Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Timescales for the next round of applications for emergency childcare:-

  Thu 18 Jun 2020

    Timescales for the next round of applications for emergency childcare:-

  Applications for emergency childcare for the three week period Monday 29^th June to Friday 17^th July will be going live on the Council’s website from 8am on Friday 19^th June.  

  -          Parents / carers need to apply asap – applications close at 11:59pm on Sunday 21^stJune.

  -          Emergency childcare will be in the child’s usual school setting and places are strictly subject to availability.

  -          Late applications will not be accepted. Places are strictly subject to availability and parents who miss the deadline of Sunday 21^st June need to contact their child’s school directly to establish whether or not their child can be accommodated.

   

  2.    People who must apply:-

  -          Key / essential workers must re-apply as requirements / shift patterns etc. change regularly and we need to establish whether the numbers of applications for each school can be accommodated.

  -          Parents / carers of vulnerable learners and parents / carers of special school pupils who are already attending an emergency childcare setting do not need to re-apply.  Their attendance (subject to availability) will be ongoing, but they must notify their child’s school if they no longer require a place.

  -          Any parents / carers of vulnerable learners and parents / carers of special school pupils who are not currently attending for emergency childcare must make an initial application for a place.

   

  Emergency childcare places are strictly subject to availability and making an application does notguarantee an emergency childcare place.

   

   

  

• Undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes in children requires urgent medical attention

  Thu 18 Jun 2020

  Dear Parents,

  The NHS has asked for this message to be sent out to you.

  Undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes in children requires urgent medical attention   

  If your child has ANY of the main symptoms of Type 1 diabetes please make an urgent GP appointment or contact the Out of Hours service. The main symptoms are known as the 4 Ts – Thirst, Toilet, Tiredness, Thinner. If you notice your child is thirsty or using the toilet more frequently, is always feeling tired, or has lost weight recently, seek immediate medical advice.

  NHS services are very well equipped to look after children safely if they are unwell. Please do not delay seeking medical advice because of Covid-19.

  There is more information available here: 

  https://www.diabetes.org.uk/in_your_area/wales/campaigning/know-type-1---wales

   

• Will your child be attending the contact days?

  Mon 15 Jun 2020

  Letter to Parents

   

   

  Dear Parent/Carer, 

   

  We hope you are all keeping safe and well. Following last Wednesday’s Welsh Government announcement about the re-opening of schools from 29th June, we wanted to get in touch to let you know what will be happening. 

   

  We fully appreciate that this is a huge decision to make. As Kirsty Williams said on Wednesday it is entirely up to you to decide if you wish to send your child/children to school and there will be no criticism of your decisions as parents/carers. 

   

  Guidance from Welsh Government on how schools can re-open has been shared and here are some of our early plans. They are as follows: 

  • All pupils will have an opportunity to spend a day at school once a week for four weeks – i.e. all pupils will have four visits to school before the summer break 

  • Pupils will be in groups of approximately 6 in each class 
  • Pupils will remain in these bubbles all day and will not mix with any other bubbles 
  • One adult will stay with your child’s group throughout the day with an additional member of staff available for support within each team where possible 
  • The outdoor space will be used as much as possible 
  • Desks/tables/individual spaces will be 2 metres apart 

  • All excess furniture will be cleared from teaching spaces – classrooms will be very minimalistic 
  • All pupils will have their own personal stationery pack (they will not share pencils, pens etc) 
  • All surfaces will be wiped down regularly during the school day 
  • There will be a staggered start, finish, break and lunch time 
  • Pupils will only be allowed in their own classroom and in the nearest toilets
  • Cleaners will be onsite all day 
  • A robust Risk Assessment will be in place 
  • All teachers will continue to provide Home Learning via seesaw 

   

  Throughout this week and next, we will be taking action to prepare to implement all new expectations but must be transparent with you and tell you that this will be a lengthy process.  We fully understand that this is a confusing and possibly very worrying time for many of you but assure you that we will do our best for your child(ren), within the constraints that we must face and adhere to. 

   

  In addition to welcoming children back to school for one day a week for the four weeks, Alaw will be open Monday to Friday from 29th June as a Hub provision for our own identified vulnerable pupils and children of key workers.  It is vital that we are made aware of changing shift patterns in advance in order for us to attempt to accommodate pupils. 

   

  As a school, we need to determine the number of children who will be accessing both our school and Hub provision. Please email the class teacher ASAP regarding your decision if you wish your child to attend or DO NOT wish your child to attend school no later than the 22nd June. If you have any further questions, then please message the teachers on Seesaw or via their emails.

   

   

  Yours sincerely  

   

  Staff and Governors of Alaw Primary School  

   

   

   

   

• re-opening letter 29th June

  Mon 15 Jun 2020

  Dear Parent/Carer
   
  We have received your request / application to attend Alaw which your child/children will be attending from the 29^th June – 24^th July.  Your child will be attending one day a week and you will be text to confirm your child’s day and times Week beginning 22^nd June. Additionally to this we will be providing daily provision for key workers from 8.00 a.m.  Please note that this is an emergency provision and an application must be submitted, which is found on the council’s website. The school will continue to provide weekly updates relating to this via text and information will be shared on the school website www .alawprimaryschool.co.uk.  However, If there are family at home who could possibly care  for your child/ren  we would recommend that your child remains at home and children are only to be brought into school once a week for their contact time as set out in the Minster’s speech where a maximum of 1/3 of children should be on site at any one given time to limit  the risk of contracting covid-19.  
   
  This letter will provide you with information you will need in advance of attending Alaw.
   
  As you are aware Alaw  is based over two sites upper and lower buildings   Parking for drop off is at EGYPT Street only and not the chip shop side – this gate will remain closed. Your child will be greeted in the main school car park and we will be operating a staggered start and finishing time so this will limit the amount of people in this area at one time in order to ensure strict social distancing guidelines. When you arrive  you will be directed to wait for maybe a few minutes in order to follow the strict hygiene protocols and temperature checks before your child can enter the school building which will operate a  one way system.

   
  You will be asked a number of questions on arrival.  These include:
  - Is your child well?
  - Is anybody in your house ill?
  - Do you require lunch ?
  - What time will pick up be?l if you are a key worker, which days will they be attending ?
  - Who will pick up your child/children?
  - Is your child allowed to walk home?
  - Does your child have any medicine that needs to be administered across the
   day?
  - Is there anything else that we need to be aware of today?
   
  We will then admit your child into school.  They will be asked to sanitise their hands as they enter the building.
   
  Preparing your child for a day ‘the new normal’ classroom / learning situation:
   
  It is important that you talk to your child before coming into school to prepare them for what their day will be like.
  A short video of the ‘new normal’ classrooms will be posted on the school websites in the parent Parent COVID section and this will also be shared via  Seesaw early next week in order to support these discussions. The day will be structured to provide some opportunities for exercise, relaxation, play and to develop their understanding of the current situation, preparing the children emotionally, mentally and socially for the new layout in September.

   

  Teachers will be planning every Friday, a maximum of ten online activities per week  for the continuation of home distant learning for ALL children. These activities will be scheduled  for release every Monday by 8am    It is very important that the children have time allocated for them to do some of the work set by their teachers at home and your cooperation and commitment for this to work succcesfully is essential and greatly appreciated.The Alaw  staff  will of course support them with their work via messaging, emailing and providing effective feedback.

   
  We are hoping that the fine weather continues over the coming weeks and that we can spend time outside and thus we intend to maximise focusing on the physical, mental and educational benefits of outdoor learning approaches   Therefore, please can you make sure that your child has access to sun cream, which they will need to administer themselves. They will also require a sun hat and should be wearing school uniform if possible, suitable footwear and a water bottle is a must, as there will be some exercise and many opportunities for outdoor activities as discussed above. Your child will not be able to access the water fountain  independently but we will make sure that their bottles are filled up regularly,  in line with the schools risk assessment, we would also recommend they bring a healthy snack. If your child is bringing a packed lunch, packaging will need to be disposable and the children will not be allowed to store their belongings in their locker due to social distancing, so will be asked to place their belongings underneath their allocated learning area /table.
   
  Children are not permitted to wear jewellery, bring in mobile phones or any kind of toy or blanket due to cross contamination. Please can you support us with this by explaining this to your child in advance of returning to school.
   

  Where possible children will be grouped  according to their current class organisation  and will either be with their designated classroom teacher or teaching  support workers . Children will only be in family groups during allocated key worker days when the school is not open to other children. All children and staff  will be expected to follow social distancing at all times.
   

   

   

   

   

   

  Robust risk assessments for each year group, a new school timetable, an overhaul of how the school space will be used will be provided in the LA schools’ guidance and shared on the school website. Additionally, a new home-school charter will be issued in order to ensure we are all clear on the required standards and behaviours to keep our children and staff as safe as possible. 

   

  Lastly, an enormous debt of gratitude to Miss Davies and her team.  We could not ask for more from our school and she has the wholehearted support of the Governing Body.

  
  We do hope that this information gives you a good understanding of how Alaw will work and If you have any questions please contact Miss Davies either by email admin.alawprimary@rctcbc.gov.uk or telephone 01443 432350.

   

  We will be in touch as soon as we can confirm final dates and arragements and look forward to seeing your child/children very soon.

   
  Take care and be safe

  Very best wishes
   
  Alaw Primary School Governing Body and Staff

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Applications for emergency childcare for the week commencing 22nd June are live on the Council’s website from 8am this Sunday (14th June). - Parents / carers have until 11:59pm on Tuesday 16th June to apply.

  Sun 14 Jun 2020

  Timescales for the next round of applications for emergency childcare:-

  Applications for emergency childcare for the week commencing 22^nd June are live on the Council’s website from 8am this  Sunday (14^th June).  

  -          Parents / carers have until 11:59pm on Tuesday 16^th June to apply.

  -          Late applications received after 5pm on Thursday 18^th June will not be accepted.

  -          Weekend provision is NOT available.

   

  2.    The number of hubs offering emergency childcare is now 25 - please see the Council’s website and the application forms for the full list of emergency childcare hubs. 
  Please note that some hubs are now Welsh medium only and some hubs offer provision for certain age ranges only.  Please read the description of each hub fully when making an application to ensure a suitable hub is selected.

   

  3.    People who must apply:-

  -          Key / essential workers must re-apply weekly, as requirements / shift patterns etc. change regularly and we need to ensure the numbers of applications / hub attendees are as accurate as possible so that the hubs can be staffed appropriately.

  -          Parents / carers of vulnerable learners and parents / carers of special school pupils who are already attending an emergency childcare setting do not need to re-apply on a weekly basis. Their attendance will be ongoing, but they must e-mail schoolplanning@rctcbc.gov.uk if they no longer require a place.

  -          Any parents / carers of vulnerable learners and parents / carers of special school pupils who are not currently attending one of the hubs must make an initial application for a place and complete the appropriate registration documents.

   

  

• Welsh Government guidance is now available. RCT to follow tomorrow

  Wed 10 Jun 2020

  Thank you all so much for your comments which has helped us form the guidance. It’s now live, please find links below.

   

   

  Operational guidance:

   

  https://gov.wales/operational-guidance-schools-and-settings-keep-education-safe-covid-19

   

  https://llyw.cymru/canllawiau-gweithredol-i-ysgolion-lleoliadau-addysg-diolgeu-addysg-covid-19  

   

  Learners guidance:

   

  https://gov.wales/guidance-learning-over-summer-term-keep-education-safe

   

  https://llyw.cymru/canllawiau-ar-ddysgu-dros-dymor-yr-haf-diogelu-addysg

   

   

   

  Childcare guidance:

   

  https://gov.wales/protecting-staff-and-under-5-year-olds-coronavirus-childcare

   

  https://llyw.cymru/diogelu-staff-phlant-dan-5-oed-rhag-y-coronafeirws-mewn-gofal-plant

   

  FAQ Link:

   

  https://gov.wales/schools-increasing-operations-29-june-coronavirus

   

• Timescales for the next round of applications for emergency childcare

  Sun 07 Jun 2020

  Timescales for the next round of applications for emergency childcare:-

  Applications for emergency childcare for the week commencing 15^th June  is live on the Council’s website today Sunday (7^th June).  

  -          Parents / carers have until 11:59pm on Tuesday 9^th June to apply.

  -          Late applications received after Thursday 11^th June will not be accepted.

   

  2.    The number of hubs offering emergency childcare is now 25 - please see the Council’s website and the application forms for the full list of emergency childcare hubs. 
  Please note that some hubs are now Welsh medium only and some hubs offer provision for certain age ranges only.  Please read the description of each hub fully when making an application to ensure a suitable hub is selected.

   

  3.    People who must apply:-

  -          Key / essential workers must re-apply weekly, as requirements / shift patterns etc. change regularly and we need to ensure the numbers of applications / hub attendees are as accurate as possible so that the hubs can be staffed appropriately.

  -          Parents / carers of vulnerable learners and parents / carers of special school pupils who are already attending an emergency childcare setting do not need to re-apply on a weekly basis. Their attendance will be ongoing, but they must e-mail schoolplanning@rctcbc.gov.uk if they no longer require a place.

  -          Any parents / carers of vulnerable learners and parents / carers of special school pupils who are not currently attending one of the hubs must make an initial application for a place and complete the appropriate registration documents.

  

• Opening up childcare and education

  Wed 03 Jun 2020

   

  Opening up childcare and education
  What
   Schools will start the next phase on 29 June, with the term extended by a week, therefore ending on 27 July.
   Autumn half-term break will be expanded to two weeks.
   Further Education colleges will re-open from 15 June for students requiring licence to practice
  assessments and vulnerable learners.
   Childcare providers will also increase the numbers of children in attendance from 29 June.

   

   

  How
   In each school there will be a phased approach.
   Year groups will be split into cohorts with staggered starts, lessons and breaks.
   It is expected that this will mean, at most, a third of pupils present at any one time, though schools
  may need time to reach this level of operation.
   Much smaller classes, providing secure dedicated time with teachers and classmates.
   This time will include online and personalised classroom experience, getting children and teachers
  ready for a similar experience in September.

   

  Why
   Since the decision to close schools for statutory provision, our understanding of the virus and its longer-term impacts has continued to develop.
   We know that we are going to have to live with it for some time.
   We know that it will remain our biggest challenge for the foreseeable future.
   It is now 77 days since we took that decision.
   We know that the classroom experience will be different for a long time to come.
   What we are doing is creating the opportunity for children to Check in, Catch Up and Prepare
  before the start of September.

   

  What next
   Next week, the Welsh Government will publish guidance to support childcare, schools, as well as further and higher education institutions.
   This will include information on managing their facilities and logistical arrangements, including buildings, resources, cleaning and transport.

• Welsh Government announced that pupils will have the opportunity to return to school from 29th June for 4 weeks before the summer holidays

  Wed 03 Jun 2020

  Ar ran / On behalf of:  Gaynor Davies,  Cyfarwyddwr y Gwasanaeth Addysg a Chynhwysiant / Director of Education and Inclusion Services

  Today, the Welsh Government announced that pupils will have the opportunity to return to school from 29th June for 4 weeks before the summer holidays. Pupils will be taught in small groups but will not be in school every day. Only a third of the pupils will be in school at any one time. This is the opportunity for pupils to see their teachers, reflect and catch up on their learning and prepare for September. Every child will be different and schools will allow for individual family circumstances and parental choice as to whether children attend before the summer.

   

  Further information will be shared with all parents and carers over the coming weeks as we receive the guidance from Welsh Government.