Newsletter 22.01.21

​Dear Chagford Families,
 
I do hope you are all well.
 
It has been a very challenging week with a second member of Chagford staff and a parent testing positive for covid. We have also had staff who have needed to isolate due to family members testing positive. I am pleased to report all are recovering and have experienced only mild symptoms
 
Our Dartmoor Trust team have been a fantastic support and we have liaised with Public Health England to make the right decisions. Monday we closed the school to fog and deep clean every room and we did this again on Thursday night as a precaution. Thank you to the parents who had to make quick plans for their children on Monday. Your cooperation was much appreciated.

With a number of people, including myself, absent this week, I have to thank the staff in school for taking on extra roles and responsibilities. Mrs Underwood has been based at Chagford this week and she and I have been in regular contact.
 
Home learning
If you are having difficulty accessing Google Classrooms, please let us know. We will try our best to support you with technical issues.
We have been able to loan all children in receipt of pupil premium funding with either a chrome book or tablet. We are trying to source additional devices for parents who do not have any at home.
If you do not have a device, as we have offered previously, work can be printed and collected from school. Work can be done on paper and photoed or scanned or dropped off weekly.
Teachers are going to great lengths to upload work and videos and live lessons so please do engage as much as you can.
 
Financial support
I am aware a number of parents have lost income again due to this lockdown.
Families may be able to access financial support using this pathway
 
https://www.devon.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-in-devon/document/support-for-people-and-families/
 
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you have any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

 
Please apply using the following link.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals
 
 
Winterlight Festival
Thank you to our wonderful Chagford community for raising £320 during the Winterlight Festival. I will be consulting children and staff about how should we use this money. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
 
With very best wishes
 
Tara Penny
Head of School