13^th March 2020

Dear Parents/Carers,

As you are probably aware, the government’s guidance on the coronavirus has changed from the ‘contain’ phase to one of delaying the spread of the virus. We’re getting in touch to let you know what we are doing in light of this, and what we expect from you as parents and carers, to help make sure our school community keeps safe and calm.

We would like to reassure you that at Our Lady Star of the Sea School we are taking all of the necessary steps to protect our community and are continuing to follow official guidance from the Government and Sefton Local Authority.

What’s the current situation?

• The school remains open – this is the current official guidance we have been given
• All school functions continue to run as normal including breakfast club.
• Pupils should attend unless they feel unwell – if your child has any of the following symptoms they should remain at home for 7 days:
•          a new, continuous cough and/or  
•          a temperature
• If your child is unwell, report this as you would normally by contacting the office by phone, text or using our parent app stating the cause of illness as in depth as possible.
• Reception’s trip to Acorn Farm will still go ahead on Monday 16^th March
• We are not holding any assemblies or events that are open to the community and parents/carers and our parents meeting has been cancelled this week. Teachers will be preparing a short update on your child’s progress.
• We will keep you up to date with any changes to the current situation

What we’re doing to protect and support pupils and staff

• If your child is feeling unwell on the school premises, we will remove them from class and assess them. We will contact you as soon as possible if we feel they need to go home.
• Our children have been taught how to wash their hands correctly after toileting, before and after meals and any outside activities. They are also using hand santisers throughout the day.
• Mr. Henry and the cleaning team have been working hard ensuring that the school is clean and that door handles and door plates are wiped down several time a day.
• Teachers are also teaching lessons about hygiene and how to deal with anxiety.

What we need you to do

• If you have recently changed your contact details, please inform the school office as soon as possible personally or via email or telephone.
• Talk to your children about the Corona virus. It is a scary time and we should make sure children feel supported. BBC Newsround has regular updates for younger children and YoungMinds has practical steps older children can take to help with anxiety
• Come and collect your child straight away, if we ask you to (we will contact you if they become ill with either a temperature or a new, continuous cough)

What happens if the school has to close?

We’ll only close if we’re either officially advised to do so by Public Health England or we don’t have enough staff to run the school.

In either case:

• We will alert parents/ carers about closure, via the school text service, the school parent app and a post on our website. www.ourlady-starofthesea.org.uk
• We will use the same platforms when we know when the school will be reopened.
• Teacher will set work for pupils during closure and we hope parents will support us in ensuring that the work is completed.
• There are a number of on-line platform that children can access such as “Times Table Rock Stars, Espresso and many others that we use in school. Teachers will provide log in details in the event of closure.

Please keep in mind that we’re only sending out this information to help the school community prepare. There are currently no plans to close.

If you have any questions

Please consult the:

• School office, if you have any questions about our response to this issue
• NHS, if you want to know more about the symptoms of coronavirus. If you think you or your child may have the symptoms, use NHS 111 online if at all possible before calling 111
• Department for Education’s coronavirus helpline: 0800 046 8687, if you have any questions about the government’s response to coronavirus in relation to schools
• Government’s travel advice, if you want to know whether any upcoming trip or holiday you’re taking abroad should go ahead

It is a tricky time and we know you’re worried about the impact this might have on our community. It’s important we keep each other safe and talk about these events to help with any anxiety.

Thank you for your continued support.

Yours Sincerely,

J.Jenkins 

Mrs J. Jenkins