4th May 2021

We are resuming sending updates to parents via a sway newsletter direct to your mobile phone number.

25/03/2021

The Birmingham Local Offer website (This information is from the Birmingham Local Authority)

The Birmingham Local Offer website is now launched. It includes information about the wide range of services that are available to support all areas of a child’s life (0-25 years) especially those with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND). This includes support with education, physical and mental health, social care, leisure activities and moving towards independence and adulthood.

Every local authority in England has a duty to provide children and young people, (0-25 years) with support if they have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities - this is known as the Local Offer. Every local authority has to publish what support is available on a website: this is called the Local Offer Website.

This Local Offer website gives information about the support that the local authority expects to be available across education, health and social care. The information on the website is clear and easy to find. It says who a particular service is for, how to apply, and how decisions are made about who gets that service.

The information you should be able to find on a Local Offer Website includes:

Sources of support, advice and information for children, young people and families including support groups and forums.
Special educational, health and social care provision for children and young people with SEN or disabilities
Arrangements to identify and assess children and young people with SEN, including how an assessment can be requested.
Other educational provision, for example leisure activities, sports or arts provision,
Information about provision to assist in preparing children and young people for adulthood including post-16 education and training provision
Arrangements for travel to and from schools, post-16 institutions and early years providers
Childcare, including suitable provision for disabled children and those with SEND
Support available to young people in higher education, particularly the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) and the process and timescales for making an application for DSA
Arrangements for resolving disagreements and for mediation, and details about making complaints

In Birmingham, we have been updating our Local Offer website to make the information in it clearer and easier to find.

In addition, we really want to keep adding to the information on the Local Offer Website in order to make it the one stop shop for young people and their families. To do this we need the views of children, young people, families, schools and settings. We are therefore asking you to promote this new site to parents using the materials provided and also to share with staff within your school or setting and provide feedback using the feedback form on the site.

23/3/2021

Changes to the Test and Trace support payment for parents (From the DfE)

Parents and carers of children who have been advised to self-isolate by their education setting or by NHS Test and Trace are now able to apply for a Test and Trace Support Payment or discretionary payment of £500, if they meet the eligibility criteria. The extension of the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, which is administered by district and unitary local authorities in England, ensures that parents receive the financial support they need if they are unable to attend work due to childcare responsibilities.

Parents and carers should apply to their local authority to receive a payment. Applications for the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme are made via the local authority in which the parent or carer resides, not the local authority where the setting is situated, if these are different.

To be eligible applicants must meet all of the criteria that:

they are the parent or guardian of a child or young person in the same household and need to take time off work to care for them while they self-isolate. This is limited to one parent or guardian per household for the child or young person’s self-isolation period
they are employed or self-employed
they cannot work from home while undertaking caring responsibilities and will lose income as a result
they meet all the other means-tested eligibility criteria for a Test and Trace Support Payment or locally determined criteria for a discretionary payment

That their child or young person:

is aged 15 or under (or 25 or under with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC)) and normally attends an education or childcare setting
has been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or by their education or childcare setting because they have been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19)

Nurseries, schools, colleges and further education providers are required to provide a letter to all parents or carers of the children advised to self-isolate, to support their application to the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme.

The letter must detail the child’s name and date of self-isolation. Parents or carers will then be able to provide this letter to their local authority as evidence that their child is required to self-isolate.

Once an application for a payment has been received, the local authority will be in touch with your setting to verify the details of the child provided on the application. This will include a check of the child’s name, age, address and days of self-isolation. This check is to minimise the event of fraudulent claims. It may be conducted before or after a payment is made, depending on the arrangements the individual local authority has chosen to put in place. The letter you give to parents and carers should explain to them that their local authority will conduct a check with their child’s setting if they apply for a payment.

16 March 2021
Returning to School Safely
Letter to families, parents and carers from Dr Justin Varney, Director of Public Health

210316 Returning to School Safely - Letter from Dr Justin Varney DPH

Thursday 11th March 2021

QUALITY MARK

Inspire Public Documents - QM Parent letter for schools - March 2021.pdf - All Documents (sharepoint.com)

Inspire Public Documents - Quality Mark Report - March 2021.pdf - All Documents (sharepoint.com)

Inspire Public Documents - Quality Mark Certificate - March 2021.pdf - All Documents (sharepoint.com)

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am delighted that your child’s school has recently been awarded a Quality Mark Award.

This national accreditation is awarded to schools which meet the Quality Mark Standard and will last for three years, after which a renewal assessment is required.

The Quality Mark promotes, supports and celebrates progress and improvements made by a school in English and mathematics. Without these ‘basic skills’ of good communication, English and mathematical skills, individuals are disadvantaged throughout their lives – as learners, in the workplace and as parents, consumers and citizens and so they form the ‘bedrock’ of a good education.

To achieve a Quality Mark, schools have to undergo an assessment, carried out by an external accredited assessor, against the 10 ‘Elements’ of the Quality Mark framework. These cover key aspects of the school’s improvement agenda, including the identification and analysis of the school’s needs; strategic planning; target setting for improvement; intervention and support for pupils under-achieving or under-attaining; provision of quality in both teaching and in resources; staff development; and active engagement with families. Effective monitoring and evaluation are also required - particularly to achieve renewal when continuing development by the school and evidence of impact of actions must be demonstrated.

I hope you will share in the pride of the school and its pupils in achieving this award.

Yours faithfully,

Nicola Morris, Quality Mark National Director

Monday 8th March 2021

Welcome back to all families and children attending Yew Tree Community School!

Below is an update on attendance from Birmingham City Council; the text of the letter is reproduced below so parents/carers can translate the letter using the translate function.

Here is the link to the letter: WHOLE_SCHOOL_LETTER_BCC_Letter_Attendance._March 2021.docx (sharepoint.com)

Here is the text of the letter:

School Attendance – Covid Update March 2021

A very important message for all parents/carers

Monday 8^th March 2021

Dear Parent/Carer,

This is a message about school attendance.

Yew Tree Community School is working in partnership with parents and Birmingham City Council to encourage children back into school following several very difficult months for parents, children and schools. We would like to thank parents for the work you have done in ensuring your children have received education during this period.

During the recent lockdown, schools were closed to all but vulnerable children and the children of critical workers.

Now the circumstances have changed, it is vital for all children to return to school to minimise as far as possible the longer-term impact of the pandemic on their education, wellbeing and wider development. We know that children have missed being with their friends and the wider social aspects of school. Following the first lockdown the vast majority of children returned to full time school.

Missing out on more time in the classroom risks pupils falling further behind. Those with higher overall absence tend to achieve less well in both primary and secondary school. Therefore, the government has advised that school attendance is again compulsory from the 8^th March 2021

This means that (unless parents are formally notified of new lockdown arrangements where schools are closed or a child is required to self-isolate), the usual rules on school attendance apply, including:

parents’ duty to send their child/children to school regularly where they are of compulsory school age;
schools’ responsibilities to record attendance and follow up absence
the option for local authorities to again consider the use of legal sanctions, including penalty notices and prosecution in court.

If you are worried about your child/children attending school the first port of call is to discuss your concerns with the school directly. The school has specialist staff who may be able to help, and all schools work closely with health and council teams who may also be able to help if needed.

Please note that, given the disruption to children’s education caused by the pandemic, requests for leave during term time are unlikely to be authorised by the School.

Family emergencies also need careful consideration. It is not always appropriate or in the best interests of the child to miss school for emergencies which are being dealt with by adult family members.

No school or local authority wants to take legal action. Every attempt to resolve parents’ concerns and improve a child’s attendance will be made before any formal legal action, which may include a penalty notice or court action, is considered.

After so much disruption to children’s education over the past year, the most important thing is that the school and parents work together to get children back into school. The school is ready to listen so please contact them if you have any worries and they will try to help you. There is also information for parents and carers on attending school during the pandemic here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak

We wish you and your child/children all the best for the remainder of the academic year.

Kind regards

Education Legal Intervention Team

Birmingham City Council

Saturday 6th March 2021

Full return of schools - Monday 8th March

We are so excited to be able to welcome all of our children back to school on Monday 8th March. Many of the children may be feeling apprehensive about returning to school after having been away since the beginning of January. We fully understand this and that is why there is a big focus on mental health and well-being. We want our children to feel happy and secure and enjoy being back in school, learning and meeting up with their friends.

Please be assured stringent procedures will be in place to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Dropping off/collecting children

There is a 20 minutes window in which children can come to school in family groups: 8:30 - 8:50. You can drop off children at any time between 8:30 - 8:50.

Likewise, at the end of the day there is a 20 minutes window 3:20 - 3:40. You can collect children at any time between 3:20 - 3:40.

Dropping off/collecting points

Nursery -Enter/leave from Yew Tree Road Morning 8:30am - 11:30am Afternoon 12:30pm - 3:30pm

Reception -Enter/leave from main playground (KS1 gate)

Year 1 -Enter from the kitchen door on Yew Tree Road and leave from their classroom doors (Yew Tree Road)

Year 2 -Enter/leave from main playground (KS1 gate)

3J - Enter/leave from from red door on Yew Tree Road

3K -Enter/leave from from main playground (KS2 gate)

Year 4- Enter/leave from main playground (KS2 gate)

Year 5 - Enter/leave from main playground (KS2 gate)

Year 6 - Enter/leave from gate on the corner of Yew Tree Road

Social distancing outside school grounds

Please do not arrive before 8:30am or 3:20pm.

If you arrive early, please stand 2m away from any other families at all time. If you are in a vehicle, please stay in your vehicle until the gates are open and maintain distance from others in the playground.

We politely ask you to wear a face covering when entering the school grounds unless you are exempt.

Nursery

If your child turns 3 between 1st September 2020 and 31st March 2021 they can start in our nursery in April 2021.

If your child turns 3 between 1st April and 31st August this year they can start in our nursery in September 2021.

Please get in touch with the school office for more information.

Important Dates

School will be breaking up for the Easter holidays on Thursday 1st April 2021.

Children are expected back at school on Monday 19th April 2021.

Term dates are available on the school website.

Breakfast Club

From Monday 8th March breakfast club will be available.

There is a charge of £5 per child per week to be paid weekly in advance.

We are starting breakfast club earlier at 7:45am but children can come in any time from 7:45am until 8am.

Please note the £5 per week charge does not cover the full costs the school incurs; we provide this service at a very low cost to parents to be able to support those families who need this provision for their children.

Click on the link if you wish to register your children for the breakfast club:

breakfast club form

Free School Meals over the Easter holidays

Birmingham City Council will be providing vouchers for the 2 weeks for children entitled to free school meals; we will be in touch with those parents in due course.

Contact the school office to check if your children are entitled to free school meals or click on the link below:

Click on the link below to check if your children are eligible for free school meals. If your children are eligible the school will receive an email notification and the school will be in touch with you to confirm arrangements.

https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/birmingham

Tips from the Young Minds Helpline on how you can support your child to transition back to school life

Here are some tips from the Young Minds Helpline on how you can support your child to transition back to school life:

Talk to your child about how they are feeling about going back to school and try not to make assumptions. Ask them if they are worried or feel scared about anything, but also if they are excited about or looking forward to something. No matter how your child feels, let them know that it is completely normal to feel a mixture of emotions and that everyone will be in the same boat.

Provide your child with as much information about their new routine and school day as you can. This will help them to prepare for any changes that have been made to the timings of their day, the layout of their classroom, their peer groups and playtimes.
1. Reassure your child. During the lockdown we have been told to stay at home, remain socially distant from others and wash our hands regularly. This means children may find it difficult to go back to school because it will be a huge change from what they have been asked to do during the pandemic. Talk with your child about ways they can stay safe at school, such as washing their hands before and after eating, and reassure them that the school are putting measures in place to keep them safe.
1. Re-establish a routine to help ease into school life. During lockdown it is understandable that your family’s routine may have changed. Children are likely to have been waking up later or going to bed later. To help them get ready for school, try to gradually get them back into their usual morning and bedtime routines as they get closer to their return date.
1. Don’t put pressure on yourself. The transition back into school is likely to take some time. Lots of children will experience ups and downs. Try your best to support, reassure and comfort them, without putting pressure on yourself to make sure their homework is done or they settle into a new routine straightaway.
1. Think ahead. As well as reflecting on what has happened during the past few weeks, it is important to help children develop hope and a sense of excitement for the future. At a time like this, it can be hard to feel positive, but identifying the things that they can look forward to will help them to realise that the current situation won’t last forever and their feelings will change.
Seek support if you need it. Transitioning back to school after being in lockdown is no easy task. You may find that your child struggles to get back into school or experiences difficulties while they’re at school. If this is the case, reach out to your child’s school as soon as you can so that you can make them aware of the challenges and work together to support.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any concerns and staff will be happy to provide support.

Thursday 4th March 2021

Message for nursery and reception parents/carers: useful video on toys for talking: https://vimeo.com/518987914/222acb93f4

Full return of schools - Monday 8th March

Read this important newsletter on our walk to school challenge from Miss Keen: WOW! Walk to school challenge

Read this important newsletter on active travel from Miss Keen: Inspire active travel newsletter

Help create a 5 minutes walking bubble around the school: park further away and walk

Below is a link from the leader of Birmingham City Council to share with families across Birmingham.

1329tr Parents & Carers Schools return

Information from BCC’s Transportation Team: Keeping pupils safe on the return journey to school

With face-to-face learning soon resuming, we are working closely with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and transport operators including National Express West Midlands, to ensure that you and your pupils are prepared for the journey back to school. TfWM have developed a Back to School Toolkit complete with posters, leaflets and ticketing information, designed to help you communicate the changes to your school community. They have also created some online resources to help you speak to students about journey planning.

To ensure you are as prepared for the return to school journey as possible, TfWM and BCC will be holding a webinar on 11 March 3.30-4.30pm. This will give the opportunity to ask questions, find out more about public transport provision, and obtain further support and resources. Please email connected@birmingham.gov.uk to sign up.

Public Transport

Keeping everyone safe is our top priority. All buses and most trains and trams will be out on the West Midlands Network as usual, ensuring that students can get safely to and from school. Cleaning regimes have been increased and capacity on board will be limited in order to support social distancing measures.

Top tips:

Plan ahead; with limited space on board there may be more demand for services.
Leave more time for your journey, as there may be a longer wait than usual. You may not be able to get on the first service and need to wait for the next one.
Promote use of face covering: TfWM has launched the “Mask up Now” campaign to promote mask wearing compliance on public transport. Further resources can be found here.
Remind students that social distancing should be maintained at all times when travelling.

For further advice about how to stay safe when using public transport please visit this link.

Parking and Congestion

The most effective way of alleviating congestion at the school gate is to encourage people to leave the car at home and to walk, cycle and take public transport to school.

Wednesday 24th February 2021

Full return of schools - Monday 8th March

The government have announced the return of all pupils to school from Monday 8^th March. In the meantime, children should continue with their learning from home. Please be assured the same stringent procedures will be in place to keep everyone as safe as possible. We look forward to welcoming all children back to school from 8th March.

In week beginning 8th March we will be asking all parents/carers who have borrowed devices/chargers from school to return the equipment as we will need these from the following week for children to use in class. We will also be setting up a bank of devices for those pupils who may have to isolate.

The procedures in place will be the same as for the autumn term; these are reproduced below:

Nursery -Enter/leave from Yew Tree Road

Morning 8:30am - 11:30am Afternoon 12:30pm - 3:30pm

Reception -Enter/leave from main playground (KS1 gate)