Red Gates Primary School, Author at Red Gates Primary

Dear Parents and Carers

Thank you for your support at this difficult time. I would like to reassure you that we are doing all that we can to support you and your children within current Government and Public Health England guidance.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your class teacher or our family liaison officer. Contact details are in the attachment.

With best wishes for improved circumstances soon.

Rationale Lockdown January 2021

Parents letter 14.01.21 (SEN)

Updated 11 January 2021

Introduction

Red Gates School is open for remote learning for the majority of pupils and for onsite learning for children of critical workers and pupils who present safeguarding concerns, from Wednesday 6 January until Friday 12 February or further notice by the government.

Our priority is the Health and Safety of our school community and to safeguard our pupils and staff, to the best of our ability, as information becomes available.

Decisions in schools are based on the following advice

DfE 15 December 2020 – Providing remote education information to parents - template

DfE 5 January 2021 – National lockdown now in force

DfE 6 January 2021 – Secretary of State’s Statement to Parliament

Gov.uk 6 January 2021 – National Lockdown: Stay at Home

DfE 7 January 2021 – Contingency framework: education and childcare settings (excluding universities)

DfE 7 January 2021 – Free School meal provision

DfE 8 January 2021 – Guidance for early years and childcare settings during the national lockdown

Meetings with PHE and LA – 4^th, 5^th and 8^th January 2021

Telephone discussions with Chair of Governors

Trade Union advice

Other considerations

Parents as critical workers

Pupil Risk Assessments

Staff Role Risk Assessments

Whole School Risk Assessments

Staff availability due to

Usual absences eg operations / illness / bereavement
Self isolation
COVID positive tests
Childcare, despite presenting critical worker letters to their child’s school
Signed off with anxiety by GP

Keeping bubble numbers consistent and low

Balancing the demands of remote learning and onsite teaching

Minimizing the use of shared spaces

Remote Learning

We acknowledge that remote learning can be extremely challenging for pupils with Complex Needs and that virtual sessions would not be appropriate. Staff create activity packs appropriate to the needs to pupils in the different pathways with activity ideas for parents to complete for short periods of time, with resources available in the home.

Remote learning is available on the website by Pathway and is regularly updated to keep in line with topic planning

Class teachers phone families weekly for feedback and to assess developing needs

School meals

Pupils with FSM entitlement are sent FSM e-vouchers fortnightly if they are not attending onsite. This has proved popular with families.

Pupils onsite will have their meals in their classrooms, rather than share the dining hall

Annual Reviews

Annual Reviews continue virtually every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning

Additional support

Behaviour specialist support can be requested by families through weekly contact with class teacher or by emailing behaviour specialist directly

Family liaison officer (FLO) and family liaison assistant (FLA) are available to support families by phone or email

Members of the school safeguarding team are available onsite and via email and telephone during the school day

Useful email addresses

General enquiries admin@redgates.croydon.sch.uk

Behaviour specialist hollydurrant@redgates.croydon.sch.uk

Family Liaison Officer / Designated Safeguarding Lead karenwilliams@redgates.croydon.sch.uk

Website address

www.redgates.croydon.sch.uk

The children have worked so hard throughout the year and this was celebrated on Thursday 18th July.

Each child in each class received a certificate celebrating their achievements over the year. Special certificates and medals were handed out to children who had excelled in the year, as voted on by staff. The school's therapists were also involved, handing out certificates and medals to children who they had seen most progression in over the year.

The Red Gates Rockers opened the proceedings with their amazing rendition of Shotgun and Something Just Like This and the school choir closed the event with their version of This is Me and Twist Again.

It was an extremely successful event and was well attended by parents, carers and friends.