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

• Applications for Free School Meals

  Tue 31 Mar 2020

  If your circumstances have changed, you may be entitled to Free School Meals - please apply via the link below:

  www.barnsley.gov.uk/services/children-families-and-education/schools-and-learning/free-school-meals/

  If you are unable to go on line please call 01226 787787 opt 3 and the form can be completed over the phone.

• Children who are entitled to a Free School Meal

  Fri 20 Mar 2020 Ms Ward

  If your child is entitled to a free school meal you can order a packed lunch from the school office and collect it beginning Monday 23rd March 2020, between 11.30am-11.45am.

   

  These lunches are being made off site at another school in our Trust so we need to know numbers required the working day before. If you wish to order a packed lunch for Monday 23rd March, please contact the office before 3pm today, Friday 20th March.

   

  From Monday 23rd March onwards, please advise the school office each day if you require a packed lunch for the following day.

   

  If you are self isolating, please advise the office that someone else will be collecting your packed lunch.

   

  If you have any questions about this please contact the school office.  

• Advice from the Government Dept for Education re: Key Workers

  Fri 20 Mar 2020 Ms Ward

  UPDATED ADVICE FROM THE GOVERMENT

   

  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

   

  As a country, we all need to do what we can to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

   

  That is why the government has given clear guidance on self-isolation, household isolation and social distancing.

   

  And the most recent scientific advice on how to further limit the spread of COVID-19 is clear. If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading.

   

  That is why the government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.

   

  It is important to underline that schools, colleges and other educational establishments remain safe places for children. But the fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.

   

  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.

   

  We know that schools will also want to support other children facing social difficulties and we will support head teachers to do so

  parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined below. Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.

   

  Please, therefore, follow these key principles:

  1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
  2. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
  3. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
  4. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
  5. Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings continue to care for children wherever possible.

   

  If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your children will be prioritised for education provision:

   

  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.

  If your school is closed then please contact your local authority, who will seek to redirect you to a local school in your area that your child, or children, can attend.

   

  We are grateful for the work of teachers and workers in educational settings for continuing to provide for the children of the other critical workers of our country. It is an essential part of our national effort to combat this disease.

• CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) – UPDATE 19th MARCH 2020 FROM PACT TRUST

  Thu 19 Mar 2020 PACT TRUST

  Pioneer Academies Community Trust

  Information for key workers and the parents of vulnerable children

  Dear Parents/Carers

  RE: CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) – UPDATE 19^th MARCH 2020

  Following the announcement yesterday by the Secretary of State for Education we would like to inform you of the arrangements we are beginning to make with regards the education of children whose parents are listed as key workers, or vulnerable children. These arrangements apply to all three of our academies

  Carlton Park Primary Academy

  Parkside Primary Academy

  Summerfields Primary Academy

  Stage 1

  In the first instance we need to ascertain how many places will be required on each of our sites. If you are a parent and fall into the listed categories of key workers can you, please contact school via email or telephone to register your need for a place. We will telephone those parents listed under the vulnerable children criteria.

  We respect that some parents who fall into these categories may still wish to keep their children at home.

  Contact details are.

  Academy	Email	Telephone
  Parkside	parkside@pioneeract.org.uk	01226 722416

   

  Stage 2

  Once we have ascertained the number of places required, we will decide whether we need to open all three sites (including Parkside), or whether we can offer a shared provision. We will consider if parents have access to transport arrangements and whether one site is more suited to a child’s specific needs. We will keep parents informed whilst formulating these plans to consider any specific requests.

  Stage 3

  As directed, we are intending to open this specific provision on Monday 23^rd March

  Please note this provision is only for the children of those parents who fall into the listed government categories.

  Entitlement to Free School Meals

  As soon as we have more information with regards this entitlement, we will inform parents of our intended actions.

   

  These are unprecedented times and we fully appreciate your support in this matter.

   

  Your sincerely

  Harry Wood – Chief Executive Officer

  Pete Steadman – Chair of the Board

• Parkside Primary Closure

  Wed 18 Mar 2020 Ms Ward

  After discussions with the Dept for Education, PACT Trust has decided that Parkside will remain closed tomorrow whilst we continue to review staffing, put plans in place and work to make school operational. 

   

  Thank you to parents for your understanding and support over the past few days, I really appreciate it.  Especially thank you to those parents whose kind words and actions made such a difference to us on Tuesday.  Closing school is not a decision I ever take lightly, however the safety of the children and providing adequate provision for them must come first.  

   

  We will keep you updated daily as to the situation and once again thank you for your understanding at this difficult time.

• Royston Ward Alliance Achievement Awards

  Fri 13 Mar 2020 Ms Ward

  On Wednesday night we were lucky enough to be invited to a special awards ceremony at the Town Hall to meet the Lord Mayor.  I nominated some of our children for awards in the different categories of Citizenship, Sports, Academic, Attendance and Courage and Resilience.  

  All of our children received awards and we are very proud of them: - a very well done to Max, George, Miley, Amy, Charlie, Emma, Jack, Vishaka and Esmé.  They are all a credit to themselves, their families and Parkside.

  

• World Book Day 2020

  Fri 06 Mar 2020 Ms Ward

  A very big well done to all the children and staff who dressed up today for World Book Day!  Together we raised over £150 and it was lovely to see the children in all their costumes.  

  What made this an extra special day for Parkside was a visit from our friends at Oakwood Grange care home in Royston.  They very kindly visited all the children in each class and chose some winners.

  Here are some of our highlights......