Update #4 – 22/03/2020
Please click here for the latest Coronavirus response (COVID-19) from Pegasus Academy Trust and Thornton Heath Nursery. This information is updated regularly in response to Government guidance. It is vital that we all work together to protect our children, parents/carers and staff to enable us to support frontline keyworkers in their role.
Update #3 – 19.03.2020
We waited for clarification this evening from the PM on his proposals for keyworkers but there was none – despite much confusion. The promised guidance document on keyworkers did not appear either. What is clear now is that we cannot turn around our keyworker provision in time for Monday 23rd and thus Tuesday the 24th will be the earliest start date. It is also clear that we cannot meet the huge demand for this provision from keyworkers whilst still maintaining social distancing and safety – which is the whole point of the shutdown. We are prioritising care for the children of those directly involved in the fight against the Coronavirus and other medical staff and have updated our guidance document with a ‘tiered’ system in order to be transparent about how places will be allocated.
UPDATE #2 – 16/03/20
School took place as normal today. We await the first of the Prime Minister’s daily news briefings but are following the daily advice issued to us by the Department for Education which says that ‘no education or children’s social care setting should close in response to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case unless advised to do so by Public Health England’. Staff attendance was good today and morale remains high.
Today’s updates from Pegasus are as follows:
We are inviting Keyworkers to make themselves known to Thornton Heath Nursery via the admin@THNS.org email address explaining their particular job role and circumstances. In the event that THNS does have to close we are considering what help we may be able to offer to keyworkers. Key workers would include NHS frontline medical staff, key responders like police or paramedics and anyone else who undertakes work critical to the safety and continued wellbeing of the population. If you fit one of these categories you should get in touch – we may be able to help;
It is imperative that if your child begins to show symptoms of a cough or high temperature at school that you arrange to collect them with all due haste to protect the other children and staff at our schools. Please consider what these arrangements might be should we have to make that call. Parent and carers of children sent home should follow the ‘Stay at home guidance’ issued by Public health England. If they develop symptoms at home they should stay at home. The indicated symptoms are a new, continuous cough or a high temperature.
We will continue to follow government guidance and will keep working as long as we can. See you all tomorrow.
Jenette and the THNS team.
UPDATE #1 – 13/03/20
As of yesterday, 12th March 2020, the government has announced that they have moved the action planning for COVID-19 into the ‘delay’ phase. In response to this The Pegasus Academy Trust will be implementing some measures, in addition to those mentioned above, from next Monday 16th March in order to ensure that children continue to be as safe as possible.
Increased vigilance around new continuous coughs or temperatures above 37.8 degrees. We ask that any parent or carer who is asked to collect their child/ren come to school as quickly as they can in order to keep others safe. The parents or carers of children sent home should seek appropriate medical advice. If these symptoms are apparent at home DO NOT BRING THE CHILD INTO SCHOOL.
Continue to monitor and follow Government advice regarding best practice. The staff at Thornton Heath Nursery are fully aware that it is imperative that schools stay open in order to allow parents and carers to continue to work – especially those who are key workers. Staff attendance has been excellent so far and morale is high. We will continue to update here as the situation changes.
