Coronavirus Archives - SENDIASS Rutland

Disadvantaged pupils offered free data in bid to tackle digital divide

January 6, 2021January 6, 2021 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

The Department for Education is partnering with broadband providers to offer disadvantaged families free data to support home learning during the latest Covid-19 lockdown. Through the partnership schools are being urged to identify children without internet access to request the free data through the government’s Get Help with Technology programme. Providers involved in the programme include EE, which announced this week that it is offering disadvantaged families 20GB of free data per month. Also involved are broadband providers Three, Sky Mobile, SMARTY, Tesco Mobile and Virgin Mobile. This free data offer is available until July 2021. The move comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this week that schools in England will close until at least February half-term as part of a fresh national lockdown to curb rates of Covid-19 infection. ...

Plans to support vulnerable children set out as schools close amid third coronavirus lockdown

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

It was announced last night that all primary and secondary schools and colleges would close for at least six weeks until February half-term to all pupils except the children of frontline workers and vulnerable children. Early years settings, including nurseries and childminders, special schools and alternative education providers will remain open to all pupils, Johnson said. The Department for Education has confirmed it will go ahead with previously announced plans to increase the number of free laptops and 4G routers made available to disadvantaged children. It said it aimed to provide one million devices by the end of the current academic year having handed out 560,000 as of December.The government-funded National Tutoring Programme, aimed at helping the most disadvantaged children impacted by the pandemic catch-up with peers, has said it will continue to provide tutoring remotely – it delivered support to 62,000 pupils last term.Meanwhile, the government has admitted that GCSE, AS and A level exams are “unlikely” to go ahead...

COVID Winter Plan – Impact on Education

November 24, 2020November 24, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

As you will be aware, the Prime Minister introduced their COVID winter plan yesterday (you can read more on the Gov website here). This plan is fairly extensive, with more aspects (such as the three-tiers) still to be decided. The relevant aspects that you may need to be aware of: The COVID-19 Winter Plan ensures the current national restrictions can be lifted on 2nd December, so across all of England, regardless of tier: The stay at home requirement will end, with domestic and international travel being permitted again subject to guidance in each tier.Shops,personal care,gyms and the wider leisure sector will reopen.Collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports can resume, subject to social distancing.People will no longer be limited to seeing only one other person in outdoor public spaces -the rule of 6 will now apply as it did in the previous set of tiers. Information about Protecting the Vulnerable Under recent national measures, the clinically extremely vulnerable have been advised to take...

Home education rise leaving children’s services ‘stretched’

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

The number of children being electively home educated has jumped by more than a third compared with last year due to health fears sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic, new figures from the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) shows. Some 75,668 children were being taught at home on 1 October, 38% more than on the same date last year. Of these, 25% had been registered since 1 September. The most common reason cited by parents is the fear and uncertainty around Covid-19. Gail Tolley, chair of the ADCS educational achievement policy committee, warned that local authorities were struggling to deal with the jump in the number of children being home educated. For more, you can read the full article on Children & Young People Now. ...

Support for Families Impacted by Covid19

November 16, 2020November 16, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

As the country continues through its second lockdown, it is a worrying time for many - particularly parents with children to care for. The Fashion & Textile Children's Trust is working with families every week who are feeling the ongoing impact of reduced pay or redundancy. Here are some links that may help you and your family: Help for families on reduced incomeGrants to help parents and carers whose household income has reduced as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Find out more Redundancy GrantsIf you are a parent facing redundancy from a fashion or textile company, our grants can help bridge the gap and make sure your children have the essentials they need. Find out more Who Can Apply? To apply for an FTCT grant, the child's parent or carer must have recently worked for a UK fashion or textile company.This includes: Supermarkets which sell clothing (ASDA, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, etc)Clothing companies (Matalan, NEXT, M&S, TK Maxx)Homeware and soft furnishing companies (IKEA, Dunelm Mill, DFS, etc.)Laundry...

Vicky Ford MP: Letter to CYP with SEND, their parents/carers and professionals

November 10, 2020November 10, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, Vicky Ford MP, has released a letter to all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their parents/carers and families, and others who support them. "I recognise that this is an extremely challenging period, especially for children and young people with SEND, their families and carers and those who work to support them. I hope this letter gives you some reassurance that the education, health and wellbeing of children and young people with SEND continue to be a top priority for the government during these difficult times and we continue to be incredibly grateful to all those who work so hard to support children and young people with SEND."— Vicky Ford, MP This provides information on: School AttendanceChildren and Young People who are clinically extremely vulnerableRemote EducationWinter package to provide further support for children and familiesFace coverings in educational settingsRespite CareHealth Services for CYP with SEND ...

Covid-19: £76m National Tutoring Programme launches

November 2, 2020November 2, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

Children & Young People Now have announced an “intensive tutoring programme to help disadvantaged children whose learning has been most affected by the coronavirus pandemic has launched today (2 November)” The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) will allow schools to access subsidised tutoring, mainly for their pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The NTP is being designed to provide additional support to students that have been hardest hit by school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. School leaders and teachers will be able to choose which tuition providers best suit their needs, from a list of approved NTP Partner organisations. For the full article, click here. ...

A joint ministerial letter to children and young people with SEND regarding the full return to educational settings in September 2020

July 21, 2020July 21, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

Children & Families Minister Vicky Ford and Care Minister Helen Whately have written an open letter to children and young people with SEND, their parents, families and others who support them. The letter explains the actions that need to be taken to ensure, where possible, all pupils return to their educational settings from September, and responds to some of the concerns and questions that have been raised. Department for Education and Department of Health & Social Care Joint Ministerial LetterDownload Key messages include: The importance for those with special educational needs and disabilities to return to educational settings safely in September so that they can receive face-to-face education and supportReassures that the risk of contracting the virus in educational settings is low and outlines protective measures in place to reduce the risk even further, including the NHS Test and Trace systemMinisters expect a small number of absences from children and young people who remain under the specialist care of a health professional however, the...

“Third of young people left without mental health support during lockdown” survey finds

July 13, 2020July 13, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

Nina Jacobs at Children & Young People Now has reported on survey findings of the impact on children & young people access to mental health support during Covid-19. Key findings include: 31% of young people were no longer able to access support despite still needing help from specialist services (a rise of 5% since the start of the lockdown)Many young people felt unable to access help at home due to concerns around privacy and confidentiality or a lack of access to technology80% said that pandemic had made their mental health worse – of which, 41% said it made things “much worse”Nearly 90% said they had felt lonely or isolated71% had been able to stay in touch with friends11% felt that their mental health had improved since the lockdown Young Minds Statistics ...

Resources for Children on COVID-19

July 3, 2020July 3, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

As we all start preparing for children to return to school in September, you might find some of these resources useful: "While We Can't Hug" by Faber and FaberHedgehog and Tortoise want to give each other a great big hug, but they're not allowed to touch. From the creators of the internationally adored The Hug, Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar, they are thrilled to bring you a new story: While We Can't Hug."Dave the Dog is Worried about Coronavirus"This book aims to open up the conversation about coronavirus and some of the things they might be hearing about it and provide truthful information in a reassuring and child friendly manner."COVIBook"A short book to support and reassure children, under the age of 7, regarding the COVID-19. This book is an invitation for families to discuss the full range of emotions arising from the current situation. It is available in 16 languages, including: English, Polish, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese."My Story About Pandemics and Coronavirus"...