Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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School Office Closure
Fri 27 Mar 2020Coronavirus Measures - Office Closure
The school office will be closed until further notice. If you need to contact school please do so using the email address or contact form on the Contact Us page of the school website. Alternatively, you may message the school office staff via ParentPay.
Thank you for your understanding and co-operation at this time.
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Keeping you up to date
Tue 17 Mar 202017th March 2020
Dear Parents
This letter is to advise you of some of the short term changes we are making to procedures in school to minimise the spread of COVID-19 as much as we can.
Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School is open and will remain open so long as DfE and Public Health England’s guidance is to do so and as long as I have staff that are healthy enough to work. You will appreciate that I have a duty of care to all children at our school but also to my staff, who have families of their own to consider. Any decisions made are therefore to safeguard the whole school community.
- First, if your child presents with ANY symptoms we will phone you and ask for immediate collection from school along with any siblings (we are not diagnosing but must follow NHS protocols at this time to minimise exposure)
- Pupils absence will be monitored slightly differently and Mr Ratcliffe will update this information in due course following Birmingham City Council Directives
- All children will wash their hands as soon as they come in to school, at break time, before lunch and after lunch and when they use the bathroom as usual (we recommend you use the same procedures at home)
- Lunchtimes have been staggered to reduce numbers of children in the hall on the two playgrounds at any one time
- We have cancelled all assemblies so that we reduce gatherings. Classes will maintain collective worship in classrooms
- After school activities have been cancelled until further notice
- Mass celebrations will take place in line with the Cardinal’s directive and arrangements with the parish priest. We will keep you informed of decisions regarding Mass and the Sacrament of First Holy Communion (which is still scheduled at present but may be subject to change)
- Visits by external agencies have been reduced or cancelled to avoid anybody inadvertently bringing the virus with them
- Non-urgent meetings with staff have been postponed while they manage the current situation
- Swimming and out of school visits for pupils have been cancelled until further notice
- We recommend parents think carefully about who is dropping off or collecting their children from school – if they are parents or anyone with underlying health conditions you may decide the school run is not as safe as it should be for the time being
We do not know what the Prime Minister is planning in terms of school closures. It is not for us to speculate this will or won’t happen. We will continue to provide the best education we can. In the event of closure, we will notify parents of arrangements for learning at home and ongoing communication with staff.
I know that these are unchartered times but it is important that you work with us to make sensible and responsible decisions about the welfare of the whole school and parish community. We appreciate your understanding about the scale of organising taking place in all schools at the moment. If you have any questions please see our dedicated information page for Coronavirus on the school website https://www.ourladys.bham.sch.uk/coronavirus-advice-information/
If you/your family is self-isolating it is extremely important you make school aware through our absence procedures. Advice for self-isolation is being updated regularly by the government and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
All household members are now required to self-isolate if one member has symptoms and must do so for 14days. Please see the government advice for other factors.
Yours sincerely,
V McDonald
Miss McDonald
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Self Isolation
Tue 17 Mar 202017th March 2020
Dear Parents and Carers
Self Isolation
You may be concerned over the coronavirus outbreak and how this might impact your child’s learning. In the event of self-isolation we will provide the following links for work at home. Should the government make a decision regarding whole school closure or school contingency plans warrant closure, we will provide specific work for pupils and send a letter explaining how to access the work as well as help from teachers.
Each child in self-isolation will have access to the following:
RE and Catholic Life
- Prayers to use at home with your child and family at this time http://liturgyoffice.org/News/coronavirus-prayers/
- https://sermons4kids.com/ gives weekly gospel with worksheets, activities and reflections
- https://cafod.org.uk/Education/Children-s-liturgy this website gives the Sunday gospel and reflections for children
- https://www.thereligionteacher.com/lent-activities/ online Lent activities
- https://www.thereligionteacher.com/easter-activities/ online Easter activities
English
- Daily reading of at least 30 minutes.
- https://www.storylineonline.net/ Stories being read for children online
- Classroom secrets resources are available on the home school website for all year groups: https://www.ourladys.bham.sch.uk/coronavirus-advice-information/
Maths
- Times Tables Rock Stars- Years 1-6 (Pupils have their own passwords)
- Classroom secrets resources are available on the home school website for all year groups: https://www.ourladys.bham.sch.uk/coronavirus-advice-information/
Wider Curriculum
- SCIENCE- Key Stage 1 https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z6svr82
- SCIENCE-Key Stage 2 https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z2pfb9q
PE / Being active
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/supermovers Resources and videos for active learning
- YouTube-search for: Wake up shake up, just dance for kids fitness and simply copy the videos
Children in Year 6 will also receive additional work from their SATs revision books.
Recommended Websites can be found at:
https://www.ourladys.bham.sch.uk/coronavirus-advice-information/
Children may be feeling anxious about this developing situation and it is difficult to know where to start with approaching this with children. Tips for parents to begin talking to children about Coronavirus can be found by following this link: https://parentinfo.org/article/three-tips-for-starting-a-difficult-conversation-with-your-child?utm_source=Parent+Zone+Newsletter&utm_campaign=d7c5afa46e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_13_05_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1ee27d9000-d7c5afa46e-179219017
School will strive to keep you up to date via letter, the school website, school app and our text message service of any developments. Please make sure if you have had a new phone number recently, you have updated this with the school office.
If your child may be experiencing symptoms of Coronavirus such as a high temperature or new continuous cough please follow the guidelines found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
Thank you for your continued support.
V McDonald
Miss McDonald
Head Teacher
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Ofsted
Mon 09 Mar 2020Dear Parents,
Thank you for your support during our recent Ofsted Inspection.
The official report is now available and can be located here.
The school community is very proud of our school and this is reflected in the report. Due to the new changes to inspections and reports from September 2019, reports do not contain all the feedback given by the inspector to governors and senior leaders. Therefore, notes were taken at the meeting with the inspector and these are also available for you to read. Please do take the time to look through them.
We look forward to continuing on our journey ensuring all pupils and the whole school community flourishes.
Miss McDonald
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Themed Lunches - Mexican Day & Mother's Day Meal
Sun 08 Mar 2020All children in Rec, Y1 & Y2 receive free school meals.
Y3, Y4, Y5 & Y6 School meals cost £2.35 per day unless you are entitled to free school meals.
On Tuesday 9th March the children can experience a taste of Mexico! Menu attached - Mexican Menu
On Tuesday 24th March we will be celebrating Mother's Day! You are invited to attend lunch with your child, please see attached letter for times and menu.
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