HEADTEACHER UPDATE 15.07.22

Dear SWPS Families

Firstly, a huge ‘Thank you’ to all the grown ups that managed to attend our Jubilee Concert and the ‘Picnic’ afterwards.  This was a huge success and it was great to see so many of you.  Hope you thoroughly enjoyed it.  The children and staff did so well.

Weather update for next week:

I am sure that you have all been keeping up with the weather updates for next week. The Met office have issued a Red Warning for the East Midlands.  Temperatures have been forcast to reach 38 degrees on Tuesday.

The DfE, via their blog, have issued the following guidance. It is mostly a repeat of the information that I sent earlier in the week, with the following statement included:

"We aren’t advising schools to close during high temperatures, but school leaders should make sure they take any steps necessary to make sure children are safe and comfortable."

They have issued the following document to advise regarding the weather:

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/07/14/advice-for-schools-and-other-education-settings-during-a-heatwave/

Snape Wood primary will remain open and there are no plans to close.  We are implementing the following to ensure our children are safe at school during these extreme weather condition and adhering to the guidance released:

School strategies:

• Children will have access to water throughout the day – chilled.
• Children will have short bursts of fresh air in the shaded areas – top of field under the tree, outside year 3 and Y4 under the trees, under the tree by the trim trails, Pop up Gazebos placed outside the windows in Y5/6 to allow shade.
• All blinds will be drawn.
• Site Manager will open the windows early morning and close them as the air outdoors warms – 11:00 am approx.
• Internal windows will be opened to allow flow of air.
• Lights will be turned off when not required.
• We have adjusted the school menu to ensure on Tuesday, it is a cold lunch and ice-cream.  Packed Lunch children will have their lunch in class and school dinners will be in the dining room and learning rooms – the internal fan will extract warm air out.
• EYFS will do learning indoors and have fresh air breaks under the canopy.  A Gazebo will be available to allow for any shade required outdoors.
• P.E will not take place on Monday or Tuesday due to the extreme hot weather.
• Swimming is cancelled due to the humidity in the swimming baths.  This is a change from the original plan, which was to transport the children to and from the baths, however, due to the updated information, school have decided that under the circumstances, all physical activities will not take place.
• EYFS Sports Day has been rescheduled to Thursday morning as a result of the weather warning.

School Uniform:

Children must come in their school P.E uniform (with some adjustments):

Shorts (Black, navy, Grey)

T-Shirts (White, grey, blue, black) No Logo

Trainers or sandals.

Please make sure that the clothing is light (cotton or linen if possible)

What can parents do to help?

• Make sure children are in P.E uniform as above
• Children have a water bottle
• Children have a cap or hat
• Children have or wear sun cream.
• Ensure children are in school

Health and Safety Precautions:

All staff will have read the DFE guidance and all First Aiders will be on duty to support any children requiring any intervention.

Staff will be vigilant and look out for any symptoms and notify First Aiders and follow the recommended guidance from DFE:

Here are the signs of heat related medical conditions in children

The signs of heat stress are:

• Children may seem out of character and show signs of discomfort and irritability. These signs can include those listed below for heat exhaustion and will worsen if left untreated leading to heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke

The signs of heat exhaustion include:

• tiredness
• dizziness
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• hot, red, and dry skin
• confusion

Signs of heatstroke include

• high body temperature – a temperature of or above 40°C (104°F) is a major sign of heatstroke
• red, hot skin and sweating that then suddenly stops
• fast heartbeat
• fast shallow breathing
• confusion/lack of co-ordination
• fits
• loss of consciousness

For more information on heat related illnesses visit the Department for Health and Social Care’s website.

If a child is suffering from heat related illness these are the steps you should take

1. Move the child to as cool a room as possible and encourage them to drink cool water (such as water from a cold tap).
2. Cool the child as rapidly as possible, using whatever methods you can. For example, sponge or spray the child with cool (25 to 30°C) water – if available, place cold packs around the neck and armpits, or wrap the child in a cool, wet sheet and assist cooling with a fan.
3. Dial 999 to request an ambulance if the person doesn’t respond to the above treatment within 30 minutes.
4. School will contact parent or guardian.

SEND and any individualised provision:

• All children who have an individualised plan, school will ensure that their plans are followed and provision in place.

I hope this outlines any concerns you may have regarding the safety of your child or children during this extreme weather.  If you have any further questions, then please do not hesitate to contact school.

Thank you for your continued support. By working together, we can ensure that our children are safe and well.

Kind Regards

Mrs Shewley Choudhury

(Headteacher)