Keep up to date with all the news happening in school at the moment.

• Hertfordshire County Council has asked us to share this important update with you ahead of the Easter holidays:

  Fri 26 Mar 2021

  As we go into the Easter holidays, and some Government guidance changes around socialising outside and outdoor sport, it’s so important that we don’t let our guard down and increase the risk of Covid-19 outbreaks when schools return.

   

  From Monday 29 March, you can;

  •                Meet up outside (including in private gardens) with six other people, or as two households

  •                Take part in formally organised outdoor sports with any number of people (outdoor sports venues and facilities will be able to reopen)

  •                Childcare and supervised activities will be allowed outdoors for all children

   

  You and your family can continue to keep yourselves and others safe by:

  •                Washing your hands regularly, for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water or using an antibacterial hand sanitiser if soap and water isn’t available

  •                Keeping socially distanced, staying at least 2 metres away from those not in your immediate household

  •                Wearing a face-covering where required and when it is difficult to socially distance

  •                Self-isolating and getting tested if you develop symptoms or receive a positive lateral flow test (LFT) result

  •                Not socialising indoors with anyone who isn’t in your immediate household. You’re not allowed to have sleepovers or playdates, even if your child is in a school bubble

  •                Not sending children back to school ill or with symptoms of Covid-19 after the Easter break – if your child is sick, please keep them at home

   

  If your child is in year 7 or above and taking regular LFT, you should encourage them to continue to take these and report results as normal during the Easter holidays. If they receive a positive test at home, everyone in your household must begin self-isolating immediately and you need to book a PCR test to confirm the positive result. Any positive tests received up until 1 April, should be reported to your school so that they can complete the track and trace process with the Public Health team.

   

  Babies and children in early years settings, nurseries, infant and primary schools should not be taking LFT, please don’t do home tests on younger children. If you are worried about small children or they develop symptoms, please seek advice from your GP or call 111.

   

  Thank you again for playing your part and helping to keep our schools safe and open for face to face learning.

   

  We wish you all a safe and happy Easter.

   

  Hertfordshire County Council

• Children in Nursery, Infants' and Primary schools do NOT need to take lateral flow tests

  Mon 22 Mar 2021

  Please see below for further details from Hertfordshire County Council; 

   

  Only students in year 7 and above have been asked to complete rapid testing, also known as lateral flow tests, twice a week. Secondary schools and colleges will advise how this will work. Home tests absolutely should not be carried out on children in nursery, infant or primary school. It is explicitly not recommended as part of the testing programme and we are concerned that it could hurt or cause injury to small children. If you are worried about small children or they develop symptoms, please seek advice from your GP or call 111.

   

  Parents, carers and adults in support bubbles providing childcare are also being encouraged to take twice weekly lateral flow tests (on themselves, not children) at home. You can find your nearest collection site and order online at: www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests. You can also book a test for yourself at one of the county council’s rapid test centres: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/rapidtest.

  Only students in year 7 and above have been asked to complete rapid testing, also known as lateral flow tests, twice a week. Secondary schools and colleges will advise how this will work. Home tests absolutely should not be carried out on children in nursery, infant or primary school. It is explicitly not recommended as part of the testing programme and we are concerned that it could hurt or cause injury to small children. If you are worried about small children or they develop symptoms, please seek advice from your GP or call 111.

   

  Parents, carers and adults in support bubbles providing childcare are also being encouraged to take twice weekly lateral flow tests (on themselves, not children) at home. You can find your nearest collection site and order online at: www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests. You can also book a test for yourself at one of the county council’s rapid test centres: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/rapidtest.

• Bookings for summer term breakfast and afterschool clubs are now being taken

  Fri 19 Mar 2021

  The School Gateway is now open to make bookings for breakfast and afterschool club starting after Easter.

   

  We kindly ask parents to book for the full half term (13th April – 28th May). Please do not make any bookings past the 28th May. Please ensure we receive your bookings no later than 12pm on Thursday 25th March 2021.

• The Giles Nursery and Infants' School on BBC news

  Fri 12 Mar 2021

  Incase you missed our appearances on BBC news, you can watch the clips again on YouTube;

   

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zHPbVEpjnE

   

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7PA-1Lch7c

   

   

• Asymptomatic testing for parents and carers

  Thu 04 Mar 2021

  All adults in households with school age children without symptoms can now access regular COVID-19 test kits.

   

  Undertaking regular, rapid COVID-19 testing helps reduce transmission of the virus.

   

  Tests are fast, easy and completely free. There are different ways for a household, childcare or support bubble to collect their test to take at home, twice-weekly:

   

  • Through your employer, if they offer testing to employees
  • By collecting a home test kit from a local test site - anyone aged 18 or over can collect 2 packs of 7 tests
  • by ordering a home test kit online

   

  You can find details of your local test site here.

  You can find further details on how to order lateral flow tests here.  

   

  Further information about the initiative can be found here. 

   

   

• School drop off and pick off times from 8th March

  Tue 02 Mar 2021

  We look forward to welcoming all of our children back on 8th March. 

   

  Drop off and pick up times for each year group are listed below; 

   

  Nursery: Children can be dropped in the morning between 8.30 until 9.00, and picked up in the afternoon between 2.45 until 3.15.

   

  Reception: All doors will be open for children to be dropped from 8.45 until 9.05, and in the afternoon doors will open between 2.45 until 3.05.

   

  Year 1:

  Big Cat class times: 9.00 – 3.00

  Red Fox: 8.45 – 2.45

  Walker Bears 8.45 – 2.45

   

  Year 2: All classroom doors will be open from 8.50 until 9.15, and in the afternoon will open between 2.45 until 3.15.