26.03.2020: We have been made aware of a scam whereby parents entitled to free school meals have been asked to supply their bank details by text, email or phone call. No schools or authorities will ask ever for your bank details, so please do not share this information. 

23.03.2020: Parents/carers of children registered for Free School Meals can apply for assistance to buy food whilst schools are closed through Warwickshire's Welfare Scheme.

This will be through a £30 voucher per child that they will receive via text/SMS to their mobile and can be exchanged for cash at any Paypoint outlet. 

Warwickshire are currently offering six weeks of support as it is not known how long schools will be closed for.

From Monday 23rd March 2020, the Welfare Scheme will be taking applications via either of these methods:

• Call 0800 4081448 or 01926 359182. You will be asked for each child's name, date of birth and a valid mobile number.
• Email warwickshirelocalwelfarescheme@warwickshire.gov.uk. You will need to include each child's name, date of birth and a valid mobile number.

Please be patient when calling as they are anticipating a high volume of enquiries. You can contact them anytime during the six weeks and you will still be eligible for the full amount. 

If you are registered for free school meals but live outside Warwickshire, please contact your local authority to see what arrangements they have in place if you need assistance to buy food whilst schools are closed:

Solihull Family Information Service is 0800 389 8667

Birmingham Children's Services 0121 303 3521 

20.03.2020: An email has been sent to everyone who has requested emergency provision to give us an indication of their requirements for next week, Monday 23rd March - Friday 27th March.

We are committed to supporting children who are vulnerable and children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home. Many parents working as key workers in critical sectors will be able to make arrangements to keep their children at home. Schools remain safe places for children, but 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 in wider society.

As a reminder therefore, if it is at all possible for children to be safely cared for at home, then they should be.

Health and social care

This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare

This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.

Key public services

This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

Local and national government

This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.

Food and other necessary goods

This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).

Public safety and national security

This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.

Transport

This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

Utilities, communication and financial services

This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

After schools shut their gates on Friday 20^th March 2020, they will remain closed until further notice except for children of key workers and vulnerable children, as part of the country’s ongoing response to coronavirus.

Examples of key workers include NHS staff, police and supermarket delivery drivers who need to be able to go to work to support the country’s fight to tackle coronavirus.

Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Children who do not fall into these groups should remain at home with appropriate care.

We need to gauge the number of children likely to need to access emergency provision at our school and nursery during the extended school closure period. All parents should have received an email. If you believe you are a key worker or are the parent/carer of a vulnerable child, please reply to this email with the information requested.

PLEASE COMPLETE AND REPLY BY RETURN OF EMAIL ASAP (DEADLINE FRIDAY 20^th MARCH, 12 NOON)