School work for ALL children (including nursery) will be available to access from 10am on Tuesday 5th January via the Seesaw app. Instructions on how to access the app can be found by clicking this link.

If you require an access code please contact your child’s class teacher via Dojo.

Thank you.

Dear Parent/carer,

I am sure that you are aware of the ongoing discussions between teaching unions, the Government and SAGE regarding the safety of opening schools in light of the current rise in COVID cases.

Schools are waiting for greater clarity from the Department of Education and are looking at how we can strengthen our risk assessments in light of the current situation. As a consequence we are delaying the reopening of our school until Monday 11th January. From Tuesday 5th January to Friday 8th January the school will be open only for the children of Key Workers and Vulnerable Children. All other children will be provided with remote learning to enable them to work from home (details to follow in due course).

We will review the situation towards the end of the week so that we can inform you on Friday of any further changes in light of the emerging picture across the country and County Durham.

I am sorry that this information has come at such short notice but I am sure you will appreciate how quickly circumstances have changed over the past two weeks; it is not a decision that has been taken lightly. This link provides information about Key Worker groups and Vulnerable children. As in the first lockdown to be eligible for Key Worker childcare, both parents must be Key Workers and have no other support bubble or childcare option. If you are a Key Worker and you meet the criteria for a childcare place; please telephone Mrs Walker on: 07766 510933 as soon as possible to let us know which day or days that you require childcare. We will then be back in touch with you later this afternoon to confirm times.

Kind Regards

Mr Cornforth

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

I’m sure you will have been listening to the discussions surrounding the reopening of schools on the news in the last few days.  The government’s response to the pandemic is constantly changing and there is a great deal of speculation regarding the transmissibility of the new variant COVID strain.

Our priority will always be to minimise risk in order to make school as safe as possible for our pupils and staff.  For this reason, I will be in touch as soon as possible tomorrow regarding reopening on Tuesday 5^th January.  I realise that this is very short notice but we are waiting for more information before making a final decision.

Thank you for your patience and support in these challenging times.

Mr Cornforth

Dear Parents/Carers,

Our last day of term will be Friday December 18th.

If your child develops symptoms on Saturday 19th or Sunday 20th December, please get them tested and inform school if the test result is positive. You can do this by calling: 07766 510933.

When you leave your message, please include the name of your child, their class and the date that their symptoms started, as well as your own contact details.

(N.B. This messaging service will be monitored up until Thursday 24th December to allow time for test results from the 19th and 20th to be returned.)

From Monday 21st December – If your child develops coronavirus symptoms from Monday 21st December onwards, they must be tested and, if positive, follow the advice of Test and Trace. You do not need to inform the school of any symptoms which occur from this date.

We hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas.

Willington Primary School.

Important information on how to access your vouchers

The government has made funds available through its Covid Winter Grant Scheme to support families this winter, by offering additional help towards household costs in the run up to Christmas.

In County Durham we are making this support available as vouchers which you can choose to spend at ASDA, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. As an eligible family, you will receive £20 per child per week to help you keep the children in your household fed and warm over the coming weeks. Please note the support provided is for food supplies only in the supermarkets listed – you are not able to access other stores on the Award e-code notification. 

• If your child is in receipt of free school meals you will have received a message from us asking if you would like the vouchers e-mailed or to collect from school.
• You will receive an email containing a link by 18th December to let you choose which supermarket(s) you want your vouchers for
• After placing your order it can take up to 3 days to receive your voucher, so please order as soon as possible.
• After placing your order please look for an email from your.egift@digitalgateway.online which will contain your vouchers, this email can often go into your SPAM folder so keep an eye on that too. Vouchers can be printed or shown on a mobile device.
• For families who wish to collect your vouchers from school – we will contact you as soon as they are available to collect from the school office.

You can choose just one supermarket or you can split your money across more than one, however, you MUST choose enough vouchers to use the full £40 all at once. Once you have checked out, you will not be able to change your choice and any value not redeemed will be lost and cannot be recovered.

If you want vouchers for ASDA or Morrison’s please note that from placing your order it can take up to 3 days to receive your vouchers, so please order as soon as possible.

Finally if you have any children aged under 2 in your household you may be eligible for further support.  You can check this by contacting the NHS at HDFT.winterfoodvoucher@nhs.net.

If you have any queries or encounter a problem claiming your vouchers, please contact us as soon as possible.

Step by step guide to ordering your vouchers online

FAQ’s: 

1. Can I select more that one retailer with the voucher amount?  Yes; multiple eCodes can be selected, up to the total value awarded. Once all eCodes have been selected you can check out and asked to confirm your delivery details. Please ensure you add eCodes to your basket totalling the full award value as you will only be able to check out once. An order confirmation will be sent, followed by a link to the store eCode within the timescales specified.  
2. Can the voucher be sent to someone other that the family? Yes; the link to redeem the voucher will be sent to the email address entered on the order. Whoever receives the link to redeem the voucher can then select the supermarket of choice and either a) send the voucher to the same email address or b) send the voucher to another email address. 
3. Once I have selected my voucher and checked out, can the voucher be changed? No; once the order has been confirmed, it is not possible to cancel the order.
4. Do the vouchers need to be printed? All vouchers can either be printed or shown on a mobile device. 
5. What denominations are the vouchers available in?
   • Tesco – open value
   • Sainsbury’s – open value
   • Asda – values available are £5, £10, £25, £50 (you can double, triple etc these amounts)
   • Morrison’s – values available are £10, £25 and £50 (you can double, triple etc these amounts)
6. I haven’t received my voucher what should I do? Please check the delivery timescales for the retailer and check your junk mail, the email will come from your.egift@digitalgateway.online. If the voucher has not arrived within the specified timescales please contact Julie Walker 07766 510933 no later than 18th December. 
7. Are there exclusions with the vouchers? For the most up to date information, please refer to the Retailer’s Terms and Conditions at the point of voucher redemption. 
8. Can vouchers be used online or just in store? All vouchers can be used in store; only Asda vouchers can be used online. 
9. What are the delivery timescales for the vouchers?
   • Tesco – voucher will be received by email instantly, Tesco Digital Gift Cards can be redeemed at over 3,000 UK stores and can be either printed or shown on a mobile device. 
   • Sansbury’s – voucher will be received by email within 3 hours, and can either be printed or shown on a mobile device and can be used in over 1,400 stores.
   • Asda – voucher will be received by email usually within 3 hours, the voucher can either be printed or shown on a mobile device and can be used in over 360 stores. as well as online. PLEASE NOTE ASDA MAY BE LONGER (UP TO 3 DAYS) DUE TO STOCK ISSUES
   • Morrison’s – Voucher will be received by email within 2 working days (although usually quicker), Morrison’s vouchers can be redeemed at 498 stores and can be either printed or shown on a mobile device. PLEASE NOTE MORRISON’S MAY BE LONGER (UP TO 3 DAYS) DUE TO STOCK ISSUES. 

If you did not complete a flu consent form for your child or they missed the clinic in school (Thursday 10th December) and you would still like your child to receive the flu vaccination please see the attached information to book an appointment.

Catch Up Clinic Information