COVID-19

Last updated: 19/05/2020 08.05am

The Wavell School  is actively updating this page of the website regularly to share information about the School’s preparations and responses to the current situation regarding COVID-19. Should you have any further questions after reading this information, please email admin@wavell.hants.sch.uk.

We are following the  Department of Health and Public Health England guidelines on responding to the virus.

FAQs

What is the current situation?

The school is CLOSED until further notice

It is still very important that people stay home unless necessary to go out for specific reasons set out in law. 

As advised by the government, we will do all we can to stay open for the children of key workers (e.g. NHS staff ) and children with certain needs (e.g those with an EHCP) ONLY if home provision cannot be made by their families. Only those who have been identified as needing emergency provision will be allowed in school.

Thank you again for your continued support. We have really appreciated the positive comments on Facebook. They have helped us keep going in these challenging times. We will continue to be in touch with more information when we can.

 22.05.20 Wavell School Provision Update

 Closure of Educational Settings: Information for parents and carers

How are we trying to keep the school safe?

We are following Government and Public Health England instructions especially our emphasis that everybody has a responsibility to wash their hands regularly. 

Students and staff who currently remain in school are following the 2 metre social distancing guidelines at all times.

In order to avoid unnecessary large gatherings, assemblies will not take place from Wednesday 18th March until further notice.

The biometric finger pads are being cleaned regularly by the canteen staff.

Parents are asked NOT to come onto site to speak or meet with staff but to call in an emergency or email, if not an emergency, to enable us to set up a telephone conversation.

We have taken up the option with our cleaning company to provide additional cleaning of high-profile contact points with the introduction of an additional preventative cleaning product.  However, as you are aware, manufacturers are not keeping up with the demand for hand sanitisers, antibacterial soap, antibacterial wipes, virucidal cleaning chemicals, sanitiser dispensers etc., so there are already very significant lead times on obtaining such products.  We and the cleaning company are doing what we can but we are of course at the mercy of manufacturers and suppliers.

 Safeguarding and Child Protection arrangements during COVID

Are school events still going ahead?

Currently the following events have been cancelled/postponed until further notice:

• All Sports Fixtures are cancelled until further notice.
• All extra-curricular activities, including clubs and off-site activities are postponed until further notice
• All residential visits and day trips are now cancelled or postponed.
• We will have contacted you directly, if your child was due to take part in a visit or off-site activity.

What actions can I take to keep my family safe from COVID-19?

Do

• Stay at home as much as possible
• Work from home if you can
• Limit contact with other people
• Ensure, where you do have to leave your home, that you are two metres apart from anyone outside of your household.
• Wash your hands with soap and water often - do this for at least 20 seconds
• Always wash your hands when you get home or into work
• Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards

Don't

• Leave your home unless necessary.
• Meet with more than one person from outside your household
• Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

For further advice visit the NHS website

What should I do if my child or member of the household shows symptoms of COVID-19?

The symptoms of coronavirus are:

• a  new continuous cough
• a high temperature
• loss/change in your normal sense of taste or smell

 In line with Public Health Guidance,

• If your child or any member of the household has symptoms they must stay at home for 7 days
• If a member of the household has symptoms ALL MEMBERS of the household must stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person got symptoms 

What to do if you or someone in your household has symptoms

Stay at Home Guidance

Keyworker/Vulnerable students who are due to attend school- Please report the absence VIA EMAIL giving details of when the symptoms started and keep in touch with us during the time that your child is off.

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You do not need to contact 111 unless the symptoms continue longer than 7 days or worsen.

Testing is now also available for everyone over the age of 5 who thinks they may have COVID-19. Please use the NHS website for details and further advice.

As the School is closed how will we communicate with you?

We will use WavellMails and all necessary information will also be available on this webpage. Please do not call the school unless you require contact with a member of staff in an emergency. Please email us will all enquiries and we will get back to you as soon as we can.  We will keep in contact with you throughout the closure.

Parents and carers can also join our online Year Group communities on Facebook for further support, information and advice during this difficult time.

How will learning continue during the school closure?

• Teachers will set work via the Show My Homework Platform
• Teachers will set relevant work that follows the curriculum as much as possible during the closure
• Students are advised to follow their normal timetable where possible and find the work for each lesson on Show My Homework
• The work may involve accessing other websites as directed by the teacher
• We advise parents who have not yet registered for Show My Homework to register. Please contact the school via homework@wavell.hants.sch.uk for a new PIN.
• If you have any queries about the work please email homework@wavell.hants.sch.uk

• There are many links to useful educational websites on our Learning Links Page

Families who live in a Vivid Home: @WeAreVIVIDhomes are offering support to those who don’t have the equipment their children need to do schoolwork at home: https://t.co/erqoalOo2K pic.twitter.com/w4fwtvIR5j

— The Wavell School (@WavellSchool) April 17, 2020

How can I keep my child safe online?

As your children will be spending more time online, it important to help keep them safe. You can find advice about keeping your children safe whilst online via the following links:

Government Guidance

Hampshire County Council Online Safety Guide

Parentzone

Digital Parenting Magazine

UK Safer Internet Centre

NSPCC

 E-safety for Teens

Nepali Version: डिजिटल संसारमा सुरक्षित रहनु

My child is due to take their GCSEs this year. What is going to happen about the exams?

The Department for Education has cancelled all GCSEs, AS and A Levels for this year. 

The latest statement and full advice can be found here 

 Year 11 Information

How can I support my child emotionally during this time?

During lockdown your Parent Support Advisor, Linda Parry, is available for evening telephone/video calls if you want to discuss any issues you may have with your child/ren, including positive parenting, behaviour management, routine, understanding emotions (anxiety/anger) etc. Please email linda.parry@wavell.hants.sch.uk if you need any support.

Setting routines, including working on-line through Show My Homework lessons, will help so that there is a sense of normality. Healthy eating, exercise and fresh air all support our well-being and mental health.

 Keeping Active for Well-being

Limiting use of Social Media may help keep your child from worrying about “false information”.

The charity MIND have produced some excellent guidance to the coronavirus and wellbeing which might be of interest here 

 COVID-19 Advice for Parents and Carers

 Government guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young peoples mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus covid 19 outbreak

Documents produced by our Parent Support Adviser:

 Importance of Routines

 Supporting Stress, worry and anxious behaviour

 Understanding and supporting emotions: Grief

The Hampshire Educational Psychology Telephone Support Line is also available for parents/carers to access for any queries relating to the emotional wellbeing of the children they are caring for. 01252 814 729

Other useful links:

Young Minds - Support for mental health and wellbeing of children and young people

Anxiety UK - Information about supporting young people with anxiety

The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families is a national children’s mental health charity which offers advice for supporting mental health and wellbing

NHS Every Mind Matters - Looking after children and young people during the coronavirus outbreak

Calm is a worldwide app for guided relaxation and mindfulness. They have created free access to support guided relaxation in response to the coronavirus situation 

Where can I find additional information?

We will post all our linked WavellMails here on this COVID-19 Update webpage for ease of access.

Further details can also be found on the Government website.

For COVID-19 information in different languages please click here 

EAL Parents can continue to phone the EMTAS phone numbers to speak to a member of staff.