Letter to Parents September 2022

Dear Parents and Carers

Today I have been made aware of a situation where a lone student was followed by a car for a prolonged period of time at low speed.  The male occupant asked them directions, then how old they were and then if they would get in the car.  This has been reported to the Police yesterday by the family.  I felt you needed to be made aware of this.  Below is the email I have sent out to teachers to read to students during p5.

Dear Teachers

Please discuss safety and walking to and from school with your group period 5 today

A student was followed by a car last night on the way home in the area close to school .  They are not physically hurt, but the person in the car did talk to them through the window trying to get them to talk and get in the car. 

When walking home or to school in the morning it is always best to ensure that you are not alone.  Walk with a friend or small group and be aware of your surroundings.  If you feel uncomfortable walking through a short cut then take the long way around.  Try to stay in public view, and pick a route you know well.  Do not talk to people who you do not know, never get into a stranger’s car.

When walking along try to be aware of your environment.  If you have a phone do not be afraid to phone 999 if you feel threatened or in danger.

The majority of the time it is completely safe to be in the local area.  Follow the simple guidelines above and be aware of your surroundings and you can make it even safer.  It is nobody’s fault if they are approached by someone, but we can do things to protect ourselves.

Regards

Rob Jones

Dear Parent/Carer, You may be aware that our Beliefs and Values department has rebranded as the Personal Development department this year. As part of our continued desire to support both you and your child as much as possible, we were hoping you would be willing to spend a few minutes completing a short survey looking at what you and your child feel about some of the topics we cover, and what you feel is important for us to address moving forward. There are specific questions about our Sex Relationship policy and the new sex and relationships curriculum. Both these documents are attached. You can also watch a Podcast on talking to your child about Relationships and Sex education which is on the school website.

I have enclosed a link to the survey below and will look forward to reading your thoughts and ideas. The survey is anonymous, but if you would like to talk further, I would be happy to arrange the opportunity for further conversation. Please feel free to contact me via email.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=3YAqYIcEL0WJbl0RrE3b_F-F1Klx_P5Hjw6rXgcl6Y1URVoyODNRRzQ4TU1UOU5QREtXRDU0NUExWS4u

• Personal Development Curriculum Overview
• Sex Relationships Policy

Thank you, in anticipation of your contribution.

Kind regards

Martin Jones
Curriculum Lead – Personal Development Department

February Headteachers Update

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

First of all, I would like to wish you a happy new year; I hope that you and your families remain safe and well. 

You will have seen a great deal in the media about schools opening and the issues that many are facing with regards to staffing.  I am pleased to report that, at this stage, we have only a small number of staff who will be absent from school due to Covid.  I am pleased that we have been able to complete Covid testing before school officially starts so that teaching and learning can begin without disruption on Thursday 6th January 2022 (tomorrow).   If your child has not come into school for testing this week, we would appreciate it if you would carry out testing at home.  Please do not send your child into school if they have any Covid symptoms or test positive. 

As I have said in previous communications, your children have been absolutely fantastic in following the rules with regards to mask wearing and hand sanitising.  Over the holiday, the government has asked schools to reintroduce face masks in classrooms.  This will be a temporary measure and we are informed that this will be reviewed at the end of January.   Unless your child is exempt, can I please ask that you send your child in with at least one face mask tomorrow morning?  Students and staff will continue to wear masks as they move around the school and when queuing in cafes, as they did last term. 

Despite significant staffing challenges last term, we remained open for all students; we will do everything we can again this term so that all students can be in school receiving face-to-face teaching and enjoying the wealth of extra curricular provision we have in place.   

We look forward to seeing your child in school tomorrow in the correct school uniform (warm coats will be essential this week – no hoodies please) and ready for an exciting new term!

Yours faithfully,

Craig Burns
Headteacher

Dear Parent/Carer,

As the Queen’s Jubilee holiday falls within a half term break, the Department of Education has instructed schools to close for one additional day this academic year so that all students and staff benefit from the bank holiday. We cannot take the day near to the Jubilee itself because of Year 11 exams, and so have chosen Friday 21^st January 2022, as previously advised.  Students will return to school on Tuesday 25^th January following our Inset Day on Monday 24th January. 

We would also like to inform you that our final Inset day of the year is on Monday 27^th June and no longer on Friday 24^th June 2022, as previously indicated; this is to enable an external speaker to deliver training to all staff. 

We will be publishing our Inset Days and term dates for 2022/23 within the next few weeks; these will be available on our website and on future communications home.

Kind regards,

Priestnall School

Dear Parents and Carers,

COVID-19 vaccinations for all students aged 12 and above will be taking place in school tomorrow and Thursday (26^th and 27^th January), where consent has been received to participate.

Students in Years 11, 10 and 7 will receive their vaccinations on Wednesday 26^th January, and students in Years 8 and 9 will receive their vaccinations on Thursday 27^th January.

We have been asked by the NHS School Nursing Team to advise all students to eat a good breakfast on the day that they are receiving the vaccine.

Thanks,
Priestnall School

Dear Parents/Carers

We have been receiving many queries about vaccinations in school today and tomorrow.

The school nursing team have ordered the precise number of vaccines in advance, therefore if we have not received a completed form before today they will not receive the vaccine in school.

School will not be taking anymore forms in from students/parents/carers.

Thank you

Priestnall School

Dear Parents/Carers
 
We would like to invite you to attend an E-Safety Evening which will be held on line over Teams on Wednesday 9^th February from 5pm until 6pm.
 
The purpose of the event is to raise parents’ and carers’ awareness of how to keep their child safe on-line. During the evening we will cover the dangers to children when they are on-line and provide you with advice about the steps you can take to protect your children in a digital world. We are lucky enough to be joined by a guest speaker from the Local Authority, Tanya Cross – Schools Health & Well Being Adviser. Tanya is a very experienced and knowledgeable professional with an extensive knowledge of e-safety issues, concerns and emerging internet trends across the borough.
 
As this event is over Teams – you simply need to follow the link in the email which will be sent out later this week. 
 
Yours faithfully
Mr B Delaney , Mrs H Drury             
The E-Safety Team      

Dear Parents/Carers,

As of Thursday, government guidance relating to face coverings in educational settings changes:
“From 27 January 2022, we no longer recommend that face coverings should be worn by any pupils, students, staff or adult visitors when moving around premises, such as in corridors and communal areas. Everyone should follow wider advice on face coverings outside of education settings, including on transport to and from education settings.” (DfE: Contingency framework: education and childcare settings. January 2022)

As the recommendation for wearing of face coverings in classrooms ceased last week (20^th January), this means that there is no recommendation from the government that members of the school community should wear face coverings anywhere on the school site.

We will be adjusting our recommendations to reflect this position however, given the continuing high reported number of Covid cases and children absent from school nationally, we understand that many will want to continue to use face coverings on and around the school site.  We would hope that testing at home continues and that caution is exercised for children with any potential Covid symptoms regarding attendance at school. Continuity of in-school face-to-face education remains our priority.

Thank you.