Current COVID-19 Information
In this section you will find all the latest news, updates, letters and information regarding COVID-19 and what we, as a school, are doing to ensure the safety of our children, parents and staff.
In this section you will find all the latest news, updates, letters and information regarding COVID-19 and what we, as a school, are doing to ensure the safety of our children, parents and staff.
Update: 8th September 2020
Dear Parents and Carers
WELCOME TO THE NEW 2020/21 ACADEMIC YEAR AT GEORGE FENTHAM ENDOWED SCHOOL
We are absolutely delighted to welcome our children back to George Fentham Endowed School at the start of this new academic year. Whilst there have been some significant changes in routines and systems, we have been determined to ensure our children feel safe and happy returning to school. Children and staff are adapting very quickly and our new arrangements to keep everyone safe are working really well.
This year we will need to find new and different ways of working together and some of the events that we would normally hold during the autumn term e.g. Meet the Teacher, Nursery Workshop for Parents/Carers, Harvest Tea, PTFA Disco etc, will not be able to go ahead in the way that they have done before. We will do our very best to keep you updated.
Please see below for COVID 19 updates and some more general updates which we hope you will find useful at the start of term.
COVID 19 UPDATES AND REMINDERS
COVID 19 Symptoms and Testing
Medicines in School
Please note copies of our medicine permission forms are available on our school website.
PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE PROVIDED SCHOOL WITH ANY EPI-PENS, INHALERS ETC THAT YOUR CHILD REQUIRES IN AN EMERGENCY. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THIS MEDICINE IS IN DATE.
Dietary Requirements / Food Allergies
Punctuality
Birthday Treats
Please be advised our remaining 3 inset days for 2020 / 2021 are:
Mrs J Gaughan
Head Teacher
Dear Parents and Carers
WELCOME TO THE NEW 2020/21 ACADEMIC YEAR AT GEORGE FENTHAM ENDOWED SCHOOL
We are absolutely delighted to welcome our children back to George Fentham Endowed School at the start of this new academic year. Whilst there have been some significant changes in routines and systems, we have been determined to ensure our children feel safe and happy returning to school. Children and staff are adapting very quickly and our new arrangements to keep everyone safe are working really well.
This year we will need to find new and different ways of working together and some of the events that we would normally hold during the autumn term e.g. Meet the Teacher, Nursery Workshop for Parents/Carers, Harvest Tea, PTFA Disco etc, will not be able to go ahead in the way that they have done before. We will do our very best to keep you updated.
Please see below for COVID 19 updates and some more general updates which we hope you will find useful at the start of term.
COVID 19 UPDATES AND REMINDERS
COVID 19 Symptoms and Testing
- Children must not attend school if they are showing any COVID 19 symptoms:
- High temperature This means they feel hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure their temperature).
- A new, continuous cough. This means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if they usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual).
- A loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell.
- Parents/Careers must inform school of the symptoms immediately. Your child should start self-isolation and access a COVID test.
- If a child becomes unwell with symptoms at school, he/she will be isolated and monitored and Parents/Carers will be contacted immediately to collect their child. Your child should start self-isolation and access a COVID test.
- If your child tests POSITIVE, he/she must stay at home and continue self-isolation for 10 days from the date when his/her symptoms started. After this period, he/she can return to school if 48 hours fever free and feeling well and continue with good hand hygiene. Children may be able to return to school with a mild cough, which can persist for several weeks without being infectious.
- If your child tests NEGATIVE, he/she can return to school once he/she is 48 hours fever free and feeling well. Please email the school office to confirm your child has received a negative result.
- If there are any suspected or confirmed cases at George Fentham, we have detailed procedures in place to deal with this in consultation with Solihull Council and the Health Protection Team in Public Health England.
- Parents/Carers will be immediately informed of any action they or school need to take following a confirmed case of COVID 19. This could include arrangements for children in a particular class to be sent home in order to self-isolate for 14 days.
- If someone living in the same household as your child tests positive for COVID 19 please inform school immediately for further advice.
- In line with all Government and Local Authority guidance each class has now formed its own “Bubble”. Children within their own Bubble can mix but children from different Bubbles cannot mix and must maintain social distancing at all times. We have achieved this through implementing a wide range of new measures which include:
- Staggered start times and finish times.
- Children entering and leaving through different doors.
- Staggered breaks with children staying in their Bubbles and playing in marked zones on the playground.
- Staggered lunchtimes. We now have two completely separate lunch sittings to ensure children from different Bubbles do not mix together.
- Hand washing and hand sanitising are now carefully timetabled across the day for all classes.
- Children are encouraged to use a tissue or elbow to cough or sneeze.
- Tissues should be binned and hands washed or sanitised.
- Classroom windows and classroom doors are kept open to ensure rooms are well ventilated throughout the day.
- It is recommended that all clothes are washed following a day in an educational setting.
- In line with Government and Local Authority guidance classrooms have been reorganised so that, age appropriately, children sit at desks facing forwards. Resources which are difficult to clean have been removed, this includes many soft furnishings and any resources which are shared between Bubbles are cleaned and quarantined for 72 hours before being used by another Bubble.
- We are required to limit items which are sent home and brought back into school. Therefore, from now on all of our communications, where possible, will be sent via ParentPay email or will be posted on our website. Please ensure you keep this email up-to-date.
- Please contact the school office if you require a ParentPay activation letter.
- Over the next week or two we will be assessing children’s reading and issuing them with a book from our new reading scheme. When books are completed they will be quarantined for 72 hours before they are reallocated to another child.
- We are required to remind Parents/Carers that they should not be gathering at the school gates. We understand that this can be tricky, particularly as we are a small school, however, we would ask you to observe 2 metres social distancing between your family and all other families outside school and when you come onsite to drop off or collect your child. Thank you for your support in this matter.
- Parents/Carers should only enter the school building if they have a pre-arranged appointment. Please do not approach members of staff at the start or the end of the day. Instead, we ask that you email or phone the school office and we will arrange for a member of staff to call you back.
- Should you need to drop off or collect something from school please use the outside buzzer to speak to a member of the office staff. If requested to do so, please enter the lobby area and wait at the glass window. We request that only one adult is in the lobby space at any particular time.
Medicines in School
- Please be aware that a medicine permission form must be completed and discussed with a member of the office staff if your child requires any medicine during the school day or whilst on school site for extra activities. It is extremely important that all medicine has the prescription label clearly displayed on the medicine, stating your child’s name, dose and frequency. If this information is displayed on packaging, we will need this packaging to be supplied. This arrangement will also apply for Calpol. Therefore, if your child requires Calpol during the school day, the bottle must have a label with the above details.
Please note copies of our medicine permission forms are available on our school website.
PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE PROVIDED SCHOOL WITH ANY EPI-PENS, INHALERS ETC THAT YOUR CHILD REQUIRES IN AN EMERGENCY. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THIS MEDICINE IS IN DATE.
Dietary Requirements / Food Allergies
- Please note it is the responsibility of Parents or Carers to advise the school office, in writing, of any dietary requirements or food allergies for each individual child. Please note this is not required for food preferences but for medical conditions such as allergies or religious beliefs. This information will be stored on the child’s record throughout school.
- For the first half of the autumn term all PE lessons will take place outside. On the day that your child has PE they should come in to school wearing their PE kit. As they will be wearing this all day please ensure they have a plain dark tracksuit or jogging bottoms and their school sweatshirt to wear if the weather is colder. More details will be sent by class teachers later this week.
- At George Fentham Endowed School we place a very high emphasis on the importance of regular and punctual school attendance. To support us to secure good attendance for all of our pupils and to address concerns regarding any child’s poor school attendance and punctuality, we are continuing to work with Central School Attendance and Welfare Service Ltd (CSAWS). Your child may be referred to a CSAWS Attendance and Welfare Officer if his/her attendance and punctuality is causing concern. You may then be contacted by phone or letter to discuss the school's concerns and how attendance and punctuality can be improved.
Punctuality
- It is essential that your child arrives at school and is collected from school at the allocated time. The staggered start allows time for children to enter school, hang up their coats and bags and arrive safely in their classroom before another class enters school, therefore minimising any mixing of Bubbles in the corridors. We are aware that for a small number of families, who have the same drop off or collection times for siblings, this is extremely difficult. We would ask that you do your best but if this becomes a problem please contact the school office for advice.
- As in previous years, every effort is made by staff to only dismiss children to their Parents/Carers. If your child is going home with a different adult, please ensure you inform the class teacher or school office as a matter of urgency.
- It can be extremely challenging to keep track of which children are on the school bus each evening, due to some parents regularly changing arrangements, sometimes at very short notice. Last year we asked for your help to improve communication and we would like to do the same this year.
Birthday Treats
- Previously some Parents/Carers have chosen to send in invitations to give out, sweets or treats for children in the class to celebrate a birthday or other special events. Unfortunately, due to the new COVID 19 restrictions we will be unable to do this for the foreseeable future.
- Please note there has been a small increase to school meal prices from the start of this academic year to £2.20. If your child is in Years 3 to 6 and you would like him/her to have a school lunch you will need to ensure your account is in credit. Please ensure you log on to ParentPay regularly to keep your account up to date.
Please be advised our remaining 3 inset days for 2020 / 2021 are:
- Inset Day 3: Friday 23rd October 2020
- Inset Day 4: Friday 12th February 2020
- Inset Day 5: To be confirmed
- Should you have any worries or concerns regarding any aspect of your child’s education please contact school to arrange a time to talk with us at your earliest opportunity. Our experience shows that it is less worrying or stressful, and much easier to resolve, if issues are dealt with as soon as they arise. We very much look forward to working in partnership with you this year to ensure the very best for your child.
- I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the lovely comments and feedback we have had over the last six months in what has been an incredibly challenging time for us all. I am so proud of the Staff Team who have worked incredibly hard to ensure everything is in place ready for the smooth transition back to school for all children. It has been a real pleasure to see all of our children playing, laughing and learning again. We look forward to a really successful year together!
Mrs J Gaughan
Head Teacher
Update: 14th July 2020
Dear Parents and Carers
RE: Arrangements for September 2020
We hope that the information contained in this letter will help you and your child prepare for the full opening of George Fentham Endowed School from September 2020. A copy has been sent out via Parent Pay email and is also available on our school website.
Teachers 2020/21
In September we will be welcoming Mrs Hodge, our new fulltime Year 3 class teacher to George Fentham. Mrs Hodge is an experienced teacher and is very much looking forward to joining us. Mrs Briggs will be working alongside Mrs Brooker in Year 4 and providing additional cover in school.
Dear Parents and Carers
RE: Arrangements for September 2020
We hope that the information contained in this letter will help you and your child prepare for the full opening of George Fentham Endowed School from September 2020. A copy has been sent out via Parent Pay email and is also available on our school website.
Teachers 2020/21
In September we will be welcoming Mrs Hodge, our new fulltime Year 3 class teacher to George Fentham. Mrs Hodge is an experienced teacher and is very much looking forward to joining us. Mrs Briggs will be working alongside Mrs Brooker in Year 4 and providing additional cover in school.
Start Dates
Staggered Start and Finish Times and Location
From September, Government guidance allows all children to return to school fulltime. In order to do this schools are required to complete a detailed risk assessment and work through a system of controls, adopting a range of protective measures which will effectively reduce risks in school.
One of these protective measures is to minimise contact by keeping groups of children separate. In order to achieve this, we need to introduce a new system of staggered start and finish times for each class of children.
The table below shows our new system. It is critical that children and parents follow this system and arrive and leave school at the allocated times. We ask that only one adult drops off and collects their child to keep the number of adults coming on to site at a minimum.
During the first few days, staff will be available to direct and welcome you to your new drop off and collection locations.
Please ensure you use the times and location for your child’s new 2020/21 Year Group from Thursday 3rd September 2020.
From September, Government guidance allows all children to return to school fulltime. In order to do this schools are required to complete a detailed risk assessment and work through a system of controls, adopting a range of protective measures which will effectively reduce risks in school.
One of these protective measures is to minimise contact by keeping groups of children separate. In order to achieve this, we need to introduce a new system of staggered start and finish times for each class of children.
The table below shows our new system. It is critical that children and parents follow this system and arrive and leave school at the allocated times. We ask that only one adult drops off and collects their child to keep the number of adults coming on to site at a minimum.
During the first few days, staff will be available to direct and welcome you to your new drop off and collection locations.
Please ensure you use the times and location for your child’s new 2020/21 Year Group from Thursday 3rd September 2020.
Staggered Playtime and Lunchtimes
Another protective measure will be the staggering of playtimes and lunchtimes. In the morning children will go out to play either from 10:15 to 10:30 or from 10:45 to 11:00. Each class will have a designated area on the playground to play in. Children from different classes will not be able to mix.
We will be introducing a brand new lunchtime system. From September we will have two completely separate lunch sittings. Reception, Year 1 and 6 will have their lunch from 12:00 to 12:45 and Years 2,3,4, and 5 will have their lunch from 12:45 to 1:30.
Each class will have their own designated tables and space in the hall and on the playground to ensure children from different classes do not mix. Tables will be disinfected between sittings.
Staff will be available to support and guide children through these arrangements so that our new routines and systems are quickly embedded.
We would like to ask for your help in the following ways:
Arrangements Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th September 2020
In order to support your child with their successful return to school, we would like the children to have the opportunity to come back together as a whole class and spend time with the class teacher that they know well, in a classroom which is familiar to them. Therefore, for the first two days when children arrive, instead of going to their new class, they will go back to their previous classes. During these two days, staff will focus on welcoming your child back into school, ensuring that they feel safe and happy, introduce new expectations and systems and prepare them for transition to their next class.
Arrangements from Monday 7th September 2020
From Monday 7th September children will continue coming into school and leaving school as they have done in the previous week but will go straight to their new 2020 /2021 classrooms and new teachers.
Reception Children in September 2020
When Reception children come in on Thursday 3rd September, at 8:50, they will go back to their Nursery class for two mornings with Mrs Durkin and Mrs Holder. Parents will need to collect the children at 12:00 in the normal way from Nursery.
From Monday 7th September, we will be implementing our Reception transition programme. This will mean that 15 children will attend on Monday morning and stay for lunch before being collected at 1:30. The other 15 children will do the same on Tuesday.
On Wednesday all children will attend in the morning, stay for lunch and be collected at 1:30.
From Thursday 10th September all Reception children will attend fulltime.
A separate letter will be sent to all parents regarding Reception and Nursery Induction, including further details of induction for brand new children joining Reception and Nursery from September 2020.
Medicines in School
All medicines kept in school must be collected at the end of term from the school office. These will need to be returned to school at the start of term with a new Consent to Administer Medicines Form. This can be found on the school website. Please choose the “About Us” tab, then click on “Statutory Information”, go to our school policies list and find our Administering Medicines In School Policy. The consent form is an appendix at the end of the policy. Please ensure you complete the prescribed medicines and not the over-the-counter medicines form. This must be returned to school with the medicine for your child. Please ensure the medicine you send in has all of the information required printed on the label. We will require this medicine on the first day that your child attends.
Useful Information
Water bottles
Water fountains in school have been turned off. Therefore, it is essential that every child has a water bottle in school which can be refilled throughout the day. Water bottles will need to be taken home and cleaned at the end of every day.
School Uniform
All children should return to school in their full school uniform, including school shoes.
PE Lessons
In line with new guidance, children will need to come in to school in their PE kits on the day that they are doing PE. More information will be sent home in September.
Please ensure your child has the following kit:
School Lunches Years 3 to 6
If you would like your child to have a school lunch, please ensure you credit your child’s Parent Pay account. School lunches cost £2:15 per day.
And Finally….
Whilst we look forward to welcoming back all of our children in September, we are very mindful that school will be different in many ways. Our absolute priority throughout the last 4 months has been to ensure the safety and well-being of our children, staff and families. This will continue next term and we will keep all of our new systems and procedures under constant review. We will inform you immediately if any changes need to be made and we will find new ways of working together.
On behalf of all of the staff, I would like to thank you for your on-going support this year and to send you our very best wishes over the summer.
Mrs J Gaughan
Headteacher
Click here to see a copy of the original letter.
Another protective measure will be the staggering of playtimes and lunchtimes. In the morning children will go out to play either from 10:15 to 10:30 or from 10:45 to 11:00. Each class will have a designated area on the playground to play in. Children from different classes will not be able to mix.
We will be introducing a brand new lunchtime system. From September we will have two completely separate lunch sittings. Reception, Year 1 and 6 will have their lunch from 12:00 to 12:45 and Years 2,3,4, and 5 will have their lunch from 12:45 to 1:30.
Each class will have their own designated tables and space in the hall and on the playground to ensure children from different classes do not mix. Tables will be disinfected between sittings.
Staff will be available to support and guide children through these arrangements so that our new routines and systems are quickly embedded.
We would like to ask for your help in the following ways:
- Please help your child to use a knife and fork and to cut their own food. Lunchtime supervisors will be unable to do this in future.
- Please ensure your child’s packed lunch contains a manageable amount of food that your child can eat easily themselves. Lunchtime supervisors will be unable to open packets, containers or cut up food.
Arrangements Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th September 2020
In order to support your child with their successful return to school, we would like the children to have the opportunity to come back together as a whole class and spend time with the class teacher that they know well, in a classroom which is familiar to them. Therefore, for the first two days when children arrive, instead of going to their new class, they will go back to their previous classes. During these two days, staff will focus on welcoming your child back into school, ensuring that they feel safe and happy, introduce new expectations and systems and prepare them for transition to their next class.
Arrangements from Monday 7th September 2020
From Monday 7th September children will continue coming into school and leaving school as they have done in the previous week but will go straight to their new 2020 /2021 classrooms and new teachers.
Reception Children in September 2020
When Reception children come in on Thursday 3rd September, at 8:50, they will go back to their Nursery class for two mornings with Mrs Durkin and Mrs Holder. Parents will need to collect the children at 12:00 in the normal way from Nursery.
From Monday 7th September, we will be implementing our Reception transition programme. This will mean that 15 children will attend on Monday morning and stay for lunch before being collected at 1:30. The other 15 children will do the same on Tuesday.
On Wednesday all children will attend in the morning, stay for lunch and be collected at 1:30.
From Thursday 10th September all Reception children will attend fulltime.
A separate letter will be sent to all parents regarding Reception and Nursery Induction, including further details of induction for brand new children joining Reception and Nursery from September 2020.
Medicines in School
All medicines kept in school must be collected at the end of term from the school office. These will need to be returned to school at the start of term with a new Consent to Administer Medicines Form. This can be found on the school website. Please choose the “About Us” tab, then click on “Statutory Information”, go to our school policies list and find our Administering Medicines In School Policy. The consent form is an appendix at the end of the policy. Please ensure you complete the prescribed medicines and not the over-the-counter medicines form. This must be returned to school with the medicine for your child. Please ensure the medicine you send in has all of the information required printed on the label. We will require this medicine on the first day that your child attends.
Useful Information
Water bottles
Water fountains in school have been turned off. Therefore, it is essential that every child has a water bottle in school which can be refilled throughout the day. Water bottles will need to be taken home and cleaned at the end of every day.
School Uniform
All children should return to school in their full school uniform, including school shoes.
PE Lessons
In line with new guidance, children will need to come in to school in their PE kits on the day that they are doing PE. More information will be sent home in September.
Please ensure your child has the following kit:
- white t-shirt, black shorts and trainers
- school jumper, black leggings or joggers to wear over the top of PE kit if the weather is cold or during the rest of the school day.
School Lunches Years 3 to 6
If you would like your child to have a school lunch, please ensure you credit your child’s Parent Pay account. School lunches cost £2:15 per day.
And Finally….
Whilst we look forward to welcoming back all of our children in September, we are very mindful that school will be different in many ways. Our absolute priority throughout the last 4 months has been to ensure the safety and well-being of our children, staff and families. This will continue next term and we will keep all of our new systems and procedures under constant review. We will inform you immediately if any changes need to be made and we will find new ways of working together.
On behalf of all of the staff, I would like to thank you for your on-going support this year and to send you our very best wishes over the summer.
Mrs J Gaughan
Headteacher
Click here to see a copy of the original letter.
