This area is dedicated to school and local authority updates in relation to Covid 19.

Any visitors to school should ensure that they have read the latest Old Park School Covid 19 risk assessment and the visitor protocol below.

Asymptomatic Lateral Flow Testing

22.01.2021 Expansion of Testing Update from Public Health

Please see information included in the letter below.

13.01.2021 FSM Update from the Local Authority

You will be aware that the government has issued further guidance on FSMs this morning.  They are now planning to relaunch the national voucher scheme with Edenred, which will go live on Friday 14^th January.

However, since the food for the parcels has now been ordered, we expect schools to continue with these for the next 2 weeks.

This will avoid the waste of the food that has already been ordered, and mitigate against the risk of the Edenred scheme being overwhelmed at the start of next week and crashing, as it did before.

Please continue to use food hampers until the 1st February and order vouchers from the 1^st February onwards.

08.01.2021 FSM Update from the Local Authority

Unfortunately the majority of schools in the West Midlands have followed the Government advice to issue food parcels and this has created the food equivalent of an IT crash.  As a result, due to supply chain issues with our food distribution supplier we have had to take the decision to issue food vouchers to cover the first 2 weeks of the school term (4^th – 15^th Jan) for those children who are eligible for free school meals. As you can appreciate, similar food products are also being requested by many other local authorities in the UK which is causing a temporary shortage of certain food supplies.

We are intending to re-commence the distribution of food parcels from w/c 18^th Jan when our suppliers food stocks have been replenished. These food parcels will include a two week supply of fresh and store cupboard essentials so that parents and carers can provide a healthy lunchtime meal for their children.

Please be aware that where children are attending school, then they will receive their meal from the kitchen as normal.

05.01.2021 National Lockdown - School Provision Questionnaire

Thank you to all of our families who have replied to the school provision questionnaire today. We are now in a position to begin planning bubble groups and staffing. At this stage we believe we will be able to offer face to face teaching to all those families who have requested it. Before reopening we need to address the issue of Lateral Flow Testing for staff. We also need to meet with a number of staff who submitted a letter of concern to school leaders based on Section 44 of the Health and Safety Act.

We therefore plan to reopen to pupils on Monday 11th January 2021. Based on our current risk assessment we will be open Monday to Thursday for pupils. We will be closed on a Friday each week for staff testing and a deep clean.

I will update you further over the coming days as plans are further refined.

In the meantime, your child's class teacher will be in contact by email with suggested home learning activities for this week.

Best Wishes, Jodie

01.01.2021 Parent/Carer Update re: School Reopening

Please see information included in the letter below.

13.13.2020 Update on Self Isolation Period and School Closure

Many of you will be aware of the announcement made on Friday reducing the self-isolation period from 14 days to 10 days.  However, we also need to make you aware that we currently have no hot water in school.  We are working hard to try and resolve this and will keep you informed about when the school can reopen.

Where staff and pupils are currently self-isolating, they can reduce the period by 4 days from Monday.

10.12.2020 Covid Winter Grant

Please see information included in letter below.

09.12.2020 - Further Positive Covid19 Cases in School Community

Please see information included in letter below.

06.12.2020 School Closure - Positive Covid19 Cases in School

Please see information included in letter below.

04.12.2020 LA Letter - Christmas Contact

Letting your school know about positive test results is important over the Christmas holidays as other children and staff may need to self-isolate due to being contacts.

The following guidance has been produced to help you identify when you need to contact the school over the holidays and when the school will contact you.

Parents/Carers should use the following number to report cases during the Christmas period 07387204259.

02.02.2020 Updated DfE Guidance - Extremely Clinically Vulnerable

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

02.12.2020 LA Letter - Transport

18.11.2020 Class Updates and FSM

16.11.2020 Parent/carer letter re: whole school closure

12.11.2020 Updated DfE Guidance for Parents and Carers

The DfE have updated their guidance for parents and carers on what they need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This update provides information on the national restrictions that came into force on 5 November, the latest advice for clinically extremely vulnerable children and young people and advice on the use of face coverings in education settings. We have been asked to share this with our parent networks.

08.11.2020 Covid19 Parent/Carer update letter

06.11.2020 Parent/Carer update Symptomatic PHE Positive Case

14.10.2020 Aerosol Genertaing Procedures Dudley Local Authority Risk Assessment and Standard Operating Procedures

30.09.2020 Positive Case Follow Up Letter

30.09.2020 Letter from Bal Kaur, Director of Public Health and Well-Being

29.09.2020 Positive Covid Case Update Letter

18.09.2020 Updated parent information sheet for sympotamic child and supporting absence guide.

11.09.2020 Parent Update Letter

Old Park School Covid19 Whole School Risk Assessment

Old Park School Parent/Carer September Reopening FAQs