Latest News

Home Learning

Mon 23 Mar 2020

Please click on the link below for Home Learning work, resources and ideas:

https://www.fairfordacademy.org/home-learning/

Coronavirus update 20/03/20

Fri 20 Mar 2020

20^th March 2020

Dear Parents/Carers,

Re: Coronavirus update

We have now been given further advice regarding which pupils should be accessing schools during the foreseeable future. Schools are being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children – children who are vulnerable and children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response (Keyworkers) and cannot be cared for safely at home. Further information for parents is available https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

The Government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked school to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend. Fewer children making the journey to school, and the few children in educational settings, lowers the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.

Vulnerable children

Vulnerable children include children who are being supported by social care, those with safeguarding and welfare needs, including Child In Need Plans, on Child Protection Plans, ‘Looked After’ children, young carers, disabled children and those with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.

Key Workers

Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response, are outlined below. 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 kept at home.

Key workers include the following roles:-

Health and social care - includes but not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare - includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.
Key public services - includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.
Local and national government - only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.
Food and other necessary goods - includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).
Public safety and national security - includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.
Transport - includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.
Utilities, communication and financial services - includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

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. Please be aware that evidence of employment is required, i.e. letter from employer, payslip, ID) if you will be sending your child into school.

Free School Meals

If your child is entitled to a free school meal but will not be attending school due to not meeting the criteria above, we can offer a free packed lunch which can be collected from school each day, details regarding collection times to follow. This is only for pupils eligible for Free School Meals and does not include KS1 Universal Infant Free School Meals.

What parents need to do now:-

If your child meets the criteria above or you are a keyworker and will be sending your child into school please email normandyadmin@normandy.bexley.sch.uk to confirm by 3pm today where possible.
If your child will not be in school but is eligible for a free school meal please email normandyadmin@normandy.bexley.sch.uk to let us know if you would like to collect a packed lunch.

Access arrangements and timings will remain as normal for the present time. You will be notified of any changes.

Please be aware that the school being open is subject to change and Government guidance. We will keep you updated of any changes and relevant information as it arises.

Thank you again for your continued support and patience.

Yours sincerely

Mr A. Hogarth

Executive Head Teacher

Coronavirus update 19/03/2020

Thu 19 Mar 2020

19^th March 2020

Dear Parents/Carers,

Re: Coronavirus update

Following on from my last update, I’m now writing to let you know that we have now been instructed by the Government to close the school to the majority of children after this Friday until further notice, children who don’t fall into the category will need to stay at home from Monday onwards. Please note that this is a national closure, so while it is a challenging situation, we are not alone. We will re-open fully as soon as we can and will let you know when this is by Parentmail and the school websites.

Key workers and children with certain needs

As advised by the Government, we will do all we can to stay open for the children of key workers e.g. NHS staff, police, others in frontline services) and for children with certain needs. The Government will be issuing further details of who falls into the key worker category and children with certain needs category. We will share this information with you once received and arrangements for attending school.

Learning

Your child’s learning is important to us, so during the closure please access the home learning section of the website where you will find age appropriate learning, ideas and resource activities. Pupils attending school will be accessing the online area of the school websites and undertaking the same activities as those available to all children.

Safeguarding

During this period, please be mindful of Safeguarding implications regarding your children and other people’s children. Be vigilant around people offering childcare, teaching services online or face to face. Also, be mindful of on line safety whilst your child is using IT. If you have any Safeguarding concerns relating to children whilst the school is closed, please contact the school services team at the Local Authority on 020 8303 7777.It is everyone’s responsibility.

Communication

As you can appreciate, this is a very busy time for the school office; we are receiving a high number of telephone calls and face-to-face enquiries. Please be patient, further updates will be shared with you as soon as we receive them. For the foreseeable future, telephone calls will not be answered, but messages will be picked up twice a day to be dealt with and followed up as appropriate. Where possible enquiries should be via email to the school.

If your child usually receives free school meals we will also be in touch with more information about how we will continue to provide this, with support from a scheme that the government has just announced.

We appreciate the closure will have an impact on you and your family and it’s far from an ideal scenario, but we’ll keep in touch with any updates as the situation develops.

Thank you again for your continued support, and we will be in touch with more information when we can.

Yours sincerely

Mr A. Hogarth

Executive Head Teacher

PGL - Coronavirus Information

Wed 18 Mar 2020

https://www.pgl.co.uk/en-gb/coronavirus-information

Coronavirus Update 16th March 2020

Mon 16 Mar 2020

Parents/Carers,
Coronavirus Developments
As you’re probably aware, the government’s guidance on the coronavirus has changed from the ‘contain’ phase to one of delaying the spread of the virus. We’re getting in touch to let you know what we’re doing in light of this, and what we expect from all of you, to help make sure our school community keeps safe and calm.

We’d like to reassure you that at Pelham and Normandy Primary Schools we’re taking all of the necessary steps to protect our community and are continuing to follow official guidance from the government.

What’s the current situation?
> The schools remains open – this is the current official guidance we’ve been given
> You will be informed of any planned changes to school activities that may affect you
> Pupils should attend unless they feel unwell – if your child has any of the following symptoms they should remain at home for 7 days:
o a new, continuous cough and/or
o a temperature
> If your child is unwell, report this to the school as you would normally. Please note that evidence suggests that for 80% of people with COVID-19 will experience mild flu-like symptoms.
> You will be notified accordingly if planned trips are going ahead or will be cancelled
> We’ll keep you up to date with any changes to the current situation

What we’re doing to protect and support pupils and staff

> If children feel unwell whilst in school we will follow our usual procedures
> Our cleaning schedule is implemented as usual
> Enforcing hand-washing
> Lessons or assemblies for pupils about hygiene

What we need you to do
> If you’ve recently changed your contact details, please inform the school office as soon as possible
> Talk to your children about the coronavirus. It’s a scary time and we should make sure children feel supported. BBC Newsround has regular updates for younger children and YoungMinds has practical steps older children can take to help with anxiety
> Come and collect your child straight away, if we ask you to (we’ll contact you if they become ill with either a temperature or a new, continuous cough)

What happens if the school has to close?
We’ll only close if we’re either officially advised to do so or we don’t have enough staff to run the school.
In either case, we’ll:

> Alert parents to closure via parentmail and on the school website
> Alert parents to details about reopening via parentmail and the school website
> Explain how we plan to set work for pupils during closure – this might include plans for both short-term and long-term closure.

There are currently no plans to close.

If you have any questions
Please consult the:
> NHS, if you want to know more about the symptoms of coronavirus. If you think you or your child may have the symptoms, use NHS 111 online if at all possible before calling 111
> Department for Education’s coronavirus helpline: 0800 046 8687, if you have any questions about the government’s response to coronavirus in relation to schools
> Government’s travel advice, if you want to know whether any upcoming trip or holiday you’re taking abroad should go ahead
> National sources of advice should be used, as detailed below:
o https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england
o https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19

Coronavirus Letter

Thu 12 Mar 2020

Coronavirus

As discussed in our newsletter last week, we are reviewing all advice and guidance in light of the Coronavirus on a daily basis.

Whilst advice has not changed, and school life should be continuing as normal, with a raised profile of good hygiene and handwashing, we have reviewed trips that are currently planned.

We have postponed the Year 4 and Year 5 trips to the Tate Britain and Hindu Temple, as these can be rescheduled later in the year and there are no cost implications to you as parents.

The PGL Year 6 trip later this term is scheduled to go ahead at present, pending further updates.

Please understand that we take the safety and wellbeing of your children really seriously and we value your ongoing support.

Reception and KS1 Story Time

Wed 11 Mar 2020

As a prize for Class RD being the only class in the whole of Bexley Borough to have the most pupils who 'Walked to School on Wednesday' for the week of 5th February, our Reception and KS1 pupils were treated to a very special prize. Their prize was to have the story 'The Highway Rat' by Julia Donaldson read to them by Joanna Adeyinka-Burford, a presented on BBC's CBeebies who joined the team presenting 'The Lets Go Club' in 2015. The children were enthralled and listened to the story with enthusiasm and excitement, joining in at key points. This was such a fantastic prize for our Reception Class RD, and it was wonderful that the other Reception classes and KS1 classes were able to join them and benefit from story time.

Walk to School on Wednesday is an initiative run by KM Charity Team with the aim to get children being active and walking, scooting or cycling to school on Wednesdays.

Thank you to class RD for your fantastic effort in 'Walking to School on Wednesdays' and to the KM Charity Team for providing such a wonderful morning.

Author Visit

Wed 04 Mar 2020

We welcomed author Lucy Strange into Normandy who spoke with our KS2 pupils about why and how she became an author and the process of writing her best-selling books. She also read an excerptof her book and then signed copies of her book 'Our Castle by the Sea' for those pupils who purchased a copy. Thank you to Mrs Muller, our English Leader for organising a fantastic visit.