Bellfield Junior School

FAQs during C-19 crisis for Parents

We all have questions about C-19 and how it affects us. Here we try to answer some of those questions about the current situation in school (FAQs further down the page).   Updated 06.09.21                               

Government information:

What Parents/ Carers need to know about schools during Covid-19 outbreak - click here (last update was 27.08.21): translated versions:   Arabic  Bengali  Chinese – traditional  Chinese-simplified  French  Gujarati  Polish  Portuguese  Punjabi  Romany  Somali  Turkish  Urdu

Guidelines for full opening for schools  - click here (last update 27.08.21)

BCC information:  What we need to do in B'ham to stay Covid-19 safe

                                             For Parents & Carers of children with SEND - click here

                                            Mental Health information & support - click here

                                            Building children's resilience during C-19 - click here

Bereavement support from: Edward's Trust   'Beyond the Horizon'  Child Bereavement UK  

BBC video - how to wear a face mask correctly - click here

Links to resources that can help you help your child with C-19: 

   Self care support        Advice for young people       Advice for Parents & Carers

                                      Mindfulness Calendar - 2 weekly, 5 minute wellbeing activities

                                     Back to School - 5 tips for Parents

CORONAVIRUS – a reminder of the current advice:  PLEASE KEEP SAFE AND WELL.

Individuals will only need a test if they have any of the following:

A high temperature: any new high temperature where the person feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature);  A new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours;   A loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal.

Cold/ flu like symptoms – the delta variant can present symptoms of sore throat/ runny nose. Please note that common cold symptoms, including runny nose, are normal - keep your child at home for a day or two and if other symptoms don't appear, they can return to school. If other symptoms appear, please get your child tested asap.

Do not send your child to school if your child is awaiting a test result but you can send your child to school if someone else in the house has symptoms/ is awaiting a result/ is positive and your child does not have symptoms.

Note: Self-isolation for a remaining cough after 10 days is not necessary as the cough can linger for a few days, even weeks, after having the virus.

 IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE:  From September 2021 (as per the Government’s announcement about changes from 16 August 2021), anyone who has been double vaccinated and any children under 18 years of age do not need to isolate if they are a close contact of someone who is positive, but will be asked to take a PCR test – if negative, they will be able to carry on as normal, but if positive, will need to isolate for the mandatory 10 days. If you are unsure what to do, please contact the school and double check with us.

NHS Covid-19 website - click here for info & support

If your child is due in school but is self-isolating, you must ring or email the school to inform us of him/her not attending and the reasons why – as we would normally would expect for any absence.    At all times, as we always expect, please call the school by 9.15am to inform us as to why your child is not in school and keep us informed. Thank you for your support in these unusual times.

• Can I talk to someone if I am unsure about sending my child to school? Of course - if in any doubt about anything, including around Covid concerns or procedures, we would strongly advise contacting us to discuss this - please email our office enquiry@bellfield-jun.bham.sch.uk or phone into school  – we’re here to help.
• Does the school have a risk assessment for the Covid-19 crisis? Yes. You can read this document by clicking HERE - this is reviewed as appropriate if there are any changes to the guidelines from the DfE/ Government or PHE advice. Also, we have an Outbreak Management Plan in case cases rise in our school, which can be found HERE.
• How can I look after my child's mental health & well-being? See links above - also: The Pastoral Team (Miss Harvey & Ms Benn) are in school and here to support you, whether that's just to listen or to get you the support you need. Please contact the office via email or phone. 
• Will I be fined if I do not send my child into school? Yes. The Government have said that as schools are fully open, all children must return to school and that the usual prosecution procedures will apply  - this means you can be fined up to £1000 per child per parent/ carer if you do not send your child to school. However, if you do have concerns about your child being in school, it is important to contact us to talk about this so we can find ways to support you and your family.
• Can I send my child to school with PPE/ hand sanitiser? f you wish to send your child to school with their own hand sanitiser, that is fine too, as long as it has their name on, is kept with them and not shared with others. The Government/DfE (click here, and here) state that face masks are not required by children under Year7 in school and should be removed at the entrance. However, we feel there should be choice for staff, children and families. Therefore, yes - this is your choice for you to provide and send your child to school with a face-mask if you so wish, to be worn in communal areas. However, if your child is to wear a face mask, you must discuss with them how to wear the mask, not to keep messing with the mask and to keep their hands away from the mask as much as possible. It is preferable that masks are not during lessons as this hinders the learning.   The school reserves the right to ask children to remove face masks if they are not being worn properly and/or keep being messed with as it will not be doing the job they are designed to do. We will inform you should this be the case.  Any questions, please contact us.
• How are lunchtimes being organised? Lunchtimes will be as per newsletters  in July and 2.9.21. Free School Meals are as normal during term time and provided in school - if you think you are eligible but currently do not claim, click HERE to complete the online service to check. Any children not in school eligible for FSMs will have food packages available weekly - more info will be sent via email.
• Are Breakfast Club & after-school clubs open? Yes. Normal after-school clubs will begin wc 20.9.21 but our Breakfast Club & the Friday childcare group until 3.30pm continue from 6.9.21. 
• What do I do if my child is ill? As usual, you must contact the school before 9.15am. 
• How is the school supporting home learning? If children are at home for a period, such as due to isolation or shielding, the school will continue to provide Home Learning Packs & work online on our learning platform  - usernames and passwords for all our online learning support are in the children's home learning planners.
• How do I share my child's learning from home? Please send any work in via the year group emails, on the Learning Platform or it can be handed in at the office. 
• As an adult/ Parent/ Carer of a child, can I come into school? You can come in the main entrance to the reception office only, using the provided hand sanitiser at the door and wearing a face covering. For any other contact, ie to talk to Pastoral or a teacher, please contact school using phones, emails or, if requested, we can use Internet media (such as Zoom or Teams) to ‘meet’ with you.  You may be asked to have the NHS Test&Trace app so you can scan our Q code or you may be asked to complete a T&T form.
• How are you ensuring everyone in school is safe? Although we are not having 'bubbles' in the same way as the last 18 months, we will keep year groups separate as much as possible. We will be gradually starting to do whole school assemblies/ celebrations over the Autumn term, keeping a close eye on guidance and infection rates to inform our decisions.
• We have a one-way system into, out of and around school, with distancing that we ask everyone to follow. We ask that Parents/ Carers wear face masks around our premises.
• Ensuring good respiratory hygiene - continue to promote the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach (we ask you encourage this at home also). 
• Everyone must wash/ hand sanitise their hands on entering school and regularly during the day. 
• We have cleaners who are regularly going around school cleaning all communal areas, and classrooms at break/ lunch times.
• PPE is available for staff, especially where 2m is not possible - ie when there is a medical issue.  It has been agreed that adults working in the school will wear face coverings in communal areas and all visitors will wear face coverings except where 2m+ distancing is possible (ie in a year group assembly).

• Will there be COVID-19 testing and contact tracing in education and childcare settings?  Most school staff are now testing using LFD tests twice weekly.

  All those children eligible to attend school, and members of their households, will have access to testing if they display symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19).

  To access testing, you should use the 119 online coronavirus service.   This will enable them to get back into childcare or education, and their parents or carers to get back to work, if the test proves to be negative.

• PLEASE NOTE: if anyone in your house have symptoms of C-19 or any cold-like symptoms, you MUST arrange for  this person to be tested, as per Government guidelines and isolate for 10days or until the test result is negative.

• What happens if someone in school tests positive for Covid-19?  In the event of a child or member of staff testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), we will follow the guidance from the Government and PHE or PHB appropriately and keep you fully informed.