South Somerset Partnership School- Coronavirus Response

South Somerset Partnership School has followed all advice issued by both the Government and by Public Health England since the Coronavirus outbreak began earlier this year.

The Government guidance clearly states that the fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals across our wider society.

Schools are, therefore, being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children and we are paying particular attention to the guidance that states provision should be available for those who cannot be safely cared for at home. This is a childcare and respite service, it is not school.

SSPS is partially closed. The only building that is operational is WYNDHAM VIEW. This is because it has a number of rooms and allows for good quality social distancing. It is deep cleaned every evening.

A lot is dependent on staff absence and we will never open if we can’t ensure your child is safe.

In line with the government guidance, we are open for the children of keyworkers and those who are vulnerable or in receipt of an EHCP who cannot safely have their needs met at home. This provision needs to be requested and planned for with Pastoral Leads on a weekly basis.

We risk assess every pupil on our school roll on a weekly basis according to any welfare or safeguarding issues.

We will engage with any partners- Schools, Health, CSC, Police etc in order to offer a multiagency response to any individual families.

Please note that, in line with guidance, pupils in Centre will receive high quality child care and a space to complete work set- not education.

All pupils at SSPS have been moved onto a Remote Learning Package. Each pupil has a teacher to make contact and set work and a TA to help with any questions and provide some mentoring. We take our pupils mental health and well-being very seriously and want to ensure this is supported as well as their school work.

Please talk directly to the teacher or TA who has contacted you to agree the best times for phone calls etc, and please bear with them if they don’t get it quite right first time- we are all learning a new way of working.

Work for pupils is uploaded under the Parent tab under the heading Remote Learning Resources
I would suggest that you try to:
• Do a bit of reading every day (this can be an audiobook)
• Do some free writing now and then. Our older pupils might benefit from keeping a journal in which to record their thoughts, worries and celebrations during this time.
• Do some practical hands on maths: cooking, cleaning, outside maths games, digital maths games.
• Younger pupils would benefit from some fine motor work. Lego, cutting, playdough, tidying up small toys.
• Include some kind of physical exercise everyday
• Do some art or music where possible.
• Complete some of the school work provided by teachers on our website

You are loving your child and supporting them through a difficult time, so please also look after yourself. The member of staff who is contacting you regularly is also available for a chat, advice and- if needed- can pass on your questions to the Pastoral Lead, who will help you access additional help.

I have also included a list of our staff email addresses on the Remote Learning Resources page for pupils to send work to or ask questions if needed.

Pupils in Year 11 are no longer required to complete school work. Teachers will be working within the Examination Board guidance to ensure GCSE grades are awarded. We will write to all out pupils about this during Term 4. Activities to support moving to college in September will be on the website under the Remote Learning Resources Tab.

Please stay in touch with us. We may not be physically present, but we are thinking of you all and looking forward to a safe return in the future.

All the best