Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic

We will use this page to update and inform parents and carers about any changes to school arrangements due to Coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions enforced by Government and the Department of Education (DfE).

Summary of operational guidance updates from 21 February 2022

Preparing to return to school on Wednesday, 5 January 2022

Happy New Year Everyone!

We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back tomorrow.

As you are aware there has been much in the news about children returning to school tomorrow and the practicalities for a smooth start to the term. Our key priority has always been to keep children at school wherever possible. We have been asked to prepare a contingency plan if we are in a worst case senario and we have hign levels of staff absence.

Our contingency plans are as follows:

• a suitable supply teacher (that the children know and are comfortable with)
• teaching Assistants and the Head will cover classes where a suitable supply is not available
• merging/sharing teachers and teaching assistants across classes if a number of staff test positive
• online learning (as a last resort) where a class cannot be covered due to lack of First Aiders and safeguarding staff who need to self-isolate
• the school will prioritise specific critical year groups in the event of a partial school closure. Daisy (R and Year 1) and Angelica (Year 6) and vulnerable children

All of the above are worst case scenarios and we hope that we will not need to action any of the above- however it is important to share these details with you.

For the children returning tomorrow it would be helpful if children could take a Lateral flow test before returning. As said before- testing regularly will help to minimise any transmission to others.

For our school we will be staying in our bubbles for the time being- we will look to review this on 26, January 2022. Staggered drop offs and pickups to stay in place.

Clubs will return in the third week back of the Spring term and further details will follow.

Changes to self-isolation

Since 22 December – changes have been made to the self-isolation periods for individuals who test positive for Covid. Anyone testing positive must now isolate for 7 days.

Close household contacts

People who are fully vaccinated, or children and young people aged between 5 and 18 years and 6 months, identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19, should take an LFD test every day for seven days and continue to attend their setting as normal, unless they have a positive test result or develop symptoms at any time.

Vaccination for 5-11 year olds

On Wednesday 22 December, the government accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that a primary course of vaccination should be offered to children aged 5 to 11-year-old who are in a clinical risk group, or who are a household contact of someone (of any age) who is immunosuppressed. The NHS is working through updated guidance and will set out how this is going to be operationalised shortly.

You can find full details of our updated Risk Assessment below.

See you bright and early tomorrow.

Mrs Alkureishi

Updated Risk Assessment January 2022

Preparing to return to school on Thursday, 2 September 2021

Information for parents explaining how the school will operate from September are listed below.

Please see our updated Risk Assessment, outbreak management plan and procedures for September. 

Rapid Testing for Households

Adults in households, childcare bubbles and support bubbles of children in primary school can now order Lateral Flow Test Kits and take part in rapid testing twice weekly if you wish to do so.

Please see the leaflet below for full details:

Preparing to return to school on Monday, 8 March: TEAMS Collective Worship Power Point Presentation 

See our updated Risk Assessment for whole school reopening - Monday, 8 March 2021

Whole school opening Monday, 8 March- What parent/carers need to know

Our home learning samples of work and activities

Parental Feedback from our recent remote learning survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-J7BN8DJ57/

Norton in Hales CE Primary School Remote Learning Policy 

See our updated risk assessment - January 2021

Full School Closure January 2021

How the school is spending the Catch up funding 

Track and Trace during the festive period.

What should I do if if my child has symptoms over the festive period?

Norton in Hales CE Primary School will be fully open on Wednesday, 2 September to all children. A letter, along with the updated Risk Assessment, explaining how school will operate from September has been issued to all parents and these can be found below. Parents should have received a letter accompanying their child's report, confirming which class their child/ren will be in when we return from the Summer Holidays in September.

See our updated Risk Assessment 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my child have to return to school?

Yes.

The expectation is that all children will return to school in September. Attendance is now compulsory once again. If your child is absent, please inform the school office.

Do children have to wear uniform?

Yes.

We expect all children to be in full school uniform from September.

How will the school keep children safe?

The school has ensured full compliance with the guidance produced by the Department for Education in relation to the re-opening of schools. For full details, please see the Risk Assessment.

Will Breakfast and After school club take place?

Breakfast Club is open from 7:30am (must be pre-booked by phoning the office. Children will be admitted to school by the team at their allocated drop off and pcik up times. 

After School Club is open until 6pm (must be pre-booked using by phoning the office). Please use the middle door at the front of the building.

Will school lunches be provided?

Yes.The school kitchen will be fully operational. Children in receipt of free school meals will be provided with a meal. Children in Reception to Year 2 will also receive a free meal under UIFSM.

Please note, the Government's Free School Meal voucher system will not continue from September (However, families should have received a voucher for the Summer Holidays).

My child is anxious about returning to school. What support is available?

During the Summer holidays, the Education Access Team at Shropshire Council have a dedicated helpline to provide support for children and families.

Norton in Hales ‘Recovery Curriculum’

As a staff we have been concerned about how to help our school community recover emotionally while sensibly addressing children's gaps in learning. 

Recently, a research paper was published to provide insight into the  ‘Loss and life for our children and schools post pandemic’.

Mental health expert, Professor Barry Carpenter recommends sensible ‘levers’ that can help schools recover following a ‘systematic, relationships-based approach to reigniting the flame of learning in each child.’

Our curriculum has incredible influence over the recovery process. It has the power to inspire and rekindle curiosity and to reconnect and make sense of experience with the ability to endow knowledge and broaden horizons.

1. Supporting me to build positive relationships with others

What this area will help children to learn?

• supporting pupils to rebuild relationships and revisit how to interact and build relationships with others including sharing, turn taking, greeting and interact with others positively play alongside and with peers
• to respond to familiar and new adults
• seek adults and friends to help, support and comfort me when I need support
• to know which adults help me and can support me to keep safe when I need them.

What that may look like?

There will be opportunities within the day where the focus is on rebuilding relationships with peers and adults.

This may be in the form of:

• independent learning to nurture parallel and joint play.
• turn taking games and activities.
• sharing games and activities.
• intensive interaction opportunities using call and response games and songs.
• time where adults can give sole attention to pupils re-building relationships
• games and activities where pupils can work together such as board games or outdoor PE games.
• safety work about who keeps us safe and who can keep us safe at school and at home and in the community.
• safety work about how adults can help us.
• activities that link to children’s interests to show we are interested in them.

2. Supporting me to manage my feelings and behaviour

What this area will help me to learn? 

• supporting pupils to understand their emotions and feelings and begin to process the experiences they have had
• supporting pupils to relearn some positive behaviour which they may have forgotten from being outside the school environment.
• assisting pupils to engage with self-regulation strategies and tools which help me to feel safe and calm.
• supporting pupils to understand the world we live in with tools and strategies to help them process what is different and what we can do to help.

What that may look like?

• there will be clear routines which are supported by visuals and clear communication which will include the use of visual timetables so pupils know what is happening each day and at each part of the day.
• some structures and boundaries may be different in school because of social distancing and processes related to this so some tools we will use are social stories and use of visuals to guide and support.
• the structure will be supportive and provide opportunities within this that enables and allows pupils to express themselves and express the experiences they have had whilst they were not at school. We will do this by being clear with boundaries and using therapeutic approaches to supporting behaviour and emotions.
• we will also be using therapeutic tools to support pupils in communicating with us such as building in regular circle time, therapeutic play times, tools like sunshine circles and use of comic strip conversations.
• using zones of regulation, using zones of regulation to open up discussions about emotions and circle time which will support pupils to explore their feelings as well as modelling processing and talking about feelings and emotions linked to this experience.
• regular opportunities for pupils to engage in self – regulation activities such as with sensory breaks, active breaks, and use of resources which support individuals.
• opportunities for pupils to practise their communication so that they are able to feel like they have a voice and are able to express their wants and needs.
• 3.Supporting me to diminish gaps in my learning

What this area will help me to learn

All of our pupils will feel like they have lost time in learning and we must show them how we are addressing these gaps and lost learning opportunities, consulting, co-constructing and providing interventions to help recover lost learning.

What that may look like?

• we will use familiar curriculum type sessions that pupils will be used to that provide children with experiences that feel like “the norm”.
• use what we know about schematic learning and how children process, this will look like familiar structured sessions in pupil’s day and opportunities to engage in play opportunities.
• good or outstanding lessons delivered by teachers 
• we will be providing enjoyable activities where children are immersed and excited about their learning- stunning start, marvellous middle and fabulous finish.
• quiz style questioning to inform assessment and planning
• curriculum sessions that provide familiar structures (like phonics, maths, guided reading)
• outdoor play
• story time and reading aloud
• prioritising aspects of the curriculum to ensure good coverage of the whole curriculum (with a view to resume the full curriculum from September 2021 or sooner)

4. Supporting my physical health and well-being

What this area will help me to learn?

• supporting pupils to re-engage with physical health and well-being routines as well as learn new routines which will support pupils to keep safe and enable infection control. This will include hand washing, social distancing, understanding of new school routines
• supporting pupils with their personal care and tolerating differences in these routines such as use of an alternative hygiene room facility or being supported in a different way for eating/ drinking.
• supporting pupils to be independent through their own dressing and undressing where needed
• supporting pupils to be physically well through active sessions
• using the outdoor facilities regularly
• develop an understanding about keeping physically well.

What that may look like?

• planned time where children are able to explore and re-investigate their environments to become familiar with what might be different (i.e. one way systems in school, different markings in school, different access to resources in the classroom, some rooms which are closed) and understanding these differences will be supported with social stories, photos and pictures.
• living out our school values to ensure that we look after each other and treat others as we would like to be treated- washing hands to keep myself and others safe
• supporting  physical health and well-being with a focus on managing and coping within new processes.
• ensuring that children continue to know who they can talk to if they feel unsafe, key adults, worry boxes PHSE/Circle time
• ensure that children understand what and why the school environment may be different and how to navigate this environment.
• embedding good and effective hand washing routines using visuals.
• embedding good respiratory hygiene and what this looks like ‘Catch it, kill it, bin it’
• adapting to using areas of the school that may not be usual and being in environment and with staff that are not usual.
• keeping and maintaining social distancing.
• health and hygiene sessions focusing on washing, being independent and looking after yourself.
• daily mile and building stamina and improving fitness
• to be outdoor as much as possible during learning with opportunities to use the outdoor classroom and forest school areas.

5.Supporting me to have the time and space to rediscover myself as a learner and a pupil at Norton

opportunities for children to rediscover themselves and to find their voice on learning knowledge and issues.   

What this may look like?

• opportunities for discussion- circle time, PHSE and talk partner time
• opportunities to reflect spiritually during worship, through art and music
• relearn learning behaviours- growth mind-set
• learning strategies to hold information in my memory – what helps me to remember???
• time to be with my friends and teachers
• time to be in nature