Dear Parents/Carers,

We would just like to take the opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas time and thank you all for your continued support through what has been a busy and successful Autumn term.

Thank you for continuing to send your child in to school. Whole school attendance continues to be exceptionally strong and we are grateful that parents have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that our Oaklands children continue to get their education; to learn, have fun and progress together. Please can I ask you to continue to promote strong attendance in the new year.

There are a variety of resources to support families over Christmas on the NAS website here: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/christmas-resources

I also wanted to make you aware that there is a range of support available over the Christmas break

Safeguarding Support:

Duty and Advice Service 0116 4541004

(For Social Care or Early Help support- if you are having a crisis, please contact this number)

Family and Personal Support

Samaritans 116 123- Free from any phone

Crisis Team 0808 800 3302

Text ‘Shout’ to 85258 

(24hr mental health & wellbeing support line)

Just a reminder that children will return on Wednesday 4th January. There are many exciting activities planned for the new year including Big Days about Animal Families, Lunar New Year & Human Values (celebrating our Uniqueness). Our Parents Evening is on Wednesday 1^st February.

We look forward to sharing further photos of our expansion with you in the new year. It is certainly changing week by week now.

Finally, our whole staff team would like to wish you a restful and very happy Christmas break & thank-you once again for all your hard work and support throughout this term. You and your children are amazing!

Thank-you.

Regards

  Sarah Osborne

  (Headteacher)

We have had a lovely last week of term with lots of fun and a very special visitor.  Click below to see some of the photos

Christmas Fun with Santa | Oaklands School Leicester (secure-primarysite.net)

We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday.

Thank you to all the parents that came to our Christmas Crafternoon; we all had a lovely time and it was great to have so many parents come and join us.  Below is a link to some of the photos taken.

Christmas Crafternoon | Oaklands School Leicester (secure-primarysite.net)

Dear Parents,

In response to the national increase in incidence of Scarlet Fever and other Strep A infections, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have issued the information below

Regards
Sarah

06/11/2022

Dear Parent(s) / Carer(s),

Re: Increase in scarlet fever

We are writing to inform you of a recent [national/local] increase in notifications of scarlet fever to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), above seasonal expected levels.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the signs, symptoms and the actions to be taken if you think that you or your child might have scarlet fever.

Signs and symptoms of scarlet fever:

Scarlet fever is a common childhood infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus (GAS). It is not usually serious, but should be treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of complications (such as pneumonia) and spread to others. The early symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. After 12 to 48 hours, the characteristic red, pinhead rash develops, typically first appearing on the chest and stomach, then rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, and giving the skin a sandpaper-like texture. The scarlet rash may be harder to spot on darker skin, although the 'sandpaper' feel should be present. Patients typically have flushed cheeks and be pale around the mouth. This may be accompanied by a bright red red ‘strawberry’ tongue. If you think you, or your child, might have scarlet fever:

• contact your GP or NHS 111 as soon as possible

• make sure that you or your child take(s) the full course of any antibiotics prescribed. Although you or your child will feel better soon after starting the course of antibiotics, you must complete the course to ensure that you do not carry the bacteria in your throat after you have recovered

• stay at home, away from nursery, school or work for at least 24 hours after starting the antibiotic treatment, to avoid spreading the infection You can help stop the spread of infection through frequent hand washing and by not sharing eating utensils, clothes, bedding and towels. All contaminated tissues should be disposed of immediately.

Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS)

The same bacteria which cause scarlet fever can also cause a range of other types of infection such as skin infections (impetigo) and sore throat. In very rare cases, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive group A strep (iGAS). Whilst still very uncommon, there has been an increase in iGAS cases this year, particularly in children under 10 years old. It is very rare for children with scarlet fever to develop iGAS infection. As a parent, you should trust your own judgement. Contact NHS 111 or your GP if:

• your child is getting worse

• your child is feeding or eating much less than normal

• your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration

• your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39C or higher

• your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty

• your child is very tired or irritable

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

• your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs

• there are pauses when your child breathes

• your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue

• your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake Stop the spread

During periods of high incidence of scarlet fever, there may also be an increase in outbreaks in schools, nurseries and other childcare settings. Children and adults with suspected scarlet fever should stay off nursery / school / work until 24 hours after the start of appropriate antibiotic treatment.

Good hygiene practice such as hand washing remains the most important step in preventing and controlling spread of infection.

Yours sincerely,

Susanne Howes

Consultant in Health Protection Resources NHS – Scarlet Fever 

Helping Children and Young People to Succeed

Dear Parents,

Please find below a letter about school attendance sent to all parents/carers in Leicester city by the Education Welfare Service.

As a school, we are extremely proud of the efforts our families make to ensure that their children attend school every day. This consistency and routine is especially important for our learners.

The letter reflects our school policy to ensure that children are sent to school, to maximise their progress, and that holidays are taken outside of term time. Please do read the attachment for further information.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any issues affecting your child’s attendance, please contact school on (0116) 2415921 in the first instance or the Education Welfare Service on (0116) 454 5510.

Your sincerely
Sarah Osborne
Head Teacher

________________________________________________

Please ask for: Education Welfare Service

Direct Line: 0116 454 5510

E-Mail: education.welfare@leicester.gov.uk

Date: Autumn term 2022

Positive Attendance: Helping Children and Young People to Succeed

School is an important part of the lives of children and young people. It is where they begin to develop new skills, make friendships and it helps prepare them for their future. When a child misses school, they can miss out on these vital opportunities and their learning and friendships may suffer. Whilst 90% is an excellent result in a test, an attendance level of 90% is poor, children are classed as persistently absent and children’s outcomes in school can be badly affected. Any absence that is not authorised by the school is a reason for concern.

Parents and carers have the legal responsibility to ensure that a child attends school regularly and arrives on time. Absence taken during the school term can have a negative impact on a child’s education. Therefore:

• Schools rarely agree to parents taking their children out of school for the purposes of leave of absence / holidays in term-time. This is not an automatic entitlement and only the Head teacher can authorise this if a parent applies in advance and the Head teacher’s view is that there are exceptional circumstances. If your child misses school for the purposes of a holiday or a trip and the absence is not agreed, you may be issued with a Penalty Notice, or you may be prosecuted.

• Penalty Notices may also be issued to parents whose children have 20 or more unauthorised absences in a 12 week period. Penalty Notices are a fine of:

o £120 per parent per child if paid in full within 28 days (reduced to £60 if paid within 21 days)

• If a Penalty Notice is not fully paid within 28 days and there is no reason to withdraw the Notice, the Local Authority has no option but to prosecute a parent in the Magistrates’ Court for failing to ensure regular school attendance.

• In Court, if a parent pleads guilty, or is found guilty, they will then have a criminal record. A fine of up to £2,500, up to 3 months imprisonment or a community penalty could be imposed together with a parenting order.

You can help your child by ensuring that they arrive on time and that you arrange any appointments for them (e.g. dental check-ups) outside school hours. If your child has regular absences the school may require medical evidence.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any issues affecting your child’s attendance, please contact your child’s school in the first instance or the Education Welfare Service on (0116) 454 5510.

Ellen Collier

Ellen Collier Service Manager - Education Welfare Service

Just a quick message to welcome all our families back and we hope that you all had a lovely half term.  For those of our families celebrating today, we wish you a very happy Diwali.  Follow the link to see how our pupils learnt about Diwali on the last day of term.

https://oaklands-school-leicester.secure-primarysite.net/diwali-day-activities/

Last week we had our first Science Big Day of the year with a focus on Space.  Children explored a variety of sensory based activities, learnt about the different planets and what astronauts do and made rockets.  To see some pictures from the day - click on the link

Space Day | Oaklands School Leicester (secure-primarysite.net)

Dear Parents/Carers

We would like to invite you to a Coffee Morning on Thursday 13th October at 9.45am to 11.30am on the EHCP process and how we assess our children using the OPAL ladders. The workshop will be led by Ingrid Spencer.

Yours sincerely

Vicky Bland

Assistant Head

The building work at Oaklands is progressing well.  This week there is a huge crane which is lifting huge concreate planks that are then being fitted to form the floors.