Coronavirus Update 06/04/2020
Dear Parents & Carers,
As we start the Easter Holidays, we can reflect on the unusual end to the Spring Term.
May I say a HUGE ‘thankyou’ to all of the staff who have been working tirelessly either in school or remotely, to organise and deliver learning, provide free school meals and hampers and provide support to our most vulnerable families. The last few weeks has been a huge learning curve as we have had to get to grips with video conferencing across the staff team and embracing a well populated learning platform for the children. The Southwark Diocesan Board of Education, Lambeth and our governors have been working very closely with me in order to provide support and coordination to our family of schools.
Whether we are in school, at work or at home during Easter, do take some time to pause and reflect.
I am reminded of the words of Psalm 91:
‘‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’.’’
Easter
Easter Holidays
It is important that we recognise that we are now in the Easter Holiday period and that the children (and parents and carers) should take a break from daily home learning.
Whole School Easter Project
As always, there is an Easter Project and the best pieces of work will be shared with the rest of the school.
Easter Holiday Childcare Provision for Schooling for children of critical key workers only
As per our last letter, schools are being asked to provide a school based provision for children of critical workers over the Easter Period. This is for the children of key workers in all three of our schools. The closing date for places was 1st April and request for places were assessed.
Based at: St John’s Angell Town, 85 Angell Rd, Brixton, London, SW9 7HH
Dates: Monday 6th April – Thursday 9th April and Tuesday 14th April – Friday 17th April
Times: Childcare will be from 8.30am to 3.00pm
Lunch provision: Pupils must bring a healthy packed lunch
Contact: Ade Osilowo, Director
Premier Education Group PLC
phone: 01953 499040 | mobile: 07904393711
If you or your child/ren have a temperature and/or a new persistent cough, please do not attend Easter Club. Please telephone Ade Osilowo to let him know that you will not be attending. It is important that we safeguard the children attending the Easter Club and the staff.
Some staff from all three schools will be at St John’s Angell Town on a rota basis
Contact throughout the Easter Holidays
Whilst the teaching and support staff will not be available at St Luke’s, you will always be able to reach St Luke’s via private message on Class Dojo or admin@st-lukes-primary.lambeth.sch.uk. The emails will be checked daily.
After Easter - Schooling for children of critical workers or have a vulnerable child
Staff across the three schools will continue to provide for the children of key workers at the front line of the crisis and for vulnerable children at St. Luke’s School after the Easter break starting from Monday 20th April 2020 (The Inset Day planned for 20th April 2020 has been postponed.)
St Luke’s will continue to open from 8.50am until 3.00pm for key worker’s children and vulnerable children from all three schools.
It is important to understand that the following is still in place:
- Ideally, a key worker’s child should remain with their parents if at all possible. Home is the safest place.
- Evidence of your key worker entitlement, as defined by the government to remain active during the COVID-19 response, must be given by your employer
- As we are providing childcare for children from all three schools, it is important that we ensure that we know in advance which days you are working and when you require your child/children to be in school, in order to ensure that we have enough staff in school.
If you or your child/ren have a temperature and/or a new persistent cough, please do not come into school. Please telephone and leave a message on the answerphone. It is important that we safeguard the children attending school and our staff.
Support
Free School Meals (FSM) Provision Update
The provision of a hot meal for children entitled to free school meals at school is no longer an option for the school; therefore, we have provided hampers to those who requested them. Vouchers will be sent out to children entitled to FSM.
Several parents were able to pick up the hampers on Friday. There are a few hampers to be collected and Mrs Atkins has contacted those parents via Class Dojo. The food in the hampers will keep until after the Easter break.
For those who responded with their e-mail addresses, Free School Meals vouchers have been requested and hopefully you should have received an e-mail detailing how to use the vouchers.
If you have not sent your e-mail address to Mrs Atkins via private Class Dojo, please do so as soon as possible so that you can be included the next run of vouchers ordered.
Please be wary of any e-mails that you have not been notified about by the school. We will never ask for your bank details.
The vouchers will be sent weekly during the school term until school resumes properly.
We cannot provide hampers or FSM vouchers without FSM eligibility being provided.
Free School Meals – New applications
Due to the Coronavirus, your circumstances may have changed.
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
If you are not sure if your child is entitled to free school meals, then complete a check at the following London Grid of Learning site available to our parents: https://pps.lgfl.org.uk/
If you are entitled to FSM, the school should receive notification. If you are not entitled, the school will not know that you have checked. If you are entitled to free school meals and the school has your e-mail address, and you have not received vouchers etc please let Mrs Atkins know.
If your child is eligible for free school meals, they will remain eligible until they have finished the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they are in on 31st March 2022.
(Please note that there is a difference between pupils who are entitled to free school meals (i.e. their parents are entitled to certain benefits) and those children who are provided with universal free school meals (all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2). The hampers and FSM vouchers are only for pupils entitled to free school meals.
Norwood & Brixton Foodbank
The Foodbank is for people who are in real crisis, so those for whom benefits have stopped, those who are waiting for benefits and have no other income to reply on, redundancy or excessive debt.
Please note that the Foodbank is not open at St Luke’s Church at the moment. However, they are delivering food if requested.
If you require a Foodbank voucher, please contact Mrs Atkins via Class Dojo or via email: admin@st-lukes-primary.lambeth.sch.uk
Vulnerable People Helpline
Lambeth are supporting people that are vulnerable or have been asked by the NHS to stay at home for 12 weeks and have no support. Lambeth can arrange for assistance for vulnerable people at their home or for items to be picked up from a local office if they are able to leave the house.
They can be contacted online using the form on their website which is monitored 8am to 8pm. https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/get-support-for-yourself-or-a-vulnerable-person/urgent-assistance
Or you can contact them on 020 7926 2999 (between 8am and 8pm).
Other Organisations that can help with access to food and medicine
Lambeth have signposted the following:-
The Lambeth Larder help people who need to access food in a crisis – they help connect local people to emergency food and providers of free/cheap meals (e.g. food banks, lunch clubs). They have a comprehensive list of food organisation in Lambeth.
Other Organisations that can help with access to food and medicine
We are in contact with various agencies such as Magic Breakfast and we will continue to work with agencies to see if we are able to support our school family.
Coronavirus Advice for Parents – Top 10 Tips
Lambeth Educational Psychology Service has put together some advice and guidance for parents and carers about how to support the wellbeing and learning of their children during this period.
Scams
Unfortunately, some people will try to take advantage of people during this difficult time. Here are some of the scams:-
HM Revenues & Customs - If you receive an email, text or call claiming to be HMRC that asks you to click on a link or give information such as your name, credit card or bank details – it is a scam.
A company selling Coronavirus test kits etc
You can check on the Financial Conduct Authority for more information on how to avoid being scammed.
https://www.fca.org.uk/news/news-stories/avoid-coronavirus-scams
On-line Safety
The on-line learning platforms that you are signposted to by the school are safe sites. Please remember to check your e-safety settings on your computers, ipads and phones etc.
Internet matters - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online
London Grid for Learning - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online
Net-aware - for support for parents and careers from the NSPCC
Parent info - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online
Thinkuknow - for advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online
UK Safer Internet Centre - advice for parents and carers
Arbor and SIMS Pay
Arbor is up and running. After Easter, we will send out information about the Parent Portal and App.
As we previously mentioned, you will be able to pay for meals etc on Arbor. Therefore, please do not use SIMS Pay any longer. All balances will be moved to Arbor.
Even though we are not physically with you, we are very much here for you. If you want to ask a question privately, please select: message.
We will continue to keep in touch with any updates as the situation develops. If you want to get in touch to share any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us via the contact details on our website.
I would like to thank all parents and carers for their continued understanding and support during this time.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Nicky Zeronian-Dalley
Executive Headteacher
The Department for Education has launched a coronavirus helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education and children’s social care. Staff, parents/carers and pupils can contact the helpline by:
Phone: 0800 046 8687 Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
