Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Dear Parents/Carers,
If during the Christmas break your child or anyone in your household becomes unwell with a new and persistent cough, or a high temperature, or has a loss of or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia) please follow guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, which sets out that you should arrange to have a test to see if they or you have coronavirus (COVID-19). You can book a test online at nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or call 119. Please email the results of any tests taken by your child during the Christmas period as we need this information for tracing purposes; we will still be required to contact families and staff who may have been contacts.
Please email any Covid-19 results to office@oaklands.leicester.sch.uk. or call me directly on 07742800987 during the Christmas period between 10am and 12 pm noon from 18th-23rd December.
We ask that you retain the telephone numbers attached; stick them on the fridge or keep them somewhere you can easily find them if you do have a case of Coronavirus in your house. There are also other numbers for use over the Christmas holidays if you require support, find yourself struggling or are at a crisis point. Please do ask for help, there is always someone to turn to.
Stay safe!
Regards
Sarah Osborne
(Headteacher)
Dear Parents/Carers,
Coronavirus Information
I am writing to advise you that an adult who was in school has tested positive for Coronavirus. However, I would like to reassure you that the child was not in your child’s class, unless you have been notified by Weduc earlier today.
The children in that specific class and the class staff team have now been asked to self-isolate for 14 days from the last day of contact.
We are very conscious that with only one week to go until the end of the term, children are becoming very tired and it can be difficult to tell whether they are tired or ill. Please do continue to be extremely vigilant to keep everyone safe this Christmas time. We would very much like everyone in our Oaklands community to be able to enjoy the time during the easing of restrictions between 23rd and 27th December, and want to do everything we can to ensure that our children and staff can stay well and be able to see loved ones. If you have any concern that your child may be at all ill this week, please notify the school office and keep them at home. If your child has nausea, diarrhoea or any other signs of illness, you MUST keep your child off school for at least 48 hours after the last bout of their illness.
If your child becomes unwell with a new and persistent cough, or a high temperature, or has a loss of or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia), you MUST keep them at home and you must follow guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, which sets out that your child should self-isolate for at least 10 days and you should arrange to have a test to see if they have coronavirus (COVID-19). You can book a test online at nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or call 119. Please email the results of any tests taken by members of your household during the isolation period as we need this information in order to safely bring your child back to school. Please email any results to office@oaklands.leicester.sch.uk.
Please be vigilant in continuing to look for the symptoms of Coronavirus. If your child or a household member has symptoms of Coronavirus and you need further advice you can call NHS 111.
If you have any concerns or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your child’s safety is our utmost priority. .
Regards
Sarah Osborne (Headteacher)
Important End of Term update
Dear Parents/Carers,
I am writing to inform you of the latest Government advice to schools. On Tuesday, the Government suggested that schools use Friday 18th December as a training day for staff. This is because the Department for Education want six clear days of contact tracing after schools break up and before Christmas Eve. All school leaders will therefore be expected to support with contact tracing through to Wednesday 23rd December.
For this reason, Oaklands will be closed to all pupils on Friday 18th December. The last day of term will now be Thursday 17th December.
We recognise that many parents may be concerned about children being in school on the last week of term, with less than ten days then before possibly visiting family/grandparents during the eased restrictions from 23rd December to 27th December. However, school will be open as usual until 17th December. We hope that you will feel confident to send your child in to school Monday 14th to Thursday 17th, but please do call the school if you have any worries.
We apologise for the late notice regarding the end of term, but this has come directly from the Government advice for schools sent out this week.
Many thanks for your understanding,
Regards
Sarah Osborne
Headteacher
Dear Parents/Carers,
Due to the current situation, and Leicester now going in to Tier 3: Very High Alert restrictions from 2nd December, we have been looking carefully at what we will be able to do in the run up to Christmas this year. There are usually school performances and assemblies for parents to share in, but unfortunately this year, as you will appreciate, in order to keep everyone safe, we have had to cancel these. However, we will ensure that we close the year with some enjoyable and festive activities for each class; staff are looking forward to Christmas Crafts, a special lunch, Christmas Jumper day and lots of singing with your children!
With stringent measures in school to keep children and staff safe during the Coronavirus, we will continue to need to open windows for ventilation. As the weather has changed recently, please do send your child with appropriate layers of clothing to keep them warm. If you feel that they would benefit from wearing an extra layer, like a fleece jacket, please do send your child in with them, as well as their coat now for outdoor learning sessions.
It is the official Save the Children Christmas Jumper day on Friday 11th December. If your child would like to wear a Christmas jumper to school on that day, they are most welcome. We do understand however, that some of our autistic children do not like the change of routine and find different clothing on a school day difficult to cope with, so please do not feel obliged. Equally, if your child does not have a Christmas jumper, please do not feel obliged to go and buy one. If they would like to join in by wearing something more brightly coloured, or ‘dress down’ clothing, that would be lovely. If well prepared before-hand, they may accept a change, but we are happy for children to come in their normal school uniform if they would prefer. As sent out on previous correspondence, please do make sure that all clothing worn to school by your child is clean each day, in line with our Covid-19 Risk Assessment.
Our Christmas Lunch is booked for Wednesday 16th December, which children will eat with their class group, so please do feel free to send your child in a Christmas jumper/colourful clothing on that day too. More information will come to you about that from the office.
Our partners Magic Breakfast are offering an opportunity to provide breakfast food over the Christmas holidays by Amazon delivery. Families will receive the breakfast packs* week commencing 21st December. Further information on how to register will be sent on Monday 30th November by Weduc.
*1 pack of 5 New York Bagels, 1 Box of Cereal/Quaker Oats porridge sachets, 1 x 2.62 tin of Heinz Baked Beans and Arla milk voucher for 2 litres
This year particularly, knowing that many families are suffering from hardships caused by Coronavirus, we would like to encourage our Oaklands Community to support our local foodbank. With more people than ever expected to need to use a food bank during the festive period, we feel that it is important for us to get involved and help those most in need. So, instead of sending Christmas cards to those in school this year, and therefore minimising risks caused by things coming in to school, if you are able to, we would like to ask you to join us in providing just a couple of items for the food bank, such as tinned supplies, pasta, rice. Please send items in on:
Friday 4th December and/or
Friday 11th December
We will collect them from your child as they come in to the school and these will stay in an office area until we take them to the food bank.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
Many thanks for your support,
Regards
Sarah
Anti-bullying Week Monday 23rd – Friday 27th November
At Oaklands, Anti-Bullying Week 2020 is happening from Monday 23rd – Friday 27th November and has the theme ‘United Against Bullying’. It is coordinated by the Anti-bullying Alliance, which is based at the National Children’s Bureau. This year, more than ever, we’ve witnessed the positive power that society can have when we come together to tackle a common challenge. Anti-Bullying Week is no different. Bullying has a long-lasting effect on those who experience and witness it. But by channeling our collective power, through shared efforts and shared ambitions, we can reduce bullying together. From parents and carers, to teachers and politicians, to children and young people, we all have a part to play in coming together to make a difference.
During Anti-Bullying week our children will be taking part in a range of activities which promote kindness, positive friendships and team work. We are inviting all of our staff and children to take part in ‘odd sock day’ on Friday 27th . They can come to school wearing odd socks (the brighter the better) and make a voluntary donation of £1. All money raised will be donated to the Anti-Bullying alliance.
If you would like more information about the anti-bullying alliance or would like to have a look at some of their resources please go to… http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week/anti-bullying-week-2020- united-against-bullying
We’re all a piece in the puzzle, and together, we’re united against bullying
Many of our children love to cook and as such we have developed a food curriculum to support children to develop key skills e.g. cutting, spreading, measuring. We have shared some of the step by step visual instructions in the Curriculum section of our website.
https://www.oaklands.leicester.sch.uk/cooking-ideas/
Why don't you have a go at home with your child.
Dear Parents/Carers,
Coronavirus Update for Hares, Rabbits, Dormice Class
I am writing to advise you that another staff member in the school has been tested positive for Coronavirus. However, I would like to reassure you that the staff member was not in your child’s class. I have spoken at length to Public Health England about the classes and the safety measures we have been taking within our school. The children in that specific class and their staff team have now been asked to self-isolate.
Following Government Guidance & Public Health advice, your child should continue attending school providing they remain well. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools
However, if your child becomes unwell with a new and persistent cough, or a high temperature, or has a loss of or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia), you MUST keep them at home and you must follow guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, which sets out that your child should self-isolate for at least 10 days and you should arrange to have a test to see if they have coronavirus (COVID-19). You can book a test online at nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or call 119. Please email the results of any tests taken by members of your household during the isolation period as we need this information in order to safely bring your child back to school. Please email any results to office@oaklands.leicester.sch.uk.
Please be vigilant in continuing to look for the symptoms of Coronavirus. If your child or a household member has symptoms of Coronavirus and you need further advice you can call NHS 111.
If your child has nausea, diarrhoea or any other signs of illness, you MUST keep your child off school for at least 48 hours after the last bout of their illness. Please ring the school office to let us know.
Unfortunately, this situation does mean that many of our staff team are now self-isolating and this can consequently have a knock on effect on staffing across the school. As you can appreciate, we endeavour to ensure that each class is staffed with familiar adults who know the children in order to respond effectively to their individual needs and keep them safe. We will continue to monitor the staffing situation carefully. Please continue to check Weduc messages regularly as this will be the initial way in which we would contact you if there are changes to the situation in school.
If you have any concerns or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your child’s safety is our utmost priority.
Regards
Sarah Osborne
(Headteacher)
Dear Parents/Carers,
All parents/carers have been sent information relevant to their specific pathway bubble via our Weduc messaging app today.
I have spoken at length to Public Health England this morning, who have confirmed that we have taken the correct course of action in the staff members and children who have been asked to self-isolate. Willow pathway; Frogs, Squirrels, Robins, Stoats, are advised that they will not be in school until Friday 20th November; and Hedgehogs class must self-isolate/stay at home until the same date. Chestnut pathway; Owls, Badgers and Beavers, are all asked to self-isolate until Monday 23rd November. Transport have been notified of these dates. However, if your child is in Cherry pathway (Dormice, Hares, Deers & Rabbits), they are advised to continue attending school providing they remain well. The latest Government Guidance for Schools can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020
For those children currently expected to attend school, if they become unwell with a new and persistent cough, or a high temperature, or has a loss of or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia), you MUST keep them at home and you must follow guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, which sets out that your child should self-isolate for at least 10 days and you should arrange to have a test to see if they have Coronavirus (COVID-19). You can book a test online at nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or call 119. Please email the results of any tests taken by members of your household during the isolation period as we need this information in order to safely bring your child back to school. Please email any results to office@oaklands.leicester.sch.uk.
Please be vigilant in continuing to look for the symptoms of Coronavirus. If your child or a household member has symptoms of Coronavirus and you need further advice you can call NHS 111.
If your child has nausea, diarrhoea or any other signs of illness, you MUST keep your child off school for at least 48 hours after the last bout of their illness. Please ring the school office to let us know.
If you have any concerns or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your child's safety is our utmost priority.
Thank-you for your support,
Regards
Sarah Osborne
(Headteacher)
Friday 6th November
Dear Parents/Carers,
Coronavirus Information
I am writing to advise you that a staff member in the school has been tested positive for Coronavirus.
The children in that specific class and their staff team have now been asked to self-isolate.
Following Government Guidance, your child should continue attending school providing they remain well. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#soc
However, if your child becomes unwell with a new and persistent cough, or a high temperature, or has a loss of or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia), you MUST keep them at home and you must follow guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, which sets out that your child should self-isolate for at least 10 days and you should arrange to have a test to see if they have coronavirus (COVID-19). You can book a test online at nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or call 119. Please email the results of any tests taken by members of your household during the isolation period as we need this information in order to safely bring your child back to school. Please email any results to office@oaklands.leicester.sch.uk.
Please be vigilant in continuing to look for the symptoms of Coronavirus. If your child or a household member has symptoms of Coronavirus and you need further advice you can call NHS 111.
If your child has nausea, diarrhoea or any other signs of illness, you MUST keep your child off school for at least 48 hours after the last bout of their illness. Please ring the school office to let us know.
If you have any concerns or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your child’s safety is our utmost priority.
Regards
Sarah Osborne
(Headteacher)