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To all our families
We have sent a letter outlining all the updated support for remote learning but also very importantly the support for well-being and safety.
We have emailed the letter and for a small group who do not access emails the letter will be safety door delivered or posted.
If you have not received and email then please do email A7017@taw.org.uk or call us.
We have sent to all families including those who have their children in school.
We want to stress that any family who has any difficulties then please do talk to your child's teacher when they call or contact us.
We hope that you are well and safe. For those families who are isolating or recovering then we wish a safe and speedy recovery.
Warmest wishes to you all.
The Bridge School
The Department for Education (DFE) have put in place a scheme which allows an increase in mobile data allowances to support students with accessing home learning resources during the current national lockdown.
The scheme is open to families that meet the following criteria:
|
Mobile Network |
Data Allowances |
|
EE |
20 GB of additional data per month until 31st July 2021 |
|
Sky Mobile |
100 GB if additional data |
|
Smarty |
Unlimited data until 31st July 2021 |
|
Tesco Mobile |
20 GB of additional date per month until 31st July 2021 |
|
Three |
Unlimited data until 31st July 2021 |
|
Virgin Mobile |
20 GB of additional date per month until 31st July 2021 |
If your child is a pupil of our school and you would like to take up the offer and you meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme, please email a7017@taw.org.uk heading your email Mobile Data. You then need to provide the following information, this is so that the increase in data from the relevant mobile network can be arranged:
https://get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk/guide-to-collecting-mobile-information/privacy
Kind regards to all
The Bridge School
We know that sometimes families financial circumstances changed and it may mean that you are entitled to claim for Free School Meals.
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.
Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:
More details are found on www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals/
If you are unsure then please email school A7017@taw.org.uk or call
Warmest wishes to you all
The Bridge School
Dear Parents and Carers
Any parents and carers whose children are in receipt of income related Free School Meals and your child is at home not in school, you should have received a letter and a voucher for a two week January period. The letter gives further details. If you have not received voucher or letter than please do email A7017@taw.org.uk or call school.
Kindest regards to all
The Bridge School
Dear Parents and Carers
This letter is being sent on behalf of the three maintained special schools – The Bridge, Haughton and Southall.
You will know that we had the expectation that we would have all pupils in at the beginning of this term and work face-to-face with pupils within the context of our COVID-19 provision risk assessments and with all the measures in place. It has been well reported in the media over the weekend that there has been a legal challenge to the government from many unions working with school staff. The view is held by the unions that staff and also pupils are not fully safe in school due to the new variant, rising numbers, testing not established and that SAGE recommendations were not being followed by the government. Staff members across the country have been told to exercise their described legal right to a safe workplace and to request to not teach/work in full classes, but to support the most vulnerable pupils linked to safety and the children of key workers in the classroom.
The three schools have received letters from some staff citing union recommendations and, therefore, alongside other staff absence e.g., positive cases, isolation due to contact with positive cases, isolations prior to medical treatment, non-covid related absence, it is not possible to have all pupils on site for face-to-face teaching. The advice from the unions is that the position of their staff members is reviewed after two weeks, week ending 15th January.
We have also been advised by Unions that Head’s and Governors must ensure that staff and pupils are safe in the context of the provision risk assessment. Our risk assessment is guided by the LA with local Health and Safety advice and local Public Heath Advice. The provision risk assessment needs to be updated to take account of the new variant and the Sage and any other relevant advice. We are waiting on information to inform this and to see if we need to add any further measures. We hope to have this process completed this week. This will inform the way forward
It is with sincere regret that the three schools, for this week, will not be able to have all pupils in school. Where there is capacity the three schools will be:
For the week commencing 11th January, we anticipate we will be in the same situation. However, we are hoping that the provision risk assessment will have been re-assessed and we may be able to increase the numbers of pupils on site attending. However, we need to continue to assess against the advice given and the national and local information.
We hoped that we would not be in this situation. We know some parents/carers are relieved as they want to have their children at home due to rising case numbers and new variant risks. The LA have confirmed that parents wanting to keep their children at home will not be fined. We know some parents will want their children in school and will find it disappointing their child is not accessing face-to-face education. We know for all parents and pupils the situation brings challenge and pressure. We all hope that the situation will change positively and quickly. We would ask any parent that has pressures to contact Family Connect on 01952 385385 or school on contact numbers for your child’s school.
For a local authority stance please read the below link:
Please see school specific information below.
Yours sincerely
Abi Martin
Head of Southall School
(01952) 3897600)
Gill Knox
Head of Haughton School
(01952) 387540
Heather Davies
Head of The Bridge School
(01952) 387108
BRIDGE SPECIFIC INFORMATION
During today, teachers will be ringing each parent/carer. For those that are registered as key workers they will check if this remains the case and what the potential need is regarding placement. We will talk to parents/carers where there has been multi-agency agreement for a place linked primarily to safety. For all other parents, the teacher will talk through home learning support and any resources that may be necessary that we may be able to support with. All parents/carers have had home learning packs and further ideas and work can be provided but with no pressure just if wanted.
We continue to send every pupil and their families our sincere best wishes.
Heather Davies
Head of Bridge School
Telford and Wrekin Newsroom about schools return
Below was the post we made this morning but we will need to continue to update all as soon as we can. You may be aware there has been much reported in the media today about the position of schools and opening. This is in relation to union views and their advice to their members on their safety concerns regarding staff and pupils. As you know, we have a training day on Monday so we do not have any pupils due to be on site until Tuesday. We will ensure that when things are clearer on what the position will be for Tuesday and we will update the website at the earliest possible time.
Sending all our pupils and families our sincere and best of wishes. As soon as we can we will provide an update.
The Bridge School
Please see update above
There is no change to the opening date for The Bridge for the Spring Term 2021 and this includes all secondary aged pupils able to attend school (we are not expecting any further updates from the government but if we do we will update if necessary). Therefore:
If any pupils are affected due to staff absence levels we will contact parents/carers as early as we can, although we know that all understand this can change at short notice.
We sincerely hope that all our pupils and their families have been safe and well over the holiday period. We know that the coming weeks and months will remain complex but with the hope that with the vaccine roll-out that things will become much more settled in times to come.
Sending our continued thanks and appreciation to all our families for their on-going support of each other and all the pupils and staff of our Bridge family. Please do contact us if there is anything that you think we can support with. Email A7017@taw.org.uk.
Kindest of regards and best of wishes
The Bridge School