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

• Information from Wellbeing Caseworker for Parents/Carers

  Wed 25 Mar 2020

  The Wellbeing Caseworker at school has information for parents/carers during this time where pupils are at home to support parents/carers. Please click on the links below:

   

  • Coping strategies

   

  • Keeping people safe online 

• Learning from Home Page

  Wed 25 Mar 2020

  A learning from home page has been added to the website under the Learning & Teaching tab to pass on information to pupils and parents/carers. There is a link added to this for the Accelerated Reader Login page to make it easier for pupils to get to if needed.

   

   

• Message from Mr Milton

  Wed 25 Mar 2020

  Dear Parents / Carers

   

  We have had to make some really difficult decisions this week. We have had to shut the school gates and will only remain open for the key workers who have no other option but to send their children to school. We are pleased that this list is currently manageable and ensures that we have the minimum number of staff in the building for everyone's safety.

   

  I have been delighted by staff who have volunteered to work shifts for which I am very grateful. I am also really encouraged that key workers are only using us if they really need to as they appreciate the risks that we are all taking by being together.

   

  Many thanks for all of your kind words and offers of support. There have been too many to respond to individually. Your child will have been given plenty of work to do and we are all determined to ensure that they make good progress. Our teachers will continue to stay in touch and support as much as we can remotely.

   

  We are doing the best that we can in the circumstances. Take care and stay safe.

   

  Kind regards

  Les Milton

  Headteacher

   

• COVID19 Guidance

  Mon 23 Mar 2020

  Gavin Williamson said:

   

  You should only send your child to school on Monday if you have to, because your work is critical to our COVID-19 response. If you are able to keep your child at home, you should. #StayHomeSaveLives

  

• Computing Activities

  Sun 22 Mar 2020
  Click here to find computing activities that your children can access.

• School Letters Sent to Parents/Carers Today

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

  The following letters have been sent home today:

   

  • Year 11 closure letter
  • Secondary closure letter (information referred to as enclosed will be in the envelopes sent home)
  • Primary closure letter

• Further Guidance for Schools

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

  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.

   

  Please click here to see the further guidance for schools on COVID19.

   

  Les Milton

  Headteacher

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Coronavirus and schools update

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

   We are sure that you have already seen the announcement from the Secretary of State delivered on 18 March 2020. This announcement stated that 'schools as providers of education will be closed for the foreseeable future.'

   

  However, schools have been asked to play a different and vital role in the national effort in tackling coronavirus.  From Monday, schools are being asked to open to provide care for vulnerable pupils and for those whose parents or carers are keyworkers. As far as possible we will continue to deliver a broad curriculum so that our pupils' lives are as settled and familiar as possible, although the primary function of schools at this time is not as an educator.

   

  The Secretary of State  has made clear that this is an entirely different role for schools and school staff.

   

  This action has been ordered by the Government to save lives by reducing the spread of COVID-19. Please keep checking the advice from Public Health England and keep your families safe.

   

  Les Milton

  Headteacher

• Free School Meal Update

  Thu 19 Mar 2020

  Dear Parents

   

  As detailed in our previous letter today, the guidance on free school meals is as follows

   

  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools

   

  As a school we are considering the supermarket school voucher system (see below)

   

  Supermarket vouchers

   

  We are currently developing a national approach to providing support through supermarket and shop vouchers. We will provide further details shortly.

   

  If your school is closed and your school catering team cannot provide meals or food parcels, you should offer families of pupils eligible for free school meals an alternative.

   

  You can order supermarket and shop vouchers directly from a number of retailers – usually through their corporate division. We recommend sourcing vouchers for supermarkets or shops in the local area. Where possible they should be restricted for use against age-related products.

   

  You’ll get a choice of:

  e-vouchers (where available) - which you can email directly to parents

  gift cards - which may be more suitable if parents do not have access to the internet

   

  You should check which pupils are eligible and currently in receipt of free school meals, and vouchers should be made available to the parent or the adult with caring responsibility for that child.

   

  Please be patient and refrain from contacting us regarding Free School Meals. We will provide more information. We are taking this seriously and it is important that we provide a comprehensive response.

   

  We will release more guidance as we receive further updates and clarification from the government. In the mean time we will continue to ensure we are making work available for students who are not in school as well as deliver the best possible provision for those who are in. I appreciate the fact that any closure will have an impact on you and your family.

   

  Kind regards

   

  Les Milton 

  Headteacher 

• IMPORTANT INFORMATION

  Thu 19 Mar 2020

  19^th March, 2020

  Dear Parent/Carer

  Yesterday, Boris Johnson said that the government had been forced to change tack because the rate of Covid-19 infections was increasing faster than anticipated. He said that the public health benefits of keeping schools open had shifted and the scientific advice was that schools should close to slow the spread of the virus. However, there were exceptions to this directive. The exceptions related to children of Key Workers and Vulnerable children.

  Key workers have been defined as follows:

  •            NHS Staff

  •            Police & Emergency Service workers

  •            Delivery drivers who need to deliver food and supplies such as petrol.

  Vulnerable Children have been defined as follows:

  •            Any child with a social worker

  •            Any child with an EHCP - I am currently awaiting further guidance in relation to the parameters around this requirement. I interpret this as our most vulnerable and complex children.

  I must emphasise, not all children and young people who have an EHCP will be expected to attend school from Monday 23rd March 2020.  As a school, our staff attendance has dropped below 70%. We anticipate that further staff will have to self-isolate. We will be unable to run a full school curriculum as usual. Our staff will be providing further details of how we will be supporting our pupils at home. A large number of parents have already taken the precautionary measure to keep their child off school. Today our pupil attendance was 53%. 

  We ask you to advise us by return and at the latest by 9.00 am tomorrow, Friday 20th March. This will ensure that our contingency planning can be finalised. In the first instance please can you email the school to advise us of your requirements, answering the following:

  1. Are you a Key Worker and will need your child to attend school next week?   Yes / No
  2. Do you consider your child to be particularly vulnerable and it is your intention to send your child to school from Monday 23^rd March 2020?   Yes / No
  3. I request the school to call me to discuss this further   Yes / No

  Please email your response to secretary@laleham-gap.kent.sch.uk by 9am Friday 20^th March, please include your child’s name in the subject line of the email. 

   

   

  We will put advice on the website regarding today’s announcement relating to free school meals. We are carefully considering our best way of supporting our community.

  We are expecting further exam guidance tomorrow morning. We will write to all year 11 parents informing them of the implications.

  Thank you for your consideration, I appreciate your patience and understanding regarding these crucial and rapid changes.

  Kind regards

   

   

  Mr Les Milton 

  Headteacher