INFORMATION

Everyone must stay at home to help stop coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading. Wash your hands with soap and water often to reduce the risk of infection.

SCHOOL UPDATE 12.5.20                                                  

Dear parents/carers,

Re: possible reopening of school to more pupils in June

We know you’ve seen in the news that schools may reopen on 1 June to reception, year 1 and year 6 pupils if the government thinks it is safe then.

We’re waiting for further guidance and clarification from the government right now, which will hopefully help us create an action plan for our phased reopening. We’ll share this with you as soon as possible so you know what the school’s reopening will look like in practice.

It’s a very unsettling time for us all, but rest assured that we’re going to be doing everything we can to make sure we’re ready to receive these year groups if it’s safe for our school to reopen in the coming weeks.

However, we’re also not going to be pressuring anyone to send their children to school, since you know your children and personal situation best. We’ll keep you updated with all our preparations for making sure the school is as safe as possible, so you can make an informed decision.

In the meantime, the school is still open only for vulnerable pupils and the children of critical workers. We know some employers will be encouraging you to return to work, but we’re not in a position right now to extend places to other children until we receive further government guidance.

We’d like to thank you for your continuous support in helping your child learn from home. We’ll need to keep going with this for a while yet, so please do continue to do what you can and stay in touch with us about how your child is doing.

Kindest Regards,

D. A. Turner

Head Teacher

The government are updating their information daily, here is a link to guidance for parents and carers on the closure of educational settings to include information about the Easter holidays, examinations, and educational resources and support.

Parents of children who are eligible for free school meals will receive a voucher or voucher code which can be used at a number of supermarkets.  School have been working hard to ensure everyone has been contacted regarding this but like a lot of schools we are still waiting for our orders to be processed.  As you can appreciate this is an extremely frustrating time and we thank you for your patience.

For parents who have submitted their emails and still not yet received a voucher please complete the following.

• Open up your email account and search for Edenred - this will search all of your account, deleted, spam, junkmail and clutter.
• Also search for noreply@edenred.co.uk and hello@email.edenred.co.uk 
• If you have received only one voucher and you have more children, complete above step again.
• If you still have not received anything, please send an email to school so we can confirm your address. mealvoucher@rifthouseschool.org.uk

If you receive Free School Meals and have not been contacted, please contact school between 11am and 12pm where someone will be available to take your call 01429 275239.

UPDATE - 28th April 2020

We are working hard to contact this company to release more vouchers,  they are saying that they are doing this frequently so please keep searching daily for emails as lots have already been sent out and the repeat order should come through every two weeks.  We are really grateful for your patience and packed lunches are still available to pick up from school between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm.

UPDATE - 4th May 2020

As of today meal vouchers have been sent out to all email addresses, the process has sped up slightly and parents should not be on hold for long on the www.freeschoolmeals.co.uk site to redeem your vouchers and choose the store you require them for.  Please note - this voucher total is the amount for two weeks.  Your email will only have one child's name on but the amount will be for siblings as well.  

Please see the change in email address for all FSM enquiries, mealvouchers@rifthouseschool.org.uk this is to ensure all enquiries are together and not becoming lost in the admin account.  

UPDATE - 18th May 2020

As of Monday 18th May vouchers will now be sent directly to confirmed emails from mealvoucher@rifthouseschool.org.uk

Thank you to parents who have replied to our initial email confirming the supermarket they wish their vouchers to be redeemed for.  These vouchers will be delivered directly to your email on Monday 18th May and these vouchers are for this week and up until week ending  Friday 29th May.  Those who have not replied to the email will receive their vouchers in the post.

We have had lots of enquiries from parents asking if they are eligible for Free School Meals.  If your circumstances have changed or you think you meet the criteria, you can apply on the site below.  We have already had quite a few families who have applied and been accepted.  You just fill in a few details and a few have had an answer the same day.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

RESOURCES

CAMHS has some fantastic resources on children's mental health and have also added this fantastic page with lots of information for parents discussing Coronavirus with their child. LINK

In times like these, we can often forget how important it is to try and maintain our own happiness and wellbeing. It’s not only important for ourselves, but also our family, friends, colleagues and many of those who depend on us. Staying positive and trying to implement little things like physical exercise, a healthy diet or getting a good night’s sleep, can have big results. That why we’ve created this guide to help everyone think about some of the positive steps they can take to establish and keep good mental wellbeing.

To view guide click here

Talking about mental health to children is sometimes hard. To the point that we can put off raising the subject, not wanting to unearth problems or raise overwhelming subjects that we perceive our child is too young or not ready for. But rather than keeping children in the dark, this guide is designed to help you confidently talk about mental health, so they feel comfortable talking about their own worries and end any stigma before it begins.

To view this guide click here.

Letter from the Minister for children and families with educational needs and disabilities LINK

Shielding and Clinically Vulnerable Appendix - LINK 

The NSPCC  has a lot of helpful advice and support for parents and carers .

Below is a link to a book which has been written and illustrated for primary school children.  This is a great way of initiating conversations around this confusing and difficult time. 

Download this book HERE

We have found another great book to share with children called 'Everybody Worries' - Link

homE learning 

We understand that home learning can be difficult, however school has developed a timetable for teachers to follow to support children from home.  We are using SEESAW to communicate, set work and give feedback, this is a freely downloadable app or can be accessed online.  All children have been provided with a home learning code.

Each week children are reminded about keeping safe online and tasks are given around this.   Parents please check SEESAW for tasks and useful links for age appropriate tasks. 

Parents are advised to frequently check our school online safety page,

 https://www.rifthouse.co.uk/welcome-1/e-safety,

as there are regular updates regarding the apps and online services the children maybe accessing.

For further support on home learning click on these links for parents and children.

Remote learning for parents                      Remote learning tips for children

Gov.uk has released an updated resource list for all ages. LINK

Help children aged 2 to 4 to learn at home during Coronavirus LINK

Help Primary School Children Continue Learning at Home LINK