WLD Update for Parents & Carers Tuesday 31st March 2020

Good afternoon,

Three updates today....
Useful Resources and Free Activities for Parents/Carers: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/free-activities-children-you-usually-17999810 

Free School Meal vouchers: We have received the following guidance from the Department for Education today

Children eligible for free school meals can benefit from a national voucher scheme whilst they stay at home. This delivers on the Government’s commitment to provide ongoing support for the 1.3 million children that would receive benefits-related free school meals at their school.Schools can now provide every eligible child with a weekly shopping voucher worth £15 to spend at supermarkets while schools are closed due to coronavirus.

Schools can continue to provide meals for collection or delivery themselves, but where this is not possible, the scheme will allow schools to provide vouchers to families electronically, or as a gift card for those without internet access.Parents will receive the voucher through their child’s school, which can then be redeemed online via a code, or sent to their house as a gift card and used at supermarkets across the country.

Today, schools will receive an email from the Department for Education’s chosen supplier, Edenred, explaining how to access and administer the voucher scheme locally. 

Full details of this scheme can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance

We heard today that our own attempts to purchase sufficient supermarket vouchers have been unsuccessful so we will get vouchers issued through this scheme as soon as we hear from the Department for Education.  At the time of writing we have not received the email that is mentioned in the guidance.  I understand that this is a difficult situation for many families so we are working hard to get this resolved as soon as possible. 

Review of ways of working:  We are in different times - we have never tried to get learning resources to all the school on a daily basis remotely before.  This week three members of senior staff are reviewing the way in which we are organising remote learning in the light of a week's experience, parent/carer feedback, student feedback, good and bad practice from other schools and some recent national guidance.  They will be making recommendations to be implemented after the Easter break to try to encourage good study habits without applying excessive pressure at a difficult time for all families.

Best wishes and stay safe....

James Harris

Headteacher