Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Keeping In Touch

  Thu 26 Mar 2020

  Dear Parents & Carers,

  We hope that you are all well during this very difficult time.  We are updating our class pages every Monday and will also put extra resources up.  Today we have uploaded four Story Books for you to read with your children.

  There is somebody in school every day so if you need to speak to us on the telephone, please call the school number 01242 513 339.

  We are staying in contact with families to check that you are all safe and well, but if you do have any health updates please contact us to let us know.

  Our thoughts and prayers are with our St Thomas More family and we look forward to the day when we can all return to our normal school life.

  Keep safe,

  Mrs Tippen

• New Advice for Key Workers

  Sun 22 Mar 2020
  Please see the latest updated flow chart for new advice if you are considering sending your child in to school.  No child will be allocated a place until we have confirmed with your employer that you are critical to the COVID-19 response and that there is no other person that you can leave your child safely with. 

  

• School Closure Letter

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

  20th March 2020

   

  Dear Parents/Carers,

   

  School Closure Guidance

   

  I would firstly like to thank you all for your support and patience whilst we have waited for the guidance to be released by the Department for Education.  As you will be aware, from today the school will be partially closed.  We have no information as to how long this will be but we will do our best to keep you up-dated via our website, texts and emails.

   

  It is clear that the government is trying to limit the spread of the Coronavirus by minimising the amount of contact between children, teachers and their families, whilst also supporting critical key workers in providing emergency services and enabling us to have access to food.

   

  The guidance makes clear the following important points:

   

  • If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading.
  • the government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.
  • fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.
  • If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.

   

  Key Groups who can attend school if absolutely necessary

   

  Two key groups will be able to access school provision from Monday – Critical Key Workers and those children who have Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs) or who are being supported by a social worker.  

   

  Parents who are Critical Key Workers and are working in a critical sector may be able to ensure their child is kept at home.  Every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.  Our offer to parents and carers means there is no requirement for parents and carers to send their children to school if they do not need or wish to do so.

   

  If you are a Critical Key Worker, you are now required to complete the Critical Key Workers form as soon as possible, preferably by the end of the day today. This can also be emailed to the school office admin@st-thomasmore.gloucs.sch.uk   

   

  Your child will not be able to have an emergency school place without confirmation from your employer that your work is critical to the COVID-19 response.

   

  Please note that this is an emergency service which will operate as a play-scheme.

   

  Please do not ask the school to make exceptions – if you do not fit these categories, your child/children cannot attend school.  The government have made these decisions – not the school. 

   

  I fully appreciate that this has all come at the last minute.  I would ask you to be mindful of the fact that this has also challenged us as a school and remember that we are doing our very best to support not only parents of St Thomas More but our wider local community.

   

  Thank you for your understanding and your continued support.  I wish you well and hope that you and your family keep safe at this very difficult time.

   

  Best wishes,

   

  Mrs Tippen

  Head Teacher

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Emergency School Provision

  Fri 20 Mar 2020
  

• School Closure

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

  The following guidance was released by the Government during the early hours of this morning outlining maintenance of school provision and highlighting the serious nature of the position that we find ourselves in:

  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision

  This clearly states that 'If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading'.That is why the government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.

   

  The government is trying to limit the spread of the Corona Virus by minimising the amount of contact between children, teachers and their families, whilst also supporting key workers in providing emergency services and enabling us to have access to food. This is an emergency service which will operate like a play-scheme.

   

  I will be sending a letter this morning to all parents once further guidance has been released from the Local Authority.

• COVID 19 Early Help Advice and Support

  Thu 19 Mar 2020
  Please click HERE for some advice, guidance and support from the Early Help team at this challenging time. 

• Coronavirus Update - Self-isolation

  Tue 17 Mar 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers,

   

  I appreciate that several of you are having to self-isolate your children at present and that number may well increase over the coming days.  Whilst I understand that it comes from a place of concern, please can I urge you not to ask the office for individual work for your child to complete at home.  Class teachers are still having to plan, deliver and mark their ongoing lessons for their classes and will not have capacity to send out bespoke work.

   

  That being said, we have posted a list of online educational websites on the 'Class Pages' tab of our website to support your child's education at home.  There are also resources on the Class Page of each year group and also the 'Curriculum' page which can be found under 'Key Information'.

   

  In the event of a forced closure, the Class Pages will be updated with weekly work will be uploaded for each year group.

   

  Thank you for your understanding and please keep safe during this difficult time.

   

  Mrs Tippen

• Coronavirus Epidemic - Letter from Mrs Tippen

  Fri 13 Mar 2020

  13^th March 2020

   

  Dear Parents & Carers,

   

  Coronavirus Epidemic

   

  As you are all aware, the Coronavirus has now been classed as a pandemic and the UK has entered into the ‘delay’ stage.  We receive daily updates from Public Health England and on the hompage of our website under ‘Latest News’ there is a link to Government daily updates.

   

  With regard to the present situation we are in with the Covid 19 virus, our cleaning contractors  have been instructed to focus on cleaning toilet areas and hand touch points: desks, door handles, door touch plates and handles, taps and switches.  We are holding weekly assemblies on correct handwashing and continually reminding pupils to wash their hands.  Personal hygiene is the most important way we can tackle Covid 19, especially washing hands more and the “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it” strategy for those with coughs and sneezes.  There is also a link to the NHS Children’s Guide to correct handwashing video.

   

  As a school we are bound by decisions that are made by the Department of Education and currently that is that schools are to remain open.  However if the Government decide to enforce the closure of schools, we will have no option but to comply and close the school.  In this event, we have made contingency preparations to provide work and resources on all the class pages of our school website at:  https://www.st-thomasmore.gloucs.sch.uk/

   

  We need to be aware of anyone who has either had a confirmed case, or who has Easter travel plans that involve travel abroad, so that we can advise you as to what measures might need to be put in place before your child returns to school in the Summer Term.  Should we be informed that any of our pupils or members of their families are potentially infected, we will follow the advice for all schoools from Public Health England at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19

   

  We wish to avoid causing any unnecessary alarm or panic but realise that we need to take measured and sensible steps in light of the current situation.  Our aim is to ensure that the school functions normally as long as possible.  We appreciate your continued support and co-operation to make sure that we remain at the forefront of precautionary actions to keep our school community as safe and as prepared as possible.  Please rest assured we will be in contact with you if there are any further significant developments.

   

  Yours sincerely,

   

  Mrs N Tippen

  Head Teacher

• Coronavirus NHS Hand Wash Song

  Thu 12 Mar 2020
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9VjeIWLnEg