Dear Parents/Carers
I am writing to inform you that we currently have eight recent positive Covid-19 test results amongst St Ann’s staff group. It is highly likely that some students will also be positive but they may not be symptomatic. Where possible we would recommend that students regularly have Lateral Flow Tests at home and a PCR test if your young person has symptoms, or if you are at all worried.
Please remember that Parents and Carers are able to order LFT test kits online www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests or pick them up from local pharmacies. We also have a supply of Lateral Flow Test kits in school and will be happy to send a box home if you require some.
Public Health England is closely monitoring the situation in school given the extreme vulnerability of all of our young people. It may become necessary in the coming days to partially close or close some classes to manage the spread of infection and to keep everyone safe within the context of reducing staff numbers because of staff illness or the need to self isolate. Unfortunately Telstar Class is from today operating a rota system so that Telstar students are only coming in for four of the remaining eight days of term.
As you can imagine this is a fast changing situation and we will endeavor to keep you fully informed via SchoolComms and the school website (Covid-19 tab and Parents and Carers Recent Letters tab).
Many thanks for your ongoing support, particularly as this is such a challenging time for all of us.
Please contact the school office if you have any queries and one of us will be very happy to talk to you.
Yours sincerely
Gillian
Gillian Carver
Headteacher
08.12.21
Dear Parents/Carers of Telstar students
It is with great regret that I have to inform you that Telstar class will be partially closed from tomorrow Wednesday 8th December until the end of term, Friday 17th December. This is because we have several positive cases of Covid amongst the staff group across school and particularly in Telstar which means that staffing levels are such that we can not maintain health and safety requirements.
As there are eight school days remaining we have created a rota so that each young person in Telstar class will attend St Ann’s for four of these days and stay at home for the remaining four days. Please see the SchoolComms you received earlier this evening which lists the days that your student will be coming into school. We have tonight informed SEN Transport of these arrangements so they are clear as to which student needs picking up when.
Please do continue to carefully monitor the health of your young person as he/she is deemed to be a close contact of a positive case and if possible we would recommend a PCR test.
We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience and upset we know that this partial closure will cause but our overriding priority has to remain the safety and wellbeing of the whole school community.
We greatly appreciate your ongoing support throughout every twist and turn of this pandemic and are very happy to answer any questions or give you further clarification should you require it.
Kind regards
Gillian
Gillian Carver
Headteacher
Dear Parents/ Carers
Thank you for your support and patience during the last week of disruption and school closure.
We are looking forward to all the students returning on Monday 4th October.
Please note the following information.
Students with colds and other respiratory infections | Many thanks to Parents/Carers who have followed earlier advice this term to keep their young person at home, until the symptoms clear if they have a cold or other respiratory infection. This is because the initial symptoms of Covid-19 can mirror colds etc and this helps to reduce potential transmission amongst the rest of the school. If a student does come into school with a respiratory infection the nursing team will immediately contact you so that arrangements can be made to get the young person home. |
Second Covid vaccinations for students aged 16 plus | If your young person had their first Covid-19 vaccination on 16.07.21 at Greenford Hall supported by school staff, we are expecting to be allocated a date in the week beginning 11.10.21 for the second vaccination. We will inform you as soon as we receive this information from NHS North West. In the meantime if you are concerned you may want to book an earlier appointment and take your young person yourself to a public session at a vaccination centre |
First Covid vaccinations for students aged 12 plus | Younger students aged 12 plus will also be able to have their first Covid-19 vaccination at a private St Ann’s session during the week beginning 11.10.21 Parents/Carers will need to give signed permission. Further information and precise details will be forwarded as soon as we receive them. |
Open Evening Thursday 7th October | Following the recent cluster of Covid cases we are re-introducing more stringent Covid secure measures across school and as a part of this we are not having visitors on site for the next two weeks. Open Evening scheduled for thisThursday 07.10.21 will therefore take place via Zoom or a telephone conversation and the class teacher will be in touch with you shortly to arrange this. |
Please contact the school office if you have any queries. Although I have to stay at home and self isolate until Wednesday evening I will remain in close contact with Timmy Holdsworth, Deputy Headteacher and the office team and I will of course be happy to clarify any of the above with you.
Yours sincerely
Gillian Carver
Headteacher
03.10.21
Dear Parents/Carers
Further to the SchoolComms message sent out earlier today I am writing to outline the rationale behind the decision taken this afternoon by the London Coronavirus Response Cell (LCRC), Public Health Ealing, the Local Authority and school leaders to keep St Ann’s closed until Monday 4th October.
- Students attending St Ann’s are more vulnerable than other young people to serious illness as a result of contracting Covid-19 and we have a heightened duty of care to take appropriate and proportionate measures to reduce that risk.
- An extended period of school closure will prevent close contact between and amongst the student and staff groups and will ‘nip transmission in the bud’ so that we don’t risk an out of control Covid outbreak.
- It is extremely difficult to ascertain the infection status of the majority of St Ann’s students because they can not easily undergo PCR tests.
- Before the school closure there was a growing number of students presenting with upper respiratory infections which could be the beginning of Covid-19. This group of young people and other asymptomatic students will now be at the end of any potential infectious period by the time they return to school on 04.10.21 again reducing the possibility of future transmission.
- It was felt that it was in everyone’s best interests to have some certainty about when school would re-open rather than having to wait for a decision on a day by day basis.
During this period of closure school will review and re-introduce, initially for a two week period, some of the Covid secure measures adopted during the height of the pandemic such as bubbles and one way systems. In addition the health agencies will consider the feasibility of PCR testing of students in school (with parental permission) and the October ‘on site’ vaccination date for St Ann’s students aged 12 plus will be confirmed.
Once students return to school parents/carers will be reminded of their responsibility in ensuring that their young person does not attend school if they are presenting with any upper respiratory infections.
Finally St Ann’s Governors and I would like to take this opportunity to again apologise for the disruption that school closures inevitably cause to our young people’s education as well as to family life. However, we believe that by taking these actions now, we can mitigate against the worst case scenarios of Covid-19 infection and look forward to a more normal pattern of school attendance in the near future.
Please email adminmail@st-anns.ealing.sch.uk if you would like to raise any concerns relating to the current situation.
Yours sincerely
Gillian Carver
Headteacher
28.09.21
Dear Parents/Carers
I am extremely sorry that St Ann’s remains closed to all students and all but a skeleton of office and premises staff tomorrow, Tuesday 28th September.
This is because we have a cluster of Covid-19 positive cases in the Telstar provision (3 staff) and in the main building (2 staff). Unfortunately this now includes myself and Mary (Deputy Headteacher).
Throughout the day discussions have continued with Public Health England, Public Health Ealing the Local Authority and the Chair of Governors and it has been agreed that school should remain closed, with a further meeting scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
This is necessary because it remains unknown as to the current incidence of Covid infection within the student population because the majority of young people are not able to take a PCR test. This course of action also provides additional time for the receipt of outstanding staff PCR test results.
The main aim of everyone concerned is to contain this recent outbreak and not place more students, their families and staff at risk. As you are aware this is particularly important given the extreme vulnerability of many of our students, their unvaccinated status and the very real risk of serious and potentially life threatening illness.
We apologise for and do not underestimate the disruption that the closure of St Ann’s is causing to many parents/carers who are trying to go to work and to get other children to school etc. In partnership with the Local Authority and the designated Health Authorities we will do everything possible to re-open school as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.
Yours sincerely
Gillian Carver
Headteacher
27.09.21
Covid vaccination for children aged 12-15 years with additional needs
You may have seen that on 19 July, the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations recommended that children aged 12 to 15 years with particular underlying conditions could be vaccinated with Pfizer vaccine.
That includes children aged 12 to 15 with severe neurodisabilities, Down’s syndrome, multiple or severe learning disabilities and those who are on the GP learning disability register. For more information, please click on the following link: JCVI statement on COVID-19 vaccination of children and young people aged 12 to 17 years: 4 August 2021 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)<https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jcvi-statement-august-2021-covid-19-vaccination-of-children-and-young-people-aged-12-to-17-years/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-of-children-and-young-people-aged-12-to-17-years-4-august-2021>
We are also able to offer a vaccination to young people aged 16 and over who meet this criteria.
The NHS and council are working together to offer vaccinations for children attending the vaccination clinic who meet this criteria on the following days and times:
* Friday 27th August – 10am-3pm
* Wednesday 1st September – 10am-4pm
* Thursday 2nd September – 10am-4pm
These vaccinations will take place at the Dominion Centre, 112 The Green, Southall Middlesex UB2 4BQ
To book an appointment, please click on the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pfizer-vaccinations-for-12-17-years-olds-ealing-borough-as-per-jvci-guide-tickets-167857477233
Please note, in order to ensure consent is obtained, the child/young person must be accompanied by their next of kin at the clinic on the day.
If you are unsure about giving your child the vaccination, you can attend the session on the day to ask further questions and then decide. If you have any questions about the vaccine, please contact your child’s paediatrician/GP or school nurse to discuss.
For more information email the Family Information Service at children@ealing.gov.uk<mailto:children@ealing.gov.uk>
Kind regards,
Izra Bernard
Family Information Service SEND Officer
Family Information ServiceDear Parents/Carers
We are all so sorry that we have had to end the year in this way, with school closed from tomorrow and next week’s summer scheme cancelled.
The increased transmission of Covid-19 in the community inevitably has meant that over the last two weeks we have had positive cases in school again amongst both students and staff.
If your young person was a close contact of our latest cases you should have received a SchoolComms message this evening.
Many staff are also required to self isolate but if you have a query please email or ring the school office and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
We will keep in touch with you via SchoolComms and the school website.
Many thanks for your ongoing support and every good wish to those families who are celebrating Eid tomorrow.
Kind regards
Gillian
Dear Parents/Carers
I regret to inform you that we are unable to run a Summer Scheme next week. This is because two further positive Covid-19 cases have been identified today, one being a member of St Ann’s staff and the other being a Passenger Assistant. Unfortunately this will necessitate a number of staff and students self isolating for ten days. These people will be contacted during the afternoon.
Under these circumstances it would not be safe to go ahead with the summer scheme as many staff who had signed up to work during this period will now be required to self isolate and it is likely that other positive cases will be confirmed during the coming days.
We very much hope that we can hold a holiday scheme and/or an after school club during the next academic year once the transmission and infection rates reduce.
Thank you for your ongoing patience and support during these unprecedented times which have now impacted on two school years of our young people’s lives.
I’m sure that you’d all want to join with me in hoping that we all enjoy a more normal school year from September onwards and wish those who are unwell a speedy and complete recovery.
Please contact the school office if you have any queries.
Yours sincerely
Gillian Carver
Headteacher
Dear Parents/Carers
I am writing to inform you that St Ann’s will be closed to all students who are currently aged under 16 next Friday 16th July.
This is because NHS West and the Local Authority have been working together to plan a private Surge Vaccination session for St Ann’s Post 16 students and yesterday afternoon it was confirmed that the Covid-19 vaccination clinic at Greenford Hall would go ahead next Friday.
St Ann’s staff will need to assist in transporting students from school, to and from the clinic, and crucially to support each young person so that they are calm enough to have the Pzifer vaccination. All staff will be involved in this process and therefore it would not be safe to have other students in school.
During the Autumn term we remain hopeful that government authorisation will be given so that students aged 12 to 15 years can also be vaccinated. In which case on the day we would support these young people to be vaccinated and older students would be required to remain at home.
We are sorry that this necessitates students to miss another day of school in what has been a very difficult 18 months. However as you are aware vaccinations remain a national priority and we are very pleased that special arrangements are being made for St Ann’s students to be safely vaccinated in a way that hopefully minimises stress for everyone involved.
Parents/Carers of students aged 16 plus have already been sent a Google form to register their wishes. It is essential that this is completed by Monday morning at the latest. Please note that Post 16 students who have already been double vaccinated and those whose families do not wish to take up the offer of this vaccination, will also be required to remain at home on Friday 16th July.
Please contact school if you have any queries.
Yours sincerely
Gillian Carver, Headteacher
Free School Meal Vouchers – Summer holidays 2021
If your child is eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals, Ealing Council will be providing a supermarket voucher ahead of the summer holidays to support you to meet food costs. Please click the link for further details.
Dear Parents / Carers
We have had a positive Covid19 case in school. Families whose students were in direct contact have been contacted. Please see letters below.
Letter to families of contact students confirming that students must isolate until 10.7.21.
Letter to all other families confirming that there has been a case in school.
We are required by Government to send these letters.
Gillian Carver
Dear Parents/Carers
We have been asked to provide information on which St Ann’s students have already received their Covid-19 vaccinations. This data will strengthen our request to enable students to be vaccinated at school (subject to parental permission) in the coming months.
If your young person is not yet eligible, because of their age, to receive a vaccine it would be helpful to know if you will give permission at a future time.
Please click on the link below to complete the short Google form or ring the school office if you require any assistance.
It would be very helpful to have received all responses by Friday 28th May.
Many thanks for your help with this and every good wish for a very pleasant weekend.
Kind regards
Gillian
Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme information for parents
See below workshops for parents and carers
Letter to families 26.03.21
Dear Parents/Carers
The days are lengthening, British Summer Time is just around the corner and it’s almost time for the Easter holidays to begin!
We have had a happy and productive Spring term and it has been such a pleasure to have an increasing number of students back in school each week and to once again feel the positive energy and enthusiasm that our young people collectively bring to St Ann’s. We are greatly looking forward to the last remaining small group of students returning to school in April so that we finally have a ‘full house’.
Please note the following information
Wednesday 31.03.21 | Last day of term and an earlier finish time Buses will pick up students from school at 2pm Please make sure someone is at home to receive your young person at this earlier time |
Monday 19.04.21 | First day of Summer term All students are expected back in school Please ring the school office if your young person is unable to attend for any reason |
Covid-19 Self Test Kits(These are for use on students who are not showing any signs of Covid-19 ie they are asymptomatic) | A pack of three tests is being sent home in a sealed box with this letter An instruction leaflet is inside the box If you feel that your young person can cope with safely having a test, please carry out the test on Sunday 18.04.21 ie the day before he/she returns to school. If the test is negative no further action is necessary and your young person should start back to school If the test is positive you must report your result to the NHS (see page 15 of the instruction leaflet) and you will be given further information on the next steps to take. The whole family must then self isolate in accordance with current national guidance. Remember these are voluntary tests but the government strongly recommends that they are regularly carried out. Further test kits will be sent out by the school in the coming weeks. Please ring the school and speak to the nursing team if you have any queries. If your young person is not currently in school but you would like a self-test kit please make arrangements to pick one up from the school office. |
Reports on student progress during the Spring term | These are being sent home by class teams next week |
Many thanks for your ongoing support throughout the spring term. Please be assured that the education, health, safety and well being of your young person remains our highest priority at all times and every good wish for a peaceful and happy Easter break.
Yours sincerely
Gillian Carver
Headteacher
Information for Parents/Carers on how to contact Social Services
Children with Disabilities Team(Office hours) | Students aged from 11 years of age and up to 18 years of age | 020 8825 7072 Use this number if you do not have a named social worker. You will be put through to a Duty SW |
Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities.(Office hours) | Students aged 18 years and above | 020 8566 2360 Use this number if you do not have a named social worker. You will be put through to a Duty SW |
If you need to contact social services out of hours the numbers to ring are 020 8825 5000 or 020 8825 8000