12th November 2021
Dear Parents and Carers,
It was wonderful to see so many parents at the PTFA meeting last week. Please see the attached information about the forthcoming Bazaar. We hope it will be able to run as planned, but we will have to keep an eye on the number of cases of Covid-19 locally and, if necessary, may need to scale down some of the planned events.
We are, I am sorry to report, having more confirmed cases amongst our pupils. If your children have any of the known symptoms (high temperature, persistent cough, loss of sense of taste or smell), please keep them at home and arrange for a PCR test as soon as possible. Please also let the office know so we can keep track of the numbers in our community.
Operation Encompass
You may be interested to know that, as part of our Safeguarding procedures, our school is part of Operation Encompass which is a national scheme that operates jointly between schools and police forces. Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has experienced domestic abuse.
As a school we have ensured that 2 members of our staff, (Designated Safeguarding Lead) known as Key Adults, have been trained in the Operation Encompass procedures allowing us to then use the information that has been shared, in confidence, to support the child/ren in our care. Our Key Adults are Miss Gale and Mr Stanford.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 identifies children who experience domestic abuse as victims of domestic abuse in their own right. We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and we believe this will be extremely beneficial for all those involved.
I am the Designated Safeguarding Lead for the school, with Miss Gale taking the role in my absence. If you have any concerns for the welfare of any child, you are encouraged to phone this through to the Dorset Children’s Advice and Duty Service, telephone 01305 228866.
Children in Need
Next Friday, 19th November, is Children in Need Day. This year we would be delighted if the children wanted to dress up for a pyjama day (we feel it is probably easier to wash these than the fancy dress costumes, so more suitable for this year). If they would like to bring in a donation for this charity which raises money for so many children in the UK, we will collect it as they come to school. Please note that, if you wish, you can donate direct on-line if you are no longer in the habit of having cash!
I hope you all have a happy and healthy weekend.
With best wishes
James Stanford
Head Teacher