Update - 11th May 2020
Dear Parents, Carers and Colleagues,
Following the Prime Minister’s announcements on Sunday 10th May, we will continue with our planning for the potential partial reopening of our schools for pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 during June, ensuring any actions we take keep staff and children safe. We will provide you with regular updates on our planning alongside the latest Government guidance for the reopening of schools as we receive it.
The Prime Minister suggested that Year 10 pupils may come into school before we finish for the Summer in July. Again, we will provide further updates on our planning as proposals are confirmed by the Government.
Can I take this opportunity to personally thank our Parents, Carers and Staff for their hard work and support in ensuring pupils learning continues during this time. In difficult circumstances, our school communities have responded brilliantly!
Many thanks
Gary Kelly
CEO
Wade Deacon Trust
Monday 27th April
Early Help Hub
There are times when every parent needs a bit of support, but it’s particularly difficult being a parent at present. Knowsley Family Learning Service has a team of experienced parenting support workers who are available to give advice and suggestions to help parents manage their children’s behaviour and anxieties during this difficult time.
If you would like to arrange a telephone call with one of the team of parent support workers, please contact the free phone number 0800 073 0043 and ask for Parenting Support. Your details will then be given to the Early Help Hub and someone will call you back.
Wednesday 15th April
Launch of Class Dojo
We are delighted to announce that as of Wednesday 15th April, the start of Summer Term, all children and their families will have access to Class Dojo.
Class Dojo is an app based system, that can be downloaded by our families onto mobile phones, tablets or laptops. Once downloaded, you will be able to see the 'School Story' where we will communicate general messages and the 'Class Story' specific to the class/classes your child is in.
This will allow families, children and teachers to communicate and share ideas and activities as well as messages of support and praise during these unusual times.
Wednesday 8th April
- Supermarket Vouchers - FAQs for Parents
The following document has been put together to provide parents with some answers for frequently asked questions regarding FSM supermarket vouchers.
Supermarket Vouchers FAQs for Parents
Knowsley Council Early Help Hub
We know that some families may be finding it stressful and harder to cope during these difficult times. We don’t want people to struggle and we have a team of staff who can talk you through any issues and offer you some advice and guidance.
Contact the Freephone helpline on 0800 073 0043 and ask for your information to be passed onto the Early Help Hub and one of our staff will call you back.
Or you could complete the online form by clicking the ask for help and support on this link https://www.knowsleynews.co.uk/community-hub/
*Update Friday 27th March 2020
Message for families of children in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 as well as those families entitled to Free School Meals .
Please click
here for a letter about access to Free School Meals from next week.
*Update Sunday 22nd March 2020
Message for parents who are classed as 'Key Workers'.
Please be aware that Government Guidance remains the same ...
SCHOOL IS CLOSED ONLY USE OUR EMERGENCY CHILDCARE AT SCHOOL, IF YOU HAVE TO - IT MUST BE A' LAST RESORT.'
Even if you are a key worker,, please ask yourself...
Is there another parent/carer who is NOT a key worker?
Is there a family member (not under the vulnerable list) who can keep my child safe and support as they would at weekends?
If this is the case, DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL.
The purpose of closing schools is to reduce the spread of the virus.:
Keeping you, your child and your family safe, as well as our staff, their children and their families too.
School is only open between
8.50am
and 3.15pm
critical workers
The Government have asked that if workers think they fall within critical employment categories they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of an ‘essential public service’.
We will be asking parents/carers to provide that confirmation from their employer. Most companies and organisations in those sectors are providing a letter to employees.
If you believe that you work in one of the critical sectors listed in the document (link below) we ask you to provide us with evidence. We understand you may not yet have this evidence. However, we will insist upon it at some stage this week. We will provide a deadline in the coming days. Without such evidence, we will no longer be able to welcome your child into school.
You can
a) bring the evidence letter to school if you are dropping off your child of a morning
b) send the evidence letter in with your child
c) email the evidence letter to
yewtree@knowsley.gov.uk stating your child's name, Year Group, the name of your employer and a phone number of the company you work for.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
* Update Saturday 21st March
Click
here for Information for families who
whose child is in receipt of a free school meals.
*Update Thursday 19th March 2020
The first is that the Government has advised schools in England to close, except for certain groups of children, from this Friday afternoon (20th March) onwards as a further measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. No date has been set for when schools will re-open for all children.
From Monday, the school will continue to be open for all the following groups of students only;
- Children whose parents are frontline workers – the Government has initially said these will include NHS staff, police, supermarket delivery drivers, teachers and social workers. However others will be in this category and we expect to hear more from the government on this in the coming days.
- Those classed as what the Secretary of State described as vulnerable children. These would be those who have a social worker and those with EHCPs
We will be in contact with families of children within the second category above, classed as vulnerable by the Secretary of State, by phone tomorrow.
For safeguarding purposes, we need to ask each family to complete the questions within the link below, so that we can identify those key workers who would need their children to come into school from Monday next week. These being NHS staff, police, supermarket delivery drivers, teachers and social workers.
Please click on the link below and complete the form before school starts tomorrow , Friday 20th March
We will continue to provide updates, as and when this becomes available to us.
Many thanks for your continued support!
*Updated Government Advice *
if anyone in your household has symptoms of a new persistent cough and/or a high temperature,
please DO NOT send you child to school. You will to self isolate as a family for 14 days and
call 111 if anyone still has symptoms after 7 days.
Please do call the school office to let us know.
Government are also advising those who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures.
This group includes those who are:
- aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
- under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (ie anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds):
- chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
- chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
- chronic kidney disease
- chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
- chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy
- diabetes
- problems with your spleen – for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed
- a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
- being seriously overweight (a BMI of 40 or above)
Monday 16th March 2020- School remains open as usual today.
We wish to reassure our families that we will continue to follow advice and recommendations from Public Health England and the Government regarding COVID-19.
There are no plans,at the moment, to close all schools across the UK.
In the event of a temporary closure, it is our intention for all children to be able to continue with work at home. Currently, school staff are preparing work packs, projects and access to websites, which would allow for this, if this situation arises.
It is vital that you telephone school immediately to enable us to keep track of children who are ‘self-isolating’.
In light of current events, and in the best interests of all of our children and families, we decided, as of last week, to postpone all school events eg Parent's meetings, Easter Asemblies etc
You can visit the following Government website for further advice and guidance:
Please continue to check here on our website and Twitter feed @YewTreeCP for any further updates
Many thanks for your continued support.
Friday 13th March