Pembrokeshire County Council Press Release

 

PHASED REOPENING OF SCHOOLS FOR FOUNDATION PHASE LEARNERS

Schools are planning for the phased reopening of on-site provision for Foundation Phase learners in the week beginning 22^nd February.

Schools are currently revising their risk assessments following the release of Welsh Government revised operational guidance.

The revised guidance to schools includes new detail on:

• wearing of face coverings by staff in all areas of the school or setting where social distancing cannot be maintained
• risk assessments – recognising the importance of reviewing risk assessments to suit the current circumstances and supporting checklist
• availability of twice weekly testing for staff in schools and
• workforce – including advice for those who are extremely clinically vulnerable
• free school meals – the continuation of £19.50 per learner.

On Monday 22^nd February all schools will be undertaking a planning day for the return.

The provision for key worker and vulnerable children will continue that day.

From Tuesday 23^rd February schools will begin a phased return for learners in the Foundation Phase.

This return is being locally determined by clusters of schools to enable them to ensure that the return to school is as safe as possible for learners.

Further detail for each school can be found by accessing school websites and social media platforms.

The return to schools will be phased so that each group of learners entering school settings is familiarised with the range of measures to keep them safe.

Therefore, in the first week of the return to school numbers on school sites will be lower.

Distance learning for Foundation Phase learners will cease in this week to enable school staff to spend quality face to face time returning to schools.

During the first week of the return schools will be monitoring and evaluating their procedures as learners return to school sites.

There will also be monitoring to see if there is any increased transmission of the virus resulting from the return to school sites.

School staff will be undertaking lateral flow device testing on a twice weekly basis.

This means that there may be instances where the return to full capacity may be halted or slowed to ensure that all mitigation measures are working.

Parents and carers will have a role to play in ensuring that the mitigating measures in the guidance are supported. They include:

• Maintaining social distancing on school sites wherever possible
• Wearing face coverings on all school sites
• Ensuring that learners are not mixing outside their designated school bubbles.
• Continuing to follow the Welsh Government Guidance at Alert level four which means staying at home unless it is essential to go out.

Learners who are extremely clinically vulnerable should remain at home in line with current guidance which remains in place until the 31^st March 2021.

Schools are preparing for a full return of all Foundation Phase learners on 1^st March.

 

 

 

For the latest advice and press releases relating to coronavirus, please view: www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus

For press queries, please email: presspublicrelations@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

 

Please read the following letter about the return after February half term

11^th February 2021

Dear Parent,

I am writing to you with the plans for the gradual return of children to the Foundation Phase classes (Dosbarth Pili Pala – Miss Tidd’s class and Dosbarth Cwningen – Mrs Owen’s class) after the half term holiday.

A number of meetings have been held and I can now confirm what the return to school will look like.

Monday 22^nd is a designated planning day across all County Schools.

Date	Children returning to school
Tuesday 23rd February	Year 2 children in Mrs Owen’s class for this day only
Wednesday 24th February	Year 1 children in Mrs Owen’s class for this day only
Thursday 25th February	Reception children in Miss Tidd’s class for this day only
Friday 26th February	Nursery children in Miss Tidd’s class for this day only
Monday 1st March onwards	All children to attend Miss Tidd’s class and Mrs Owen’s class

 

Distance learning for the Foundation Phase classes will end this Friday.

If you have any questions relating to this return to school, please contact your child’s class teacher or contact myself at the school on 01834 812764. Please be aware that the school will be closed during the half term holiday.

As soon as I am made aware of the plans for Key Stage 2 children returning to school (Mrs Blewitt’s class, Mrs Chandler Hall’s class and Mr Adam’s class) I will inform you. These classes will continue to be provided with distance learning after the half term holiday.

The hub school will continue to run for the children of critical workers after the half term holiday from Monday 22^nd February.

Can I thank you all for your continued support. I would also like to thank every member of staff who have been working extremely hard throughout this very challenging time. I would like to wish everyone a restful half term holiday. Please try to relax a little over the holiday and enjoy some quality time with your families.

Yours Sincerely

 

Mr Paul Harries

Headteacher

 

Please click here to see a message from Kirsty Williams, Education Minister for Wales

(Please be aware that this link takes you to you tube.)

The Children’s commissioner for Wales has asked that all children be given the opportunity to complete this survey

Survey for Children aged 7-14

Survey link using pictures to help with reading

Picture activity for children aged 3-7 or those who may need an accessible option

The Director of Education has asked that you complete this survey as part of your home learning activites this week please.  The deadline is this Friday 29th January

 

Many Thanks

 

 

 

8^th January, 2021

MINISTER’S SCHOOLS ANNOUNCEMENT WELCOMED

Pembrokeshire County Council welcomes the announcement that remote learning will continue until at least Friday, January 29^th.

The Welsh Government has brought the decision on schools into line with the three-weekly review of the Alert Levels.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams announced last night that unless there is a significant reduction in Covid-19 transmission before January 29^th, remote learning would continue until the next review date, which coincides with the February half-term.

Vulnerable children and children of key workers will still have access to their usual school.

Pembrokeshire County Council Director for Education Steven Richards-Downes, said: “This announcement provides more clarity on the immediate future to learners, parents, carers and our dedicated school staff.

“All schools in Pembrokeshire are already planning and delivering blended learning to their learners and this now includes developing live streaming of lessons where possible.

“Schools have introduced a County wide model policy for live streaming acceptable use to parents.

“Schools have been training staff in the use of a number of platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Google Classrooms including training and support for both synchronous and asynchronous activity as this supports families in being able to meet the needs of learners at home.”

Cllr Guy Woodham, Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, added: “Once again I thank all learners, parents, carers and school staff for the way they have embraced remote learning and we continue to look forward to the time when face-to-face learning can resume.”

For the latest advice and press releases relating to coronavirus, please view: www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus

For press queries, please email: presspublicrelations@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

 

 

Written Statement – Return to school and college arrangements – 4 January 2021 – Final#3

Please see the above statement for information from the Welsh Government about the current proposed date for returning to school.

Dear Parent/ Carer

I hope that you and your families have had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday.

I just wish to briefly summarise the arrangements for next week.

Monday 4th January is an INSET Day during which the staff will be holding a number of meetings.

From Tuesday 5th January, teachers will be providing work for children to complete. If you have any problems accessing this, please email the class teacher in the first instance. If you are unable to do this, please email myself at head.stepaside@pembrokeshire.gov.uk or telephone the school and leave a message and I will get back to you.

From Wednesday 6th January, the school will be providing childcare for children whose parents have been classed as critical workers.

From Monday 11th January, we are expecting the school to fully reopen. The Playgroup will also restart on this date.

I will be in school on Monday 4th January from 8:00 a.m. and will be available to answer any questions that you may have on 01834 812764.

Yours sincerely

Paul Harries

PEMBROKESHIRE SCHOOLS TO RETURN TO FACE TO FACE TEACHING FROM 11TH JANUARY

Pembrokeshire County Council welcomes the statement from the Welsh Government and the WLGA (below) on the start of next term.

Given that Covid-19 transmission levels continue to increase across the local authority, by taking the decision at this stage it is providing families with much needed clarity on the arrangements for the start of the Spring Term.

Pembrokeshire schools will provide distance learning for learners from the start of next term 4th January until 8th January.

Schools that have INSET days planned at the start of the term will be closed and will not be offering learning on those days.

Childcare for critical workers and vulnerable learners will be available on all school sites from Wednesday 6th January, this will include Portfield Special School and the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre. Please contact the school directly regarding this provision.

All schools will return to face to face learning from Monday, 11th January unless a situation occurs where a school is unable to open for significant health and safety reasons.

Where this happens the school and the Council will place notifications on their websites.

WLGA Statement on the return of schools in January

Following extensive discussions a common approach has been agreed by the Welsh Government and the Welsh Local Government Association for the return to school in January.

With transmission levels continuing to increase across Wales, and uncertainty over what impact that might have on school staffing levels over the Christmas break, there will be some flexibility built in at the beginning of term. However, minimising disruption to our children and young people’s education remains a priority and face to face learning should be the default position unless there are clear public health and safety reasons for moving to remote learning.

For most of our learners, the new school term will start on 4th January, although there will be some schools who have planned INSET days in this first week. As schools

assess their staffing levels ahead of, and during, the first week, our expectation is that schools will be providing face to face learning for the majority of their pupils by 11th January, leading to a full return in the days before 18th January at the latest.

Where a school has moved to remote learning because of exceptional and specific local circumstances, local authorities and schools will be expected to make arrangements for vulnerable learners and the children of critical workers (including school staff) to attend, as is the case now.

A WLGA spokesperson said:

“The plan to return to schools in January will give some certainty, whilst also allowing for flexibility to take account of local circumstances.

“Teachers, school staff, learners, and parents and carers’ response has been remarkable throughout this challenging year. It has not been easy, and we thank them for their continued patience and perseverance to help keep our communities safe.

“To help curb the rapid spread of the virus, we must all continue to do all we can to protect ourselves, each other and our communities.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said:

“We all recognise that these are unprecedented times and that we have to be agile in how we respond to the impact the virus has on our communities.

“By agreeing to a flexible approach during the first two weeks of the new school term in January enables our schools to put in place proportionate arrangements which reflect their specific circumstances and is guided by public health and safety considerations.

“We know from our children and young people that they learn best when in the classroom receiving face to face learning so any measures we put in place must look to minimise further disruption to their education.”

For the latest advice and press releases relating to coronavirus, please view: www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus

Please click the link to read the letter from the Director of Education regarding primary schools in Pembrokeshire next week.

Letter to Parents from SRD 11.12.2020