justification to self-isolate as determined by the latest guidance, we will record this absence under exceptional circumstances.
  4. Children in self-isolation: We have asked all year groups to prepare two weeks’ worth of suitable home learning for any child in isolation and in the case of the school being required to shut. This work will be ready to collect from the end of school Thursday. If you are unable to get to school for the pack, please let us know and we will post this out to you. We are also supporting children in accessing their Google classroom accounts to support home access. Please note these are precautionary measures and we have had no indication that we will close.
  5. School dinners: Please continue to pay and book lunches as normal. In light of a school closure your credit will not be lost.
  6. Booster sessions: These continue to be active.
  7. After school clubs: Athletics & Netball clubs will continue to run as normal.
  8. Musical instrument lessons: Peripatetic teachers have stopped from attending all schools.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding at this time. We will update again tomorrow.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#if-you-are-living-with-children

Tuesday 17th March – Covid19 update

17th March 2020Mr Bennett

The school remains open to all pupils.

Staffing

No further staff are isolating.

We remain at one member of staff isolating with flu like symptoms, but this is not a confirmed case and they reported that they are feeling better.

School update

  1. We are limiting the occasions where the whole school meets and other large gatherings. This includes assemblies and singing practice.
  2. Staff will continue to talk to the children about the importance of hand washing and general hygiene.
  3. Class assemblies for parents will be rearranged to a future date. This includes cancellations for 1BC Mrs Catchpole 20/3/20 & 1MP Mrs Peacock 27/3/20 and all future Friday assemblies until further notice.
  4. We ask that parents only come into school on very urgent matters. The disabled toilet at the front of the school will not be accessible at the start and end of the day.
  5. Due to the size of choir attendance after school on Tuesday, this is now cancelled from today (17/3/20) until further notice.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding at this time. We will update again tomorrow.

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response