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Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Emergency childcare guidance for RCT schools VERSION 2
Mon 23 Mar 20201. The latest scientific advice
The most recent scientific advice on how to further limit the spread of COVID-19 is clear. Everyone must, as far as possible, minimise social contact and make sure that anyone who is particularly vulnerable to the virus is able to adopt strict social distancing.
2. How does social distancing affect your children?
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has advised schools that emergency childcare should only be open to a limited number of children. We must keep the number of children in educational, childcare and play settings to the smallest number possible.
We also need to make sure children are not left with anyone who should be following strict social distancing guidance, such as anyone over 70 or anyone with the specified underlying health conditions.
Keeping children safe in their home should limit the chance of the virus spreading and protect those vulnerable to more serious illness as a result of the virus. Parents/carers should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should ensure that children remain at least 2m apart where possible and that gatherings are avoided. Play areas across the County have now been closed and should not be attended. If your child is not in an emergency childcare setting please keep them safe at home during the day and in the evenings. This is essential to ensure the safety of your family, friends and neighbours and to limit and slow down the spread of the virus
If your child receives free school meals, this will continue. In Rhondda Cynon Taf, all children eligible to free school meals will access this from their nearest primary school on a daily basis between 11am and 12pm. This has to be applied for on-line using the e-forms on the Council website.
3. What is the latest advice on key or essential workers?
A list of categories of critical workers has been published on the Welsh Government website. Places in schools and childcare will be highly limited and only particularly vulnerable children and the children of critical/essential workers whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response should be attending during this time.
If you are classed as a critical or essential worker but are able to perform the critical parts of your job effectively when working from home, then you should do so.
Even for critical or essential workers, provision will only be made in schools or other settings where there is no safe alternative for your family.
4. I’m a key or essential worker but my partner isn’t. What should we do?
If one parent is a critical or essential worker but the other parent is not then the other parent should provide safe alternative arrangements at home when possible.
5. What support is available in Rhondda Cynon Taf?
The Council is doing everything it can to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Please refer to the Council website for further detail. These plans will now adapt and change as we respond to the latest guidance available from the Welsh Government and Public Health Wales.
For the very latest advice, please check your local authority’s website at https://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/EN/Resident/EmergenciesSafetyandCrime/InformationforResidentsCoronavirus/CoronavirusCOVID19latestinformationandadvice.aspx
and https://gov.wales/coronavirus-health-advice
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social distancing advice
Mon 23 Mar 2020Coronavirus continues to spread in Wales. Public Health Wales yesterday announced that a further seven people have died in Wales over recent days as a result of the virus and the number of confirmed cases in Wales continues to grow by the day, with significant increases over the last two days in particular.
The social distancing advice is there for a reason – people are falling ill and people with under-lying health issues are dying as a result of continued transmission of the virus. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that we all personally take the responsibility to minimise the contact we have with one another to slow the spread of the virus.
Play areas across the County have all now been closed and should not be attended. If your children are not in the Emergency childcare settings please keep them safe at home, this extends to the evenings too. You have to do this for the safety of your family, friends and neighbours, to limit and slow down the spread of the virus.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Sun 22 Mar 2020Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.
Find out what to do if someone in your household has symptoms of coronavirus.
If you are concerned about your symptoms, check if you need medical help.
Find out how you can reduce the risk of catching or spreading coronavirus.
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5 things you need to know before sending your children to school or childcare
Sun 22 Mar 2020Please see the link below for the latest guidance published today by Welsh Government:
5 things you need to know before sending your children to school or childcare: What you need to know about access to schools and childcare during the COVID-19 pandemic.’
https://www.cscjes-cronfa.co.uk/news/articles/bd5575b7-9878-49df-baf6-a1d85b7dc74f
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Am I a critical worker in the Covid-19 response?
Sun 22 Mar 2020
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CommunityResilience
Sat 21 Mar 2020 -
Coronavirus latest information RCT
Sat 21 Mar 2020https://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/EN/Resident/EmergenciesSafetyandCrime/InformationforResidentsCoronavirus/CoronavirusCOVID19latestinformationandadvice.aspx
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Emergency Childcare and Free School Meals Breakfast and Packed Lunch
Fri 20 Mar 2020APPENDIX 1
Emergency Childcare and Free School Meals Breakfast and Packed Lunch
Emergency Childcare Request
Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined below. Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.
Please, therefore, follow these key principles:
1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
2. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical
worker, then childcare provision will be available for them.
3. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
4. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
5. Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings continue to care for children wherever possible.
If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response or you work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your children will be prioritised for childcare provision. These include:
- Utilities, communication and financial services.
- Transport;
- Public safety and national security;
- Food and other necessary goods;
- Local and national government;
- Key public services;
- Education and childcare;
- Health and social care;
Further details is provided in the following link:
Emergency childcare provision is available for these essential frontline workers during the Coronavirus school closure period. This emergency childcare is for children up to the age of 14 years.
This emergency childcare is available to RCT residents and RCTCBC employees only.
If you are a key frontline worker with a child/children between the ages of 3 to 14 years, please click on the attached link to an e-form https://forms.rctcbc.gov.uk/en/Web/coronaviruschildcare/startnew
and complete the required details.
Please note that if you have more than one child, a further form will need to be completed and there is a link at the end of the form to enable a further form to be completed.
During the week commencing 23rd March, the emergency childcare will be offered in your usual school. Normal school hours will operate and usual school transport for those who normally receive it will be provided. For week commencing Monday 30th March, emergency childcare will be offered in seven emergency centres Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm for key frontline workers. The Council is exploring future transport arrangements for 3 to 14 year olds from 30th March onwards for the emergency childcare between normal school hours. The provision for 3 to 14 year olds is being offered in seven school settings throughout the Rhondda Cynon Taf area.
In addition, it is the responsibility of the parents/carers to ensure that if their child is vulnerable due to an underlying medical or health need that they self-isolate their child.
If you are an essential frontline worker with a child/children aged 0-3 years please email childcareplayemergencyplanning@rctcbc.gov.uk to arrange your support.
Free School Meals Breakfast and Packed Lunch Request
Parents/carers of children who are entitled to free school meals will be able to collect a breakfast and packed lunch from their local primary school during the Coronavirus school closure period.
The food will be a cold provision which will be packaged for take away and can be collected between 11am and midday each day. Each pack will contain a packed lunch for the collection day and breakfast for the following morning.
Please click on the attached link to an e-form https://forms.rctcbc.gov.uk/en/Web/coronavirusfreeschoolmeals/startnew
and complete the required details.
Vulnerable Learners
If your child is deemed to meet vulnerable learner eligibility and you require emergency childcare please complete the attached link. https://forms.rctcbc.gov.uk/en/Web/coronaviruschildcare/startnew
Vulnerable learners include: children with safeguarding and welfare needs, children looked after, young carers and children with children with disabilities. During the week commencing 23rd March, the emergency childcare will be offered in your usual school. Normal school hours will operate and usual school transport for those who normally receive it will be provided. For week commencing Monday 30th March, emergency childcare will be offered in seven emergency centres. Provision for vulnerable learners will be for core school hours only. The Council is exploring future transport arrangements for 3 to 14 year olds from 30th March onwards for the emergency childcare between normal school hours. The provision for 3 to 14 year olds is being offered in seven school settings throughout the Rhondda Cynon Taf area.
Please ensure that if you child is vulnerable and has significant medical and health needs that your child is self-isolated. Please see the attached link for further details. https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest-information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults/
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WG Covid-19: Letter to all schools and settings 19 March 2020
Thu 19 Mar 2020Yesterday, the Minister for Education announced the decision to bring forward the Easter break for learners.
However, school buildings should remain open, and will be expected to provide an important role going forward. We expect that Head Teachers will be in school next week and school staff should expect to continue to work, having regard to the latest advice on social distancing and self-isolation.
We expect Local Authorities to use their powers to direct activity in schools and make best use of the resources available.
In these challenging times, schools will become an essential part of the effort to respond to the huge challenge of COVID-19. Schools and school staff will be central to keeping the NHS running as well as other services which are vital to how we live.
We will shortly be publishing a set of frequently asked questions on the Education:Coronavirus webpage with key guidance, which will be regularly updated.
Our priorities for ongoing provision in schools, which we would like Local Authorities and Head Teacher to focus on, are:
• For learners eligible for free school meals, putting in place short term measures to ensure their needs can be met in a flexible way
• Securing appropriate provision for vulnerable learners
• Identifying children of people involved in the immediate response to the coronavirus outbreakand making provision available
In all of these areas, we intend to work with local authorities to put in place longer term and resilient arrangements.
We will continue to provide updates to you.
Sources of general guidance
Welsh Government coronavirus website:
https://gov.wales/coronavirus-covid19Welsh Government guidance for educational settings:
https://gov.wales/education-coronavirus
COVID-19: travel guidance for the education sector:
Guidance on social distancing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults
Public Health England and Public Health Wales websites
https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest-information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england
Follow us on Twitter @WG_Education or www.facebook.com/educationwales
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Coronavirus position in the UK
Thu 19 Mar 2020Dear Colleague,
The Coronavirus position in the UK continues to worsen and the UK Government and Welsh Government has now confirmed that schools will close for the foreseeable future. This position is unique in our lifetime and we have to respond accordingly as a public sector organisation that many will depend on.
To date, you have all responded to the pandemic with your usual high levels of care and commitment. However, over the next few weeks and months, we will need all our staff, across all Council services including schools, who are sufficiently fit and well to undertake a wide range of tasks to help ensure that key services to our most vulnerable residents continue to be provided.
We are already experiencing a significant level of staff absence with staff having to self-isolate in accordance with the advice and guidance provided by Public Health Wales. Therefore, over the next few days, we will have to close other services. We will then reallocate staff to work in the community, possibly working with volunteers and the 3rd sector delivering food and medicines to the vulnerable, providing free school meals to children, or phoning isolated individuals to check on their well-being, or other essential tasks as we face this National Health Emergency together.
Over the next week or so, we will be in contact with staff that have been displaced by service closures, and ask them to either support other services still operating or to help out in the community and support volunteers.
We again thank you for your continued support and encourage you to continue to follow Public Health Wales guidelines on personal care and look out for each other.
Thank you and take care.
Councillor Andrew Morgan Chris Bradshaw
Leader of the Council
