Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Updated Advice for Parents and Carers on Keeping Children Safe Online

  Wed 24 Feb 2021
  Please click here to view updated advice for parents and carers on keeping children safe online.

• Updated Advice for Parents and Carers on Keeping Children Safe from Harm and Abuse 22.02.21

  Wed 24 Feb 2021
  Please click here to view updated advice for parents and carers on keeping children safe from harm and abuse.  

• Government's Roadmap out of Lockdown

  Wed 24 Feb 2021

  Please click here to view the latest information on the Government's roadmap out of lockdown.

   

• Information for Greenwich Residents - 23.02.21

  Tue 23 Feb 2021

  Sent on behalf of:

  Abu Bah - Engagement Lead, Thamesmead Moorings

  Khadijah Ahmed, Engagement Lead, Plumstead and Glyndon

  Spresa Dibrani, Engagement Lead, Charlton

  Rahman Famuditimi – Engagement Lead, Woolwich

  We hope that you’re finding these weekly updates helpful. Some of the information included, around how to stay safe, where to get tested, and the support available, will be similar every week. However, each update will also include a different ‘hot topic’ which will be relevant to the current situation, plus an updated statistic for the local Greenwich area. 

   As before, we would really like to encourage you to share the following​ information through:

  1. friends or family who live in your area
  2. local networks
  3. neighbour or community groups you may be members of
  4. with people who you come into regular contact with through your work or local groups

  If you haven’t already, it would be really helpful if you could take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey, which allows us to understand how widely this Community Update is being used, and whether it is reaching everyone it needs to. Click here to access the short survey.

  KEY MESSAGES 23/02/2021

  PAST 7 DAYS: 170 confirmed new cases of coronavirus in Greenwich	Cases are gradually decreasing, but we’d still like them to be lower. We need to stay safe and make sure this number continues to go down, by following the guidance explained in this update.
  82 people are in hospital right now in Greenwich because of coronavirus.	This number is starting to go down, but is still high. To have to go to hospital because of coronavirus means your case is very serious, and puts a strain on our hospitals and everyone who works in them.

   

  Yesterday, the Government laid out its plan for restrictions easing for the next few months. For more details please read on below. However, for now, the national lockdown is still in place across the country. Please remember to stay at home as much as possible so restrictions can safely and slowly be lifted.

   

  It has never been more important to take every measure we can to fight the virus. Everyone needs to stay at home, except for essential activities. If you do need to leave home: Wear a mask. Make space. Wash your hands.

   

  You can read all the details about Lockdown on the official website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

   

  Changes coming from 8th March

  Yesterday, the Government laid out their plans for restrictions easing over the next few months:

  Not before 8 March - All schools will open with outdoor after-school sports and activities allowed. Recreation in a public space - such as a park - will be allowed between two people, meaning you and one other would be allowed to sit down for a coffee, drink or picnic.

  Not before 29 March - Outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed. Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis or basketball courts will reopen and organised adult and children's sport, such as grassroots football, will also return

  Not before 12 April - non essential retail, hair salons, indoor gyms and pools, and pubs and restaurants, outdoors only, can open.

  More restrictions are planned to be eased over time, but these dates are not final, and all depend on the vaccine rollout going as planned and vaccines reducing hospitalisations and deaths.

  Although this is a positive step, it’s still very important to follow the guidelines. If we don’t, cases may rise again, and strict lockdown rules may come back into place. Wear a mask. Make space. Wash your hands.

   

  Information about the coronavirus vaccine

  More than 17.5 million people have been vaccinated against coronavirus in the country, almost 400,000 of those in Greenwich.

  Both the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines have been through rigorous tests and do not contain human cells, animal extracts or egg. Vaccination is a safe and effective way to prevent disease and save lives, and doesn’t just protect ourselves, but also those around us. This is called herd immunity.

  We understand that some people have questions about the vaccine, and we want to do everything we can to answer these and let you make an informed decision.

  You can find the answers to lots of frequently answered questions on the local NHS website, as well as videos in various different languages explaining why it’s important to get the vaccine when you are offered it.

  We have also attached a table which contains the different vaccines and their side effects. Please remember that you do not have a choice which vaccine you get, and all vaccines are extremely effective.

  For more information, please visit the NHS SEL CCG website.

   

  Grants available for health projects in your community

  Small Grants of up to £500 and Large Grants of up to £2,000 are available for individuals and groups to deliver health projects in the Woolwich Common Ward, Thamesmead Moorings, Plumstead & Glyndon, and Charlton areas. 
  
  Local residents will decide which ideas are funded through online (lockdown compliant) Community Voting Days, based on the principle of Participatory Budgeting. These are a community style ‘Dragons Den’.
  
  This process is administered by Public Health, Royal Borough of Greenwich. To find out more contact Gayle Wallace who is supporting this work on 078144 22696 or email gayle.wallace@btconnect.com

   

  Support if you’ve lost someone to coronavirus

  Most people experience grief when they lose someone important to them. It affects everyone differently. There's no right or wrong way to feel.

  You may be finding it particularly difficult at the moment because of the changes in place to try to stop the spread of coronavirus.

  Changes have been made to several services, including end of life and palliative care, as well as funeral arrangements.

  You may feel that you need some extra help and support during this time. There are local places that can help, such as Greenwich Cruse Bereavement Centre, Greenwich and Bexley Hospice as well as national helplines such as Samaritans and Sudden. 

  Live Well Greenwich has lots of helpful links that can hopefully help you during this difficult time.
  
   

  Getting tested for coronavirus

  1 in 3 people have coronavirus without knowing, so to reduce the spread, you can now get tested whether you have symptoms or not. The more people that get tested, the more we can prevent the spread of this virus.

  Rapid test
  If you don’t have symptoms, you can get a rapid test. Anyone can get one of these. If you have to leave your home regularly, it’s recommended you get a rapid test 2-3 times a week. It only takes 5 mins and results are emailed to you in 30 mins. Visit www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/rapidtest to book.

  Test if you have symptoms
  If you have coronavirus symptoms (fever, new continuous cough or a loss of sense of smell or taste), no matter how mild, get a test. These tests can only be taken if you have symptoms and it takes a bit longer for you to get the results – usually a few days.

  Booking is essential. Order a home test kit if you cannot get to a test site. Go to gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test, or call 119.

  Please see below for information on where you can get both types of coronavirus tests in the borough:

  Test centres if you have symptoms	Test centres if you don’t have symptoms
  02 North Greenwich, SE10 – car only	Daniel Defoe Hall, Greenwich Uni, SE10—walk-in
  Charlton Athletic Football Club, SE7 – car only	David Fussey building, Greenwich Uni, Avery Hill, SE9—walk-in
  University of Greenwich, Avery Hill Road, SE9 – foot only	Charlton Athletic Football Club, SE7—walk-in
  Abery St, Plumstead, SE18 – foot only	Waterfront Leisure Centre, Woolwich, SE18—walk-in
  De Vere Devonport House Car Park, SE10 – foot only	Princess Alice Pub, Thamesmead, SE28—walk-in

  Testing is NOT available at the Emergency Department at the hospital or at your GP practice, so please do not attend here trying to get a test. 

  Support if you test positive and have to self-isolate

  If your test result is positive, you and your household will need to stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days. (This has changed from 14 days). This is important to stop the virus spreading and to keep your community safe.

  This can be stressful and worrying when you need to go to work. If you are unable to claim sick-pay from your employer and are a low income household, a one-off £500 payment may be available from the Government to support you and your family during these 10 days. Find out if you are eligible to apply for this payment or call 0800 470 4831.

  Training available

  If you’re interested in helping your community through volunteering, a short training is available to introduce and prepare volunteers for the role of Neighbourhood Champion. This is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, share information and practice.

  For more information, please email victoria.smith@royalgreenwich.gov.uk. 

  If you think it would be helpful to share these messages via WhatsApp or text message, we have a shorter version available for this purpose. If you would like this, please let us know your mobile number and we can share this with you for you to forward on – please email robin.clarke@royalgreenwich.gov.uk directly with this information.

• Information for Greenwich Residents - 10.02.21

  Wed 10 Feb 2021

  Sent on behalf of:

  Abu Bah - Engagement Lead, Thamesmead Moorings

  Khadijah Ahmed, Engagement Lead, Plumstead and Glyndon

  Spresa Dibrani, Engagement Lead, Charlton

  Rahman Famuditimi – Engagement Lead, Woolwich

  We hope that you’re finding these weekly updates helpful. Some of the information included, around how to stay safe, where to get tested, and the support available, will be similar every week. However, each update will also include a different ‘hot topic’ which will be relevant to the current situation, plus an updated statistic for the local Greenwich area. 

   As before, we would really like to encourage you to share the following​ information through:

  1. friends or family who live in your area
  2. local networks
  3. neighbour or community groups you may be members of
  4. with people who you come into regular contact with through your work or local groups

  If you haven’t already, it would be really helpful if you could take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey, which allows us to understand how widely this Community Update is being used, and whether it is reaching everyone it needs to. Click here to access the short survey.

  KEY MESSAGES 08/02/2021

  PAST 7 DAYS: 470 confirmed new cases of coronavirus in Greenwich	Cases are decreasing, but are still high. We need to stay safe and make sure this number continues to go down, by following the guidance explained in this update.
  156 people are in hospital right now in Greenwich because of coronavirus.	This number is starting to go down, but is still far too high. To have to go to hospital because of coronavirus means your case is very serious, and puts a strain on our hospitals and everyone who works in them.

   

  A national lockdown is in place across the country. This means everyone must stay home except for when it is absolutely necessary to leave.

   

  It has never been more important to take every measure we can to fight the virus. Everyone needs to stay at home, except for essential activities. If you do need to leave home: Wear a mask. Make space. Wash your hands.

   

  You can read all the details about Lockdown on the official website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

   

  Free holiday meals for kids in Greenwich

  
  Next week is February half term, and if you have school-aged children, they will be able to get a delicious lunch for free! 

  The meals will be at six libraries and leisure centres across the borough, so nutritious meals are readily available, and families continue to receive support outside of school term time. 

  They will be available from Monday 15^th – Friday 19^th February at the below places:

  Woolwich Library	12pm - 1pm
  Plumstead Centre	12pm - 1pm
  Thamesmere Leisure Centre	12pm - 1pm
  Greenwich Centre	12pm - 1pm
  Eltham Centre	12pm - 1pm
  Sutcliffe Park	12.30pm - 1.30pm

   

  Support if you’ve lost someone to coronavirus

  
  Most people experience grief when they lose someone important to them. It affects everyone differently. There's no right or wrong way to feel.

  You may be finding it particularly difficult at the moment because of the changes in place to try to stop the spread of coronavirus.

  Changes have been made to several services, including end of life and palliative care, as well as funeral arrangements.

  You may feel that you need some extra help and support during this time. There are local places that can help, such as Greenwich Cruse Bereavement Centre, Greenwich and Bexley Hospice as well as national helplines such as Samaritans and Sudden. 

  Live Well Greenwich has lots of helpful links that can hopefully help you during this difficult time.

  Getting tested for coronavirus

  1 in 3 people have coronavirus without knowing, so to reduce the spread, you can now get tested whether you have symptoms or not. The more people that get tested, the more we can prevent the spread of this virus.

  Rapid test
  If you don’t have symptoms, you can get a rapid test. Anyone can get one of these. If you have to leave your home regularly, it’s recommended you get a rapid test 2-3 times a week. It only takes 5 mins and results are emailed to you in 30 mins. Visit www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/rapidtest to book.

  Test if you have symptoms
  If you have coronavirus symptoms (fever, new continuous cough or a loss of sense of smell or taste), no matter how mild, get a test. These tests can only be taken if you have symptoms and it takes a bit longer for you to get the results – usually a few days.

  Booking is essential. Order a home test kit if you cannot get to a test site. Go to gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test, or call 119.

  If you test positive, you and your household need to self-isolate for 14 days, to stop the virus spreading and keep your community safe.

  Please see below for information on where you can get both types of coronavirus tests in the borough:

  Test centres if you have symptoms	Test centres if you don’t have symptoms
  02 North Greenwich, SE10 – car only	Daniel Defoe Hall, Greenwich Uni, SE10—walk-in
  Charlton Athletic Football Club, SE7 – car only	David Fussey building, Greenwich Uni, Avery Hill, SE9—walk-in
  University of Greenwich, Avery Hill Road, SE9 – foot only	Charlton Athletic Football Club, SE7—walk-in
  Abery St, Plumstead, SE18 – foot only	Waterfront Leisure Centre, Woolwich, SE18—walk-in
  De Vere Devonport House Car Park, SE10 – foot only	Princess Alice Pub, Thamesmead, SE28—walk-in

  Testing is NOT available at the Emergency Department at the hospital or at your GP practice, so please do not attend here trying to get a test. 

  Support if you test positive and have to self-isolate

  If your test result is positive, you and your household will need to stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days. (This has changed from 14 days). This is important to stop the virus spreading and to keep your community safe.

  This can be stressful and worrying when you need to go to work. If you are unable to claim sick-pay from your employer and are a low income household, a one-off £500 payment may be available from the Government to support you and your family during these 10 days. Find out if you are eligible to apply for this payment or call 0800 470 4831.

  Training available

  If you’re interested in helping your community through volunteering, a short training is available to introduce and prepare volunteers for the role of Neighbourhood Champion. This is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, share information and practice.

  For more information, please email victoria.smith@royalgreenwich.gov.uk. 

  If you think it would be helpful to share these messages via WhatsApp or text message, we have a shorter version available for this purpose. If you would like this, please let us know your mobile number and we can share this with you for you to forward on – please email robin.clarke@royalgreenwich.gov.uk directly with this information

• Information for Greenwich Residents - 02.02.21

  Tue 02 Feb 2021

  Sent on behalf of:

  Abu Bah - Engagement Lead, Thamesmead Moorings

  Khadijah Ahmed, Engagement Lead, Plumstead and Glyndon

  Spresa Dibrani, Engagement Lead, Charlton

  Rahman Famuditimi – Engagement Lead, Woolwich

   

  KEY MESSAGES 02/02/2021

  PAST 7 DAYS: 702 confirmed new cases of coronavirus in Greenwich	Cases are gradually decreasing, but are still high. We need to stay safe and make sure this number continues to go down, by following the guidance explained in this update.
  185 people are in hospital right now in Greenwich because of coronavirus.	This number is starting to go down, but is still far too high. To have to go to hospital because of coronavirus means your case is very serious, and puts a strain on our hospitals and everyone who works in them.

   

  A national lockdown is now in place across the country. This means everyone must stay home except for when it is absolutely necessary to leave.

   

  It has never been more important to take every measure we can to fight the virus. Everyone needs to stay at home, except for essential activities. If you do need to leave home: Wear a mask. Make space. Wash your hands.

   

  You can read all the details about Lockdown on the official website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

   

  Masks vs visors

  
  Unfortunately, a face shield, or visor, is not a suitable face covering as it does not cover the nose and mouth properly.

  Please wear a face mask, not a visor, when in enclosed spaces such as shops, public transport and places of worship. This is important to stop the spread of this virus and reduce the amount of people that are ill, and sadly, die, from coronavirus.
  
  Coronavirus is spread by droplets from coughs, sneezes and speaking. When used correctly, wearing a face mask may reduce the spread of coronavirus, helping to protect others.

  A face mask should:

  ·         cover your nose and mouth while allowing you to breathe comfortably

  ·         fit comfortably but securely against the side of the face

  ·         be secured to the head with ties or ear loops

  ·         ideally include at least 2 layers of fabric

  ·         unless disposable, be able to be washed regularly

  Because face masks protect others from coronavirus rather than the wearer, they are not a replacement for social distancing and regular hand washing. It is important to still regularly wash your hands and stay at least 2 metres from people not in your household or support bubble.

   

  Support if you’ve lost someone to coronavirus

  
  Most people experience grief when they lose someone important to them. It affects everyone differently. There's no right or wrong way to feel.

  You may be finding it particularly difficult at the moment because of the changes in place to try to stop the spread of coronavirus.

  Changes have been made to several services, including end of life and palliative care, as well as funeral arrangements.

  You may feel that you need some extra help and support during this time. There are local places that can help, such as Greenwich Cruse Bereavement Centre, Greenwich and Bexley Hospice as well as national helplines such as Samaritans and Sudden. 

  Live Well Greenwich has lots of helpful links that can hopefully help you during this difficult time.

  Getting tested for coronavirus

  If you have coronavirus symptoms: (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste), even if they’re only mild, it’s important to get a test and stay at home until you get your result. 

  Testing centres in the Royal Borough of Greenwich:

  • 02 North Greenwich, SE10 - drive-through facility only 
  • Charlton Athletic Football Club, SE7 - mobile testing facility accessible by car
  • University of Greenwich, Avery Hill Road, SE9 - accessible on foot only
  • NEW – Plumstead Abery Street, Plumstead, SE18 - walk-through testing centre, accessible on foot only 
  • NEW - De Vere Devonport House Car Park, SE10 - walk-through testing centre, accessible on foot only 

  Booking is essential for all testing centres. Order a home test kit if you cannot get to a test site. Please go to gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.  If you have problems using the online service, call: 119.  Lines are open 7am to 11pm.

  Rapid testing centres

  If you can’t follow the Government guidance to stay at home and have go to work, you can get a test very quickly in a number of walk-in centres around the borough.

  The test takes 5 minutes, and the results are emailed to you in 30 minutes. It will tell you if you have Covid, but no symptoms, so that you can protect those around you by self-isolating for 10 days until the virus clears from your body. Book a rapid test here.

  Testing is NOT available at the Emergency Department at the hospital or at your GP practice, so please do not attend here trying to get a test. 

  Support if you test positive and have to self-isolate

  If your test result is positive, you and your household will need to stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days. (This has changed from 14 days). This is important to stop the virus spreading and to keep your community safe.

  This can be stressful and worrying when you need to go to work. If you are unable to claim sick-pay from your employer and are a low income household, a one-off £500 payment may be available from the Government to support you and your family during these 14 days. Find out if you are eligible to apply for this payment or call 0800 470 4831.

  Training available

  If you’re interested in helping your community through volunteering, a short training is available to introduce and prepare volunteers for the role of Neighbourhood Champion. This is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, share information and practice.

  For more information, please email victoria.smith@royalgreenwich.gov.uk. 

  If you think it would be helpful to share these messages via WhatsApp or text message, we have a shorter version available for this purpose. If you would like this, please let us know your mobile number and we can share this with you for you to forward on – please email Robin Clarke robin.clarke@royalgreenwich.gov.uk directly with this information.