Fairlight Primary & Nursery School

WEEKLY UPDATE

Each week on Friday there will be an update on all things to do with Fairlight.

Please read and click on the links to find out what is going on.

SPRING TERM 1 WEEK 2

Another busy week in school with a real range of weathers. 

Please don't forget to ensure your child is wearing the correct clothing for the weather. We have some children on cold days without coats. Some children when its raining have just a jumper on.

COVID UPDATE

Please check out the Health Information page for the most up to date information from Fairlight. 

Engines running outside the school gate and Smoking outside of the school gate.

Can we remind you that these are both bad for the small lungs we have in school. The area outside school and surrounding has high buildings and therefore the air is trapped here.

Also in the case of smoking it is not a good example to set for the children to see.

We would therefore ask if you can consider this when sitting in your car with your engine running or standing smoking whilst the children are coming in or leaving school. 

Free Football Courses out of school

Albion in the Community have a number of new FREE Football Clubs that run out of school across Brighton and Hove.

To find out more click here https://www.fairlight.brighton-hove.sch.uk/beyond-the-classroom/sports/fantastic-fairlight-friday-football-club 

But don't hang around as these clubs fill up quickly. 

School Nurse Drop In

Our School Nurse will be available to chat to parents on Thursday 3rd February, at pick up under the Rainbow Shelter.

If you have any questions about your child's health then pop along and speak to her.  

Spring Term 1 Week 1

Happy New Year. Bonne Année. Feliz Año Nuevo! Blwyddyn Newydd Dda. Buon anno. Frohes Neues Jahr. Gelukkig Nieuwjaar. Gleðilegt nýtt ár. Akemashite omedetou (あけましておめでとう). Xin Nian Kuai Le. San Nin Fai Lok. Mutlu yıllar. Sťastný nový rok. Godt nytår. Hyvää uutta vuotta. Godt nytt år. Szczesliwego Nowego Roku. Feliz Ano Novo. S novym godom. 

It is good to be back. It was lovely to see everyone return after the Christmas break and to hear all about Christmas and the holidays.

COVID UPDATE

A huge thank you to everyone who has read and is following our Covid safety procedures. These are in place to keep everyone safe.

I will continue to update you on any information in the coming weeks once we have it and most importantly if anything changes or needs updating. 

This will continue to be posted here https://www.fairlight.brighton-hove.sch.uk/school-office/attendance/health-information 

We have returned to school with 8% of children absent and several members of staff for various reasons- including Covid. Obviously this will change and I will update as to where Covid cases are in school once these are linked to contact with other children and staff however the current cases are all linked to home and half term.

If you have not read the update below about the return to school in January 2022 then please do so as this outlines the advice we have been given to date. 

PLANNING AHEAD

This is like trying to predict the lottery numbers or who will win the Grand National.

We sort of have a good idea of what we want to happen.

We have a procedure to follow.

However the reality is that things keep changing and the advice keeps changing.

With this in mind we will continue to plan for events, trips and activities in school however these are constantly being reviewed and assessed.

If there are changes we will give you as much notice as we can and often as we have. 

SOME KEY DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

We can now confirm that we have had to make a tweek to the end of the school year as we have had to put in an additional Bank Holiday for the Jubilee.

School will now finish on Wednesday 20th July 2022. We will have an INSET for staff only to attend on Thursday 21st July 2022 and we will be closed on Friday 22nd July 2022.

All information about dates can be found here https://www.fairlight.brighton-hove.sch.uk/school-office/dates-for-your-diary 

ABSENCE DURING TERM TIME

A number of parents have asked about "holidays". 

We have updated the information about taking children out of school during term time https://www.fairlight.brighton-hove.sch.uk/school-office/attendance/taking-holiday 

FEBRUARY HALF TERM

The February Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme offers FREE enriching activities during February half-term.

Book a place now https://www.fairlight.brighton-hove.sch.uk/beyond-the-classroom/out-of-school-information-for-parents 

HOUSE POINTS FINAL TOTALS

COVID UPDATE FOR THE RETURN TO SCHOOL IN JANUARY 2022

We will hopefully see you all on Wednesday 5th January 2022.

Written January 2nd 2022

At the time of writing there remains little changes to the advice already given and the arrangements we already have in place.

The biggest change is around the isolation period for those who test positive. If you contact the school to inform us that your child has tested positive then we will inform you of what information we will require before your child can return to school and when this will be. 

The biggest impact on the school is likely to continue to be reduced numbers of staff and children who are attending school as they either have Covid or are in some way linked to a positive Covid case and are isolating or looking after someone with Covid- as many of the staff are parents. 

Despite the Governments "plan" for schools to use retired ex staff we will continue to review the staffing situation and do what we can with the staff we have in school and already available to us (there are not many supply teachers out there!!). I am sure those who are retired are happy to remain retired!!!

We are however expecting to see some further updates from the Department of Education and the Local Authority in the coming weeks as the situation becomes clearer once schools return and once everyone returns to work (or not as the case may be).

As usual once I have this information I will pass it on to you- which is likely to be last minute as usual and has been the pattern from the government.

OUR BASIC MEASURES

We continue to:

• Follow and promote public health guidance on testing, self-isolation and managing confirmed cases of COVID-19.
• Maintain appropriate cleaning regimes with one-off additional cleaning following a symptomatic case on site, focusing on touch points and any shared equipment
• Keep occupied spaces will ventilated and consider moving activities outside when feasible especially where large groups gather, there is contact between those who would not usually mix or where singing, shouting or exercise may be taking place.
• Send strong communications to encourage pupils (or parents of primary/nursery/preschool children) and staff to undertake twice weekly LFD testing and reinforce advice on symptoms and case isolation.
• Use PPE in specific circumstances such as within 2m of a symptomatic student
• Review and reinforce hygiene measures with particular support for those where maintaining hygiene standards may be difficult (e.g. younger cohorts).
• Use face coverings in communal areas (Year 7 and above pupils, staff and visitors). DfE now strongly advises this and it is in the guidance Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

IN THE EVENT OF INCREASED CASES IN SCHOOL

We will consider or introduce:

• Daily LFD testing for household contacts or contacts identified by Test and Trace, who do not have symptoms. LFDs are still effective in identifying cases of Covid. National guidance now advises 7-day LFD testing for household contacts or other contacts identified by NHS Test and Trace. Anyone aged 5 and over is advised to test but this is parental discretion. Test can be obtained online or via a pharmacy.

• If multiple cases (5) within a clearly defined group and evidence of spread within the setting, school/nursery/preschool to provide advisory information letter to identified group (e.g. class, year group, common activities group). This recommends that those who may have been in contact with the cases to take daily LFDs for 7 days (staff only for preschool/nursery). The letter can be sent to reception classes where some children are aged 4 but all LFD testing is at parental discretion. Local Authority may have also developed an inform and advise letter to use. Schools may also wish to alert staff and students who are clinically extremely vulnerable, where they may have closely mixed with a PCR confirmed case (e.g. within the class or part of friendship group).

• Reducing mixing of staff e.g., by holding meetings remotely, social distancing or staggered breaks in the staff room. Indication of transmission between staff or escalating* staff case numbers. Staff may be socialising outside of school and there are no restrictions on social distancing. However, moving to remote meetings and staggered breaks can help prevent transmission in the setting.

• Promote social distancing and reducing crowding. This may include reducing the number of children gathering (e.g. assemblies) and minimising pinch points in the school day. To help reduce transmission between groups.

• Reduce intergroup mixing (e.g. separate break times, staggered entry etc, seating plans in classrooms or on school transport) This is most likely to be effective when there is substantial mixing between classes and most likely to be proportionate when implementing does not disrupt lesson planning. If a particular year/class(es)/ group(s) affected, can they be kept separate from the rest of the school e.g. a separate break or eating area be identified?

• Temporary reinstating face coverings in classrooms (secondary school). When there is evidence of transmission within the school, could limit to a particular class/year group but the decision should be made by the school taking into account acceptability amongst pupils/staff/parents and impact on teaching.

• Limitation of residential education visits, open days, transition/taster days, parental attendance, live performances, sporting events or similar where there is evidence of ongoing transmission within cohort where visits/events etc are planned. Could limit this measure to a particular group. The school should review risk assessment (RA) for educational visit, discuss mitigation measures and consider if it should go ahead depending on RA. Advice for schools regarding RA for residential trips at Coronavirus and Educational Visits. The school should discuss the situation with the places they are due to visit.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR FAIRLIGHT

Below is a simple list of what this will all mean to us at Fairlight.

• Masks MUST BE WORN by anyone over the age of 11 entering the school site.
• Don't send your child to school if they are unwell with Covid symptoms.
• Any child who shows symptoms in school will be sent home and will not be able to return until a negative PCR test result is provided.
• If you child is unwell (with Covid symptoms but also with other symptoms) then please seek a PCR test.
• It remains extremely helpful if families (parents and children) undertake Lateral Flow Testing (LFT's) twice a week.
• Contact the school if your child tests positive for Covid- so that we can monitor cases and inform others if required.
• We will continue to update you on what is going on with cases in school.
• Daily routines at the start and end of the day will continue.
• Our school timetable (how the children are grouped and move around the school) will continue and we will look to maintain our groupings where possible.
• Increased levels of handwashing and sanitising will continue.
• Staff will LFT 3 times a week.
• Staff will wear masks in all communal areas of the school.

Further measures we may have to consider in the event of increased cases or shortages of staff.

• Returning to stricter groupings in school.
• Remote learning for a period of time- this will be classes/ year groups/the whole school working from home. 

HOW WE WILL COMMUNICATE WITH YOU

Covid updates will continue to be posted https://www.fairlight.brighton-hove.sch.uk/school-office/attendance/health-information 

Some amazing displays of Learning around the school

Weekly Updates

Below are the previous updates from this term. Please read through to find out what has been happening this term.

Of course to save room most of the pictures and videos have been removed from old posts.

You can scroll down to read them on this page also.  

AUTUMN 1 2021/2022

SUMMER 2 2020/2021

SUMMER 1 2020/2021 

SPRING 2 2020/2021 

SPRING 1 2020/2021

AUTUMN 2 2020/2021

AUTUMN 1 2020/2021