Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are pleased to be welcoming your children back to school from the 8th March. We continue to take every measure to make sure our schools are as safe as possible, and as a city we continue to share learning and good practice across all schools.
Coventry’s current rate of 112 people with the virus for every 100,000 of the population, has significantly reduced, but continues to remain higher than when schools fully opened in September 2020. There are a number of additional measures that will be in place, linked to national guidance and local advice, and we thank you for your continued support with this.
Lateral Flow testing (LFT)
LFT continues to be an important tool in managing infection rates and reducing transmission on an ongoing basis. It is helpful in identifying asymptomatic cases, and therefore reducing the number of children and young people that may need to isolate.
It is already in place for secondary age pupils, who will be invited to have 3 tests on their return to school (3 to 5 days apart). Following this, home testing kits will be supplied for pupils to test twice weekly. Parental consent is required for testing, and we urge you to consent for your secondary-age child to be tested.
There is no national recommendation for primary-age pupils to have a LFT. You will be aware, however, that we have extended our LFT Community sites to be able to test children and young people from age 2. We are encouraging all parents and carers of children attending a primary school to take them for a COVID-19 test prior to their return to school week commencing the 8th March, and then on a weekly basis thereafter. Information on the location and opening times of LFT Community sites is available at https://www.coventry.gov.uk/lateralflowtesting.
Please also be aware that the government have just announced rapid lateral flow testing for households and bubbles of school pupils and staff. This will enable parents and carers to collect home test kits at a local collection point to allow LFT to be done at home. Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff. This is a new development and we will provide further information through your usual school communication process as soon as we have it.
Face Coverings
Secondary-age pupils will have already been used to wearing face coverings when moving around school premises and in communal areas on school sites. The Department for Education are also currently recommending that face coverings are worn by pupils in classrooms or during activities where social distancing cannot be maintained. Secondary schools in Coventry are adopting this advice and no doubt will have already been in contact with you in relation to this. In addition, any secondary aged pupils travelling on dedicated transport to school must also wear a face covering. This does not apply to any children or young people who are exempt from wearing face coverings.
There is no national or local recommendation that children in primary schools wear a face covering within the setting.
General Controls
There are a number of other things that you can also continue to do to help make our education settings safe. These are:
If you would like any more help and advice around COVID-19, please go to
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
We are aware that there will continue to be situations across the city where children / young people are required to self-isolate because they test positive or are a contact of a confirmed case in an education setting. This is obviously a necessary precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep Education settings open to as many children and young people as possible. Where pupils do need to self-isolate, schools will support them to continue with their education using remote learning packages.
We would like to thank you for your continued support in helping our city reduce COVID-19.
Yours sincerely,
Kirston Nelson Liz Gaulton
Director of Education & Skills Director of Public Health and Wellbeing
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we find ourselves in another National Lockdown and partial school closure, I wanted to write to you to outline the provision that we will be making for our pupils.
We have contacted all families to ascertain which pupils will be continuing to attend school, either as children of critical workers or as vulnerable pupils. We have asked families to confirm this today so that we can plan provision in school for these pupils. Thank you for doing this.
For children who will be learning at home for now, we have taken the decision to offer paper work packs to all pupils in response to a great number of requests from parents due to the difficulty of providing devices for all children in a household, along with internet access. We will be providing additional tasks online for pupils who do have access, but ask that the paper based tasks are completed first. We will be collecting the packs when new ones are given out - you will have instructions from your teacher when this will be. Staff will monitor all online learning, and can be contacted via DB and school email: admin@stmary-stben.coventry.sch.uk.
In addition to the provided work we ask:
· We expect all children to read daily
· We expect all children to exercise daily - outside if possible
· We ask that all children spend time daily on creative tasks - mental well-being is as important as physical health! Encourage your child to draw, or listen to music.
We ask that you maintain a routine with your child, and ensure that tasks are completed. There is an expectation from Government that children engage with remote learning; as schools we have to monitor engagement, and take action if children are not completing tasks.
In addition to the learning, staff will be making regular check-ins with you and your child through email or phone call. School is open, so if you have any questions please contact the school on 02476 229486 or email headteacher@stmary-stben.coventry.sch.uk.
We are awaiting confirmation of arrangements for children entitled to Free School Meals who are learning at home - it seems likely that a food parcel system will operate. We will let you know as soon as we know.
Stay Safe and God Bless,
Mrs MacDonald
Dear Parents/Carers,
In the academic year 2020/21, Relationships Education and Health Education will become statutory in all primary schools in England. This new subject will build on the non-statutory lessons we have previously taught in RSE.
As a Catholic school, our mission is to support the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all of our pupils, rooted in the wisdom and teaching of the Church. The education of children in human sexuality is an important, precious and privileged responsibility. The Church teaches us that this is very much a partnership with parents, in which parents are the ‘first educators’ of their children on these matters; ultimately, you confer on us the right to co-educate your children with you.
We have been researching various programmes that are available and have decided to adopt Life to the Full by Ten Ten Resources. Ten Ten is an award-winning Catholic educational organisation that is well-respected and very experienced in this field of work.
Life to the Full has been approved by our diocese. Furthermore, Ten Ten have entered into a partnership with the Catholic Education Service and the Department for Education to provide training for teachers in Catholic schools on the subject of the new statutory curriculum. Therefore, we are confident that this programme is a very good fit for our school.
Through their programme, Ten Ten understand the foundational role that parents have in educating and nurturing their children on these matters. Within the programme, they have built in resources which will not only keep you informed about what is being taught in school, but will also give you the opportunity to engage your children in discussion, activity and prayer.
We would like to have your feedback on our approach, and particularly on the key decisions that we need to take regarding the teaching of certain topics. To this end, we have opened a consultation period during which we welcome your feedback.
Ten Ten have provided an online Parent Consultation Tool. This is a simple-to-follow, short online course which:
· Outlines the statutory changes that will take place.
· Articulates a vision for Catholic Relationships and Health Education.
· Explains how Life to the Full aims to help us fulfil the statutory curriculum with a Catholic ethos.
· Provides some information about key decisions we need to make, in consultation with parents.
Ten Ten have also provided an Online Parent Portal which will be a tool we can use throughout the year to keep you informed and updated about the work we are doing in school.
To take part in the consultation, please do the following:
Watch the programme overview at www.tentenresources.co.uk/parent-consultation-primary
· You will need the following login credentials for our school:
Username: mary-benedict-cv1
Password: silver-hat
Undertake the Parent Consultation course provided.
Send us your feedback by Friday 20 November.
We hope that our approach not only assures you about the new subject we are going to undertake; we hope that this will be an important and exciting opportunity for our entire school community in creating confident young people ready to move on to the next stages of their life journey.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Pauline MacDonald
Head Teacher
26 August 2020
Dear parent/carer,
Our city’s schools will next week re-open to all pupils and we are looking forward to welcoming your child/children back and helping them to continue with their education.
In Coventry we are fortunate to have wonderful schools, with excellent and dedicated teachers and staff and we believe that all children need to return to lessons, not only so they can continue their education, but also for their own mental and physical wellbeing.
This is as important for young children starting school and learning to play with others, as it is for our older students who are facing critical years where their hard work and exams will help them build the careers they want and deserve.
If we all work together, we can make sure our children are able to return to a more normal way of life, continue their education and be reunited with friends in a setting that is as safe as possible.
Thank you all for your support so far in helping our city combat COVID-19 and for all you have done to support our schools during your child’s/children’s education.
These are, of course, very difficult and worrying times for us all – children, parents/ carers, and our school staff – and we would like to reassure you that every measure has been taken to make sure our schools are as safe as possible and that all Government guidance has been followed.
Nurseries, childminders, schools and colleges have undertaken their own health and safety risk assessments and have put in place increased health, safety and hygiene measures.
The arrangements each school makes will be different because no school is the same and plans will differ based on size and layout, the number of pupils, teachers etc. Schools may have staggered starts, finishes, different lunch and break time arrangements, new hygiene routines and changes to timetables.
What they will all have in common is that they are following the latest advice and guidance to keep everyone safe.
Also, Public Health and the City Council have created clear detailed plans that cover a variety of issues, such as what to do if individual children display symptoms or if there is an outbreak within a local community or across the city.
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These plans follow DfE guidance and are designed to put the safety of children and staff at the heart of everything we do.
As a parent or carer, you can also help make our education settings safe by:
• Not sending your child to their nursery, childminder, school or college if they are showing coronavirus symptoms or someone within the household is showing symptoms • Arranging a test if you or your child develops symptoms and informing the nursery, childminder, school or college of the result • Ensuring children know how to wash hands, make space and minimise contact • Minimising mixing with other people/children.
Public Health Services will also be working with schools and will notify head teachers if it becomes aware of any positive test results that affect a school.
We would like to reassure you that we are working closely together in the city, and with regional and national organisations to make sure that all safety measures are in place and known by all staff.
We will continue to monitor guidance closely and make alterations where necessary, and we will keep you informed.
If you would like any more help and advice around COVID-19, there is specific guidance for the return to school in the autumn term.
If your child is anxious in any way, or if you have any concerns, we encourage you to speak to your school, which will work with you to ease those anxieties and enable your child to return successfully.
We look forward to welcoming our young people back to lessons and to another great year for our city’s schools.
Yours sincerely,
Kirston Nelson Liz Gaulton
Director of Education & Skills Director of Public Health and Wellbeing
School will be re-opening to all pupils starting from Thursday 3rd September - we have all control measures for COVID-19 transmission management in place and our risk assessment has been assured by Coventry City Council officers as safe to open. Pupils in Years 1-6 will return on the 3rd, and Nursery and Reception the next week - contact the school if you are unsure of your child's starting date.
The playground gates will be open from 8.30am, with pupils able to go straight into classrooms from that time. Breakfast Club will be running for pupils needing to arrive earlier than that - please make sure that you are booked in. Pupils can arrive up to 8.55am when the gates will close - we are doing it like this to reduce the numbers at the gates at any one time whilst allowing for siblings to come to school at the same time. Please maintain social distancing at the school gates and leave once you have dropped your child.
We ask that all pupils in Key Stage 2 are dropped off and go in on their own, and will have staff from Key Stage One ready to walk children to their classrooms. Nursery and Reception parents are able to walk their child to the classroom, but cannot enter the building.
On arrival at school all pupils will wash their hands - we have installed new outdoor sinks to help with this as we will be washing hands regularly throughout the day. Pupils will then be in classrooms that have been set up according to government guidance, and will be in phase bubbles that will not mix with other pupils. Resources will not be shared until cleaned and are for the sole use of your child whenever possible. Playtimes and lunchtimes will be staggered so that bubbles do not mix, and lunches will be eaten in the classrooms which will then be cleaned. All lunches will be packed lunches to begin with, and will be provided free of charge for Reception, Years 1 and 2 and children entitled to Free School Meals.
Parents may collect pupils from classroom doors from 2.45pm onwards; pupils who walk home alone (only permissable in Year 5/6) will need a note provided and will be dismissed at 3pm via the side gate. Again we ask that parents socially distance at gates or doors, and leave the school site and surrounding area as soon as pupils are collected. All pupils should be collected by 3pm.
There will not be any After School Clubs to begin with, but Staylate will be running for pre-booked pupils - ask at the Office for details and to book.
The wearing of masks is optional in schools - in order to reduce any contamination risks anyone wearing a mask must provide a sealable bag in which to store it when removing for eating, etc or bin it. Masks are not provided by schools in normal circumstances, only for the provision of PPE when carrying out first aid, etc.
If you have any queries or concerns please don't hesitate to contact me - email headteacher@stmary-stben.coventry.sch.uk
Kind regards,
Mrs MacDonald
On Monday 15th June in addition to the Keyworker Group who have been attending school, we will open to those pupils in Year 6 who indicated to us they would return to school when possible, and we have spoken to on the telephone this week. We can only accept pupils who have been booked in.
On Tuesday 16th June pupils who have arranged to return from Year 1 will begin, and on Wednesday 17th June pupils from Reception.
If you have a child in Year R, 1 or 6 and wish for them to return, you need to contact the school. Places are limited due to restrictions from social distancing due to COVID-19.
We do not have information regarding other year groups yet, and can only plan their return once directed to by the Government. In the meantime, please continue to complete Home Learning tasks, and contact the school with any issues with this.
Regards,
All at SMSB
Following last night's statement by the Prime Minister, I am sure you have lots of questions just as we do.
At the moment, for us in school, there is no change in the guidance. We will continue to provide care in school for children whose parents' work is critical to the COVID-19 response and who cannot be cared for at home, and for children who are deemed vulnerable. The message is still that it is safer to stay at home.
We have not yet received any information to support us with the plan announced last night to start the phased re-opening of some year groups. We expect to receive further information from the Department for Education shortly.
We will need clear guidance to plan how it is possible to social distance in school and keep our children, teachers and families safe. Please be assured that there is no way we will reopen until we are fully prepared.
As always, we will keep you informed as soon as we know anything. Our plan for now is to keep providing activities for those learning at home, to keep in contact with you and to support you all in any way that we can in these difficult times. Take care and stay safe, SMSB.
School is currently closed to most pupils in order to contain the spread of the Coronavirus - only pupils with an EHCP or a social worker, or whose parents are designated key workers may attend. Home Learning packs have been set for all pupils, if you have not received yours please contact the school. Teachers will continue to set tasks via DB Primary and Purple Mash, and will monitor these sites regularly to check on pupils' progress and contributions. Please look on the Year Group Pages for further information. If you need any help or advice regarding your child's education during this school closure, please email me at headteacher@stmary-stben.coventry.sch.uk and I will do my best to help.
Stay safe,
Mrs MacDonald