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

• Update from Mr Lacey - CEO of DSAT

  Mon 30 Mar 2020
  

• Links to help support your child to safely use online learning tools

  Mon 30 Mar 2020
  
  Dear Parents

   

  I hope that you all continue to be well.

   

  Please find attached, a set of links which will help you to support your children to safely use online learning tools. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us through our usual email addresses.

   

  With very best wishes

   

  Mrs Barnett 
   

  • Internet matters - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online
  • London Grid for Learning - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online
  • Net-aware - for support for parents and carers from the NSPCC
  • Parent info - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online
  • Thinkuknow - for advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online
  • UK Safer Internet Centre - advice for parents and carers

   

   

  Mrs Carys Barnett

  Headteacher

   

  Tel: 01308 862201

  E-mail: headteacher@beaminsterstmarys.dsat.org.uk

   

  Where children come first; belonging and building together

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• Update from Mrs Barnett - 27th March 2020

  Fri 27 Mar 2020
  Dear Parents/Carers, 

   

  As we come to the end of the first week of the children being at home, I wanted to write to you, to let you know that as a team, we are thinking of you all and to remind you that you can contact us at any time, through the teacher's email addresses, my email address or through the Office email address. 

   

  The teachers have been busy responding to emails, please do keep them coming, we are really enjoying hearing about what the children have been doing, as well as offering any support that you may need. 

   

  We have also been using this time, and will continue to do so, to focus on our curriculum development and we are producing some very exciting plans, ready for when we return to school.

   

  The home learning packs which the children were given, before they left, should, in theory, take them up until the Easter. After Easter, the class teachers will be updating the class website pages, once a week, to set a mini project or task, which can be easily achieved at home. The children have also been given Mathsletics and Reading Eggs logins, the teachers will be checking these weekly and assigning new activities once they can see that a child has completed the work. 

   

  Please do not hesitate to make contact with us if you have any questions, concerns or if you'd just like to say `hello`. As i mentioned above, we would really like to hear from you. 

   

  Please take the very best of care

   

  With best wishes

   

  Carys 

   

  Mrs Carys Barnett

  Headteacher

   

   

  
   

• Thank you

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers 

   

  I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you all, for your incredible patience and understanding today. It certainly hasn’t been a straightforward day and we have worked hard to try to accommodate everyone’s requirements, whilst ensuring that we support staff and their families to stay safe in these uncertain times. 

   

  As you are all aware, we are unsure of when the schools will reopen. As set out in Mr Griffith’s letter, we will make sure that communication takes place regularly, regarding the children’s learning and I will of course keep you updated with any developments with regards to the school reopening. 

   

  It is therefore left for me to say, thank you for all of your continued support throughout these unique times, it is greatly appreciated. Please stay safe and look after yourselves!

   

  With very best wishes

  Mrs C Barnett 

  Headteacher

• Urgent Coronavirus Update

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

  CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: KEY WORKERS

  Dear Parents/Carers, 

  As the Government continues to roll out its strategy to push back the coronavirus pandemic, it has now required all schools to close after today (Friday).

  As a school, we wholeheartedly understand that this may pose significant financial and logistical difficulties for many of our families, however, it is important that our school community understands and is fully supportive of the fact this school closure is in place to significantly reduce the risk of the COVID-19 virus spreading by allowing social distancing to take place. 

  The Government has asked schools, where they can, to remain central in its plan to manage this complicated situation.  

  We will be rising to that challenge and are now focusing our positive energy on ensuring provision is in place for the pupils who need it. This means that, after Friday, it is the government’s expectation that the majority of pupils will be at home. A small number of pupils will be invited into school for an offer of childcare. The guidance is very clear:

  “Schools are, therefore, being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children - children who are vulnerable and children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home.

  Vulnerable children include children who are supported by social care, those with safeguarding and welfare needs, including child in need plans, on child protection plans, ‘looked after’ children, young carers, disabled children and those with education, health and care (EHC) plans.”

   

  Key Workers:

  Health and social care

  This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

  Education and childcare

  This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.

  Key public services

  This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

  Local and national government

  This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms-length bodies.

  Food and other necessary goods

  This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).

  Public safety and national security

  This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.

  Transport

  This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

  Utilities, communication and financial services

  This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

  If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.

  Parents/carers will need to tell us urgently, by no later than 1pm today, if they consider that the adult(s) in their child’s home are key workers and if there is not provision to safely care for them. Therefore, there is a need for their child to be looked after by the school.  Please send an email to the School Office email address: office@beaminsterstmarys.dsat.org.uk in order to request a place at school during the next week. Please include all relevant, qualifying information about your key worker status when you book: Key worker category, job title and place of work. Please also provide details of working patterns which would normally fall between school opening times, to that we can gauge what level of childcare provision is required. 

  Schools will then contact parents/carers on Friday afternoon to explain the arrangements for bringing your child into school next week. Please note that parents/carers should not bring their children to school from next week unless they have been explicitly invited to do so. Parents/carers should note that this ‘minimal service’ provided from Monday - it is to ensure that, first and foremost, those children attending school are cared for and most importantly, it allows ‘key worker’ parents and carers to attend work.

  Please understand that although the school is committed to supporting the provision of these key groups of children, it is also working hard to limit and reduce the opportunity for the further spread of this infection. This also includes protecting the health and welfare of our own staff and their families.

   

  We are reliant on everyone adhering to the strict guidance in this letter: those pupils of working key workers who cannot be safely cared for at home.

   

  Attached to this letter is a guide with additional information for parents/carers.

   

  If you have any questions, please contact the school and we will be happy to help.

   

  Your support and on-going communication is appreciated in these difficult circumstances. Thank you.

   

  Please stay safe and keep well.

   

  With best wishes

   

  Mrs Barnett 

• Update message from Mrs Barnett

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

   

  Dear Parents/Carers,

   

  Schools were given the guidance for School Closure at midnight! Therefore, along with our Trust, I will be finalising our offer of childcare provision, this morning and notifying all parents, by email, as soon as possible today.

   

  Thank you for your continued support.

   

  With best wishes 

   

  Mrs Barnett 

   

• Local Food Links Update

  Thu 19 Mar 2020

  Dear Parents,

   

  Following on from last night’s announcement that schools will be partially closing from this Friday (20th March), we would like to reassure you that, due to these unprecedented times, we will be refunding meals with less than 7 days’ notice, but may need your help with this.

   

  If your child receives free school meals you do not need to do anything.

   

  If you pay for your child’s meals please log on and cancel as many of your child’s meals as possible and then email support@localfoodlinks.org.uk and ask us to cancel Mon 23rd, Tues 24th and Wed 25th for you. Please let us know your child’s name, school and your contact details. You can cancel your meals by clicking on the black ‘Cancel’ button. Please then check in ‘View’ that the meals have been cancelled. This should automatically generate a credit which you can use when you next place orders.

   

  *If you pay for your child’s meals and we placed them after an issue with Paypal, please email support@localfoodlinks.org.uk in the first instance. 

   

  If you haven’t already signed up for our email reminders you can do that by clicking hereand you can follow us on Facebook by clicking here.

   

  Thank you for your patience in these difficult times.

   

  Take care everyone.

   

  Local Food Links 

   

   

   

• Message for Mrs Barnett

  Thu 19 Mar 2020
  Dear Parents/Carers, 

   

  As you are most likely aware, the Government made an announcement last night, to say that all school's in England will be closed from tomorrow. However, childcare provision will be put in place for the children of key workers and support will be provided to children who have an EHCP or who are deemed vulnerable.

   

  All schools are waiting (as patiently as possible) for clarification, from the Government, on which roles fall into the `key workers` category. Once we have that information, we will ascertain which of our parents that applies to and then we will know what level of childcare and support we need to offer.

   

  Whilst we are waiting for the clarification of this information, as a school we have done the following:

   

  1) Written a draft provision plan 

  2) Created learning packs for all of the children, which will come home with them today. If your child is currently off, these packs will be sent in the post.

  3) Planned online activities through Reading Eggs and Mathletics and the class website pages - a more detailed letter will be emailed out tomorrow. 

   

  We are doing everything possible to support our children and their families, whilst also supporting the families of our staff members.

   

  Thank you for your continued support and understanding at this time.

   

  With very best wishes

   

  Mrs C Barnett 

   

  Mrs Carys Barnett

  Headteacher

   

  Tel: 01308 862201

  E-mail: headteacher@beaminsterstmarys.dsat.org.uk

   

  
   

• Letter for CEO about School Closure

  Thu 19 Mar 2020