Update for parents and carers: Monday 11th January 2021

We continue to operate within full national lockdown guidelines.

It follows the UK’s chief medical officers and NHS England’s medical director recommendation that the UK Covid alert level should move up to level five, the highest possible, after warning that they were “not confident that the NHS can handle a further sustained rise in cases’ (Monday 4th January 2021)

Our thoughts and prayers are with all who are unwell with Covid 19. We pray for the families of those who have lost their lives. We pray for our NHS and Social Care workers, who are battling hard to preserve life and to keep us all safe.

School remains fully operational throughout this period of lockdown, with all available staff without the appropriate exemptions, in school and carrying on with essential work to support our school and wider community. Colleagues, who cannot be in work through exemption, will be following their full working patterns from home.

Children of key workers and children identified by school as most benefiting from being in are following a fully taught curriculum. Please contact school if you feel that your child needs the support of being in school due to circumstances including difficulties in accessing online teaching etc. There are no limits on the numbers of places we can offer in school to children with these particular circumstances. We are delighted to welcome our youngsters into school.

All pupils and families will receiving a ‘Keeping in Touch’ (KIT) phone call’ at some point during this fortnight. A member of staff will contact you to ensure that all is well and to offer any additional support that may be required. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you to all who attended school to collect paper based resources and guidance for online learning programme on Tuesday 5th January. Close to 100% of all essential materials have now been collected. It is important to note that our rationale for home and remote learning is to provide a ‘mix’ of learning opportunities to ensure that all children are supported. Through providing a ’mix’ and range of learning opportunities, we are determined to ensure that no child is left behind academically, socially and emotionally because of this latest lockdown.

Additional work and resources are available for collection on Friday 22nd January. It is our intention to provide a special stationary and ‘goodie’ bag

to all pupils to support with their learning. Specific timings and venues will be scheduled for each year group to support with safety and efficiency in distribution. Further details to be sent via text message during the coming week.

If for whatever circumstance, work cannot be collected such as your family is isolating, please contact School Reception and we will arrange postage or delivery. It is vitally important that these resources be obtained, in order to ensure that no child at Holy Trinity is left behind.

We are delighted with the implementation of our ambition to equip all pupils with their own laptop device to support with remote and home learning. We are closing to achieving this ambition. Please contact school should your child require a device. In addition, we have acquired a number of ‘4G dongles’ that we can provide to families with no internet access other than that provided by a phone, or where internet has an inconsistent connection. Please contact School Reception if you wish to be allocated with a ‘4G dongle’.

We are awaiting clarification on whether families eligible for free school meals will be provided with food vouchers during this next 6-week period. In the meantime, a food parcel / lunch is available for collection from school from 11 – 12 each day. School will provide pupils with at least their full entitlement of a £2.50 school lunch each day.

Mass testing is a huge administrative and logistical task that we are currently planning to ensure its full effectiveness and safety for all. When successful, it will enhance the robust health and safety protocols that are already in school to keep staff and pupils safe. I am delighted to announce that Holy Trinity will be carrying out asymptomatic Covid testing during this week with teachers and pupils in school all eligible to consent to receive a test.

As we progress in this New Year together, we must be mindful that our continued collaboration and strong working partnership is the only way in which we can overcome the challenges that are faced.

Our school mission has been strengthened during this pandemic, which is to provide all of our pupils with an excellent education, to support them in achieving absolutely anything that they set their ambition for. There are ‘no limits’ to what can be achieved in our school.

With a new strain of Covid19 evidenced to be more highly transmissible, we must continue to take all proactive and preventative measures to ensure the safety of

all. If your child or any of the household are displaying any of the main symptoms of Covid19, such as a new or continuous cough, a high temperature or fever, a loss or change to taste or smell, you are expected to stay at home, isolate and to seek a test.

Please look out for further information via text message, pupil email, ‘Microsoft Teams’ messages or updates to this website.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mr Crehan