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

Please click a headline to read more.

• Suggestions For Home Learning

  Wed 20 May 2020

  Our parents and carers know our teachers are in regular contact with families to listen, offer advice and support home learning based on what parents/carers want.

   

  We have updated the website. Please have a look by clicking Parent/Family Links and then Homework (Extended Support). We have added many things and links to a range of websites that might be useful. All our pupils are different and if you want to explore what might be useful with the class teacher then please do so.

   

   

  Kind regards all

   

  Heather

   

• Questions about special schools and plans going forward

  Wed 20 May 2020

  Hi all

   

  We are sending all our best of wishes in what we know continues to be challenging times.

   

  We know that there is confusion and uncertainty about schools and plans for the future.

   

  in terms of the current position, we want to re-affirm that we are highly committed to supporting our families that have their children at home and also the pupils who are attending school (linked to Key Workers and most vulnerable needing support for safe-guarding). For the pupils who are in school, current provision has many measures in place to try to reduce the risks of transmission of COVID 19. We have worked with local Public Health and Health and Safety within a risk assessment that does limit the numbers of pupils we have on site and the way in which we work with pupils.

   

  The government has produced guidance for mainstream schools with the aim that some set year groups will gp back to school. The government outlined certain conditions that need to be met for this to happen and issued guidance to the mainstream schools to help them prepare for this. The mainstream schools have to ensure they consider and minimise risks. The guidance is clear that parents do not have to send their children at this stage into school with no fines or loss of place.

   

  We know our parents are keen to know what the position is for special schools. There is no requirement for all pupils with an EHCP to be in school and the government has made some changes to the law in relation to EHCP's as a temporary measure due to this situation. Special schools have been asked to consider how to increase their numbers over time with consideration for how to minimise transmission of COVID 19. Further Government guidance to support this process for special schools has NOT yet been issued. We are hoping to receive this before the end of this month.

   

  In the meantime, we are working hard to explore what could be put in place going forward and we will then review when we receive the guidance from the government. We will have support from local Health and Safety and Public Health and the Local Authority. This will clearly take some time but only because all of us have the interests of the pupils, their families and staff at the heart of all we do.

   

  We do not at this stage therefore have any more definite information but would like to reassure all of our commitment.

   

  In the meantime, teachers will continue to be in regular contact with our families. We have put on some more things on the Home Work page that  families may find useful.

   

  Sending all our best of wishes

   

  The Bridge School

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• New CV symptom added

  Tue 19 May 2020
  There has been a new symptom added to the Coronavirus list of symptoms - loss, or change to, your sense of smell or taste. See NHS guidance below.

  

• PODS Big Little Cook

  Mon 18 May 2020

  Please see message and accompanying pictures/downloads below from PODS.

   

  "Are you doing any baking with the children during the Lockdown? Would you like a beautiful Keepsake? We have joined forces with Little Big Cooks to encourage families to get baking in the kitchen during the Lockdown. Baking with children brings many positives, such as learning a life skill, becoming familiar with different types of food, textures, tastes and smells, helps with bonding and builds lasting memories. We would love to produce a PODS 2020 recipe book with your help. All you need to do to get involved is bake anything you like, this could be a dinner, starter or cake etc. Record the ingredients and method on the sheet we will provide you with and finally grab some photos. Finished books will be available to purchase at a cost of £5, these normally retail at £15 but we have some funding to subsidise the cost. Please contact elaine@podstelford.org or message the page if you are interested."

  

• Sharing Bridge pupils home experiences and learning on our website

  Sun 17 May 2020

  Some parents and carers have asked to share with other pupils and families, the lovely things their children/ our pupils have been doing at home over the last few weeks.  If any parents want to send in photo's, please be aware that the website is accessible to anyone/anywhere. Below are details if parents/carers do want to do this and also some guidelines.

   

  • Parents  can send a photo of the activity that their young person has being doing at home to this email address bridge.websitephotos@taw.org.uk. Please ensure that you clearly state on your email: This image is for the School Website and I understand it can be accessed by anyone publically. I give permission for it to be on the Bridge School Website.
  • Parents have said they want to share images of paintings, writing, baking, water/sensory play etc or new things they have been able to do.
  • Parents should consider backgrounds and there should be no personal information accessible in the photo.
  • All photos will all be checked to ensure that they are ok to put on the website and also that they are ok in terms of the resolution when they are uploaded.
  • A caption should be sent in with the photo/s to provide context.
  • Child's first name only may be included e.g. Charlie making cakes.
  • If photos are being taken on a phone then please use landscape.
  • Max of 1-2 images a week

   

  It is our aim that photos that parents email to bridge.websitephotos@taw.org.uk by a Friday will be shown on the school website by the following Thursday. If you don't see the photo you sent in then please call us in case any emails sent are blocked by the firewall security settings. The photo's will be shown in the Tab on the website titled Parental/Family Links and then Photo From Home.

   

  Any parent who wants to share work and experiences with the teacher only should continue to email the main school email.

   

  We are hoping this will work well, but bear with us if we have any technical issues.

   

  Kind regards to all our pupils and families

   

  The Bridge School and Nursery
   

• Digital Safety Guidance

  Wed 13 May 2020
  There has been Digital Safety Guidance added to the school website. Please see PDF on the Online Safety page under the Parental/Family Links tab.

• Government announcement on possible school changes

  Mon 11 May 2020

  Many of you will know that the Government has announced possible plans for some schools, in particular Primary schools to return to school at the beginning of June. These plans indicate that some specified year groups may begin to attend if a number of factors are achieved. We have now read the further guidance that has been published and within this information it states that this Government guidance does NOT apply to special schools. We will however be reading the full guidance carefully as it may over time help us to consider the way forward. In the meantime,  we will continue to do our best to support all families who are working with/caring for their children at home, whilst providing  in school support for pupils whose parents are key workers and also those for whom safe-guarding support has been needed. Capacity for this provision is linked to risk assessments which include safety measures and the level of staffing available related to staff health.

   

  We are very aware that this is a challenging unsettling time and we send all our families our very best of wishes. Thank you for the supportive messages we have received from you, they have sincerely been appreciated.

• Teacher calls to families

  Sun 10 May 2020

  Our parents and carers know that teachers have been making regular calls to families. They are there to listen, give advice, send resources e.g. Social Stories, Visual Schedules etc or provide work activities or ideas. We know all our families needs are different and that it is about support not pressure.

   

  Some parents have asked if the teacher can video call to speak to their child. We know this does not suit everyone as some children could find it confusing or it could be emotional. We have though (technology permitting!) set up a safe and secure option to do this. If you think this is helpful, then please talk to the teacher when they call.

   

  In the meantime, we continue to have pupils of key workers who need their child to be in to be able to work and pupils who need safe-guarding/crisis support. We will continue to do all we can to support all the other families who have their children at home.

   

  Sending all of our wonderful pupils and families our very best of wishes. Please continue to do all you can to stay safe.

   

  From all at Bridge School

• Free TACPAC resources

  Tue 05 May 2020

  TACPAC are offering 3 months access to 'Set 5' of their resources for free. 

   

  Please click on the link below for more information or to download the resources. 

   

  https://tacpac.co.uk/news/free-access-to-set-5

   

  Please contact your child's class teacher for more information if you would like support in how to use this at home. 

   

   

• Telford NHS Bake Off Competition

  Tue 05 May 2020

  The Mayor, Councillor Steven Reynolds has recently launched his Telford NHS Bake Off Competition and the deadline for this has been extended to 12 noon on Friday 15 May to allow more time for entries to be submitted. The competition as it suggests is in aid of NHS, Carers and Key Workers who are working tirelessly to keep us all protected.

   

  To enter: 

  • Design a cake with pen and paper OR  Bake a cake

  • Take a photograph and share your creation on the Council’s social media platforms i.e. Facebook and Twitter using #TelfordNHSbakoff or email entries to bakeoff@telford.gov.uk

  •  If you are able to – donate to my Mayor’s Charity Appeal 2019/20 at www.gofundme.com/mayorscharityappeal1920