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Back to school

Hi all

All children should return to school on Monday 7th September - except Reception and Nursery. There will be different instructions issued to each parent.

Swine Flu Awareness - July 2009

Dear Parent or Carer,

With the summer holidays approaching and the number of swine flu cases in the region continuing to rise, I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you the advice we have been given by the NHS and Health Protection Agency about dealing with any cases of swine flu we may have in the school in the future.

National guidance has recently been updated so that school closures are only likely now in exceptional circumstances, and preventative antivirals drugs will no longer be routinely offered to large groups of school pupils. As swine flu starts to circulate more freely in the local community, these measures are no longer effective, as people may be exposed the virus outside school, or as soon as they have finished a course of drugs.

The most important advice we have been given is that children who have symptoms of flu-like illness should stay away from school until they have recovered and are free of symptoms. This is to avoid spreading the infection as much as possible.

You can check any symptoms online at www.nhs.uk or call the Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513. If you are still concerned, stay at home and call your GP, who may suggest a course of anti-viral drug treatment. This is designed to reduce the symptoms and help a quicker recovery.

If your doctor does advise anti-viral treatment for a child, please let the school know as soon as possible.

It’s important to point out that the vast majority of people who have swine flu make a quick recovery at home. However, you should do what you can to prevent the infection from being spread to others by ensuring your family take some simple precautions:

Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible.
Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully.
Washing your hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to your face or to other people.
Cleaning hard surfaces (such as door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.
Making sure your children follow this advice.


Yours sincerely,
Alan Cass

Potential Swine Flu?

Dear Parents/Carers, I am aware that there are a number of concerns around the issue of swine flu. The school have received advice on managing this issue and are developing an action plan.

If the school is needing to close because a child or member of staff has a confirmed case of swine flu we will use the same system as for snow.We would continue to use Essex radio as parents are used to be notified though this route.

The current advice is that the NHS do NOT expect there to be any need for school closures at this stage. It would only be necessary of there is a CONFIRMED case of swine flu. As of the news this morning there is only one case in the UK where someone has been confirmed with swine flu who has not been to Mexico and he has been in contact with people returning from Mexico with it. The advice is to continue as normal, to plan for how we would notify parents etc if the school had to close, to be vigilant about children's health. sneezing into tissues which are disposed of quickly and regular hand washing are the precautions Health suggest we all use.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns. Have a good long weekend.

Thanks to our community

Dear parents and carers,

As many of you will be aware the school was closed on Monday this week as a result of a break in and vandalism at the weekend. I know that many of you were as shocked as we were and on behalf of the Governors I would like to thank all those of you who have been in contact with the school to offer your good wishes and support.

We value our relationship with parents and carers and know that you join with us in wanting your child to feel happy and safe whilst in school, with access to the best learning resources possible. I know that you will join with me in offering sincere thanks to Mr. Cass and the staff for their sterling efforts in getting the school back up and running as quickly as possible, an effort supported by many parents who also 'rolled their sleeves up' on Monday to help in clearing up the mess and ensuring that the school was as usual when the children returned on Tuesday.

We are working with the police to review security and will do all in our power to make sure those responsible are brought to account and welcome any support you can offer. We know that our school plays an important part in the community and the education of our children is paramount in ensuring that we thrive now and in the future.

Thank you all again, and enjoy the Easter break.

Lyn Scarr: Chair of Governors

UPDATE ON CLOSURE

GOOD NEWS!

Following the extensive vandalism at the school over the weekend our staff, along with a fantastic posse of parents and helpers have managed to clear up all the damage. As a result, we are OPENING TO ALL PUPILS (except Nursery) TOMORROW (Tuesday 31st March).

Our grateful thanks to all those who have made the effort! This goes to prove that we WILL NOT be beaten by mindless thugs. I am calling a community meeting after Easter with all interested parties to discuss strategies to bring this lawlessness to a halt!

ENFORCED SCHOOL CLOSURE

ENFORCED SCHOOL CLOSURE UPDATE MONDAY 30th MARCH

Due to extensive and serious vandalism at the school on Saturday afternoon, we will be forced to close for all pupils EXCEPT YEAR 6 on Monday and Tuesday 30th and 31st March. We hope to open to the whole school on WEDNESDAY 1st April (no, it's not a joke!)
BREAKFAST CLUB IS CLOSED ON MON and TUE

The kitchen is unaffected so we can offer baguettes and filled baked potatoes to Year 6. The lunch will be served in the classrooms. Year 6 pupils will be restricted to their assigned classrooms and the playground. ALL OTHER PARTS of the school will be strictly out of bounds and pupils will be monitored closely.

If any parents or friends of the school are able to help clear up please come to the school in old clothes during Monday. One Year 6 boy was arrested at the scene and a number of other children have been identified. Initial enquires seem to point to a theft of a security entry card.

There will be a serious case review of the circumstances by the school's governors on Wednesday ay 7.00 p.m. If anyone has any point of view the governors would like to hear. Please direct any comments to acass@purfleetprimary.thurrock.sch.uk

ENFORCED SCHOOL CLOSURE MONDAY 30th MARCH

Due to extensive and serious vandalism at the school on Saturday afternoon, we will be forced to close for all pupils EXCEPT YEAR 6 on Monday 30th March. If any parents or friends of the school are able to help clear up please come to the school in old clothes during Monday. One Year 6 boy was arrested at the scene and a number of other children have been identified. Initial enquires seem to point to a theft of a security entry card.

There will be a serious case review of the circumstances by the school's governors.

Red Nose Day at Purfleet...

We would just like to say thank you so much for everyone who helped to raise the wonderful amount of £813.81 for RND!!!!!! Just imagine what a difference PPS is going to make in those children’s life’s… Without you it would not have been possible.

THANKS!!!

SNOW - followed by rain
Hi all - As predicted, the snow has been swept away by rain and rising temperatures overnight. WE WILL BE OPEN today. Please bear in mind that we still have not managed to get any salt, so paths might be slippery.