See here for the latest news and updates

• Victoria School opening to a small number of vulnerable children and children of keyworkers on 27 April 2020

  Thu 23 Apr 2020 Julie Fardell

  Thank you to all parents and carers who responded to phone calls from class teachers earlier this week. For the vast majority of pupils, parents are able to follow the government advice that says the safest place for children to be is at home and that is where they should stay. For a small number of our pupils though (<10%), it is safer for them to be at school or their parent/s are keyworkers and need for their child to be cared for to enable them to go to work.

  For those parents who have had a phone call from Pastoral Care Lead, Di Tate, confirming they have a place at school next week, please remember to send in:

  Any medications that must be administered during the day, asthma inhalers, nappies/pads, thickener (if used) and anything else that your child will need throughout the day.

   

  The school day is 9am to 3pm.

   

  There will be no nurses or enteral feeders present.

   

  The curriculum will not be delivered. This programme provides safe care for your child.

   

  Your child may be with different peers and staff, and may be in a different classroom to usual.

   

  The Snoezelen Room, soft play and hydrotherapy pool will not be in use.

   

  We will try as far as possible to maintain social distancing but this will not be possible during personal care, feeding and positioning. 

   

  Staff will be wearing personal protective equipment  (PPE) during these activities where social distancing cannot be achieved. We have supplies of disposable gloves and aprons, S1 disinfectant spray and sanitising hand gel. We have ordered face masks which should arrive on Wednesday 29/4/2020.

   

  Your child will have his/her temperature taken at school using a non-contact thermometer. (The thermometer)should arive on Wednesday 29/4/2020)

   

  Children with symptoms of COVID-19 must not attend.

   

  Children who have had a letter from the government saying that they are in the extremely vulnerable category and should stay at home for 12 weeks must not attend.

   

  Pupils living in a household where someone else has COVID-19 symptoms must remain at home for at least 14 days.

   

  Lunch will be provided as normal.

   

• What to do if your child needs to return to school

  Fri 17 Apr 2020 Julie Fardell

  First of all, a big thank you to all parents who have been keeping their children safe at home to protect them and to limit the spread of Coronavirus in the community.

  On Monday and Tuesday, you will receive a call from your child's teacher to ask you about 3 things:

  1. Home Learning - is the amount of work just right / too much / too little? Are you able to access the learning resources on our website?

  2. Have you downloaded the website App yet? If not, please do so as this will  help you to keep up to date with all new information posted on the website.

  3. Does your child need yo return to school because they are vulnerable and therefore safer at school than at home or because their parent/s are keyworkers essential to the Coronavirus response and therefore unable to care for them safely at home.
   

  We are able to re-open the school from 27 April 2020, to a small number of pupils if they are vulnerable and would be safer at school than at home or if the parents are keyworkers critical to the Coronavirus response and cannot arrange alternative care at home. 

   

  Please remember that government advice is still that if the child can be safely cared for at home, then this is where they should stay. 

   

  Children with any symptoms of COVID-19 must stay at home for at least 7 days and while symptoms persist.

   

  Children living in a household where anyone else has symptoms must stay at home for at least 14 days.

   

  Children who have received a letter from the government identifying them as clinically vulnerable because of underlying health conditions must remain at home for 12 weeks.

   

  Because of the personal care and positioning  needs of children at Victoria, it will not be possible to achieve "social distancing" of 2 metres.

   

  The school nurses have currently been deployed to other NHS roles. We do not know whether there will be any school nurses or enteral feeders available.

   

  Please make sure you take the call from your child's teacher when they ring so we can gain a clear picture of the level of need for Victoria School pupils to return to school. 

   

  If at any other time, you feel your circumstances have changed and your child needs to return to school, please leave a message on the school voicemail 0121 476 9478 or email enquiries@victoria.bham.sch.uk.

   

   

   

   

   

• Mental Health Support for 11-25 year olds

  Tue 14 Apr 2020 Julie fardell

  Through the Summer term,  the vast majority of pupils will continue to be learning at home. Encouragingly Birmingham Children’s Partnership will be laying out their growing offer of local and city-wide COVID-19 support for children and families, beginning today with Kooth.
  
  Kooth is being provided now as a free, safe and anonymous service to support young people’s emotional and mental health in Birmingham. Because young people have suddenly had exams cancelled, transition arrangements thrown up in the air and are dealing with the impact of COVID-19 on their loved ones this is important. The new service was successfully launched yesterday for young people from year 6, aged 11 up to 25. The full offer, including online self-referral can be accessed at www.kooth.com.
  Kooth is linked into the wider mental health support from Forward Thinking Birmingham and offers:

  • Online mental health counselling and chat services from midday to 10pm during the week, and 6pm to 10pm at weekends
  • Peer to peer support through moderated discussion forums
  • Self-care tools and resources to build resilience
  • Early response to and identification of emotional wellbeing and mental health problems
  • And there are no waiting lists, referrals or thresholds to access the service

• De-escalating behaviour

  Wed 08 Apr 2020 Julie Fardell

  Many of us feel very anxious in the current situation. Our children are no different. Sometimes they find it hard to tell us that they feel anxious. Instead they might act out or present with distressed behaviours that we find challenging. 

   

  Our Federation partner school, Cherry Oak school , has some useful resources about this on their website under the Pupils/Home Learning Tab. Go to www.cherryoak@bham.gov.uk to take a look at a social story about staying at home and some videos on de-escalation techniques.

   

• A Coronavirus Storybook

  Tue 07 Apr 2020 Julie Fardell

  Here is an illustrated storybook for children, about Coronavirus. You may have to simplify some of the language for younger or less able children, but we encourage you to read it with your children to help them better understand what Coronavirus is, why they need to stay at home at the moment and what they can do to help stop the spread of the virus. It also helps them to understand that it is ok to feel bored, angry, sad or anxious. This really is a book to read together as a whole family. Copy the following link into your browser to open the story:

  https://nosycrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Coronavirus_INSwith-cover.pdf

   

   

• Staying mentally well during the Coronavirus Pandemic - Resources for adults and children

  Mon 06 Apr 2020 Jlie Fardell

  Two Free Courses to Support You During the Coronavirus Pandemic

   

  We’ve developed two free courses to support you at this time:

   

  • COVID19 – Staying Mentally Well – which walks you through simple steps you can take to try to look after your emotional wellbeing
     
  • Simple Self-Soothe Strategies – which introduces you to five simple strategies for relaxation and self-soothing which can be used by adults or children.

• Confirmed case of COVID-19

  Fri 03 Apr 2020 Julie Fardell
  We have learned today that a pupil at Victoria School has tested positive for COVID-19. The child was last in school on 17 March and was confirmed with COVID-19 on 31 March. The child is now at home in self-isolation. Birmingham City Council Education, the Department for Education and Public Health England have been informed. PHE advice is that no further action is necessary. DfE advice was to advise contacts who should follow government guidance if they have any symptoms. The period from 17-31 March does account for the 14 day isolation period for contacts of people with symptoms - the pupil was not at school during this period and will be absent from school for a minimum of a further 3 weeks since diagnosis, so the risk to others is minimal.

• Free School Meals - National Department for Education Scheme - Information for Parents

  Fri 03 Apr 2020 Julie Fardell

  National Free School Voucher Scheme

   

  The National Free School Meal Voucher Scheme is now in the process of being set up, once we have collated parent emails for those pupils who are eligible by benefit-related free school meals, parents will start to receive weekly E-Codes which will be sent to their chosen email address they provided to school.

  When you receive your 16 digit E-Code, you will need to access www.freeschoolmeals.co.uk to choose your preferred supermarket E-Gift card which will be worth £15.00. You will not be able to use the E-Code directly with retailers, it must be exchanged for an E-Gift card.

  Parent & Carer FAQ’s

  How do I use my E-code to select a supermarket E-Gift Card?

  1. Copy the code from your email
  2. Go to www.freeschoolmeals.co.uk
  3. Enter the 16 digit E-Code (you can enter more than one if you have more than one to redeem)
  4. Select your preferred supermarket
  5. Enter the amount and add to basket
  6. Checkout and enter the email address you would like the E-Gift card sent to
  7. Your E-Gift card will be processed and sent (please allow up to 3 hours for it to be delivered to your inbox)

  What Supermarkets can I pick from?

  • Morrisons
  • Tesco
  • Sainsbury’s
  • Asda
  • Waitrose (John Lewis)
  • M&S Food

  How do I know what the value of the E-Code is?

  The value will be stated in the email sent to you by school. This has been set at £15.00 per week for one child. If you have two children attending school you may receive one E-Code at £30.00 or two E-Codes at £15.00

  Do I have to use the full value of the E-Code when choosing my E-Gift card?

  Yes, your balance will be visible on the webpage

  Can I choose to redeem my E-Code at more than one supermarket?

  1. Yes you can mix and match different supermarket retailers within the same order provided that the total you have chosen for each is equal to the value of the E-Code you have entered. For example, a £15.00 E-Code, you could choose £10.00 Tesco and £5.00 Sainsbury’s
  2. Simply enter the value you would like to order on each supermarket E-Gift card and your balance will update automatically

  How long do I have to redeem the E-Code? And what happens if my E-Code has expired?

  1. Your E-Code will expire after 1 month
  2. If your E-Code has expired, it will be cancelled and the money associated is then returned to the Department of Education

  What can I purchase in-store with the E-Gift Card?

  The E-Gift card is issued to you in respect of the Free School Meal benefit and will only be accepted for the purchase of food and groceries

  How do I use a supermarket E-Gift card?

  1. A supermarket E-Gift card is a digital voucher. It contains a link to a barcode which can be presented at the till in-store on a smartphone screen or printed piece of paper
  2. Some E-Gift cards can be used to purchase online groceries please see the table below:

   

  My School has ordered an E-Code for me, but is hasn’t come through to my email?

  1. Check your Junk / Spam / Clutter mail
  2. If this still hasn’t arrived within 3 hours, please contact us via enquiries@victoria.bham.sch.uk
  3.  We can cancel the previously sent E-Code and resend to your correct email address

  I have ordered an E-Gift Card and it hasn’t come through to my Email?

  1. Check your Junk / Spam / Clutter mail
  2. You will receive two emails – one will be a confirmation order and the second email will be the E-Code. If your order confirmation email has arrived, then your E-Card is in a queue and is on its way.
  3. If you have received neither emails, it is possible that you have entered your email address incorrectly at checkout. If you think this maybe the case, please contact freeschoolmealsparentscarers@edenred.com

  I am not able to get to the supermarket?

  You can forward the supermarket E-Gift card to someone else to purchase goods on your behalf if you are unable to get to the supermarket. The E-Gift card email contains a link to a barcode which can be presented at the till in-store.

• Free School Meal Vouchers and Easter Planning

  Thu 02 Apr 2020 Julie Fardell

  Dear parents and carers,

  The Senior Leadership team has today been working hard to set up the new scheme for FSM vouchers for eligible families. We seem to have had success at last in securing the e-vouchers and will get the posted vouchers out as soon as possible.

  Thank you to all families for your endeavours to keep your children safe at home, especially given that many of them come into the category of being especially clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 because of their underlying health conditions. For all people in this category, the advice is to self-isolate for 4 months.

   

  You have all told us that you are able to keep your children safe at home throughout the Easter break. There continue to be lots of great activity and learning ideas on the school website, if you are looking for educational activities to keep your youngsters busy during the Easter holiday. Many museums, zoos and other organisations have also posted educational information and activities too, so do make use of them. Also remember that you have access to Twinkl and Education City.

   

  We will review the situation on school opening after Easter, based on the needs of vulnerable children who might be safer at school than at home, and the children of workers classified as essential to the Coronavirus response , who are unable to make other arrangements for care.

   

  This is a strange new Coronavirus-dominated world and it is our collective responsibility to reduce the spread of infection through staying at home, not engaging in non-essential travel, respecting social distancing, self-isolating as recommended and shielding the vulnerable from exposure to the virus. AND we must all continue to wash our hands frequently, for at least 20 seconds with soap and hot water.

   

  Many people find this a very anxious time. We understand that you may be under real pressure with the children at home whilst trying to do your jobs, perhaps remotely, and potentially caring for  and shielding other vulnerable relatives or neighbours. Unfortunately, some of you will be poorly yourselves, and this makes it a stressful time. Do please take time to rest, relax, eat well, exercise moderately and engage in fun activities. Keep your social connections alive by phone and internet and seek help if you need it. You can still contact the school if you need to and we will be in touch  with you to determine need after Easter. This will certainly be a very different easter holiday, but you can still think about Easter Egg hunts at home, making Easter decorations, baking hot cross buns or having a picnic in the garden. I hope you all find ways to make it enjoyable.

• Mental health support offer launched for Birmingham and Solihull children, young people, adults and key workers

  Thu 02 Apr 2020 NHS

  Dear colleagues

   

  As you will be aware, the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic will be having a range of impacts on local people’s mental health and wellbeing.

   

  We are responding to this by setting out a support offer for our local population.

   

  There is dedicated support available for:

  ·         0-18 year olds in Birmingham

  ·         0-19 year olds in Solihull

  ·         18+ years old in Birmingham and Solihull

  ·         Key workers in Birmingham and Solihull

   

  Support for each of the groups will be available first and foremost through a dedicated telephone line. Full information about how to access the support, including opening hours etc., is available here: www.birminghamandsolihullccg.nhs.uk/your-health/mental-health-support-offer

   

  If you have any questions about this, please contact NHS Birmingham and Solihull CCG at: nhsbsolccg.jointcommissioningteam@nhs.net

   

  Please share this information with your contacts and networks, as appropriate.

   

  Many thanks for your co-operation, at this challenging time.  

   

  NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group