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- Message from Emma Bennett
- Early Years
- Free School Meals
- Information
- Lateral Flow Testing in Secondary and Special Schools
- Recording attendance during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak – DfE Educational Settings Status form
- Suspension of cash collections for schools
- DfE daily update
Dear Colleagues,
Happy New Year to you all! What a start it’s been and its only five days in…. I hope you all managed to get some well-deserved rest and family time over the festive period in spite of all the other things that were going on nationally. Please be assured I feel your frustrations having spent last weekend agonising over what to do on Monday to be then told last night that schools will be closed from today. We will all have very mixed emotions about the announcements, I’m sure, but we will prevail. We have been here before and we succeeded then. We can draw on the experiences over the last nine months to help us to work together for what is needed now.
Many of you have been in contact with the education officers raising good questions which have been passed on to the DfE. There are still some anomalies relating in particular to special schools and maintained nurseries which we are working through. We intend to hold engagement sessions with specific phases/stakeholders, details of the times will follow shortly.
To reiterate the national message:
During the period of national lockdown, schools, alternative provision, special schools, and colleges will remain open to vulnerable children and young people and the children of critical workers only.
All early year’s providers (including registered childminders but not including reception years in primary schools) can remain open during this period of national lockdown.
It is our expectation that children who are open to a social worker should be attending school together with other families who you or our Strengthening Families service feel would be better off in school.
As always we want to support you both in the short term in managing the changing situation, but also longer term in preparing for when we remain to all pupils. Thanks, as always to you and your staff teams for everything you are doing to support our children and young people.
Emma
Director of Children's and Adult Service
Weekly Survey for the Department for Education (DfE)
It is really important following the announcement last night that we have a accurate picture across the city of the number of children attending. Please complete the weekly survey for attendance. This will then enable us to provide the DfE with an accurate picture of the number of children accessing early years provision across the city of Wolverhampton.
The link for the survey can be found here.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Stacey Henderson
Senior Early Years Advisor
Stacey.Henderson@Wolverhampton.gov.uk
Providing FSM for pupils during Lockdown
We have received enquiries from a number of schools regarding the provision of FSM from January 5. Please find below answers to FAQ and links to relevant guidance.
For pupils attending school
During the period of national lockdown, schools should continue to provide meal options for all pupils who are in school. Meals should be available free of charge to all infant pupils and pupils who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals who are in school.
For pupils who cannot attend school due to Coronavirus
Schools should make food parcels or meals available to pupils eligible for benefits related FSM who cannot attend school due to Coronavirus, in line with Government guidance which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-and-childcare-settings-return-in-january-2021/schools-and-childcare-settings-return-in-january-2021#free-school-meals.
At the time of writing there has been no change to the guidance above in light of the Prime Minister’s announcement on January 4.
Food parcels must be distributed in line with guidance on social distancing at all times. During the national lockdown, families can continue collecting parcels where appropriate social distancing measures are in place.
Further FSM guidance, including details of what food parcels should and should not contain, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools
What to do if you cannot provide food parcels
If your catering services cannot arrange for food parcels or meals to be offered to eligible pupils you are advised to contact CWC Catering Services who may be able to assist for weekly food hampers being delivered direct to schools, subject to final confirmation of numbers and agreed delivery point at the school.
The Covid Winter Grant Fund
At the moment, the Covid Winter Grant Fund mentioned in the guidance is being used to provide support to families with children who are at risk of food poverty (including some families whose children have a benefits related FSM claim in place) over the winter school holidays only (Christmas and February half term) in Wolverhampton.
The National Voucher Scheme
At the time of writing there has been no announcement that the National Voucher Scheme will resume.
Additional costs incurred due to the provision of food parcels
The question regarding a possible extension to the Exceptional Costs Grant has been put to the DfE. We will continue to update you with regard to this.
Lead person(s) to contact in the LA:
Freeschoolmeals@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Laura.jude@wolverhampton.gov.uk
National Tutoring Programme – Tuition Partners in Wolverhampton
Schools interested in accessing tutoring for pupils through the National Tutoring Programme are advised that they can now search for tuition partners here: Find a tuition partner | NTP | NTP (nationaltutoring.org.uk).
There are currently 20 NTP approved tuition partners operational in Wolverhampton. To find out more about them and how your school can access tutoring visit the webpage above.
Please direct any queries directly to the National Tutoring Programme via info@nationaltutoring.org.uk
Find a tuition partner | NTP | NTP (nationaltutoring.org.uk).
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Laura Jude
Disadvantaged Pupils Advisory Teacher
Laura.jude@wolverhampton.gov.uk
The LA cannot answer questions about NTP partners or the application processes of the NTP. Please directly contact the NTP via info@nationaltutoring.org.uk with queries of this nature.
Reminder: Digital Divide Pupil Questionnaire – How schools can request raw response data
Schools who issued the CWC Digital Divide Pupil Questionnaire can request raw response data.
Please email Laura Jude for more information.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Laura Jude
Disadvantaged Pupils Advisory Teacher
Laura.jude@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Lateral Flow Testing in Secondary and Special Schools
The government recently announced the intention to introduce lateral flow testing into secondary and special schools. Work is underway in schools and in partnership with the city council to prepare test centres and to train the centre staff in the required processes.
We have not been advised that the rollout of testing is to halt. We are therefore advising that current plans continue.
An update will be sent to schools this week to advise on latest guidance etc.
Lead person to contact in LA:
Bill Hague
Head of School Business and Support
Bill.hague@wolverhampton.gov.uk
07771836958
Recording attendance during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak – DfE Educational Settings Status form
Please see update from DfE below:
Educational setting status
From 5 January 2021, please note that educational settings do not need to complete the Educational setting status form. We are in the process of updating the form to reflect the changes as per the Prime Minister's announcement on 4 January 2021. We will provide further instruction shortly on when educational settings should resume completing this form.
https://form.education.gov.uk/service/educational-setting-status
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Donna Evison
Research & Assessment Manager
Donna.evison@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Suspension of cash collections for schools
Following the announcement last night from the Government, we do appreciate that you are still operating under the key workers guidance but the need to collect cash may now be minimal and therefore all current scheduled collections for schools have been suspended until further notice.
If you feel a further collection is required or indeed your normal collections need to be maintained please can you advise banking@wolverhampton.gov.uk as soon as possible please.
These measures are being taken to prevent unnecessary risk to you and to the drivers supporting this contract.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Sara Youles
Operations Manager - Payments & Banking
01902 551442
Sara.Youles@wolverhampton.gov.uk
4 January – Coronavirus – Daily update to all early years, children’s social care, schools and further education providers - click here or here (EY).
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