Headteacher Newsletter Issue 15
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 15: 14.5.21
Fitness and Team Building
Years 2 and 5 have enjoyed their first session of fitness and team building with Mr Snelling; the focus was positive support, encouraging the children to play together towards team goals and to support each other. We have also worked with Lisa Dunlop from Joyce Frankland Academy to develop batting and fielding skills in cricket, working towards an inter-school fitness competition run by JFAN this term. We were very proud of how the children adapted to the rules of a new game format, organising their teams and identifying key tactics to achieve as highly as possible.
The Big Ask
The Big Ask, the largest ever consultation with children aged 4 to 17 in England, was launched
by the new Children’s Commissioner this week. It aims to find out children’s concerns and aspirations about
the future, so that they can be put at the heart of the country’s recovery from the pandemic. The results will
help the Children’s Commissioner identify the barriers preventing children from reaching their potential, put
forward solutions and set ambitious goals for the country to achieve. Children can access the survey at:
The survey only takes 5-10 minutes to complete and will be live until 19th May. An adult survey is also
available for you to share your views about the future for children and young people today.
Equipment Survey – Request to Parents and Carers
Essex Family Forum along with its Family Champions, have worked with representatives from Health, Education and Social Care to develop a survey to help understand families’ experiences in regards to equipment. We have been asked by the Local Authority to share this survey with our parent community so that your views may be captured.
The survey can be accessed here – https://essexfamilyforum.org/parent-surveys-and-feedback/current-open-surveys/
The survey has been developed in conjunction with the SEND Joint Commissioning Group (which is made up of key representatives across Education, Health, Social Care, and Essex Family Forum) in response to the weakness identified following the Local Area SEND Inspection in Essex in October 2019 and addressed in the Written Statement of Action.
Parent/carer feedback is a fundamental part of this process and this survey will help the Joint Commissioning Group in order to better understand families’ experiences and will inform the provision of future services, meaning improved outcomes of children and young people and their families going forward.
To support completion of the survey, please note the following – “Equipment” for the purposes of this survey includes physical and medical equipment.
Wheelchairs have been excluded from the initial phase of the equipment project since they are a very clearly defined commodity, with clearly defined pathways and providers. Additionally, there is a system-wide review of wheelchair provision being undertaken in Mid and South Essex. Therefore, the initial focus of this review is on adaptive or physical equipment rather than devices i.e. orthotics, which come under “appliances”.
This survey is intended for residents that come under Essex County Council.
Many thanks for your support with this.
Isla is donating her hair!
Isla has chosen to donate her hair to the Little Princess Trust and is raising money for the Make a Wish Foundation. If anyone would like to support her the, details are below,
You can donate to my JustGiving page by clicking here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-lawton4?utm_source=Sharethis&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=sam-lawton4&utm_campaign=pfp-email&utm_term=03c1dc3c2201498c81cc170083e43941
Lateness
Please can we remind you to be on time for school. A few children are arriving after the gates have closed and after learning has already started.
Live streaming on TikTok and other platforms
We want to make you aware of an emerging concern involving TikTok. There is a facility on TikTok whereby 1000 followers enable a person to be able to broadcast live, and some children and young people at school are broadcasting live using this and possibly other platforms at different times during the school day.
Live streaming is the broadcasting of live video to an audience or on a one-to-one basis in real time. During public live streams viewers can participate by ‘liking’ videos and adding comments which can be seen by the person broadcasting, and by other viewers. It is also possible for viewers to contact broadcasters who are live streaming or who have live streamed.
Any person with a TikTok or similar platform account can use live streaming. Many children and young people do this, for example to sing and dance and to talk about things, perhaps with the aim of attracting more viewers and to be someone who is ‘trending’ online.
Concerns
There are risks for children and young people associated with broadcasting live online, and in engaging with other people’s broadcasts, including:
- viewing inappropriate content (such as sexual or violent videos);
- communicating with people that are unknown to them;
- children and young people may be broadcasting from their bedroom, unsupervised – making an additional forum in which abuse may take place;
- there could be thousands of people watching a live stream at any time, including those who are looking to harm children and young people – it is possible to move a child or young person from a live stream to a private one;
- coercion or manipulation to create and share indecent images of themselves while live streaming;
- live videos can be recorded and shared.
The Internet Watch Foundation found that 98% of live streamed abuse on mostly private platforms showed children aged 13 and under, suggesting that this age group may be more at risk when live streaming. Research by the London Grid for Learning showed that 1 in 6 pupils aged 7-16 taking part in a survey said that something had happened while they were live streaming that made them feel uncomfortable, and more than 1 in 20 pupils had been asked to change or get undressed.
What you can do to support children and young people
Children and young people can be reassured that if something happens while live streaming it is not their fault, and reminded to seek support from school staff or their parents and carers if they are worried about anything, or if something has happened. Parents and carers can be reminded of the risks and ways to support their children with online safety.
Resources are also available from various organisations including those referred to above, and others such as Thinkuknow, and the NSPCC.
COVID updates from the Public Health Team and The Local Authority
- Please can we remind you that if anyone has any of the 3 COVID symptoms then a PCR test MUST be sought and NOT a lateral flow version.
- In due course we will be in a position to review mask wearing outside but social distancing MUST continue to take place. Mask wearing still needs to take place in areas and situations where distancing cannot easily happen.
- Guidance for schools and the nation as a whole will be different, so that schools can remain open and in order to avoid the need to isolate bubbles.
- Summer holidays must be carefully planned – they must not affect pupil school attendance. If they take place it needs to be for a period of time in the school holidays that allows for a possible quarantining process to take place. Families must only visit countries that are authorised by the government.
Self-Testing for Families
Everyone in Essex is now able to collect self-test kits from participating libraries and pharmacies. Regular self-testing among school communities will help keep all children and their families safe as we move along the roadmap out of lockdown.
Please collect free packs of self-test kits for their families. Alternatively, you can order them online.
You can find out where to collect self-test kits near you on the Essex County Council website, or you can order self-test kits online from GOV.UK.
If you test positive from a self-test kit or develop symptoms, you should book a follow-up test on GOV.UK or call 119.
Please remember there is financial support available if they need to self-isolate. The criteria have recently been extended so that parents and guardians are eligible if they need to take time off work to look after a child or young person who is self-isolating. They must also meet the other criteria.
The social contact restrictions are still in place and have not changed.
COVID symptoms and ACTION – a reminder
To confirm, children are to stay off school if they are unwell with any virus, unless mild. If they or a household member develops or has symptoms of a high temperature, persistent cough or loss of taste/smell then they must have a COVID test. Whilst waiting for the test results, all household members must isolate. The class bubble does not have to at this stage but siblings in school do. Please keep the school informed if any of your household has any of the three symptoms and of any test results. It is vital we all work together on this to keep everyone safe.
Attendance
Now that we are all back in school it is very important that attendance is as strong as it can be so that we can work with the children to get their learning back on track. Even though national restrictions are easing it is very important that holidays are not taken during term time. These requests will not and cannot be authorised. The Local Authority have increased their monitoring process and related paperwork for schools in response to this.
Part of the COVID Winter Support Grant:
- Essex Essential Living Fund
Households struggling to pay food, fuel, or water bills and for other essential household goods such as fridges or cookers can apply for an emergency grant from Essex Essential Living Fund (EELF).
Anyone can apply but EELF will advise on eligibility and what you could get.
Apply online or call 0300 7900124 between 8:45am – 5:00pm
- Essex Family Wellbeing Service
On behalf of Essex County Council and the NHS, Virgin Care and Barnardo’s provide a range of child and family services throughout Essex that are free at the point of delivery.
https://www.essexfamilywellbeing.co.uk/
Free School Meals Funding
You can register for Free Schools Meals Funding if you meet the criteria below.
If you have a child in Key Stage One and are receiving the free meal, which is part of the universal offer, you could be missing out on this additional funding for the school, which will support your child with their learning, if you meet the criteria below. You have to apply for this funding. If you think you meet the criteria below then please follow the guidance below and contact the school office.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals
Lost Property
Can parents please make sure jumpers and coats are named as we cannot keep lost property during this climate.
Mobile Phones
This is a gentle reminder not to use mobile phones whilst on the school site. This is part of our safe guarding policy for all of our children.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
(More events and dates to follow, once confirmed)
28th May Break up for half term.
7th June Return to school after half term
25th June Reception September 2021 Induction Morning – format to be confirmed
6th July Sports Day – format to be confirmed
7th July Parent Evenings – times and format to be confirmed
8th July Parent Evening – times and format to be confirmed
12th July Year 5 Harlow Outdoors trip
14th July Year 6 Harlow Outdoors trip
20th July Year 6 Leavers’ Assembly
21st July Break up for the summer.
ACHIEVEMENTS
STAR OF THE WEEK
Week ending April 30th
Reception Consuello – for excellent phonics and for helping her friends with their work too
Year One Alfie – for growing in confidence to share his ideas and knowledge to the whole class
Year Two Carrie – for being a kind and helpful friend
Year Three Toby – for always being kind and polite and working hard in all aspects of the curriculum
Year Four Brian – for super effort all round especially in his performance poetry
Year Five Chloe P – for consistent focus and always being on task
Year Six Amber – for her consistent hard work and focus on every lesson.
Week ending May 7th
Reception Jasmine – for her beautiful seasons picture
Year One Beebee – for her hard work in Maths and drawing different arrays to find the totals
Year Two Elliott – for always concentrating and trying his best
Year Three Samuel – for persevering in geography by using his map skills to find many countries in North America
Year Four Lily – for a good understanding of dividing by 10 and great effort all round
Year Five Will – for his wonderful contributions to classroom discussions
Year Six Abigail – for good understanding and focus in French
Have a good weekend and thank you for your support.
Best wishes
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher