Renfrewshire Advice Works Schools Support Service offers free confidential advice on money and debt issues. There is now a dedicated service available to provide advice to parents whose child/children attends an educational establishment in Renfrewshire. If you would like school staff to refer you please contact the senior management team on;
phone – 0300 300 0181
email –  stcharlesenquiries@renfrewshire.gov.uk

FAMILY-Renfrewshire AW Schools Support Service

ELCC – January Letter 2021- Home Learning

online resources

www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/schoolsupdate-0501

Christmas holiday period 

Our schools finished for the holidays on Friday 18 December and for the majority of pupils the holidays have now been extended until Monday 11 January. 

Re-opening of schools in January 2021

As outlined above, the school holidays have now been extended until Monday 11 January 2021.

The exception is for those children who have both parents (or, in the case of a single parent family, the main carer) as designated key workers and who are unable to source alternative childcare.

Children who fall into this category will be able to attend school from Thursday 7 January where they will be supervised by staff. School staff will return on Wednesday 6 January to allow planning to take place for the safe return of children of key workers and vulnerable children.

A keyworker is defined as:

• Health and Care workers directly supporting COVID response, and associated staff; Health and Care workers supporting life threatening emergency work, as well as critical primary and community care provision; staff providing childcare/learning.
• All other Health and Care workers, and wider public sector workers providing emergency/critical welfare services (for example: fire, police, prisons, social workers), as well as those supporting our Critical National Infrastructure, without whom serious damage to the welfare of the people of Scotland could be caused.
• All workers (private, public or third sector) without whom there could be a significant impact on Scotland (but where the response to COVID-19, or the ability to perform essential tasks to keep the country running, would not be severely compromised).

Teachers, nursery officers and staff supporting schools and nurseries, such as school office staff and catering, cleaning and janitorial staff, are included in the above criteria as key workers.

Parents of vulnerable children and young people do not need to apply – our schools and nurseries will contact them directly to assess the supports needed.

How to apply

In order to be eligible to access:

• Both parents must be keyworkers. (or, in the case of a single parent should meet criteria)
• Children should attend only when there are no alternative childcare arrangements
• Keyworkers who are able to work from home are not eligible for critical childcare.

Applications are open at https://arcg.is/1zzG8v1 and parents and carers should apply, where possible, by Thursday 24 December at 1pm to enable us to confirm placements. All applications will close on Monday 4 January at 5pm.  The application form will confirm whether a place will be available or not.

Remote learning

From Monday 11 January, all children and young people who are at home will have access to remote learning. Your child’s school or nursery will be in touch with you on Wednesday 6 or Thursday 7 January to let you know the arrangements for your child.

Transport and school meals

If your child receives home to school transport, this will continue as normal for children of key workers and vulnerable children and young people from Thursday 7 January. When schools and nurseries return, home to school transport will be available as normal for all children and young people who normally receive this service.

School meals will be available for children of key workers and vulnerable children and young people attending school. Free school meals will be available to any child or young person who is entitled to receive one.

For any child or young person who is entitled to a free school meal and is learning remotely during the week beginning Monday 11 January, we will seek to make a financial payment in lieu of providing a free school meal.

You can find the latest information and advice on the council’s website. These pages will be updated regularly and provide the most up-to-date information.

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Scottish government have confirmed that children in primary and secondary school who receive a free school meal on the basis of low income are eligible for an additional £100 winter hardship payment. We encourage parents whose child is eligible for a free school meal to apply this week so they can receive this payment – www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmealsandclothinggrants

Anyone who has previously applied for a free school meal for this school year (2020-21) will receive the payment directly into their bank account before Christmas. Anyone who applies between Monday 30 November and Friday 18 December will receive this payment by mid-January at the latest.

P1-P3 pupils are not automatically eligible for this payment as every child receives a free school meal regardless of their family’s circumstances. We would urge all families on low incomes with a P1-P3 child to apply for free school meals by Friday 18 December.

Nursery children of low-income parents aren’t entitled to the winter hardship payment, but are entitled to the £27 free school meal payment to cover the festive break. If you are eligible, please apply at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmealsandclothinggrants

Further information on the COVID winter hardship payment (£100 per child) can be found on Scottish Government’s website.

CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES UPDATE

Join RSNO and Children’s Classic Concerts for a free family Christmas show, ‘The Night Before Christmas,’ this Saturday. Kids and grown-ups can watch and sing along as Owen Gunnell makes a mad-dash attempt to organise his Christmas festivities after discovering he slept through the first 12 days of December! The story follows the CCC presenter as he scrambles to organise his celebrations and even discovers he forgot to write his letter to Santa. With a little bit of help from the RSNO musicians and the RSNO Junior Chorus, Owen endeavours to get sorted on time, and get everyone in the Christmas spirit along the way.

‘The Night Before Christmas’ will premiere live on the STV Player and the RSNO and CCC’s Facebook pages and YouTube channels on 12 December 2020 at 2pm.  It will be available to watch for 30 days.

A trailer for the show can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMDl5F43xL8