LITTLEMILL PRIMARY and EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRE

Dear Parent/Carer

We appreciate fully that many parents are concerned about keyworker status.

The guidance we have received from the Scottish Government is that “if one parent is a key worker and the other is not, the non-key worker should normally be expected to provide childcare. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.”

Having checked the UK Government guidance, it is different and says that if only one parent is a key worker, they can send their children to school if required.

In light of this contradictory position, we will deal with each case on its merits. If there is no other childcare option then we would look for confirmation of this.

We want to do all we can to support key workers. We need them to look after those who are going to get sick and to keep our vital services running, but we also need to avoid social contact so, if key workers can make any other arrangements for their children, we ask them to do so.

Head Teachers will not turn away any child on Monday, but will need to seek some form of confirmation of key worker status for future attendances. Going forward we will need to keep matters under review with staff absences rising as more of our staff require to self isolate and we know parents will understand.

Remember we need to reduce social contact, and even if you are a key worker, please only send your child as a last resort and if you absolutely need to.

Kind regards

Linda McAulay-Griffiths
Head of Education

Sent To You By East Ayrshire Council

Dear Parents/Carers

A further reminder to all parents/carers to please understand that our emergency provision is absolutely only as a final option.  We are sure that our parents/carers will understand and respect this to help keep our pupils, staff and families safe.

We are still encountering some questions regarding emergency provision from Monday.  Clearly all adults in the child’s household must be keyworkers to access the service.  Where this is not the case, the other adults are expected to provide care.

Please refer to the website for the key worker categories:

https://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/CouncilAndGovernment/Coronavirus/Schools-ecc.aspx

Kindest regards

Linda McAulay-Griffiths
Head of Education

Sent To You By East Ayrshire Council

Dear Parent/Carer

As you will be aware, the Deputy First Minister has just announced further details about the nature of provision that will be available to some young people during the period of school closures.   I hope this letter will clarify such provision.

Who will our schools and ECCs be open to?

ALL schools and ECCs in East Ayrshire will open on Monday 23^rd of March to children and young people whose parents/carers work for the following services:

• NHS- all staff including primary care (pharmacy/dentistry)
• Health and Social Care Staff
• Emergency Services- all staff
• Staff who work in prisons
• East Ayrshire Council employees who have children who attend our schools, please discuss with your eligibility with your manager. This will be in line with roles which are designated as essential.
• Education staff

We will also be providing a service for some of our most vulnerable children identified by professionals in a multi-agency approach.

Please note that the service being provided will not be a continuation of normal educational provision and will also be supported by colleagues from other Council teams such as Vibrant Communities staff.

May I also reinforce that young people with underlying health conditions or who are currently self-isolating should NOT attend such provision, and schools will continue to alert parents/carers to pick up any young people who do exhibit symptoms aligned to COVID-19.

We respectfully ask that other parents/ carers do not send their young people to school, as clearly the measures in place are designed to support critical services and vulnerable young people in addressing this pandemic. If you feel that your job/role meets the criterion but is not listed, please discuss this directly with your child’s school/ ECC.

Young people not attending school/ ECC

All other children and young people will continue to receive educational input via online platforms such as Glow and school and centre staff will be providing updates to you via the school app and other communication tools. We will also be ensuring that schools and ECCs keep in contact with you and your family via regular communications to maintain the already great sense of community and togetherness in our schools and ECCs.

SQA Examination diet

The SQA exam diet for summer 2020 has been cancelled, we are writing to all young people today to support them in this time of acute anxiety and uncertainty, appreciating the amount of work that they have already put into their studies.   We are working on continuity of provision for our Senior Phase pupils (S4-6) and secondary schools will contact you directly to notify you of these arrangements around completion of coursework.

For your information, certification of all SQA qualifications will go ahead, and will be based on both predicted attainment, coursework and assessment throughout the year.  Certification will NOT be based solely on prelim performance.

Teachers have further work to do on these predictions and this is currently in progress. Schools do not have the final outcomes at this point therefore, and I would therefore ask you not to contact schools for the predictions at this crucial time. They are not yet available.

Hours of opening/ transport / catering provision

All of the children and young people attending our provision can attend their usual school/centre on Monday 23^rd of March during normal hours.  School transport will be provided in the usual way.  If you currently utilise after-school care services then please speak to the provider about this provision. Lunch facilities will continue for the young people who are attending schools/ ECCs.   Free School Meals will be provided for all young people who are entitled to these in a way that is yet to be detailed, but will be in local communities.

As you will understand, this is a dynamic and fluid situation and we expect that arrangements will change as the week progresses and we understand better the demand on this service and our own staff capacity.

Going forward it is unlikely that the provision will be available in every schools and centre and we will look to centralise some of this, but we will keep you informed via the apps and our own East Ayrshire website of any such changes.

Safety of our schools and ECCs

All schools and ECCs will be operating the recommended social distancing guidance in both dining and classroom settings and encouraging regular handwashing regimen.  Our Facilities teams have already adopted new cleaning regimens and protocols and we have ensured that there are adequate supplies of cleaning products and handwashing products.
We are clearly amidst unprecedented times and I hope that this letter will cover most of the questions that you will have at this time, but we also appreciate that you may have further questions. Can we ask that you direct such enquiries to your individual establishments at this time to allow us to collate and respond to these.

Going forward

As I intimated yesterday, we have no indication as to the duration of these closures, but please know that we are on this journey with you and your families at this time. We have been overwhelmed by the response of our staff in regards to working in new and innovative ways to support our young people in these times.

Can I thank you all for your understanding of these circumstances and for working with us to ensure that our critical services can be supported.

I would encourage you to follow all of the health advice being published, which is available on our website, so that you and your family can stay as safe as possible during this worrisome period.

Kindest Regards

Linda McAulay-Griffiths
Head of Education

Sent To You By East Ayrshire Council

Dear Parent/Carer,

Firstly, thank you for your understanding, support and partnership working with early years settings and schools in what are clearly unprecedented times for everyone.

I would like to take this opportunity to share as much information as possible at this time and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

You may already be aware of the announcement from the First Minister of Scotland this afternoon that she is planning for schools and early years settings to close from Friday of this week.

There is no confirmation at this stage regarding the duration of the closure however please be assured that we will keep you informed. More information will be provided via established methods of communication including:

• School App from the school/ ECC that your child/children attend
• The East Ayrshire Council Website https://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/coronavirus
• The EAC Stay Connected System https://eastayrshi.re/stayconnected
• East Ayrshire Council Twitter account (@eastayrshire)
• East Ayrshire Education Twitter account (@eaceducation)

Schools have been preparing resources, including digital resources via GLOW, for children and young people to access. With regards to pupils in S4, S5 and S6 who are due to complete National Qualification courses and examinations, we await further information from the Depute First Minister tomorrow and details will be provided to parents/carers as these emerge.

We would also advise that at this stage we are planning, with partners, to provide a service for  children of parents who work for  NHS essential services and emergency services. We will be in touch directly, in due course, in regards to detail and also where this support will be sited.  Arrangements are also being prepared to ensure children and young people who are in receipt of free school meals will have access to these whilst schools are closed.

At this stage, can I thank you again for your understanding in these difficult circumstances and we will be in further contact as more details emerge.

Kindest regards
Linda McAulay-Griffiths
Head of Education

We are eager to hear your views!

We have been having some technical difficulties with our school blog, which have now been resolved.  We are aiming to share more of our learning journey on our school blog over the coming months.  Keep your eyes peeled for some updates!

10 of our P4-7 pupils have attended a weekly After-School Dance Club in preparation for our first EVER performance at East Ayrshire’s Dance Fest.  These pupils worked tirelessly over the past few months to choreograph their dance, with no input from anyone else, it was a real #TeamLittlemill effort! 

When choosing a context to work around, it was decided to focus on World War One.  After all we have signed up to take on the 1918 Poppy Pledge for PoppyScotland, in which we are trying to raise £1918 to honour those that fell in the Great War and to support our Armed Forces community.

We carefully developed our routine over the weeks, adding costumes and props along the way.  Before we knew it, the big night had arrived – ‘Tuesday the 27th of March’, Littlemill’s first Dance Fest!  The dress rehearsal went well, we loved watching all the other performers and were amazed at their technique.  We were pleased to see our partner schools in the Doon Education Group and gave them all an extra big cheer.

After a well-earned ‘McDonald’s’, it was time for the big performance.  I can assure you that Mrs Ross and I were more nervous than the performers!

The stage was set, the music started; “It’s a Long way to Tipperary and Pack up Your Troubles” blasted from the speakers and they were off.  The pupils excelled on the big stage, performing with perfect timing, enthusiasm and that little extra slice of Littlemill humour for which we are fast becoming famous for.

The buzz the children got from performing on such a stage in front of a large audience is something they won’t forget for a while.  The positivity and general feeling of achievement was evident within all individuals and is something our staff will be looking to build on.

We would like to thank all involved at East Ayrshire Council in the planning of Dance Fest, particularly Joanne Allison for making us feel so welcome and at ease.

You know it’s had a big impact on the pupils when you hear them talking about what they want to do next year on the bus home!

What a lovely first day back, it was nice to hear how much our pupils and staff enjoyed their holidays.  2018 is shaping up to be an action packed year at Littlemill Primary School, let’s ‘Reach for the Stars’ and make it a memorable one!

Best wishes to you and yours for 2018

Our P7 pupils will be competing at the Ayrshire Athletics Arena on Monday 11th September.

Our friends from the Cumnock Chronicle and Ayrshire Post will be in this Monday and Tuesday to take the Primary 1 photographs.