The Secretary of State for Education announced yesterday, Wednesday 18 March, that the 2019/20 national curriculum assessments will not take place due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

This means the following assessments planned between April and July 2020 are cancelled:

• end of key stage 1 and key stage 2 assessments (including tests and teacher assessment)
• phonics screening check
• multiplication tables check
• science sampling tests
• all statutory trialling

Reminder: Department for Education (DfE) COVID-19 (Coronavirus) helpline

DfE has launched a helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows:

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and weekends from 10am to 4pm

𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐒

During these difficult and uncertain times,  it is our top priority to protect and care for all residents, visitors and employees in our borough.

 After careful consideration, we have decided to temporarily close the following Telford and Wrekin facilities from 5pm on Friday 20 March:

• All Leisure Centres: Abraham Darby Sports & Leisure Centre, Horsehay Village Golf Centre, Newport Swimming Pool, Oakengates Leisure Centre, Phoenix Sports Centre, Stirchley Sports Centre, Wellington Civic & Leisure Centre
• Telford Snowboard & Ski Centre
• High Ropes, Disc & Adventure Golf at Telford Town Park
• Telford Ice Rink
• Libraries run by Telford & Wrekin Council at Madeley, Newport, Oakengates and Wellington as well as library facilities at Southwater One – we are also recommending that partners who run community library facilities in the borough also close.
• Telford Town park visitor centre (the town park remains open)

These facilities will be closed until the end of May when we will review the decision.

We are also postponing the Council’s outdoor events programme until the end of May,  when we will review the decision.

These events include:

• Spring into St George’s Day 19 April
• VE Day celebrations 8 May
• Telford Balloon Fiesta 9 & 10 May

More information on http://newsroom.telford.gov.uk/News/Details/15159

Dear Parents and Carers

Please spread this message widely.

As yet we have no guidance on who a keyworker is and what this provision could look like. We are awaiting this later in the day and will communicate with you once we have this information from the Department for Education.

In the meantime we would be really grateful if you could email h3082@telford.gov.uk if you believe you may be a keyworker as soon as possible. We need to know the name and class of your child and your profession and employer. We need the profession and employer for both parents unless you are a single parent. Please only email IF you are going to require school to provide something.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support.

Please can I thank everyone for their support with the current situation; the team and I are very grateful to you all.  I am incredibly proud of how the staff have worked and maintained calm in school over recent days.  Thank you to your wonderful children who have been great.

The latest advice we have is that anyone with a persistent cough or temperature should be isolating for 14 days and that this includes all family members present in the household.

Pick up and collection arrangements are a challenge whilst schools remain open and yet we are advised to minimise contact.  You may want to consider spreading out on the playground to minimise close contact and you may want to consider arriving as close as possible to 8.50am in order that you do not need to wait for a prolonged period on the playground.  We will not penalise in the current climate for children being late so if you wish to come slightly later than 8.50am to minimise contact then this is also agreeable.

Schools are currently advised to remain open and we will do so until this advice changes.  We hope parents and carers will support us by following the advice given regarding isolation.

We can’t thank you enough for supporting us at this challenging time.

Please note that we have taken the decision now to cancel Parents Evening meetings which were planned for next week.  We will reschedule when it is possible to do so.

Thank you for your support.

We are really sorry to advise you that PTA Easter Bingo due to take place on the 27th has been cancelled.

Thank you to the PTA for their ongoing hardwork and support.