Director's Message - 30th November 2020
Dear Colleagues,
As we plan to move out of the National Restrictions on 2nd December, Hillingdon will move back into High Alert and local restrictions will apply. For more information, please visit our Council website.
Reporting confirmed Covid cases
All schools should continue to report confirmed cases to theHillingdon's Covid Community Hub as follows:
Tel. 0203 949 5786 to report locally (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm - voicemail option only for out of hours urgent support (your contact details will be shared with the local Public Health Team who will call urgent cases back)
Or
Email: COVID19Hub@hillingdon.gov.uk
Protective measures for after school clubs
Guidance on protective measures has been updated with regards to educational visits and trips, providers of music, dance and drama or sports provision, and who can attend your out-of-school setting. This will apply from 2nd December.
Contingency framework for education and childcare settings
This framework is designed to set out how restrictions would be implemented as a containment measure for the rare circumstances in which they are required to address transmission within education settings and the community.
Winter Grant Scheme
The Government provided the final guidance to local authorities last week for a winter grant scheme to help low-income eligible households with assistance during the winter period, until 31 March 2021. Details of the scheme for Hillingdon residents are being urgently finalised and will include payments to assist with food and utility bills for eligible households. At least 80% of the grant will be provided to households with children and young people. Further details about the scheme will be shared with schools once finalised.
New funding to support schools and colleges
Schools facing the greatest combined staffing and funding pressures will be able to claim via a new short-term COVID workforce fund. The DfE has announced the fund which will be backdated to 1st November and cover the current half term is designed for schools facing significant funding pressure, and will cover the costs of high levels of staff absences over a minimum threshold, to help ensure schools can remain open. Schools will be able to reclaim costs incurred over the course of the current half term, if they meet the following conditions:
- Financial: schools will first need to use any existing financial reserves and will be eligible for this additional funding once they have used these down to a level at 4% of the annual income.
- Absence rates: mainstream schools must be experiencing a short-term teacher absence rate at or above 20%, and/or a lower long-term teacher absence rate at or above 10% - costs can only be claimed when incurred above this rate
- Absence rates: special schools and alternative provision schools must be experiencing a short-term teacher absence rate at or above 15%, and/or a lower long-term teacher absence rate at or above 10%, to be eligible - costs can only be claimed when incurred above this rate.
Full details of this announcement can be found here
Remote education webinars
The DfE has updated guidance on school-led webinars on remote education and will include new webinars and post recordings here for all schools to access.
Coronavirus home test kit webinars for schools and colleges
The Department of Health and Social Care is hosting a series of webinars to support schools and colleges in understanding how to use coronavirus home test kits in education settings. The webinars will provide guidance on who should receive the kits, what they will look like and how parents and carers should use them. Each webinar will last for 60 minutes and there will be an opportunity to ask questions. The webinars are being run on the following dates and staff can register by clicking here.
- 27 November at 1pm
- 11 December at 3pm
Full Covid-19 DfE guidance
Please continue to access our full update on Covid guidance, including how schools should continue to ensure protective measures via our FAQs on LEAP and email the Education Team via education@hillingdon.gov.uk for any support.
Regards,
Dan
