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Pope Francis has called all Christians to join him in praying the Lord's Prayer (Our Father) at 11am on Wednesday 25th March. He asks that we join together to uphold the universality of prayer, compassion and tenderness through this difficult time encouraging us to “remain united and make our closeness felt – especially with healthcare professionals and those who serve.”

 

Click here to see the live stream and for further details.

 

Families may like to gather at this time, light a candle safely together and Pray the Our Father.

 

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

19^th March 2020

 

 

Dear Parent/Carer,

I am very proud of our Catholic community and the fact that we have continued to operate despite these extraordinary times.  I am sure that you are aware that we have now been instructed to close the school to almost all children after this Friday (20^th March, 2020) until further notice.  As you know, we have been planning for this eventuality and staff and pupils have responded brilliantly to the initiatives proposed.

As advised by the government, we will do all we can to stay open for the children of key workers (e.g. NHS staff, police, others in frontline services) and children with certain needs.

We are waiting for the government to publish more information on what this means but it would help us in the meantime if you could let us know if you think your child may fall into one of these categories.  Please email office@st-josephs-uttoxeter.staffs.sch.uk   today to inform us that your child will need to continue to attend school due to meeting the criteria.  Please do not be offended if we ask for proof of profession etc.  We will also be contacting you if your child meets the criteria for attending due to having certain needs.  The government has made it clear that these children must attend school and the usual rules will apply.  Thank you, in advance, for your patience whilst we work on the logistics of these issues. 

All other children will need to stay at home, so we ask that you do not send your child into school from Monday onwards.

Over the next 2 days, we will be training your child how to access work remotely using a variety of platforms that can all be accessed through the school website under ‘pupils’, ‘class pages’.  As explained in previous letters, children must participate in online learning.  The following applies:

Pupils’ lessons per day:

Year 5 and Year 6 – 9.30-10.30 and 11.00-12 there will be live lessons through the platform 

EYFS to Year 4 will have work allocated daily via the school website by 9.30am 

We will send out instructions to help you understand how your child can log on to the necessary software within the next few days.

If you have not contacted school regarding difficulties with IT provision, please do so today by emailing office@st-josephs-uttoxeter.staffs.sch.uk  If you have been in touch, we will contact you within the next few days to discuss how we can help you.  Again, thank you for your patience.

 

It is important to stress that pupils and teachers will communicate via school software and emails only.

All policies, including the Rewards and Sanctions Policy, applies throughout this period of closure.  I look forward to seeing many achievement points being awarded to your child!  I also thank your child, in advance, for appreciating the difficulties that their teachers are experiencing at this time.  The use of google classroom must be respected at all times.  This is a time to show great maturity beyond their years and I am sure they will all do this.

In order to help with our planning, we will be having an extraordinary INSET day on Monday 23^rd March.  This means that no work will be set or live teaching will begin until Tuesday 24^th March.  School will be closed to all pupils on this day.

The school office will be open as normal throughout the closure and some members of the teaching and non-teaching staff will be in school.  Please use the normal channels of communication throughout the closure.  The Wellbeing Policy (available on the school website) applies throughout this period and includes reasonable expectations in terms of response time etc.

If your child is not well, please telephone the school office on the first day of illness in the normal way so we know that they cannot participate in live teaching or complete online work.

If your child usually receives free school meals, we will continue to provide them with a meal.  More details will follow regarding this.

Sadly, I also confirm that we will not be running breakfast or after-school clubs until further notice.

With regards to exams, as you will know, SATs will not take place in May.  The government has not yet announced if or when alternative arrangements will be implemented.  I want to assure young people that the government has clearly committed to not disadvantaging any child.  Therefore, it is important for your child to continue to work hard as alternative arrangements are developed.  I will update you as soon as I can with additional information.  We will talk to all affected children today in order to reassure them about their future.

We appreciate your continued patience as we deal with this ever-changing situation. We understand that this latest news will have an impact on you and your family and it is far from ideal.

Remember: if you or your child feels ill and you want to know what to do next, please use the NHS 111 online.

Thank you again for your continued support.  We will be in touch with more information tomorrow. Please continue to remember the vulnerable in our society, all coronavirus sufferers and their families, the staff here at school and the work of all frontline services in your thoughts and prayers.

Yours sincerely

Mrs L Sassi

Principal

Dear Parent/Carer

In these challenging times, it is so wonderful to walk around school and experience such a positive atmosphere!  Many congratulations to the wonderful staff and pupils for their outstanding contribution to our Catholic community.

As a reminder, the government advice is as follows:

• if you live with others and you or another member of the household have symptoms of coronavirus, then all household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill. It is likely that people living within a household will infect each other or be infected already. Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community

• for anyone in the household who starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14-day isolation period.

The symptoms are:

• A high temperature (37.8 degrees and above)

• A new, continuous cough

The full stay at home guidance can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

As a reminder, the government is clear that, if a pupil/student or a member of staff is in self-isolation, they:

• must stay at home. 
• must not go to public areas, and must not use public transport or taxis.

If your child is in self-isolation due to a family member being ill, he/she should continue to work at home using Purple Mash, the Class Page on our website.

We continue to ask for your understanding if classes have to be merged or taught in larger groups in school due to staff being in self-isolation.

As a reminder, if the school does have to close, your child will need to be able to access the internet either via a Smartphone or a computer so they can be taught at home.  Please contact the school today if this is going to cause a problem and we will do what we can to help.

Please continue to remember the vulnerable in our society, all coronavirus sufferers and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

Yours sincerely

 

Mrs L Sassi

PRINCIPAL

Tuesday 17^th March 2020

 

 

Dear Parent/Carer

 

I must thank you for your wonderful response to our contingency planning process.  As our multi-academy motto states, we are ‘Better Together’.

In line with government advice, you or someone you live with are now asked to stay at home for 14 days if they have either a high temperature (37.8 degrees and above), breathing difficulties or a new, continuous cough. This will help to protect others in the community while they are infectious. The government has advised that, if a person has these symptoms, they should not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. They do not need to contact NHS 111 as the NHS will not be testing people who are self-isolating with mild symptoms. The government is clear that, if a pupil/student or a member of staff is in self-isolation, they:

• must stay at home. 
• must not go to public areas, and must not use public transport or taxis.

We ask you to use your judgement and thank you, in advance, for your co-operation regarding the above.  Absences will not be authorised if a child is simply kept at home if they, or a person they live with, are not displaying any symptoms or is seen in public as this does not follow the government guidelines.

If your child is in self-isolation due to a family member being ill, he/she should continue to work at home using Purple Mash

We ask for your understanding if classes have to be merged or taught in larger groups in school due to staff being in self-isolation.

We have taken the following additional actions:

• Cancelled planned trips between now and the end of term.
• Cancelled events such as rewards assemblies with parents etc.
• Cancelled parents’ evenings and other events between now and the end of term.
• Restricted staff attending training etc during the day.
• Cancelled Mac Sporting Events.

I hope you recognise that the above actions are being taken in the best interests of your child, the staff and the whole community.

Once again, I thank you, in anticipation, for your support in these extraordinary times.

Please continue to remember the vulnerable in our society, all coronavirus sufferers and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Mrs L Sassi

PRINCIPAL

16^th March 2020

 

Dear Parent/Carer

As you know, we are experiencing extraordinary times.  As a Catholic community, it is a time to truly demonstrate our Catholic values and virtues especially: compassion, love, selflessness, tolerance, wisdom, courage and self-control.  We need the whole community to pull together to support each other; I have no doubt we will do this.

The government is now advising that all foreign trips are cancelled The advice does not apply to trips planned within the UK but we will, of course, continue to respond to government advice and take appropriate risk assessments before embarking on any visit.

In line with government advice, pupils/students and staff are asked to stay at home for 7 days if they have either a high temperature (37.8 degrees and above) or a new, continuous cough. This will help to protect others in the community while they are infectious. The government has advised that, if a person has these symptoms, they should not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. They do not need to contact NHS 111 as the NHS will not be testing people who are self-isolating with mild symptoms. The government is clear that, if a pupil/student or a member of staff is in self-isolation, they:

• must stay at home. 
• must not go to public areas, and must not use public transport or taxis.
• cannot go for a walk. 

We ask you to use your judgement and thank you, in advance, for your co-operation regarding the above.  Absences will not be authorised if a child is simply kept at home without displaying any symptoms or is seen in public as this does not follow the government guidelines.

The key advice remains as follows:

Do:

• wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds.
• always wash your hands when you get home or into work.
• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.
• put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards.
• try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

Do not:

• touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.

 

We have, and will continue to, teach pupils/students how to wash their hands correctly.  Soap and sanitisers are available throughout the school and staff are being proactive in ensuring that children are protected.

You will be aware that schools in many countries have been closed.  The UK government has not taken this action.  Indeed, media reports indicate that schools may be forced to stay open even when Principals think there is good reason to close.  However, this could change and we are developing contingency plans to deal with such a situation.  The following is planned in the event of forced closures:

Subject to IT availability and performance, Year 6 will be expected to login to live streaming of lessons.  They will be trained on how to do this in the coming days/weeks.  Staff will take registers and contact will be made with parents if a child is not in the streaming session.  This may be extended to other Years if we have more time to plan for forced closures; we will keep you informed.

Work for all Year groups/classes will be set on Purple Mash, the pupils have log ins for this.  This MUST be completed and emailed to the teacher.  Email addresses will be sent to parents and pupils/students.  Obviously, the work will be age appropriate.  Any links to videos etc will be on the platform.

Teachers will mark work and return the work via email within 7 days.  Some staff will use voice technology rather than written comments.  Pupils/students will be expected to respond to the marking as normal.  Younger children especially may need further help from parents but we will be mindful of this.

If you do not have access to a computer/smartphone or internet availability, please contact school by 20^th March and we will try to support you.  If you have more than 1 child in Year 6 and they do not have their own computer or smartphone, again, please contact school and we will try to assist.

It is very important to stress that, even in the event of a forced closure, your child will need to continue to work as if they are in school.  If your child is unwell, please telephone school in order for us to record the absence on the first day of being ill.  They will then be exempt from the above work.  We will notify you of any change to school telephone numbers if the need arises.

I hope you recognise that the above actions are being taken in the best interests of your child.  We would not want them to be disadvantaged by this awful situation and will try our hardest to ensure this is the case.  This is a very different scenario to one-off closures (such as snow days) as every indication is that, if schools do have to close, it will be for weeks if not months.  We hope this will not be the case.

Once again, I thank you, in anticipation, for your support in these extraordinary times.

Please continue to remember all coronavirus sufferers and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

Yours sincerely

L.Sassi

PRINCIPAL