coronvirus-letter-to-parents-12th-march-2020

​SHERBORNE PRIMARY SCHOOL Harbour Way Sherborne Dorset DT9 4AJ Telephone 01935 812619 Fax 01935 817943 e-mail ​office@sherbornepri.dorset.sch.uk Website ​www.sherbornepri.dorset.sch.uk

Headteacher: Mr Ian Bartle BA Ed (Hons) NPQH

Coronavirus Update - Letter to Parents / Carers Thursday 12th March 2020 Dear Parents / Carers, I am writing to update all of our Sherborne Primary School community with the latest information and advice re the National & Global Coronavirus situation.

The School is monitoring the ongoing and developing situation regarding the Coronavirus, Covid-19. The situation is constantly evolving and we are taking a pragmatic approach to this complex picture; following the advice of Public Health England (PHE) in conjunction with the Department of Education (DfE), to ensure we protect our whole community, including pupils and staff.

We need to be prepared, whilst remaining calm and continuing with our daily lives as much as possible. We recognise the challenges that schools face, particularly those with vulnerable pupils, and our approach is designed to ensure continuity of service wherever possible, with the resources available to us.

The wellbeing of our school community is paramount in our minds and all staff are available to talk with pupils and to try to allay any concerns or anxiety over the outbreak.

There are currently ​no pupils or staff​ at Sherborne Primary School who are suspected to have or have been tested for or are suffering from Coronavirus.

With regards to the Easter holidays, we continue to monitor the possibility that things might change at the last minute as a result of restrictions in the UK or another country. In the case of any families planning international travel during the Easter holidays parents must understand the impact should it then not be possible for their child to return to the UK/school at the start of the summer term, or be required to self-isolate away from school. If your family will be travelling outside of the UK please inform the school as soon as possible.

Sherborne Area Schools’ Trust is a company limited by guarantee, Registered in England with Company number 08130468 Registered office: Bristol Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4EQ

​SHERBORNE PRIMARY SCHOOL Harbour Way Sherborne Dorset DT9 4AJ Telephone 01935 812619 Fax 01935 817943 e-mail ​office@sherbornepri.dorset.sch.uk Website ​www.sherbornepri.dorset.sch.uk

Headteacher: Mr Ian Bartle BA Ed (Hons) NPQH

We continue to appreciate the cooperation of all parents, for which the school is especially grateful at what is a difficult and anxious time. The school has also put together a critical incident plan specifically addressing scenarios connected with the need to close the school, place pupils or staff in isolation etc. However, the current advice remains: ​no school should close unless advised by PHE. Part of our strategy if PHE / government does request that all schools (or Sherborne Primary itself) to close, we will be utilising our range of remote learning possibilities. These include using our online messaging & communication systems such as: Class Dojo: ​https://www.classdojo.com/en-gb/ Our web-site: ​http://www.sherbornepri.dorset.sch.uk/ Facebook Page: ​https://www.facebook.com/Sherborne-Primary-School-117470595583006/ We would ​strongly recommend that everyone ensures they can access the above sites.

If the school does have to close linked to the above advice, this would also mean SCAPA would close.

Personal hygiene is the most important way we can tackle Coronavirus, especially ​washing hands​ more; and the​ ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’​ strategy for those with coughs and sneezes. We ask that parents help us in sharing these simple and effective hand hygiene messages and actively practice with the children. If your child has a ​temperature or is feeling unwell​ please can your child remain at home (which is our usual protocol).

The school will continue to monitor the situation and update policy as official advice changes.

For anyone needing more information, the Department for Education has launched a new helpline to answer questions about Coronavirus related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows: Phone: 0800 046 8687

Sherborne Area Schools’ Trust is a company limited by guarantee, Registered in England with Company number 08130468 Registered office: Bristol Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4EQ

​SHERBORNE PRIMARY SCHOOL Harbour Way Sherborne Dorset DT9 4AJ Telephone 01935 812619 Fax 01935 817943 e-mail ​office@sherbornepri.dorset.sch.uk Website ​www.sherbornepri.dorset.sch.uk

Headteacher: Mr Ian Bartle BA Ed (Hons) NPQH

Email: ​DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk​ / Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday) Useful links / Updates on COVID-19 coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response Travel advice for those travelling and living overseas: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus If you have questions regarding this information do not hesitate to contact myself using the details above.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Bartle (Headteacher)

Sherborne Area Schools’ Trust is a company limited by guarantee, Registered in England with Company number 08130468 Registered office: Bristol Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4EQ