Monday 11^th January 2021

Dear Parents/Carers,

I would like to thank you for your patience during such a confusing and difficult time for schools, parents and children.

 

As you will be aware, Knowsley has one of the highest infection rates in the country. As of 4^th January the rate stood at 1,123 per 100,000 people and it is expected that cases will continue to rise. Therefore it is essential that we follow the Government rules and stay at home wherever possible.

 

Below is an update on Critical Worker places and the school’s remote learning arrangements. I hope this will answer any questions you may have and provide additional information on how you can support your child’s learning at home.

Thank you once again for your continued support in keeping the school community safe.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Miss Julie Withey

Head teacher

 

Critical Worker School Places

All Critical Worker places have now been allocated and each of the teaching ‘bubbles’ are at the maximum capacity. The capacity has been calculated following a risk assessment to ensure safe staffing levels, social distancing and the school’s ability to also provide quality remote learning to those children at home.

 

Following the Government announcement that schools were closed to most children, we have been inundated with requests for Critical Worker school places. I apologise if you have been unsuccessful in your request but due to the high demand we had to prioritise places where both parents are Critical Workers, unable to work from home and have no other childcare options. Some of our teaching staff have also been refused Critical Worker places for their own children as most schools have used the same criteria to prioritise places.

I appreciate that this is disappointing for some parents as the Government guidance stated that at least one parent who is a key worker could request a place. However, this has to be dependent on the circumstances of the school and the demand for places.

 

At Eastcroft Park we are operating one teaching bubble in each Key Stage which caters for Critical Worker children and also vulnerable children. We currently have two teachers available in each Key Stage who alternate between teaching in school and providing remote learning for their class. Unfortunately, due to staff shielding and staff illness, we are unable to safely increase the number of teaching bubbles and also provide quality remote learning for the majority of children at home.

 

If you have been allocated a Critical Worker place please consider the following;

• Can you make any other childcare arrangements which would be safer for your child and family?
• Whilst primary age children rarely become seriously ill from the virus, schools act as a ‘vector’ for transmission. Children can spread the virus to people around them and by sending your child to school you may be putting children, staff and your family at greater risk.
• Can you work from home?
• Do you need a school place for every day you have requested?

 

Please contact the school if you wish to discuss any changes you would like to make to your current arrangements.

 

Remote Learning

I hope that you have been able to access the remote learning packages available on the website and Seesaw. As this is a new way of working for everyone, I anticipate that there will be a few technical issues to begin with so please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher or Mr Youngman if you are experiencing any difficulties. You can contact these teachers either via email or through your child’s Seesaw account.

 

Each week you will be provided with a range of activities and a suggested timetable for each day. I appreciate that some parents may find it difficult to stick to the time table particularly if you are working from home or have more than one child to support. The timings for the activities are flexible and activities can be completed at the most appropriate time for you and your family. However, it is important that your child has regular contact with their teacher through live sessions and catch up meetings. Therefore we would ask that you make every effort to join the live sessions at the allotted times. Teachers will inform you in advance and send an email with a link to invite your child to the session.

 

Although all classes will receive the appropriate amount of quality work for the age group, the way in which this is delivered and responded to by teachers may differ depending on their teaching commitment in school. For example, teachers who are working from home due to shielding and therefore not required to teach in school, maybe able to deliver more live sessions and respond to children’s work more quickly.

 

Devices

We have now allocated all available devices for loan. We are currently waiting for the delivery of a small number of devices. If you do not have a way of accessing the online learning and genuinely require a device please email Mr Youngman (reception@eastcroftpark.co.uk) and we will contact you as soon as a device becomes available.

 

Paper Copies

Some parents have requested paper copies of the work. Although this is an option, we must stress that paper copies should only be used as a last resort. The online learning packages provide quality teaching videos and interactive learning activities which are an essential aspect of the remote learning package.

 

BBC

The BBC has announced that it will be putting materials on TV, iPlayer and online. These resources can be used to supplement (not replace) the remote learning that is set. TV programming for primary school pupils will be on CBBC between 09.00 and 12.00 every week day.

This may be useful for working parents who are unable to devote time to home learning during that time of the day.

 

Well-being

Each week teachers will provide activities which will help to support your child’s well-being during such difficult times. If you have any serious concerns about your child’s well-being please contact the class teacher and we will do our best to support you. 

 

Finally, it is important that your child engages with remote learning every day (Monday-Friday) and completes the work that has been set. It is essential that we work together to ensure that your child does not fall behind.

 

During the previous school closure in March, the number of children accessing remote learning was very disappointing. Teachers will monitor the work accessed by the children and contact parents when concerns arise.

 

 

The BBC has announced that it will be putting school materials on TV, iPlayer and online. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55591821.

 

These resources can be used to supplement (not replace) the remote learning that is set.

 

How can it be accessed?

Online - learning resources for children of all ages can be found on the BBC Bitesize website.

TV - programming for primary school pupils will be on CBBC between 09:00 and 12.00 every weekday. Programmes for secondary school pupils will be on BBC Two, between 13:00 and 15:00.

Red Button - the Bitesize Daily lessons will also be shown on the Red Button service on TV.

iPlayer - all episodes will be available on catch-up, on-demand on iPlayer.

All the resources and content on the Phonics Play website https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/ has been made free as we are in another lockdown, with the aim to help us continue to home school in the best possible manner.

The content can be accessed with the below credentials.

Username : jan21
Password : home
 

Healthy Knowsley have developed a free online family cooking course for families to do together. Additionally, they have also developed an online family fitness course where parents and their children can get fit and active together in their own homes. If you are interested in either of these courses then if you let class teachers know then we can refer you for a place as these courses are referral only for places.

I have recently signed us up with Vodafone who have just launched their Schools Connected initiative (https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/pay-as-you-go-plans/schools-connected).  The programme is designed to help those disadvantaged children struggling to access education because of a lack of connectivity.  We have a number of data SIMs with 30GB free connectivity for 90 days to give away to those who request them. They would require a phone or MiFi dongle/router to work but could be really useful to support remote learning if you have ni or limited WiFi connectivity. An old Android or Apple phone could be used, for example, to create a WiFi hotspot to be used on any device meaning that a broadband router would not be necessary. If you would like one, email me at reception@eastcroftpark.co.uk

 

Regards

 

Mr Youngman

In order to support remote learning, we have allocated a small number of devices to be loaned to pupils to enable them to engage with learning at home. These devices will be strictly loaned for the express purpose of home learning and are not be used for other purposes. These devices will only be allocated on the basis of there being a clearly identified need for them and there will be conditions on which they are loaned. If you would like a request form, please e-mail reception@eastcroftpark.co.uk and I will email one back. These devices will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis so please send any requests in asap.

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

Further to the Government announcement yesterday please see the information below for all parents and carers and for those parents who fit into the critical worker category. 

From Tuesday 5^th January, Eastcroft Park School will be open only for those children of critical workers and children who have been identified as vulnerable.

 

Critical Workers

 

To request a place for your child both parents/carers must meet the requirement detailed in the critical worker list below and provide appropriate proof of employment including days/hours of work. 

There is no automatic entitlement to a child care place in school. Please consider if your role is critical to the Covid-19 response. All critical workers will be considered for a place, as long as their job cannot be done from home and both parents/carers are critical workers. Even if you are key workers, please ask whether you have ANY other alternative childcare options. Sending your child to school should be an absolute last resort; every child who can safely be cared for at home should be .The fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.

If requests for places are too high and we believe that both children and staff are at increased risk because of this, then we will introduce a ‘tiered’ system for allocating places. All places will then be reviewed and considered in the light of each family’s particular circumstance / job roles etc. Some places may need to be withdrawn at that point.

If you wish to request a place for your child please contact the school by Friday 8^th January.  Places may not be available after this date.

Vulnerable children

The school will continue to provide care for vulnerable children. Parents and carers will be contacted individually if this is the case. 

Vulnerable children and young people include those who:

• are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
• have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• have been identified as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including children’s social care services), and who could therefore benefit from continued full-time attendance, this might include:
  • children and young people on the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services or in the process of being referred to children’s services
  • adopted children or children on a special guardianship order
  • those at risk of becoming NEET (‘not in employment, education or training’)
  • those living in temporary accommodation
  • those who are young carers
  • those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home (for example due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study)
  • care leavers
  • others at the provider and local authority’s discretion including pupils and students who need to attend to receive support or manage risks to their mental health

Children in Care / with an EHCP

All children in this category will be offered a place.

 

For all other children

 

As of Wednesday 5^th January learning for most children will be accessed remotely via the school website and Seesaw. Your child’s teacher will be in contact with you via email with the arrangements and to explain how work can be accessed. Given that this announcement and action has come into effect so quickly and with limited notice, further details will be provided as soon as possible.

 

The remote learning offer will match the current curriculum for your child’s year group. It is important that your child completes as much of the work as possible to ensure that progress is made. Your child’s progress through their work will be monitored and checked by their teachers and feedback provided as appropriate.

Please note that teachers are providing lessons in school each day in addition to the remote learning offer. Therefore, they will respond to any parental queries when time allows and within the school day.

 

I apologise for the unavoidable but short notice of the latest changes and the potential disruption this may cause you.  Our aim, as always, is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children and staff at Eastcroft Park.

We will update you as the situation develops and keep you informed of any changes as soon as we are able to.

I thank you for your support and work in keeping us all safe at Eastcroft Park and our wider school community.

 

Yours Sincerely

Miss J A Withey

Critical workers

Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined in the following sections.

Health and social care

This includes, but is 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 distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare

This includes:

• childcare
• support and teaching staff
• social workers
• specialist education professionals who must remain active during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response to deliver this approach

Key public services

This 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
• journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting

Local and national government

This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of:

• the coronavirus (COVID-19) response, and the delivery of and response to EU transition
• essential public services, such as the payment of benefits and the certification or checking of goods for import and export (including animal products, animals, plants and food), including in government agencies and arm’s length bodies

Food and other necessary goods

This 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

This 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 coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and EU transition)
• 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 and border

This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response and EU transition, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass and those constructing or supporting the operation of critical transport and border infrastructure through which supply chains pass.

Utilities, communication and financial services

This 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 coronavirus (COVID-19) response
• 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
• waste disposal sectors

From tomorrow onwards, school will be providing home learning to be completed during the lockdown period. Home learning is vital and compulsory and as such it will be monitored if your child is accessing this. Initially, pupils should access the 5 day package that is posted on the class pages on the school website:

 

https://www.eastcroftpark.co.uk/school-closure-1/

 

For example, if your child is in reception, you would navigate to the reception icon & access the 5 day package for Spring there. The booklets/activities could be printed or could be accessed digitally and responses uploaded to Seesaw. If you require a printed booklet then you should contact your child(ren)s class teacher to arrange this. 

 

Class teachers will be in touch by email shortly to explain the arrangements for the next stage in remote learning. The majority of scheduled learning will take place through activities set using the app 'Seesaw'. Lots of you will already be familiar with this app as we have used it previously for remote learning & homework. For those not aware, you will need to download (on any device) the Seesaw class app and you will need your child's home learning login. (These can also be requested through class teachers, if you do not have them). Help guides to use Seesaw can also be found on the same link (https://www.eastcroftpark.co.uk/school-closure-1/).

 

There may be a small number of devices made available to enable pupils to access remote learning who could not otherwise access it. These devices will need to be requested from school and will only be loaned, with a loan agreement needing to be completed for each. As such they must be looked after. You would need to request one of these from the class teacher.

In light of the government announcement at 8pm this evening, along with further guidance from the local authority which followed much later, school will be open tomorrow (5th January) but ONLY for the children of parents who are BOTH classed as key workers (E.g. NHS workers, police etc).  School will be closed for ALL other pupils. These key worker parents must be able to provide evidence of both parents occupations when bringing them in the morning if this information has not previously been provided to school.

 

School will be in touch with the families of children who are classed as vulnerable tomorrow to offer those children places for later in the week. It is hoped that these places will be available from Wednesday onwards if all the required arrangements can be made. Learning will be provided for all pupils from Wednesday using Seesaw, further details will be sent out tomorrow. 

 

Apologies for the late nature of this amended message, however, as you can appreciate, this was out of our hands. Hopefully we will see you all soon but in the meantime please take every precaution to stay safe.

 

Regards

 

Miss Withey

https://www.knowsleynews.co.uk/leader-calls-for-decisive-action/

 

https://www.knowsleynews.co.uk/council-continues-to-support-schools/