School Updates and Latest News

• School Closure Monday 25th January

  Sun 24 Jan 2021

  School will be closed to all pupils on Monday 25th January.

   

  Remote Learning will be available for all pupils.

   

  Your child’s teacher will provide work for the day - please check the normal routes tomorrow morning Google Classroom or Seesaw for more details.

   

  Why have we made the decision today to close our school to all pupils tomorrow?

   

  • The current conditions of the roads and paths surrounding areas to the school are not safe.

   

  • The forecast for this evening and through the night is for temperatures to drop below -5. Therefore roads and paths will not improve by morning.

   

  • Many staff live between 20 minutes to over an hour away from school. Conditions from each location to school are worst.

   

  • We would not be able to mix bubbles of children & staff in school. Depending on which staff could get in would determine which children could come into school.

   

  • The health and safety of everyone is our first priority.

   

  All factors above have influenced our decision. We also feel it allows more time for the families of key worker children in school to arrange support for tomorrow.

• School Update 21.01.2021

  Thu 21 Jan 2021

  Parent Update: 21.02.2021

   

  Thank you to all our families that are adapting to home learning or only sending their children to school when absolutely necessary.

   

  In light of increased infection rates and the prevalence of the new variant the health and safety of all must be our priority.

   

  We are always here to help and welcome feedback and updates on how we can help further.

   

  You may have read that from next week Primary school staff will begin twice weekly testing on themselves using the Lateral Flow Devices. If we have any positive cases contacts will be notified and bubble closures will happen with immediate effect for 10 days.

   

  The advice is to have a back-up plan if your child currently attends school. We will try and work to provide as much notice as possible in line with the guidance in taking the tests - our first full staff testing will take place Monday evening. 

   

  What to expect

  1. A text outlining a ‘Bubble Closure’ will be sent to the families we need to notify immediately.
  2. Your Child’s teacher will communicate through their normal channels on the first morning of isolation to go through the remote learning for all children.
  3. Further information from our Admin team will be provided on the first morning of isolation to families of the children that have been in contact with a positive case.
  4. ‘Bubble Closure’ will be for 10 days with confirmation provided of the first day children within the bubble can return.
  5. We will notify all families of children in school who have not been in contact that we have a reported positive case in school. We respect that families may decide not to send their child in for the same period. If this is the case please inform the office in the normal way.  

   

  If you have any questions please email me directly on head@wolverleysebright.worcs.sch.uk or call on 01562 850268

   

  Please stay safe and take care of each other.

  Mrs RW

• Message about daily attendance to parents with children at home

  Wed 20 Jan 2021

  Dear Parents & Carers

   

  I would be grateful if you could kindly still contact the school office (01562 850268 / office@wolverleysebright.worcs.sch.uk) if your child is ill at home and will not be remote learning or if your child displays any symptom of Covid or tests positive. As a school, we are still required to record this data and submit all information to the DfE regarding Covid symptoms etc. 

   

  Of course, if your child is ill at home, this will be recorded on the register accordingly.

   

  Many thanks 

   

  Mrs Hackett 

• Our School's Defibrillator

  Fri 15 Jan 2021

  Dear Parents & Carers

   

  Many of you may already be aware that we have a defibrillator on our school site.  I won’t elaborate on the statistics of how many adults & children of school age suffer from cardiac arrests each year, as I feel you are more than aware already and also, we have enough statistics & “slides!” currently coming our way.

   

  This message has been prompted by other schools who have shared with us the fact that local businesses & individuals support the annual maintenance costs of any defibrillator they have on their site, therefore this is the aim of my request.  

   

  Currently, there is an annual maintenance cost of £75 together with approx. £35 to cover the yearly cost of batteries and spare pads etc.

   

  I feel that it is in everybody’s interest to support the school’s defibrillator as our school is at the heart of our community and of course the defibrillator is available for use in the event of a public emergency too, should it be needed.

   

  If you feel that you are able to help out & support in any way, this would be much appreciated. Kindly email Mrs Hackett on office@wolverleysebright.worcs.sch.uk before the 22nd January. 

   

  Many thanks & take care

• School Update 11.01.2021

  Mon 11 Jan 2021

  School Update

  11.01.2021

   

  Welcome to our first full week of ‘Blended’ learning, remote and in-school provision. I have recommended to staff that we review our practice this week in order to make it effective for all. This will include how Google classroom and Meet are being used and how other class linked approaches are having the correct impact.

   

  Our Google Meet/ Live Links have been timetabled to avoid clashes with siblings in other year groups. At a glance, the timings are listed below:

   

  9.00am: Swallows & Owls (Years 5 & 6)

  9.15am: Hedgehogs (Year R)

  9.30am: Robins & Squirrels (Years 1 & 2)

  10.50am: Kingfishers (Year 4)

  11.00am: Woodpeckers (Year 3)

  12.00pm: Swallows & Owls (Years 5 & 6)

  2.00pm: Woodpeckers & Kingfishers (Years 3 & 4)

  2.30pm: Robins & Squirrels (Years 1 & 2)

   

  We will work through this week together and make any necessary changes to ensure this works for our pupils.

   

   

  It is important that we focus on the needs of our pupils and our school community. I communicate with several professionals working in many schools across the country. What is very clear and what we should focus on is what works for us. This may be slightly different depending on context – there will be different priorities in different communities. School surveys have been issued and in addition we are contacting each family to make sure everyone has what they need.

   

  We are a strong community because we have always worked together, shown empathy and respect. There is guidance from the Department of Education and Public Health that schools are following but we must all do our bit.

   

  Last week, most schools saw an increase in pupils attending school. Some schools recommended that if a child has been offered a place they should attend every day. We have chosen to advise parents they should ONLY send their child to school on the days they require provision.

   

  The main message, especially over the weekend, is keep your child at home where possible to reduce any potential risks to families and staff. We await to see if further restrictions are imposed during this lockdown. 

   

  Mrs RW

• School Update 06.01.2021

  Wed 06 Jan 2021

  School Update 

  06.01.2021

   

  Day 1 of our new Spring Term and I wanted to share what school is like and what we have arranged for our pupils and families. 

   

  In school we are running 4 Bubbles each containing children of Critical/Key Workers and staff are coordinating teaching time in school with online learning. 

   

  Staff will be able to provide each class with an overview of live link timings that do not clash with other year groups, these will start next week. Google Meets will be the platform used with Google Classroom as our learning platform. 

   

   

  Mrs Hackett and Mrs Churchard are available and are the first contact if you have any queries during the school day. Office hours are 8.30am - 3.30pm 01562 850268

  Email office@wolverleysebright.worcs.sch.uk or ajb161@wolverleysebright.worcs.sch.uk 

   

  Links will be sent out to parents if their child wishes to join in with weekly celebration assemblies. We will send out a test link at the start of next week ready for our first assembly on Friday 15th January. 

   

  To support learning opportunities for all we have set up a new PE site https://www.wolverleysebright.co.uk/remote-learning-lockdown-30/ contains recorded Lessons, resources and links to live lessons. 

   

  Our SAET IT Team have set up support for our remote learning families. 01562 542575 (7.30am - 6.00pm) or email itsupport@saet.co.uk - this is for technical IT issues. Please have your child's username or password ready and inform the IT team which school your child attends.

  Guidance will be sent out to all parents. 

   

  We are working hard to make sure all our families have the support they need. Please do not worry over the next few days if you have any issues in regard to remote learning.

   

  This is the fourth major change to take place in the last 10 months within schools. Since the pandemic began we have never closed and remained open throughout. We have altered our provision to support the changing climate and needs of our families. The most recent change provided little time to put in place effective methods - we are working non-stop to get everything we need in place on top of teaching children of critical / key workers full time. Everything you need will be in place and shared by Friday.  

   

  We will continue with our weekly 'In the Loop' newsletters and regular updates on the website will be alerted to parents via the text message service. 

   

  Take care & Keep Safe 

   

   

   

   

• School Update 05.01.2021 4pm

  Tue 05 Jan 2021

  School Update: 5th January 2021

   

  Thank you to all our families for their understanding and support, I am deeply grateful for all the kind messages. We have spent the day organising how remote and in-school provision will look for our pupils from Wednesday 6th January. 

   

  Each class teacher will contact their classes directly but I wanted to share an overview of what to expect...

   

  All children attending school...

  • Will need to arrive between 8.45am - 9.00am
  • Will need to be collected between 2.45pm - 3.00pm
  • Will need to wear School uniform 
  • Will need to bring limited items (only what is necessary) to school.
  • Will work in Year Group & Key Stage Bubbles.
  • Will be provided with a revised timetable which will include PE and Forest School.
  • Can access Before and After School Wrap Around Care - parents will need to book and will be invoiced for each session.

   

  Bubble 1: Children in Hedgehogs will be based in the modular building

   

  Bubble 2: Children from Robins and Squirrels will be based in the Squirrels Classroom. 

   

  Bubble 3: Children from Woodpeckers and Kingfishers will be based in the Woodpeckers classroom

   

  Bubble 4: Children from Swallows and Owls will be based in the Swallows Classroom. 

   

  Children accessing Remote Learning...

  • Will have daily live links with teaching staff
  • Will be provided with a revised timetable that will mirror the teaching and learning activities in school. 
  • Will have access to online teaching tools and resources
  • Will be invited to attend remote Whole School Celebration Assemblies
  • Will be provided daily with range of learning opportunities covering curriculum subjects.
  • Will have access to online teaching, coaching and support.
  • Will have access to Remote PE sessions
  • Will be able to view updates and activities via Seesaw
  • Will have weekly 1;1 updates with staff 
  • Can have the option of collecting additional resources to support learning at home.
  • Will have access to IT support if required.

   

  We will review our provision weekly and make any necessary changes in order to support all our families. 

   

  The Leadership Team will monitor remote access to learning and the quality of provision for all our pupils. 

   

  We are here to provide guidance for our families and welcome feedback in the coming weeks in how we can best support you. 

   

  If you have any questions relating to your child's learning please email your child's teacher or call school on 01562 850268. 

   

• School Update 05.01.2021 8.30am

  Tue 05 Jan 2021

  School Update: 05.01.2021

   

  You will have heard that during the Prime Minister’s address last night that the decision has been made to close schools until the February Half Term for all but children of critical workers and vulnerable children.  The key message is that children should stay at home wherever possible. 

   

  At 11pm last night schools were issued with details that have been published on the gov.uk website. We anticipate further details will follow today which we will communicate to you.

   

  A Google Form will be sent out this morning for parents to complete. Our website contains links to the DFE with further information about which Critical worker children are able to come into school.

   

  Today, teachers will plan for provision in our school and will put together a remote learning plan for our children, to begin Wednesday 6th January.

   

  Please monitor our school website, text messages and Seesaw App for details today.

   

  Once again our communities and schools find themselves in challenging circumstances. By cooperation, compassion and consideration for others we will navigate our way through these troubled times and keep each other safe and protected.

• School Update 04.01.2021 11pm

  Tue 05 Jan 2021

  Please go to our COVID Information page under the tab 'Our School' for links to the DFE site. 

   

  National lockdown to come into force on Wednesday 6 January: DFE statement to Schools

   

  The Prime Minister has today announced that a new national lockdown will come into force at 00:01 on Wednesday 6 January.

   

  During the period of national lockdown, schools, alternative provision, special schools, and colleges will remain open to vulnerable children and young people and the children of critical workers only. Public vocational exams and assessments scheduled to take place in January will go ahead as planned. All other children and students will learn remotely until February half term.

   

  All early years providers (including registered childminders but not including reception years in primary schools) can remain open during this period of national lockdown.

  In these circumstances, we do not think it is possible for exams to go ahead fairly this summer. The Secretary of State for Education will be asking Ofqual to consult rapidly on an approach for alternative arrangements that will allow students to progress fairly.

   

  We know that receiving face-to-face education is best for children’s mental health and for their educational achievement. We will be reviewing the restrictions on schools, colleges and universities and will ensure that children and young people return to face-to-face education as soon as the pressures are easing on the NHS.

   

  This decision does not suggest that schools and colleges are no longer safe places for young people. Instead, limiting attendance is about reducing the number of contacts that all of us have with people in other households.

   

  We have resisted closing schools until now, but in the face of the rapidly rising numbers of cases across the country and intense pressure on the NHS, we now need to use every lever at our disposal to reduce all contacts outside households wherever possible.

   

  For vulnerable children and the children of critical workers, who can still attend school or college, as they did in March to May, and their teachers, the system of protective measures means that any risks are well managed and controlled.

   

  We are responding to the intense pressure on the NHS, but that pressure is not driven by children. We are not seeing significant pressure from coronavirus (COVID-19) in paediatrics across the UK. The new variant appears to affect all ages but we have not seen any changes in the severity among any age groups, including children and young people.

   

  The overwhelming majority of children and young people have no symptoms or very mild illness only. As cases in the community rise there will be a small increase in the number of children we see with coronavirus (COVID-19) who only rarely require admission to hospital.

   

  Vulnerable children and children of critical workers who can attend school and college

   

  During the period of national lockdown, schools and colleges should only allow vulnerable children and the children of critical workers to attend. Children with at least one parent or carer who is listed as a critical worker are eligible for a school place. It is not necessary for both parents to be critical workers.

   

  Schools and colleges should speak to parents and carers to identify who requires a school place. If it proves necessary, you can ask for simple evidence that the parent in question is a critical worker, such as their work ID badge or pay slip.

   

  The critical worker list has been updated to include new workforces whose work is critical following the end of the EU transition period. It is important these people are also identified as critical workers and their children can attend the education setting. This change will see a small increase in the overall number of critical workers.

• School Update 04.01.2021 9.45pm

  Mon 04 Jan 2021

  School Update - 9.45pm

   

  Following tonight’s announcement Wolverley Sebright will only be open from Wednesday 6th January for children of key workers who have no other option and children considered as vulnerable.

   

  A Google Form will be sent out tomorrow morning in order for us to update our records and for us to organise provision from Wednesday. The form outlines the criteria for both groups however, staff will available from 8.30am tomorrow morning to answer any questions you may have. You can also contact me directly on head@wolverleysebright.worcs.sch.uk if you need any further support. 

   

  We urge all our families to be patient whilst we re-organise the structure and staffing within our school to allow for in-school provision and remote learning to take place. Further updates will be sent out tomorrow.  

   

  Many thanks 

  Shelley Reeves-Walters