Greenhill Primary School
Gallwn Gyda'n Gilydd Together We Can
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Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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A letter to parents from Keri Cole, Chief Education Officer
Fri 23 Oct 2020Dear parent/carer,
I hope you and your family continue to be well.
Following the latest Welsh Government announcement regarding the Firebreak measures for Wales that start on Friday 23rd October I am writing to clarify what this means for children and young people in Caerphilly County Borough.
Arrangements are different for primary and secondary phases, but all pupils in receipt of free school meals will receive deliveries throughout half term.
Catering services will resume in all schools from the 2nd November 2020.
Pupils in receipt of free school meals in Years 9 and above will have a delivery this week. (Monday 2nd – Friday 6th November). Those in Years 7 and 8 will receive their meals in school during this week.
Monday 2nd – Friday 6th November
Primary schools, Trinity Fields and Glan-y-nant Learning Centre pupils
These schools will be open to all pupils throughout the week and current arrangements, including transport, apply.
Secondary school pupils
Secondary schools will be open as usual to all pupils in Years 7 and 8 and current arrangements, including transport, will apply.
Pupils in Specialist Resource Bases in secondary schools will also be able to attend.
Secondary school pupils in Years 9 and above will be learning from home and will be provided with tasks from the school.
If your child is due to sit an exam in this week, school will be in touch to confirm arrangements.
Latest guidance – update
It is very important that all of us comply with the latest guidance from Welsh Government (see link below) and Aneurin Bevan Health Board.
Schools: coronavirus firebreak guidance https://gov.wales/schoolscoronavirus-firebreak-guidance
Secondary schools continue to reinforce the importance of the use of face coverings and our strong recommendation that they should be worn where social distancing of 2m is not possible and on school transport. Please remind and encourage your child to wear them in these circumstances. However, please be mindful that some pupils cannot wear face coverings due to medical or other personal reasons.
This guidance, together with other recommended measures, will continue to be embedded within the school day, alongside educating pupils on the virus and encouraging them to stay safe and well in this pandemic.
We are requesting that you, as parents and carers, also observe and reinforce the guidance with your children and work with us to help to reduce the spread of the virus within the county borough.
We ask that everyone follows the social distancing guidance when picking up and/or collecting pupils from school, and at bus stops whilst waiting for school transport.
If you have any concerns please contact the school in the first instance, so that the headteacher has an opportunity to respond. Should a resolution not be possible, please follow the School Complaints Procedure which is available directly from your school.
These unprecedented times continue to be very challenging for all of us, and schools are doing their best to provide continued learning provision at the same time as keeping your children safe in a constantly changing environment.
I would like to thank you all for your support, particularly in relation to children who are asked to self-isolate as a precaution. I understand that this is something that can be difficult to manage and your patience and understanding is very much appreciated.
Wishing you and your family a safe and refreshing half term.
Regards
Keri Cole
Chief Education Officer
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Dinner letter
Thu 22 Oct 202021 October 2020
Dear Parent/Carer
School Meals will be starting back on Monday 2 November 2020 starting with Week 2 menu. A copy of the menu is below where you will see a Week 1 and Week 2 option, the children will be asked to order their meal at the beginning of the day or where possible to order on a weekly basis, if parents/carers can go through the menu with their children each week that would be greatly appreciated.
There will be a new system in place for parents/carers who pay for school dinners, please see below:-
- All dinners must be paid in advance on a Monday morning.
- Please place all dinner money in an envelope with your child’s name, class, days to which dinner is needed and total amount written on the front and then pass to the child to give to class teacher.
- If we do not receive the dinner money in advance (on a Monday morning) your child will not be able to have dinner that week and you will be expected to send a packed lunch into school with your child.
- A receipt and any change will be sent home at the end of school day on the Monday.
Take care and keep safe
Mrs Janet Davies
School Administrator
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October newsletter
Thu 22 Oct 2020To parents/guardians of Greenhill Primary School pupils
Well half-term is nearly here... as is another lockdown!
It has been a long and strange half-term. It has been very different for us, and I think the children have missed seeing their friends and the adults in other classes as much as they usually would. And of course, there’s been no assemblies, lunchtime clubs and after-school activities either… and we’ve missed out on our usual Halloween party!
However, the children have coped very well. I just wish I could tell them - and you - that it won’t be for much longer, but unfortunately, it looks like we are in this for the foreseeable future.
I can update you on a few issues through:
School Times
The staggered starts and finishes have worked very well. In fact, I believe we are now in a position to shorten the stagger slightly. After half-term, class times will be as follows:
Class
Start time
Finish time
Collected from
Enfys/Rainbow
8:50
2:50
Infant yard side gate
Glas/Blue
8:50
2:50
Junior yard side gate
Coch/Red
9:00
12:00
Infant yard side gate
Arian/Silver
9:00
3:15
SNRB gate
Aur/Gold
9:00
3:15
SNRB gate
Gwyrdd/Green
9:10
3:10
Infant yard side gate
Fioled/Violet
9:10
3:10
Junior yard side gate
Melyn/Yellow
9:20
3:20
Infant side gate
Indigo/Indigo
9:20
3:20
Junior side gate
Breakfast Club
Currently we have no plans to resume Breakfast Club. At present we have no way of holding a breakfast club that would not involve children from different contact groups mixing, and that is clearly something we wish to avoid right now.
School Dinners
School dinners will resume after half-term. These have to be ordered in advance, so if you pay for school dinners, please let us know if you wish your child to receive dinners at the beginning of the week. See attached letter from Mrs. Davies for more details.
Parents’ Evening
Unfortunately we are not able to hold our usual Autumn term Parents’ Evening. However, we would like to discuss your child’s progress with you. The class teacher will contact you after half-term to arrange this.
Whole Class Isolation
If a child or staff member in the contact group tests positive for Covid-19, the whole contact group will have to self-isolate for 14 days. During that time, the class will take part in ‘distance learning’ as in the previous lockdown. SeeSaw is our preferred means of communication during this time so please ensure you have this up and running, as we could have to close a class very quickly. In order to ‘test-run’ this system, we are currently setting homework via SeeSaw (or Google Classrooms for some of the older children). Check your child is able to use these systems and please let us know if there are any problems.
Halloween
I know the children are disappointed that Halloween and Bonfire Night won’t take place as usual this year. Unfortunately, because we are trying to limit the number of items being brought into school from home, this also means that the children will not be able to ‘dress up’ in their Halloween costumes as many of these are not machine-washable and come with a number of plastic props - wands, masks, pitchforks, etc - that would need continual wiping. While the number of Covid-19 cases in the Caerphilly borough remains high, we feel it is necessary to take these extra precautions.
A note of thanks
I understand that this new system must cause some of you considerable inconvenience. I very much appreciate all the understanding and cooperation you have shown during this time.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my staff - I could not ask for a more dedicated, hard-working and compassionate team. They truly deserve their break this half-term.
If you have any queries, questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Lisa Jones
Headteacher
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An open letter to residents, businesses and partners across the Caerphilly county borough from CCBC
Fri 16 Oct 2020An open letter to residents, businesses and partners across the Caerphilly county borough:
I’m sure you all aware that the national picture has changed significantly over recent days and the situation continues to worsen. The UK map is ‘lighting up’ with an increasing number of local authority areas being subjected to new local restrictions.
You would have seen in the media that there has been a significant escalation over recent days and Welsh Government has indicated that they are giving serious consideration to a short ‘circuit breaker’ to delay the continued spread of the virus across Wales.
The NHS is coming under increasing pressure having seen an increase in the number of Covid cases present in hospitals. Over the past week hospital admissions have increased from 500 to 700 across Wales. If this rate of increase continues there are concerns that, within a short space of time, the NHS will not be able to cope.
We have also been advised that the ‘R’ Rate today stands at 1.4, which is a real cause for concern. This being reflected in Caerphilly’s position, which is 109.9 cases per 100,000 population with a positivity rate of. 9.3 %
We’ve seen many comments from people saying that ‘local lockdowns are not working’ – but we disagree. I’m sure you can imagine how worse the situation would be if we hadn’t introduced the restrictions when we did. It is clear from the UK-wide data that all our efforts have prevented the kind of very large spikes of infection we are seeing elsewhere in the UK.
However, we are still seeing increases here, and in light of this worrying picture, at today’s weekly review meeting, involving CCBC and Welsh Government, it was decided that the Caerphilly county borough will need to keep its existing local lockdown restrictions in place for a further 7 days at least.
None of us want to hear this news, but we are not in a position to ease restrictions just yet due to our continuing precarious position.
It’s important to note that it is not just the Caerphilly county borough in this position – most of our neighbouring local authority areas are experiencing the same problems, as indeed are many other parts of the UK. We are working closely with Welsh Government to inform any national interventions.
We are getting lots of requests for more detailed data, but this is held and managed by Public Health Wales. More information can be found on their website:
As stated previously, over recent weeks we started developing an exit strategy with Welsh Government, but the situation is changing so quickly that those discussions are almost irrelevant now because we are now likely to see a Wales-wide approach - and this will require a completely new exit strategy going forward.
Based on our findings over recent weeks, we would like to share with you some of the key areas we need to collectively focus upon:
- The virus needs contact in order to spread and thrive, so we must socially distance ourselves
- Please be very careful when socialising, especially in pubs and clubs. Please don’t mix with people who are not in your household bubble.
- Only mix with people from within your household (ie those who live with you)
- Contact tracing – if you do have a positive test, then please provide us with the full details of your recent movements and people you’ve had close contact with, as this helps us track and trace the movement of the virus. Without this honest conversation we are ‘chasing our tails’.
Please don’t forget the basics:
- Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly
- Socially distance wherever possible
- Wear a face mask in all enclosed public spaces and where social distance cannot be maintained.
In terms of our support for the local business community, you may be aware that Welsh Government recently announced a special Local Lockdown grant to support businesses affected by the ongoing restrictions. The Council has been working hard to get plans in place in order to start receiving and processing applications. We are currently awaiting a ‘go live’ date from Welsh Government to launch the scheme.
It seems we are about to enter a very rough and long winter. We will only get through these challenging times if we continue to work together and take individual and collective responsibility for our actions.
We know that many of you are making many personal sacrifices in order to comply with the restrictions and we ask that you stick with it. Christmas is drawing ever closer and nobody wants to see restrictions over the festive period, so let’s make a collective effort to help drive these cases down.
Thank You
Cllr Philippa Marsden Christina Harrhy
Leader of Council Chief Executive
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Out-of-hours email!
Thu 15 Oct 2020We have created an out-of -hours email for parents and carers to use should you unfortunately receive news of a positive COVID-19 result for your child/children during the evening.
Should this happen please contact Ms L Jones or Mr S Holloway on greenhillC19@greenhillprm.co.uk as soon as possible.
Please do not use this address for any other purposes.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Stay safe and stay well.
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The latest updates from Public Health Wales
Fri 09 Oct 2020The latest updates from Public Health Wales regarding COVID-19 in education can be found at https://gov.wales/keeping-learners-safe-education
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Applications to Secondary School
Fri 09 Oct 2020FAO Parents and carers of children in Year 6.
The closing date for Secondary applications is Friday 23rd October 2020.
Last year a high number of late applications were received which resulted in some pupils being refused admission to their catchment secondary school therefore it is very important that you submit your application by the closing date of Friday 23rd October 2020.
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Open Letter from Caerphilly Council
Fri 09 Oct 2020An open letter to residents, businesses and partners across the Caerphilly county borough:
Last week we advised you that the number Coronavirus cases across the county borough had fallen from over 100 cases per 100,000 population to approximately 50 cases per 100,000.
This was encouraging news and was the result of the collective action of our residents, businesses and partners. In response to this positive position, you will recall that we agreed to develop our exit strategy with Welsh Government.
We can only implement these plans once we have absolute confidence that the virus is under control and it is safe for us to begin to relax the restrictions. This is a fast-moving situation and over the past few days we have seen a shift in the data.
Unfortunately it is a shift in the wrong direction with the latest data showing an increase in our infection rate – today it is 60.2 cases per 100,000 population.
Last week, we were quietly confident that we were beginning to see ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, however, this week has been quite different. We have experienced an increased number of local incidents across all parts of the county borough, including a number of issues linked to private clubs.
The number of Coronavirus hospital admissions has also risen and we have seen an overall increased number of positive cases. Furthermore, our colleagues in Gwent Police have experienced an increase in the number of complaints relating to people gathering within households and outside groups.
Given the current situation, we do not have absolute confidence at this time that the virus is under control. Therefore, the current restrictions are going to remain in place for at least another 7 days.
We fully appreciate how challenging this is for you. Many are desperate to see family members and friends. Business is also being affected but we ask that you stick with us. We can only do this if each and every one of us continue to play our part. None of us want to be in this position over Christmas, so we ask that you continue to think about what you do and how you do it.
The Council and our partner agency response remain absolutely resolute. We have increased testing capacity in place, so if you are symptomatic please go and get a test and self-isolate until the test result is known - and continue to self-isolate if the result is positive. Also, if you are a confirmed contact of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus then you must self-isolate for 14 days – even if you have had a negative test result.
It is so important to know where and how this virus is spreading across the county borough and testing, along with Track and Trace is absolutely pivotal to us understanding and responding to this.
We are using our enforcement powers to address the small number of non-compliant establishments we have identified and over the last week alone, a number of locations have been closed down and will remain closed until they can adhere to the regulations that are in place for everyone’s safety.
Using our enforcement powers to address this situation is not the answer. The answer to this lies with each and every one of us and it is back to the basic behaviours:
- Socially distance yourself from others
- Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly
- Wear a face mask whenever required
- Get a test if you are symptomatic and self- isolate until you receive the test results and thereafter if the test is positive.
We know these basic actions work to limit the spread of the virus. Our schools are a great example of this.
Please don’t underestimate how quickly this virus spreads. It only needs a few people to not comply with the basic preventative measures for it to spread rapidly amongst us.
In summary, we have made great progress so far, but we continue to be in a very precarious position. We must continue to think carefully about our actions and the impact it has upon the safety of ourselves and others.
You can rely on us to continue to throw everything we’ve got to keep our people and place safe, but we can’t do this alone, we need each and every one of you to continue to work with us to get control of this virus.
We have come so far, but we still have some way to go! Thank you so much for your continued vigilance and patience – let’s hang on in there – we will get this over the line together!
Cllr Philippa Marsden Christina Harrhy
Leader of Council Chief Executive
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An Open Letter from Caerphilly Council
Fri 02 Oct 2020An open letter to residents, businesses and partners across the Caerphilly county borough:
There’s light at the end of the tunnel - Let’s keep the great work going!
We would like to take this opportunity to provide you with an update regarding the latest position of the local restrictions and the impact of our collective efforts. We want to thank you for protecting families, friends and loved ones. Your efforts really are making a difference, but we remain at a critical stage and we ask that you keep pushing a little more!
Following a meeting with the First Minister today, we have agreed that our restrictions will remain in place for at least another 7 days. We also agreed to develop our exit plan over the next week, working with Welsh Government and partner colleagues, in readiness for our next formal 7 day review period. This is a positive step, but we still have further work to do before we are able to relax our restrictions.
The rate of infection per 100,000 population has dropped from over 100 to around 50 over recent weeks. This is a great achievement, but we still have some further work to do in order to reduce it even further. The virus spreads very quickly and the corresponding figures increase quickly but the figures take longer to drop, so we cannot become complacent.
You would have seen in the media over the recent week or so, that many other local authority areas are now facing the same challenges as us. Indeed, across Gwent, the only local authority area that is not subject to local restrictions is Monmouthshire. You will therefore appreciate, that this is a worrying time, but the collective actions of us all, working together, will change this. Coronavirus is still very much active in our community and continues to pose a real threat to us all.
What we do know is that we are unlikely to return to what we previously considered ‘normal’ any time soon. We need to accept that we will be required to live our lives in a very different way for the foreseeable future and adjust our behaviours accordingly.
As we develop our exit plan over the next few days, the challenge facing us - and all the other lockdown areas - is how we agree an exit strategy that allows us to get our restrictions lifted in a safe and sustainable way. Lifting the restrictions is the easy bit - if we simply return to what we were doing prior to the local restrictions being imposed, the infection rate will rise and we will simply be put back into another lockdown. None of us want this – so it is within our gift to ensure this does not happen.
We all know what we need to do to help control the spread of the virus. Our schools are a great example of how adjustments can be made to ensure that everyday life continues in a Covid-secure way. Protocols and guidelines are in place to protect the whole school community and the system is working well. It is clear that we need to adopt a similar approach in other areas of our lives if we are to all stay safe.
As we go about our daily business, we must continue to socially distance, wash our hands regularly and wear masks when required. The people of the county borough are very proud and principled, but we all love a ‘cwtch’. Unfortunately, for the time being this can only be reserved for those in our immediate households. We must think of other ways in which we can show our appreciation to our wider network of family and friends whilst this virus remains with us. We must not lose sight of the fact that we are doing this together, to protect the whole community and, in particular, those who are vulnerable and/or elderly.
The Council continues to throw everything we have to control this virus. Officers and elected
members, together with our colleagues in Gwent Police, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Public Health Wales and Welsh Government are working around the clock to ensure our county borough and its people are protected.
Many are looking to learn from what we are doing here in Caerphilly, as our “Team Caerphilly” approach is setting an excellent example to the rest of the UK. Our figures clearly demonstrate that, if everyone follows the guidelines and adheres to the restrictions, then we can tackle this deadly virus.
To summarise, our collective efforts are making a difference and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
We will develop our exit plans over the next few days but we remain in a critical position. Before we are able to relax any of the restrictions, we still need to bring the numbers down further. We know we are asking a lot from you, but we also know that you share our passion and resolve to keep our people and place safe.
So, let’s keep our collective efforts going - let’s push a little harder and let’s kick this virus into touch!
Thanks again.
Cllr Philippa Marsden
Leader of Council
Christina Harrhy
Chief Executive -
Access Grant
Thu 01 Oct 202001/10/20
Dear Parent
“If your child is currently attending a Caerphilly School, is eligible for free school meals because of the benefits or support payments that you currently receive, is in Reception and Year 3.
Have you submitted an application for the PDG Access Grant?
Funding of £125 is available for eligible pupils in Reception and Year 3. Full details of this funding are available on the Council website, together with details of how to apply.
Please note if you haven’t already submitted an application for free school meals this would need to be done first and eligibility confirmed. Again details are available on the Council website with regards to the eligibility criteria and how to apply.”
Kind regards
J. Davies
Mrs. Janet Davies (School Administrator)
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