COVID-19 Latest News

Pre-Loved Uniform Shop

Our shopping area is open! Please do come in and look at what is available and help yourself! There is not charge, donations are suggested (box on wall) but not compulsory.

We have left a selection on display however we do have some other stock stored away, just let us know what you need, if it's not there, we can look!

If you do have uniform at home that can be added to our pre-loved shop please drop the items into the school office. Please can we request it is washed before hand.

Let's make this new venture, together, a huge success for our Gatehouse school community.

School Office

Cheaper Broadband and phone packages for eligible households

The Department for Education (DfE) is working with Ofcom to raise awareness of social tariffs for eligible households who might be struggling to afford their broadband or phone services, to help support learning at home.

To apply visit: www.norsecareers.co.uk

or call the Recruitment Team on: 07587031153

Household Support Fund

Devon County Council has been awarded funding by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for the Household Support Fund. We are working with Citizens Advice Teignbridge to provide additional support to our residents.

The fund is designed to help households toward the costs of:

• food or other essential items such as clothing, cleaning products and laundry costs

• help with bills including Gas, Electric or Water or other forms of energy payments including oil and gas cylinders

• help with clothing, bedding or sanitary items

• assistance with essential household items such as fridges, freezers or cookers

• other household bills including essential monthly expenses that cannot be deferred such as internet and phone bills and essential transport costs

https://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/householdsupportfund

Dear parent/carers

As you are aware we have staff shortages across the school currently. This is also affecting the school office. The office team will do all they can to answer your query, but this may take longer than usual. Please email or text the office in the first instance. Telephone calls may take longer to answer or go to voicemail, please avoid popping into the office if you can. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding at this time. 

Best wishes

Leila Naldrett

Head of School

Dear parents/ carers

This is a quick update message regarding the changes to the self isolation period for a positive Covid case. 

Changes to the self-isolation period for those who test positive for COVID-19

From Monday 17 January, people who are self-isolating with COVID-19 will have the option to reduce their isolation period after 5 full days if they test negative with a lateral flow device (LFD) test on both day 5 and day 6 and they do not have a temperature. For example, if they test negative on the morning of day 5 and the morning of day 6, they can return to their education or childcare setting immediately on day 6.

The first test must be taken no earlier than day 5 of the self-isolation period, and the second must be taken the following day. All test results should be reported to NHS Test and Trace.

If the result of either of their tests is positive, they should continue to self-isolate until they get negative results from two LFD tests on consecutive days or until they have completed 10 full days of self-isolation, whichever is earliest.

Anyone who is unable to take LFD tests or anyone who continues to have a temperature will need to complete the full 10 day period of self-isolation.

Have a lovely weekend!

Leila Naldrett

Head of School

We are delighted to announce the outcome of our recent Ofsted inspection – Gatehouse Primary Academy has been recognised as a ‘Good’ school!

We are still available to organise any last-minute tours, or answer any outstanding questions you may have, ahead of the primary applications window closing on 15 Jan!

If you haven't yet come to look at our lovely school and would like to - please get in touch 👇

https://www.gatehouse.devon.sch

Primary school admissions deadline is the 15th January2022 for September 2022 https://www.devon.gov.uk/educationandfamilies/school-information/apply-for-a-school-place/apply-for-a-primary-school-place

Dear parents and carers,

I am writing to you to explain the schools decision to hold all of this year’s nativity performances and carol service virtually.

You will all be aware that as a school, we have had a steady flow of Covid 19 cases this term and more recently, this has increased. This means that we continue to be on the Covid 19 contingency plan, which we have been on since just after half term. As part of the plan we do not have all year groups mixing and do not hold assemblies in the hall in order to mitigate the risk to the children, staff and then you as families. All schools, whether locally or nationally will be in contrasting positions with regard to how many Covid 19 cases they currently have and each will make their own decisions in terms of being able to hold ‘live’ performances. As an example, just before half term our rates were very low and so we did offer live performances for Harvest whereas many schools did not do a Harvest production live.

As a school leader (as well as a mum), I fully understand how disappointing this must be, especially as this will be 2 years in a row that the children have not been able to perform to you as an audience at Christmas. However, we also have to balance the health and safety of the school community and do not want families or staff to need to self isolate over the Christmas period due to a Covid 19 outbreak caused by the school. From the schools perspective it is much simpler to have you attend in school or attending at the church than putting together a recorded performance. However, we do not believe, that at this time that it is sensible to have e.g 200+ key stage 2 children, plus staff, plus the audience all squeezed into the local church and 90+ KS1 children, plus staff and the audience squeezed into the school hall over multiple performances, and with little ventilation in both locations.

As a team, we intend to be as creative as we can for the remainder of the academic year, to have you in school with your children as much as possible.

We continually appreciate your support.

Best wishes

Leila Naldrett

Head of School

COVID-19 Information for Parents

Dear parents/carers

Due to the rising number of Covid 19 cases in the school and the community we will now be holding our parent's evenings this week remotely over Zoom. Your time slots will remain the same and your class teachers will contact you later today with the log in details.

Best wishes

Leila Naldrett

Head of School

Leila Naldrett

Head of School

Gatehouse Primary Academy

Secmaton Lane

Dawlish

Devon

EX7 0LW

01626 862605

admin@gatehouse.devon.sch.uk

November 2021

We have notified parents we are presently under temporary contingency measures. 

Our school risk assessment will be reviewed in December 2021

Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms in children

Children can get coronavirus (COVID-19), but they seem to get it less often than adults and it's usually less serious.

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

a high temperature

a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot, for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours

a loss or change to sense of smell or taste – this means they cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

What to do if your child has symptoms

If your child has any of the main symptoms of COVID-19, even if they're mild:

Get a PCR test (test that is sent to a lab) to check if they have COVID-19 as soon as possible.  For our internal test log we request parents/carers send evidence of the PCR results.

Your child should stay at home and not have visitors (self-isolate) until you get the test result – they can only leave home to have the test. Check if you and anyone else your child lives with need to self-isolate.

Get a PCR test to check for COVID-19 on GOV.UK

Important:Help from NHS 111

Get help from NHS 111 if you're worried about your child or not sure what to do.

For children aged 5 or over – get help from NHS 111 online.

For children under 5 – call 111.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/coronavirus-in-children/

Contained within this page:

• The most recent school information.
• How to apply for Free School Meals
• Food Bank assistance,  Helping Dawlish and Scams
• Key information on Coronavirus
• Covid 19 Stress and Anxiety link
• Other useful support links

Dear Parents/carers

Sports Day Events at Gatehouse

We have been made aware that there may be an intention of some parents to gather outside the school to watch the sports day activities.

As a school we have acted to keep our children and school community safe by abiding by the rules and guidance in respect of Covid-19. This includes social distancing. We would ask you to act as role models for our children by complying with the guidance and making sure that there is no gathering of parents. Whilst we have no jurisdiction to prevent parents acting as they wish, we would hope that on reflection it can be seen that any gathering is not a good idea and sends the wrong message to the children.

We understand your frustration but in the event that a gathering is formed we will have to consider whether to discontinue the sports activities and /or take them elsewhere. This would be a considerable disappointment to the children who are looking forward to the day.

Yours sincerely

Mr B White

Deputy Head

Gatehouse Primary Academy

Get Tested to Help Keep Devon Safe

As we move to the next stage of Covid-19 restrictions easing, every adult in Devon is now being encouraged to take a quick, lateral flow test for coronavirus at least twice a week to help stop the virus spreading.

Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 don’t have any symptoms but can pass it on. Regular testing helps identify those who are likely to have the virus, unknowingly and is essential to help stop the virus spreading and to protect one another.

Getting a rapid test is fast and convenient providing a result within the hour. Anyone over 18 can now access these tests in Devon, including:

• being tested at one of our many mobile rapid testing sites

• collecting home test kits from any of our mobile rapid testing sites

• collecting home test kits from NHS testing locations and pharmacies that are part of the Pharmacy Collect Scheme

• having home test kits from the NHS delivered to your home

People with symptoms -new and continuous cough, high temperature, or change to their usual sense of taste or smell- should still immediately self-isolate and arrange a PCR test via the NHS.

Test and Trace Support Payments

If you or a child needs to self-isolate, you might be able to get a Test and Trace Support payments of £500 if either:

• you have been told to self-isolate because of coronavirus (COVID-19) and you cannot work from home

• you’re the parent or guardian of a child who has been told to self-isolate and you need to take time off to look after them

You must be employed or self-employed to get the payment. Further details and eligibility can be found here.

Applications for the support payment is made via the local council

National survey of children, The Big Ask, launches today

The new Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has today launched The Big Ask – the largest ever consultation with children aged 4 to 17 in England. It aims to find out children’s concerns and aspirations about the future, so that we can put children at the heart of our country’s recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

All schools are encouraged to support their pupils to complete this survey.

Parents, care leavers and those working with children are also invited to complete the adult survey to share their views about the future for children and young people today, and what they think is holding young people back.

The results from this survey will help the Children’s Commissioner identify the barriers preventing children from reaching their potential, put forward solutions and set ambitious goals for the country to achieve.

https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/thebigask/

Free Easter holiday activities and meals for children aged 0 to 18 years

Free activities with healthy meals will be available to children from low income families during the Easter holidays. Devon County Council is arranging the activity programme, working with providers in locations across Devon. It's part of a national, Government-funded initiative to provide free activities and healthy meals during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays 2021, and children of all abilities, aged between the ages 0 to 18, can attend.

Places are open now for children from low income families, including those eligible for free school meals, during the Easter holidays. Other children that are not eligible may be able to purchase places if the provider has the capacity to accommodate them.

Parents can book places directly with the activity provider, there will not be a centralised booking system. A website will shortly be live with full details and we will circulate the link to you as soon as this is available. Contact the school office for a list of providers in the meantime.

There will be activities to suit a range of ages and abilities, including a selection of sports (including rugby, football, netball), Forest school/outdoor activities such as den building, cooking on an open fire , Arts and crafts , Music, drama and dance, Scooting and skateboarding , Orienteering and outward bound activities, Cooking classes and activities , Food boxes and activity boxes.

If you have any queries, please email : eycs@devon.gov.uk

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zy44bqt

BBC Headroom - Parents' tips for mental health

Gatehouse staff have a little treat for you... The Masked Singer! Watch the video and guess which staff member is behind the mask!

Dear parents and carers, 

You may have seen in the news recently that parents and other adults in households with children at school and college can now access regular, rapid coronavirus tests. Please see below information from the DfE regarding who can access these tests, and how to book them. 

Undertaking regular, rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing helps reduce transmission of the virus. Parents and other adults in households with children at school or college, who do not have symptoms, can now access regular, rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing. This includes childcare and support bubbles.

Tests are fast, easy and completely free. There are different ways for a household, childcare or support bubble to collect their test to take at home, twice-weekly:

If you have any queries about the tests, and you live in England, please call 119 (free from mobiles and landlines). Lines are open every day from 7am to 11pm.

Children of primary school age (and below) without symptoms are not being asked to take a test.

Testing is voluntary, but strongly recommended to all who are eligible. Alongside the vaccine, washing hands, wearing face coverings, and maintaining social distancing, rapid testing plays a vital role in reducing transmission rates. Getting into the habit of regular testing as part of our everyday lives will help us all to play our part and do what we can to protect each other.

Kind regards,

Mrs Leila Naldrett
Head of School

If your income has been affected as a direct result of COVID-19, or you are facing extreme hardship, you may be eligible to apply for the COVID-19 Hardship Fund with Teignbridge District Council. More information can be found on the below leaflet and factsheet.

Please join us in a ‘Wave of Support’ from home.

Draw around your hand, colour in and display in your window for Friends and Family to spot whilst out enjoying some physical activity.

Let’s show our support for each other during these unprecedented times!

FREE SCHOOL MEAL APPLICATION

Have your circumstances changed due to Coronavirus? You might now been entitled to Free School Meals. 

Apply at the portal below

https://oneonline.devon.gov.uk/CCSCitizenPortal_LIVE/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fCCSCitizenPortal_live

Children whose parents are getting any of the following are entitled to free school meals:

• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods).
• Income Support (IS).
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA).
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (IRESA).
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit.
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, that does not exceed £16,190).
• Working Tax Credit run-on  (the payment you get for a further 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit).

School children living on their own (16-19 year olds) who receive a qualifying benefit in their own right can also get free school meals.

HELPING DAWLISH

Lockdown January 2021 and Helping Dawlish is still in place to help our local community -13 organisations working collaboratively. If you need community support please get in touch and we will try to help.

Helping Dawlish is aware that some people are self-isolating or are being impacted by the effects of the lockdowns on their finances, families, businesses, mental and physical health and may require support. The Dawlish Community Larder is available which can support people in immediate need of food whether due to a medical need or social isolation or need immediate food assistance prior to other help being available. www.helpingdawlish.co.uk

In response to the pandemic emergency HITS - Homeless in Teignbridge Support is changing the way it operates.

People no longer need a referral to receive a foodpack, they or other organisations can phone us directly for help. HITS aim to deliver foodpacks the same day on all requests made before 4pm.

If subsequent foodpacks and/or energy top ups are required a referral from Citizens Advice or similar agency will be required. HITS is happy to make the introductions to Citizens Advice.

HITS believes, passionately, that our foodbank must be about much more than applying a 'sticking plaster' with foodpacks to a problem.

Lack of food often indicates more fundamental problems and HITS want to help people address these issues. That is why HITS ask for referrals and work closely with Citizens Advice and other charities. For example £billions in benefits goes unclaimed, because people don't know they are entitled to it.

HITS seeks to help to raise people out of poverty, restore their dignity and provide a way out of their situation. Fighting poverty, not sustaining it...

https://hitsfoodbank.org/

https://www.facebook.com/hitsfoodbank.org

Homeless in Teignbridge Support foodbank are opening our doors to any child that needs help over the coming half term.

No referral is needed for this support. Just turn up at Abbrook. Strap Lane, Kingsteignton, or contact us and we will support your children.

Our door is open to all.

Department for Education Coronavirus (COVID-19) Helpline Opening Hours

The Department for Education coronavirus (COVID-19) helpline remains available to answer questions about coronavirus (COVID-19) relating to education and children’s social care. Please listen carefully to the available options and select the most appropriate to your nursery, school, or college’s current situation.

Staff, parents and young people can contact this helpline by calling:

Phone: 0800 046 8687

Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm
Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm

NHS Test And Trace Covid-19 APP

NHS Test and Trace has launched the NHS COVID-19 app. The app has been launched to help control the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). It will do this by alerting people who may have been exposed to infection so that they can take action.

The app is available to download on smartphones for anyone aged 16 or over.

Dawlish Food Bank Help

Please call 0772 999 834 - food will be delivered without personal contact

Scams

Please be aware of Scams, Devon County Council have advised that these have increased by 400% since the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak.

For more information, please click on the link below.

https://www.devon.gov.uk/document/scams/

Five simple steps of handwashing:

• Wet: Put both your hands under clean, running water.

• Lather: Apply a generous amount of soap to the inside and back of your hands as well as your fingertips. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds (sing happy birthday) and don’t forget to wash under jewellery and fingernails. Your fingertips are especially important as people often put their fingers on their face, nose, and eyes. This is how the virus spreads.

• Scrub: Rub both hands together and move your fingertips around both hands.

• Rinse: Return both hands to the running water and gently wash away the soap.

• Dry: Completely dry the water from your hands. Using a disposable towel (paper towel) is best to avoid leaving germs on towels. Air dryers, commonly found in public bathrooms, are also effective.

For some children, the lack of routine can be an unsettling time. This document can be printed in order to create a daily visual timetable so that children know the structure of their day ahead. 

MENTAL HEALTH

Children

BBC Newsround – daily news updates in a child friendly way

ttps://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround

Yound minds – strategies to tackle anxiety

https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/what-to-do-if-you-re-anxious-about-coronavirus/

NSPCC  

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/childrens-mental-health/

Adult Support

Mental health UK

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus-outbreak

Rethink

https://www.rethink.org/news-and-stories/blogs/2020/03/managing-your-mental-health-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/

Mind 

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/

Heads Together

http://www.headstogether.org.uk/

Samaritans UK

https://www.samaritans.org/

Free Call 24/7: 116 123

Email 24 Hour response time: jo@samaritans.org

Andy’s Club for Men’s Mental Health

https://www.facebook.com/andysmanclubnewtonabbott/

Other Support Groups

Devon Domestic Abuse Support

Call 0345 1551074

https://www.devon.gov.uk/dsva/domestic-violence-and-abuse/

https://www.splitz.org/devon.html

National Domestic Abuse Support

Call 0808 2000 247

https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/

Citizens Advice

Call 03444 111 444

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Roots Community Enhancement (Dawlish based) can access toys for loan and other baby/children's needs - clothes etc through their networks. Please contact Roots directly on https://www.facebook.com/rootscommunityenhancement

If you've been affected by Covid-19 and are struggling to cover basic necessities, our Hardship Fund may be able to help cover the short term cost of basic essentials. Apply at http://orlo.uk/TDC_GgnTc