Latest News

The Children’s Channel

Wed 22 Apr 2020

The Children’s Channel

Hopefully you have seen the many channels over on the Torrisholme TV section of the website that have been set up by the teachers. They contain all sorts of activities and videos - you can see your teacher read a story, enjoy a brain teaser, practise your Spanish, try out some science activities, even learn to use sign language alongside a song!

After watching his teachers, Elliott in Year 2 decided that he would like to record his own story which we all loved watching and listening to.

This gave us the idea for our next challenge! We would like the children to take over Torrisholme TV with their own channel. They could share a video for anything - a story like Elliott, a craft activity, a sports challenge, a ready steady cook type film, some entertainment in the form of music, dance or even magic! We would LOVE to see them!

Get your thinking caps on and then send in your videos to Mrs Price deputyhead@torrisholme.lancs.sch.uk and become the next star of Torrisholme TV!

Bring Me Sunshine

Wed 22 Apr 2020

The ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ Challenge

This challenge comes from the musical maestros Mrs Jones and Mrs Hunter.

They would love you to perform and record your family version of the well known Morecambe theme tune, ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ and send it in to Mrs Price at deputyhead@torrisholme.lancs.sch.uk

We are hoping to put these together to make a fantastic, recorded Torrisholme performance.

There are bonus points for involving the whole family and you Camilo even add instruments, homemade or otherwise! Year 5, you should know this one especially well as you had been practising it for the music festival.

We can’t wait to see them.

You can find the lyrics and backing track here:

https://torrisholme-community-primary-school.secure-primarysite.net/creative-4/

Easter Challenges

Tue 07 Apr 2020

Easter Challenges

Challenges - helping at home/obstacle courses

Thu 26 Mar 2020

Challenges - Helping at Home/Obstacle Courses

Our current challenges are to build an obstacle course (which could be for you, a younger sibling, or even a pet or teddy bear) or to see what you can do to help at home.

Home Learning/Weekly Challenges

Mon 23 Mar 2020

Learning at Home

During the school closure, we are really keen to keep in touch with our school community.

We will be sharing regular updates and challenges via Facebook and on here.

Mr Huntington and his Year 6 superstars have been working hard to put together some workouts for families to try at home - see the link below.

we are also setting our first 'Challenge of the Week' which is to build a den! It could be in your front room, under your dining table, in your garden...the more creative the better!

We would love to see some photos of your activities - we miss your children! Please email them into Mrs Price at deputyhead@torrisholme.lancs.sch.uk and check back to see your child's friends!

Latest update school closure/essential childcare

Fri 20 Mar 2020

Dear Parent
Re School Closure due to Coronavirus COVID – 19
I apologise in advance for the tone of this letter but it is really important that we remember the reasoning behind why Torrisholme School is closing at 3.00pm today until further notice.
We are preparing for a lockdown situation as is happening in other parts of the world.
The purpose is to minimise social contact to halt the spread of Coronavirus.

"Every child who can be cared for safely at home, should be"

Our child care is to enable key workers and ‘vulnerable children’ who have no alternative and would not be able to do their part in helping keep essential services going unless they had child care.
Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those with education, health and care (EHC) plans.

Children who have a social worker include children in need, children who have a child protection plan and those who are looked after by the local authority. We will work with schools, early years, FE providers and local authorities to help identify the children who most need support at this time.

This may change and key workers will be able to change arrangements over time.
We are preparing for a national emergency situation, we expect parents only to use this facility when there is no alternative child care. It is not so that parents can continue normal life but so that essential services can operate. I expect some challenging conversations.
DO NOT bring children to school on Monday without booking them via email (details below).
Schools have been asked to "provide childcare for key workers and vulnerable children"
School is closed - but Torrisholme Key Worker Child Care will operate from Monday
Places will be available to eligible pupils. Please see Government Guidance below.
Initially we are planning for the two weeks up to the Easter holidays. Further plans will be communicated as and when they are made.
From Monday 23rd March 2020, essential child care will
• be offered from 8.30 to 3.00pm
• be offered on a half or full day basis (8.30 – 12noon, 12noon – 3.00pm)
• be staffed by available teachers and support staff
• be booked in via email by Sunday 5.00pm each week (childcare@torrisholme.lancs.sch.uk)
• include a free school meal if requested otherwise children should bring a packed lunch
• not take the form of teaching
Please remember that this is essential child care only
Gill at Footsteps is available to provide ‘Wrap Around Care’ for key workers’ children

Please, therefore, follow these key principles:
1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
2. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
3. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
4. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
5. Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings continue to care for children wherever possible.

If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your children will be prioritised for education provision:

Health and social care
This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare
This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.

Key public services
This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

Local and national government
This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.

Food and other necessary goods
This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).

Public safety and national security
This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.

Transport
This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

Utilities, communication and financial services
This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.

If your school is closed then please contact your local authority, who will seek to redirect you to a local school in your area that your child, or children, can attend.

We are grateful for the work of teachers and workers in educational settings for continuing to provide for the children of the other critical workers of our country. It is an essential part of our national effort to combat this disease.”

And in addition
3. Vulnerable children
3.1 Is my child counted as vulnerable?
Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those with education, health and care (EHC) plans.

Children who have a social worker include children in need, children who have a child protection plan and those who are looked after by the local authority. We will work with schools, early years, FE providers and local authorities to help identify the children who most need support at this time.

We know that schools will also want to look to support other children who are vulnerable where they are able to do so.

Latest update school closure/essential childcare

Fri 20 Mar 2020

Dear Parent
Re School Closure due to Coronavirus COVID – 19
I apologise in advance for the tone of this letter but it is really important that we remember the reasoning behind why Torrisholme School is closing at 3.00pm today until further notice.
We are preparing for a lockdown situation as is happening in other parts of the world.
The purpose is to minimise social contact to halt the spread of Coronavirus.

"Every child who can be cared for safely at home, should be"

Our child care is to enable key workers and ‘vulnerable children’ who have no alternative and would not be able to do their part in helping keep essential services going unless they had child care.
Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those with education, health and care (EHC) plans.

Children who have a social worker include children in need, children who have a child protection plan and those who are looked after by the local authority. We will work with schools, early years, FE providers and local authorities to help identify the children who most need support at this time.

This may change and key workers will be able to change arrangements over time.
We are preparing for a national emergency situation, we expect parents only to use this facility when there is no alternative child care. It is not so that parents can continue normal life but so that essential services can operate. I expect some challenging conversations.
DO NOT bring children to school on Monday without booking them via email (details below).
Schools have been asked to "provide childcare for key workers and vulnerable children"
School is closed - but Torrisholme Key Worker Child Care will operate from Monday
Places will be available to eligible pupils. Please see Government Guidance below.
Initially we are planning for the two weeks up to the Easter holidays. Further plans will be communicated as and when they are made.
From Monday 23rd March 2020, essential child care will
• be offered from 8.30 to 3.00pm
• be offered on a half or full day basis (8.30 – 12noon, 12noon – 3.00pm)
• be staffed by available teachers and support staff
• be booked in via email by Sunday 5.00pm each week (childcare@torrisholme.lancs.sch.uk)
• include a free school meal if requested otherwise children should bring a packed lunch
• not take the form of teaching
Please remember that this is essential child care only
Gill at Footsteps is available to provide ‘Wrap Around Care’ for key workers’ children

Please, therefore, follow these key principles:
1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
2. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
3. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
4. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
5. Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings continue to care for children wherever possible.

If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your children will be prioritised for education provision:

Health and social care
This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare
This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.

Key public services
This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

Local and national government
This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.

Food and other necessary goods
This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).

Public safety and national security
This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.

Transport
This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

Utilities, communication and financial services
This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.

If your school is closed then please contact your local authority, who will seek to redirect you to a local school in your area that your child, or children, can attend.

We are grateful for the work of teachers and workers in educational settings for continuing to provide for the children of the other critical workers of our country. It is an essential part of our national effort to combat this disease.”

And in addition
3. Vulnerable children
3.1 Is my child counted as vulnerable?
Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those with education, health and care (EHC) plans.

Children who have a social worker include children in need, children who have a child protection plan and those who are looked after by the local authority. We will work with schools, early years, FE providers and local authorities to help identify the children who most need support at this time.

We know that schools will also want to look to support other children who are vulnerable where they are able to do so.

COVID 19 Update 2

Tue 17 Mar 2020

17^th March 2020

Dear Parents,

COVID 19 Update 2

At the moment staff in school are fit and well. However, under the new guidance, several may be advised to self-isolate either because of themselves or a family member falling into the ‘vulnerable group’.

Rest assured that we will do our utmost to cover classes either by some internal reorganisation or by employing supply staff.

However, this position may well not be sustainable for more than a few days and then we would have to consider a partial or total closure.

I will obviously inform parents as soon as possible if the position changes.

Thank you in anticipation of your support and understanding.

Yours sincerely

Mrs SM Penney

Headteacher.

Covid-19 Update

Fri 13 Mar 2020

Dear Parents/Carers

In light of the change in government advice, I thought it best to send out a letter regarding the Coronavirus outbreak. We are keeping abreast of latest advice and trying to interpret what it means for our school community.

Yesterday, the government released new ‘Stay at Home’ guidance, which you can find using the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

The key message of this guidance states that if you, or your child, displays the symptoms of COVID-19 (new, continuous cough and/or high temperature) then they should stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms started. There will be no testing as such and people are being advised to contact NHS 111 if symptoms become unmanageable.

In terms of school, we are to remain open and this is what we will try to do. If we are concerned that your child is developing a new, persistent cough, we will contact you to ask you to collect your child. We then ask you to follow the 7-day guidance on staying at home. If your child is not showing the symptoms set out in government advice, then they should continue to come to school. We continue to encourage our children to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water.

A challenge we may face is the level of staffing we have in school. I am pleased to let you know that at the moment, we are all fit and well, however, I would like to stress that should our level of staffing reduce, this may lead to partial school closure. This is not the case at present, and I will inform you if this changes. I would ask you work with us and be prepared should this have to happen.

We may also have to make the decision to postpone school events. Again, we have no plans to do so at this time, but should this happen I will let you know. Please be vigilant and check your emails, the news page on the school website and children’s bags for school letters, as this is where this information will get to you.

If you have any queries, please ring the school. Many thanks for your continued support,

Yours sincerely

Mrs SM Penney

Headteacher

Once Upon a Story Time

Fri 14 Feb 2020

Once Upon a Story Time

During our first week back after half term, we are holding a special themed week centred around traditional tales and reading for pleasure. We have lots of exciting events and activities planned - here is an overview of what is going on through the week.

Half Term Book Fair Competition

To celebrate the arrival of the book fair and to link to our ‘Once Upon a Story Time’ week, we are holding a competition.

The competition is open to children in all classes and to pre-school children too!

If your child would like to enter, they need to either design a front cover, or simply draw a picture that goes with a traditional tale.

Designs/pictures should be clearly labelled with the child’s name and class and handed in to their class teacher by Wednesday 26^th February at the latest. Any entries by pre-school children should be handed in at the office and labelled with the child’s name and age. Contact details would also be helpful (for example, their sibling’s name and class).

All entries will be displayed whilst the book fair is at school and a winner will be chosen from each class and from the pre-school age group. Winners will receive a £5 voucher to spend at the book fair.

Monday 24th February

Class Swap Day - on our first day back, the children will be working in a group of children from Reception right up to Year 6. In their groups, they will visit seven different teachers to take part in fun activities relating to seven different traditional tales - The Three Little Pigs, The Runaway Pancake, Hansel and Gretel, Tom Thumb, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Aladdin and The Ugly Duckling!

To get into the spirit of the traditional tale theme, we would love to see the children bringing in some 'props' relating to traditional tales - for example, Red Riding Hood's basket, a bowl of the three bear's porridge, some of Jack's magic beans etc. There will be spot prizes for creativity!

We will also be launching details of our 'We're Going on a Story Hunt' community activity - watch out for further details.

Tuesday - Friday

Story Shuffle - each day, every class will draw out the name of a 'guest' who will visit their class to share a different traditional tale!

Thursday 27th February

Book Swap - between Monday and Wednesday, we would love the children to bring in one of their books that they have read and are happy to exchange. These books will be collected in and displayed in our 'pop-up' bookshop. On Thursday, each class will visit the book swap and choose a new book to take home and keep.

Key Stage 2 Parent Share - between 2.15 - 3.00pm parents of children in Year 3 - 6 are invited into classes to share some of the children's work from the week.

KS2 Parents' Reading Information Session - we are holding two sessions, one from 3.15 - 4.00pm and one from 7.00 - 7.45pm, both in the school hall. This session will be full of ideas for how to encourage your child to have a love of reading and ways to support their reading development.

Childcare is available for both sessions to help parents attend. Each family in attendance will be entered into a draw to win a £15 voucher to spend at our book fair.

Friday 28th February

Reception and Key Stage 1 Parent Share - between 9.00 - 9.30am parents of children in Reception, Y1 and Y2 are invited into classes to share stories and some of the children's work from the week.

Reception and Key Stage 1 Parents' Reading Information Session - this session will run from 9.30 - 10.15am in the school hall. This session will be full of ideas for how to encourage your child to have a love of reading and ways to support their reading development.

Childcare is available for pre-school children to help parents attend, similarly, parents are very welcome to bring little ones along if they prefer. Each family in attendance will be entered into a draw to win a £15 voucher to spend at our book fair.

Reception and KS1 Bedtime Stories - the children are encouraged to bring along their pyjamas and a bedtime teddy bear so that they can snuggle up and enjoy a story together in the hall.

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