Latest news
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Change to Allergy Approach
Mon 16 Jan 2023Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope this letter finds you well and that over the Christmas break you were able to benefit from some family time. I write to you today to outline a change in how all Trust schools will be approaching how they manage risk regarding allergies within their settings.
After reviewing the Trust approach to how we manage food allergies in our schools, we have identified a number of areas where we believe we can refine how we operate in order to minimise risk. In many cases children who have food allergies suffer mild symptoms if they come into contact with certain food types and yet we are also seeing a growing number of children within the Trust who have severe food allergies which, if the child comes into contact with a specific food type, can lead to a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction which requires immediate medical attention and, if not treated quickly, can in some tragic cases lead to a fatality. In order to minimise the potential impact of a child developing anaphylaxis, all schools have a supply of Epi-Pens and staff are fully trained annually on their use.
Schools within the Trust currently place a significant emphasis on effectively managing potential food allergy issues at lunch times with kitchen staff and lunchtime supervisors across the Trust trained in how to ensure there is no cross contamination of food. In order to support this process, children with mild and severe allergies are identified and known to the kitchen staff when ordering a school meal. This is a system that we have had in place for a number of years and it ensures that we keep the level of risk to a minimum.
There are, however, other areas where the ability to manage risk and ensure that children do not come into contact with food types they are allergic to is more challenging. It is these areas that all schools within the Trust will be adapting their approaches with immediate effect, they are:
Birthdays - many children bring in sweets, chocolate, cakes and other food types to celebrate their birthdays with their classmates. This in itself presents a significant challenge in that many items do not have ingredients on individual wrappers and it is difficult to ensure that children with allergies do not receive a food type they are allergic to. We also appreciate that in the current cost of living crisis, sending in a child with sweets/chocolate/other food items for 30 classmates on their birthday is expensive and as a result we envisage that over the course of the year there may be a situation where some children feel left out as a family might not be able to afford to send their child in with treats for the class. As a result of this we will no longer allow for sweets/chocolate to be given out on a child’s birthday on the school premises - instead we will introduce a policy across all schools that any child who has a birthday is permitted to wear their own clothes on this day. This will allow the school community to wish your child a happy birthday and hopefully make them feel special - it is also something that every child can participate in regardless of family finances (children who have their birthdays in the holidays are welcome to wear their own clothes on the first day back).
Parties - where a class is having an end of term party or celebration event your child’s school will either take the view that no food is permitted within the party or they may allow each child to bring a food item for themselves and they will be asked to not share it with anyone. Your child’s school will make this clear at the time of the event.
Cultural celebrations - food provided during cultural celebrations will be provided through the school. This approach will ensure that the school has clarity over the ingredients within each food type in relation to potential allergies.
Packed lunches/break time snacks - if your child brings a packed lunch/break time snack we ask that you do not pack any nut related items (e.g. peanut butter, nutella, chocolate spread) as this is the most common form of allergen. We also ask that you speak with your child and ask that they do not share the contents of their packed lunch with other pupils.
PTA events - where a school has a Parents Teacher Association, they will be asked not to provide treats for the children as part of celebration events and instead different approaches will be taken.
Cooking in the curriculum - all food contents sourced within the curriculum will be provided by the school to ensure that ingredients can be checked in relation to allergies.
As a Trust we want to ensure that all of the children in our care are able to enjoy school and are treated equally and with respect. We believe that adopting the above approaches will ensure that we continue to celebrate important events whilst also keeping our children safe.
Thank you for your support in the matter.
Steve Taylor
CEO
Robin Hood Multi Academy Trust -
December Newsletter
Fri 16 Dec 2022"When we remember a special Christmas, it is not the presents that made it special, but the laughter, the feeling of love and the togetherness of friends and family that made Christmas special."
Have a special Christmas and a peaceful New Year!
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WINTER WATER SAFETY LEAFLET
Thu 15 Dec 2022I'm sure that we have all been devastated by the tragic news coming out of Kingshurst over the last few days. The death of any child is a tragedy, but four in one incident is hard to comprehend. Our hearts, prayers and love go out to all of the families touched by this sad loss of life.
In view of this incident and given the continuing cold weather, we thought it would be wise, having spoken to the children, to follow this up with some support and guidance for all of the community. Attached therefore is a guide produced by the Royal Lifesaving Society about Winter Water Safety.
We hope that this will prevent any further tragedies by keeping everyone aware and safe from the dangers posed by frozen water.
Take care and stay safe. -
November Newsletter
Fri 25 Nov 2022Happy Friday! Here's the latest update from the school. Enjoy!
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NOROVIRUS PROCEDURES
Thu 10 Nov 2022Dear parent,
This letter is to advise you of the diarrhoea and vomiting illness which is present in the community at this time of the year and what you can do to reduce the spread of the infection.
Norovirus is commonly known as Winter Vomiting Disease and occurs commonly in the community and in schools and nurseries in particular at this time of the year.
What are the symptoms?
• diarrhoea and vomiting usually lasting 1-2 days
What should you do if your child is unwell?
• Make sure they get lots of rest.
• Ensure they drink plenty of fluids, taking sips rather than gulps to avoid vomiting.
• Give infant Paracetamol or Ibuprofen, according to product instructions, to help keep their temperature down.
• If your child is unusually sleepy, won’t take fluids or has other symptoms, such as blood in their diarrhoea, an unusual rash, headache, neck stiffness or difficulty breathing, ring NHS Direct (0845 4647), contact your GP or take your child to hospital.
• Please ring your child’s nursery/ school and let them know that your child is ill and what symptoms they have.
• Keep them at home until they are well enough to return to school. However, if your child has been suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting keep them at home until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours.
How can you prevent the spread of these infections?
Hand washing is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of both of these infections. This applies to the child who is ill and the person looking after them. Hands should always be washed, using liquid soap if possible:
• Before and after caring for your child.
• After using the toilet.
• Before eating or handling food.
• After cleaning up a mess (vomit, faeces or urine).
Other ways of preventing the spread of infection are to:
• Keep a separate towel for family members who have symptoms.
• Dispose promptly of used tissues and other items that your child may have coughed or sneezed on.
• Wash soiled clothing, bed linen and towels in a washing machine. Use the hottest wash for that fabric.
• Clean baths and washbasins thoroughly and disinfect after use.
• If cleaning up diarrhoea or vomit, wash the surface with hot soapy water and disinfect before allowing to dry. If using bleach remember that it can remove the colour from fabrics and can burn the skin.
Keep your child away from other children and people that are particularly vulnerable, e.g. the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
Yours faithfully
Public Health England (PHE) West Midlands
6th Floor
5 St Philip’s Place
Birmingham
B3 2PW -
Here2Help
Thu 03 Nov 2022Whether you need help with food, energy, financial advice or wellbeing, the Here2Help pages have some useful information and contact details for you.
More information to be found here.
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October Newsletter
Fri 21 Oct 2022Happy Friday! Here's the latest news from the school. Thank you for the positive feedback on the format and scope of the first one.
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UPCOMING OPEN DAY
Thu 06 Oct 2022 -
September Newsletter
Fri 30 Sep 2022To go with our new website, we have a new monthly newsletter. Keep up to date with what's going on.
Happy Friday!
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PTA AGM
Tue 27 Sep 2022EGM: October 6th 6:30pm
The PTA would like to invite parents and carers to an EGM in the school hall.
3 members of the committee will sadly be stepping down from the PTA at the meeting after many years volunteering. Positions available are Chair and Secretary with the option of a Vice/Co-Chair.
We are hoping that some keen parents will take up the roles to continue the good work that has been done, raising funds for the school, over the last few years.
If anyone would like any information about the roles please email Pta@ulverley.co.uk