Welcome

Dear parents and carers,

 

School is closed from tomorrow up until after February half term. Learning will go online via Seesaw. Our staff will be available to support. The first work will be provided tomorrow afternoon  and once again we will endeavour to support in every way possible. I will write to you all more formally tomorrow. Please ensure your children engage with home learning. It is so important, it will give them the sense of belonging and support well being. 

 

We will open for key workers and vulnerable children from Wednesday. At the end of this message will be the government list of key worker categories. We know those of you needing to access this will require a rota system. 

 

Would you please email

 

 s.stone@upperwoodacademy.com 

 

if you require support if your child is considered vulnerable or you need support as a key worker. 

 

 I must emphasise that such provision must be seen as a last resort for parents , lockdown is about minimising contacts to quell the spread of the virus. 

 

If you are utterly in need and require key worker/ vulnerable provision tomorrow please email me on 

 

a.budd@upperwoodacademy.com

 

tonight or tomorrow and we will do our best to support. 

 

All the very best everyone, we need to create a daily learning community where children feel valued by school and their teachers. We will do our best! 

 

I would like to add that not one member of school staff sent me a letter to say they would not be in school tomorrow. They were all to be present to support our children. 

 

We will endeavour to support, but differently. 

 

Keep safe, Mr Budd

Vulnerable children and young people

Vulnerable children and young people include those who:

• are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
• have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• have been identified as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including children’s social care services), and who could therefore benefit from continued full-time attendance, this might include:
  • children and young people on the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services or in the process of being referred to children’s services
  • adopted children or children on a special guardianship order
  • those at risk of becoming NEET (‘not in employment, education or training’)
  • those living in temporary accommodation
  • those who are young carers
  • those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home (for example due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study)
  • care leavers
  • others at the provider and local authority’s discretion including pupils and students who need to attend to receive support or manage risks to their mental health

Critical workers

Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined in the following sections.

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 distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare

This includes:

• childcare
• support and teaching staff
• social workers
• specialist education professionals who must remain active during the coronavirus (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
• 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 coronavirus (COVID-19) response, and the delivery of and response to EU transition
• essential public services, such as the payment of benefits and the certification or checking of goods for import and export (including animal products, animals, plants and food), 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 coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and EU transition)
• 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 and border

This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response and EU transition, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass and those constructing or supporting the operation of critical transport and border infrastructure 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 coronavirus (COVID-19) response
• 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
• waste disposal sectors

Upperwood Academy is a caring, supportive and inclusive school which believes in developing four key aspects in every child: academic excellence, physical well being, social confidence and a desire to improve.

Our aim is to create a happy and secure atmosphere where your child will always be encouraged to do their personal best. We provide a broad, balanced and enriched education and place a great deal of emphasis on the traditional values of hard work and good behaviour.

'Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in school, online and in the local community. When they share their worries with staff, they are confident they will be followed up effectively.'

'In lessons, pupils concentrate and focus when they are being taught. They show real enthusiam and engagement with their learning. As a result, pupils do well at every stage of their schooling. They leave Upperwood Academy with high standards and go on to their secondary school as capable and confident pupils.'