Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Gilberts Update - Government Plan to Re-Open Update
Wed 27 May 2020Dear Parents / Carers,
I want to start by thanking you all for working so positively with us over the last nine weeks. We are extremely grateful to you for the support you have shown towards Gilberts @home and our key worker childcare provision and in helping us to maintain a sense of ‘relative’ normality.
Thank you also to those parents who took the time to enquire about the health and welfare of the staff member who has been poorly with this horrible virus. It was lovely to hear that you send your very best wishes to them at this time.
As we begin to look forward to potentially reopening the school for some children, we are busy preparing for as smooth a return as possible given the uncertain circumstances. Since I last wrote to you on this subject, there have been a total of 41 DFE updates to the original guidance and I only received the guidance for Early Years on Bank Holiday Sunday. Therefore, plans we have made have been drafted and redrafted several times over and inevitably changed again, as new guidance is released and published.
At this stage, the Trustees have agreed that the primary schools within the Cavendish Learning Trust will not start a wider re-opening until week commencing 8th June. This is for the following reasons:
- The final decision on whether schools will re-open will not be made by the Government until Thursday 28th May. The Trustees wish to review the announcement that is being made before making the decision to open.
- The schools have been advised by the Department for Education and Derbyshire County Council that they are not able to operate a rota for children who wish to return and this significantly reduces the number of children able to attend. The plans initially created by the Headteachers had rotas in place at most schools and therefore plans are having to be changed. The Trustees would like to review the new plans that have been created before making the final decision to open.
- The Trust is still awaiting an order for Personal Protective Equipment and cleaning materials, which have been difficult to source. These need to be in stock at the schools before they open.
The Trustees will only start a wider re-opening in the schools when it is safe for the children and the staff and it is important that everything is in place before the final decision is made. It is important to note that the schools will still be open for critical worker children and those deemed as vulnerable, as has been the case throughout the lockdown period.
Therefore, as we move towards the 8th June, be absolutely assured that we cannot wait to welcome children back to our school but it is now crucial that we work with final numbers, so we are able to fully plan what a Gilbert’s reopening will look like. Once we have these, we can look and see whether we are able to support a reopening for all groups (EYFS, Reception and Year 1) or prioritise as per the DFE guidance factoring in staffing, legal ratios and room requirements.
To enable us to safely welcome the children back please read the following carefully to enable you to evaluate your decision about your child’s return. Their education will undoubtedly look and feel very different and the more we prepare you and your child for this new experience the better. Below are pictures of the three classrooms, which have been organised under the guidance from the DFE, to allow you to see what school will look like.
Other important things to note
- Children and staff will be allocated to a ‘bubble’. These bubbles will not mix at all.
- We will not be in a position to offer our breakfast club.
- There will be staggered start and finish times for each age group.
Tomorrow, school will send you a text, which will take you to a survey to ask you to make a firm decision about your child’s return to Gilberts. This will need completing by 01/06/2020. If we receive no response by this date, we will take your decision as ‘no’.
If you previously stated you would like your child to return to school but have changed you mind please complete this new survey. If you have stated you do not want your child to return to school but would like them to at a later date, please complete the survey and add the date to the comments section, be aware we will need 5 working days’ notice to implement this.
We will share plans for further reopening next week, in the meantime our Gilberts @home curriculum will continue from the 1/06/20 after half term.
Thank you for your continued support.
Joanne Mappin
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Information - Confirmed Covid-19 Case
Fri 22 May 2020Dear Parents / Carers,
Following on from the text you received today, this letter is to state Gilbert Heathcote School has had a confirmed case of Covid-19, please find below some additional information.
The confirmation comes from a precautionary test that was advised by NHS 111, due to a member of staff feeling unwell at home. They were not displaying any symptoms of Covid -19.
School has reacted swiftly to implement the guidance for this situation, all parents have been contacted and any potentially contaminated areas have been deep cleaned in line with our risk assessments and guidance documents.
I have contacted, notified and sought additional advice from the following people/organisations:
• The CEO of Cavendish Learning Trust
• The Chair of Trustees for Cavendish Learning Trust
• Department for Education
• Public Health England
• Derbyshire County Council
• Parents of children also in school
If you are concerned about your child and the symptoms of Covid -19, please seek advice from your GP, NHS Direct or by calling NHS 111.
Please don't hesitate to contact school if you have any questions, via the school phone number or the info@gilbertheathcote.derbyshire.sch.uk email address.
Thank you for your continued support,
Joanne Mappin
Executive Headteacher
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Letter from the Chair of Cavendish Learning Trust
Fri 22 May 2020Dear Parent / Carer,
Re: Reopening Schools and Other Educational Establishments
I am writing to you on behalf of the Trustees of the Cavendish Learning Trust in response to the Government’s decision to partially reopen schools from the 1st June 2020.
As I am sure you are aware, the situation in relation to COVID 19 changes on a daily basis and the Trustees have followed all of the information and advice provided by the Government in relation to the reopening of the schools within the Trust.
The latest information for parents/carers is available on the link below:
The schools will continue to provide provision for the children of critical workers and vulnerable children as is currently the case.
The Trustees have agreed that there will be a three-phase approach to the wider opening of the schools in the Trust:
Phase 1:
- Ensure the site is fully prepared for re-opening in line with Government Guidance.
- Risk assessments are fully completed in line with Government and Derbyshire County Council advice.
- Staff familiarisation meetings to ensure that all necessary safeguards are in place.
Phase 2:
- Induction meetings with individual/small groups of children to discuss concerns in relation to returning to school and the protocols that will need to be followed.
Phase 3:
- Children return to school in small ‘bubbles’ of no more than 15.
- ‘Bubbles’ will be allocated time slots to attend during the school week, meaning that they will not be in school every day, all day.
The timing and implementation of this phased approach will be different depending on the individual circumstances of each school. It is important to note that Trustees has agreed that Phase 2 should only start if the ‘Local ‘R’ rate’ (infection rate) is below 1.
The specific details in relation to Gilbert Heathcote Nursery and Infant School are detailed in:
The Phased Reopening of Gilbert’s – A Letter and Parents Guide
(Mrs Mappin is currently writing this – she hopes to share as soon as possible, we are still awaiting DFE guidance for EYFS)
Detailed risk assessments that have been carried out at each individual school and a brief summary of what is covered in each one:
General Risk Assessment
- Ensuring relevant information and guidance is shared with children, parents and staff.
- Precautionary measures to prevent transmission
- Social Distancing
- Provision capacity based on high demand
- Staff and children’s’ well-being
- Dealing with any individual who develops symptoms
- Dealing with confirmed cases
- Hygiene provision and effective cleaning
Operational Risk Assessment (Specific to the needs of each school)
- Ensuring social distancing in classrooms, social times and at the start and end of the session
- Parents dropping off and collecting students from site
- Emotional distress of children
- Personal hygiene
- Cleaning requirements
Caretaking and Cleaning Risk Assessment
- Risk of exposure when cleaning and working with others
- Cross-contamination
- Using new chemicals and products
Using Cleaning Materials
- Detailed information about how to use all products safely
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Information for staff on how and when to use PPE
If any parent/carer would like to see a full copy of the risk assessments, please contact the Headteacher at your child’s school.
As part of the re-opening process, it is important to note the following:
- Home-School Agreement – You will be asked to sign a home-school agreement as part of allowing your child to return to school. This will also include information in relation to the behaviour expectations.
- School Uniform – Children will not be expected to wear school uniform.
- Parental Contact – Parents will not be allowed onto the school premises unless collecting children at the agreed times. When this happens, social distancing must be observed. If this does not happen, parents will be asked to leave the site.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – PPE will only be worn by staff in line with the risk assessments that have been completed.
- Social Distancing – This will be implemented on all school sites both during classroom-based activities and social times. This will be in line with the completed risk assessments.
- Requesting a Place – If a parent initially did not want their child to return to school but changes their mind, they will need to give the Headteacher 5 working days’ notice. This is to give sufficient time to assess the impact additional children would have on the provision being offered.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support.
Yours faithfully,
Barbara Walsh
Barbara Walsh
Chair of Trustees
Cavendish Learning Trust
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Gilberts Update - Government Plan to Re-Open
Tue 12 May 2020Dear Parents / Carers,
As I mentioned in my last update the Government has now announced its recovery strategy which includes a plan for the partial re-opening of schools from the 1st June at the earliest.
Please see the link below that will take you to the official Government website with the guidance that has been produced for parents:
As the guidance states, primary schools will be asked to welcome back certain year groups and for Gilbert’s that is defined as Nursery, Reception and Year One - which is ¾ of the school! Therefore, this involves a lot of thinking on our part and does not mean automatically mean that the children in these year groups will return to a normal Gilbert’s and normal lessons.
We have lots of factors to consider - so as ever, we appreciate your patience in this matter as we discuss the implications with groups of staff to ensure that we are able to operate in line with the Government Guidance.
In addition to the above, and as a parent myself, I need to ask the honest parent emotional question – If we open in line with the government guidance will you actually send your children to school? I know we all joke and say – ‘Yes Mrs Mappin, we can’t to wait to get them back’ but now this is a stark reality, I need to know if you are going to do this or not - so I can plan with my staff.
To do this I will be sending out a questionnaire online via a text for the required year groups. just some simple questions, nothing complex. I would really appreciate if you could complete this to enable Gilbert’s to plan for the weeks ahead.
Contact details
Please use the info@gilbertheathcote.derbyshire.sch.uk email to keep us informed of any concerns, worries or questions you may have. You can also contact the school office each morning and if needed you can leave a message, someone will get back to you.
Look after each other,
Joanne Mappin
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Gilberts Bank Holiday Update
Thu 07 May 2020Dear Parents / Carers,
Our amazing staff have been in touch with all of our children, and families, over the past few weeks and we are so pleased to share that everyone is well, happy and doing their best using Gilbert’s @ home for their learning. Even though the Gilbert’s family is not together, it is fantastic to hear that we are all supporting our children as best we can.
VE Day Bank Holiday
We hope that you are looking forward to the Bank Holiday weekend and the VE Day celebrations. Even though it may not be the weekend you originally planned for this occasion, the sun is due to shine, so that will lift our spirits as we all remember this historic event. If the children have made or done anything for this event please share it with us on our twitter page, we would love to see it.
Gilbert’s @ Home will continue to support your children over the forthcoming weeks and staff are adding new work to their class pages as ‘normal’ each day. Please be aware that there will be no work set for the VE Bank Holiday.
Retirement is calling for Mrs Bashford, our amazing Teaching Assistant, who will be leaving Gilbert’s at the end of this month to concentrate on her many hobbies, doggies and family loves. She will be greatly missed at school and although we are currently in the midst of a school closure, we would like to show her the love and appreciation that we would normally say good bye with and for this we need your help.
This is secret so please keep this quiet as Mrs Bashford does not know this part…. Please can children make her a goodbye / thank you card / picture and send it to school either via the post or drop it in on your daily walk. Miss Corbett is going to collate all these and share them with her on her last week in school.
Gilbert’s Return
As you will be aware, the Government is due to announce this weekend, a phased plan for the removal of the country’s lockdown. As of yet, we do not know what this will mean for schools.
What we do know is that when the school’s announcement is made, it will take some time to adjust and put plans into place, so please bear with us in the forthcoming days OR weeks. We will keep you as up to date and informed as much as possible. Until then, Gilbert’s will continue to follow the current DFE Covid-19 Guidance for schools.
Contact details
Please use the info@gilbertheathcote.derbyshire.sch.uk email to keep us informed of any concerns, worries or questions. You can also contact the school office each morning and if needed you can leave a message, someone will get back to you.
There is also a new link on the school website under the PARENT section called SUPPORT DURING COVID-19. Under this page is a range of information and local services you can contact for support. Please take a look at this.
Don’t forget the school twitter @gilbertinfant page to share pictures and work to keep our spirits up. We will get through this and be together again very soon.
Look after each other,
Joanne Mappin
