See here for the latest news and updates

• SENSE Holidays 2021

  Thu 14 Jan 2021 SENSE

  SENSE Holiday Applications are now open, but close on 7 February 2021. To access further information and application forms, please go to:

  https://www.sense.org.uk/get-support/holidays-short-breaks-and-activity-groups/sense-holidays/

   

  Application forms can be found at:

  https://app.betterimpact.com/Application/Client?OrganizationGuid=985f9388-8e43-4243-a9b5-807177d367b1

   

   

• Parent Support

  Wed 13 Jan 2021

  Two new documents have been added to our Parent Support Services list here. For details click the headings below to view a PDF file.

   

  Emergency and Ongoing help for Families

   

  Details of help that is available to all families in Birmingham during Lockdown 3, from Birmingham Children's Partnership

   

  Domestic Abuse Codeword Scheme

   

  Victims of domestic abuse will be able to use the codeword ANI in participating pharmacies (including all Boots stores and participating independent pharmacies) to let staff know that they require an emergency police response or help contacting a helpline or specialist support service. Participating pharmacies will display posters in their window and around the pharmacy to let customers know that they can approach their staff to seek help.

• Keeping Children healthy, happy, learning and entertained at home

  Tue 12 Jan 2021 Family First

                       Coronavirus: How to keep children healthy, happy, learning and entertained at home

   

  Dear Parents/Guardians,

  Here is your free e-copy of Family First magazine, packed full of information to help keep children happy, learning & entertained at home during lockdown- We hope it helps in some way.

   

  Please click on the link below:

   

  https://issuu.com/sevenstarmedia/docs/ff_issue_7_digital211220

   

  Like & follow us on

  Stay safe,

  The Family First Team

• Prime Minister’s announcement on remote education

  Mon 04 Jan 2021 Julie Fardell

  At 8pm this evening: 4 January 2021, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson announced that from tomorrow, all schools should move to remote education for all pupils except children whose parents are keyworkers and the most vulnerable. This announcement has come so late in the day that many parents will be unable to change their childcare plans for tomorrow.

   

  However, can all parents who possibly can, please keep your children at home. If this is not possible, you can send them to school where they will be supervised.

   

  Tomorrow, school staff will phone all Parents and Carers to ask you about your status as keyworkers and questions to help assess the child’s vulnerability. On this basis, we will offer places to those children who most need them. Depending on demand, we may have to offer some part-time places.

   

  From Wednesday, only those children who have been offered a specific place to attend, should come to school. Your child’s teacher will be in touch to provide information about how to access remote education. This arrangement will stay in place until further notice.

   

  These changes are not made lightly, but in line with government instructions aimed at reducing the risk of the transmission of Coronavirus.

   

   

• Update on school re-opening from 4 January 2021

  Sun 03 Jan 2021 Julie Fardell
  Dear Parents and Carers,
  The Unison union has recommended to its members that they should not attend their workplace tomorrow because of health and safety concerns (the rapid rise in COVID infections, especially the new variant strain). The NEU has also reminded members of their statutory right not to attend work if they feel the workplace in unsafe.
  GMB, NAHT.and ASCL have NOT told members to stay away from work but rather encouraged them to attend to provide schooling for vulnerable pupils and children of Keyworkers.
  The Department for Education continues to instruct Special Schools to open tomorrow for all pupils.
  Only 2 staff have so far indicated their intention not to attend tomorrow. However, we also have several staff who are still recovering from COVID or who are self-isolating because they have contracted COVID or live in a household with someone who has tested positive.
  This may lead to staff shortages and possible closures or partial closures in the future. However, for now, we are planning to open as normal.

• Arrangements for return to school on Monday 4 January 2021

  Sat 02 Jan 2021 Julie Fardell
  Happy New year everyone!

  I believe that the first few months of the new year are still going to be extremely challenging in relation to COVID. However, as the vaccines are rolled out, hopefully the rate of infection will decrease.

  In the meantime, Victoria School is open as usual from 4 January in line with instructions from the Secretary of State for Education that all Special Schools should remain open.

   

  We are also getting closer to being able to re-admit the children who require regular suctioning / nebulising. We are now awaiting final advice regarding cleaning requirements of the areas within classrooms, designated for these procedures. When this has been clarified, we will look forward to these pupils returning to school.

   

  We may receive test kits for the rollout of mass testing on Monday. However, this has not yet been confirmed. When we do receive the test kits, we need to recruit trained staff to carry out the testing, seek parental permission and set up the testing area, so mass testing will not begin immediately.

   

  Please remember that your child must not attend school if they develop COVID symptoms, are awaiting a COVID test result or if  they have been instructed by NHS Test and Trace to self isolate. If any of these apply to your child or anyone in your household, please keep them at home and contact the school office for advice.

   

  Anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, should stay at home. Please contact your child's teacher about remote education.

   

  Young people in year 7 and above who are able to wear a face mask are encouraged to wear one when moving around the communal areas of the school.

   

  Assemblies and special events will continue to be held virtually until further notice.

   

  If you are not sending your child to school because of your concerns over Coronavirus, please contact the school office to let them know.

   

  Welcome back!

• Arrangements for 4 January 2021

  Thu 17 Dec 2020 Julie Fardell

  You may be hearing / seeing speculation or announcements about some students not attending schools in the week beginning 4 January 2021. However, an official announcement from the Secretary of State for Education today states that:

   

  "Students in exam year groups, vulnerable children and children of critical workers will all attend school or college in person from the start of term, as will all students in primary, special and alternative provision schools and colleges."

   

  This means that Victoria School, Victoria College and Cherry Oak School will all be open as normal from 4 January 2021.

• Various Supports at Christmas

  Wed 16 Dec 2020 Birmingham Education Partnership (BEP)
  The number of young people and families facing different levels of vulnerability and need is higher than ever right now and with holidays there is potential for things to get worse when people miss the normal support they may rely on in term time.
  
  For Parents/Carers

  1. Urgent mental health help line:  ring 0121 262 3555 for advice and support. This line is available 24 hours, 7 days a week and can be used whether you are known to the service or not.
  2. Foodbanks: https://www.findfoodbanksbrum.org.uk/project_category/food-banks/
  3. Domestic Violence: Birmingham & Solihull Women’s Aid  www.bswaid.org
     Helpline: 0808 800 0028. Open 7 days a week 9.15am – 5.15pm (closed bank holidays)
  4. Finally, a reminder that there is a lot of other early help in the city for all young people and families.  Click here for see a whole range of offers:   Birmingham Children’s Partnership - Resources | Birmingham Children’s Partnership - Resources | Birmingham City Council

  
  For Children and Young People

  1. Kooth:  www.kooth.com  (Online chat, resources and direct help for 10-25yr olds)
  2. Pause (Mental health and emotional wellbeing support): to register and request support online via https://www.forwardthinkingbirmingham.org.uk/services/13-pause or call the registration line 0207 841 4470. 

• Pupils who require regular suctioning at school - update

  Tue 15 Dec 2020 Julie Fardell

  My apologies to the parents of children who require regular suctioning at school, that I have not recently updated you as to where we are up to in enabling these children to return to school.

   

  Initially, regular suctioning of children was deemed by Public Health England (PHE) to be an aerosol generating procedure. Therefore, these children were not permitted to return to school as if anyone of them did have COVID, there would be very substantial risk to others of airborne infection.

   

  In order to address this, Birmingham City Council (BCC) commissioned Acivico to source and install "Pods", one per child, which could be used to carry out suctions, exclusively for one child only, thus removing the risk of infection. At Victoria School, we have 13 children requiring regular suctioning. 

   

  Two pods were delivered. However, these have not been installed as the government subsequently changed its definition of what constituted an AGP and advised that children requiring suctioning could be suctioned in their classroom as long as they were 2 metres distant from other children and staff and they were by an open window.

   

  However, Birmingham Complex Care and the NHS School Nursing Service directed schools not to return these children to school until they could be assured that it was safe for the children and others in the school environment, for the suctioning to take place in the manner described. We are still awaiting confirmation from these two bodies that it would be safe for these children to return to school.

   

  Two as yet unanswered questions are whether the space used has to be cleaned after use and whether it is safe for other users of the classroom to enter the space within an hour after the suctioning has taken place.

   

  In the Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI) Unit, we do not have sufficient windows to enable the conditions to be met. However, MSI does have use of a smaller adjacent room that has a COVID-safe certificate for use by one MSI pupil per day to be suctioned there.

   

  I will keep you updated as further information is received.

• Coronavirus Testing in Schools from January 2021

  Tue 15 Dec 2020 Department for Education

  Coronavirus testing for schools and colleges from January

  Today we have announced that from January teachers and pupils will have access to rapid testing to help keep schools and colleges open throughout the spring term.

  From January, and starting with secondary schools, including all special schools and alternative provision, the education workforce will be eligible for weekly on the spot tests. This will help identify asymptomatic cases – which make up a third of all cases – limiting the spread of the virus. This will be backed up by daily testing for staff who have been in close contact with a positive case therefore eliminating the need for self-isolation; allowing them to continue to come into school or college.

  Students and pupils will be eligible for daily testing if they have been in close contact with a positive case.

  You can read the press notice and a detailed Q&A for parents, but here is a summary of the key details of the announcement:

  Teachers and pupils will have access to rapid testing from January. Staff who are in close contact with cases will be eligible for daily testing, eliminating the need for immediate self-isolation. Only if a daily test returns a positive result will the staff member need to isolate. Testing will roll out as rapidly as possible from January, starting with staff and moving quickly on to serial testing of students. It is the decision of the individual school or college when they would like to begin accessing this new dedicated testing capacity.

  Detailed operational guidance and training materials are available to secondary schools and colleges so they are able to use the new testing capacity from the first week of the spring term.