Letter to parents - Spring half term 1 2020.21
red gates news
Lockdown January 2021
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.
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 – 4th, 5th and 8th 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
Return to School Wellbeing Survey – Get Involved
The Education Directorate are keen to capture the voice of young people to describe their experiences during lockdown. It will also help guide the thinking towards a recovery model from September. We would be grateful if pupils could complete this and if they wish add their names.
https://getinvolved.croydon.gov.uk/survey/983
Celebration of Achievement 2019
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.
Red Gates goes Green
School Council are leading the way in making Red Gates greener and more environmentally friendly. On World Environment Day, they've checked the school grounds for any rubbish, especially plastic. You may not realise it, but we do get occasional visits from wildlife like squirrels and birds here at Red Gates.
We know that plastic can kill them as it does with the whales in the ocean. That's why we are keen to keep the school free of any plastic rubbish. This term, some classes are actually working on the topic Hidden Worlds: Under the Sea and are learning about the beauty of the sea and how our attitude towards waste can harm living creatures and destroy that beauty.
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