We hope you had a lovely half term break and enjoyed the sunshine. Welcome back to the final half term of this academic year.  

As you will be aware, infection rates are rising both nationally and locally and we must all continue to do our best to ensure that we maintain our COVID-19 procedures and follow all guidance. The guidance for schools has not changed and we are being urged by the Local Authority not to relax any of our risk assessment and maintain current procedures. With this in mind, we are once again grateful to those families who followed the procedures during the holidays for keeping the school informed of positive cases and isolating accordingly. Thanks also to those families who have ensured that PCR tests have been undertaken this week at the slightest signs of symptoms. This is continuing to help to try to keep our whole community as safe as we can and children still in school learning. 

We have been asked by NHS Gloucestershire to provide you with this information regarding the vaccination programme. 

NHS urges people in current COVID-19 vaccination priority groups: ‘Don’t delay – take up the offer now’ 

Senior NHS vaccinators in Gloucestershire are urging people to act quickly and book an appointment as soon as local GP services make contact to invite them for their COVID-19 vaccination. Rapid progress is being made by local GP services in the county in vaccinating those residents in current priority groups, with the large majority taking up appointments and receiving their first dose. The NHS locally is keen to make maximum use of current vaccine supplies and ensure that as many eligible people as possible take up the offer without delay. Local vaccination teams are calling on anyone who has been invited for a jab but has not yet received one to book an appointment as soon as they can.  

Sarah Gallagher, Clinical lead at the COVID-19 community vaccination centre in Cheltenham, said: 

“We want to make sure that people in the current priority groups receive their vaccinations as soon as possible, whether that’s booking in for a first dose or coming back for their second. Our vaccination teams are pulling out all the stops, giving thousands of vaccinations every week, but we need people to book their appointment as soon as it’s offered so that we can continue to make progress and extend the invite to others as quickly as possible.  

Every dose given is another person on the road to being protected from COVID-19, so we would strongly urge those who haven’t taken up the offer yet to do so.” 

In addition to encouraging people to book in for a first dose, vaccination teams are also highlighting the importance of attending appointments to receive their second vaccination, which is needed to ensure maximum protection from COVID-19.  

Sarah added: “The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines offers a good level of protection against COVID-19, but for long-lasting and better protection a second vaccination is needed. So, we are urging everyone to come forward for their second jab when the time comes; your vaccine has been allocated and will be waiting for you at the same centre where you received your first dose.” 

Notes: In Gloucestershire, the bulk of community vaccinations are being delivered through a network of 10 GP led Primary Care Network vaccination services. These centres are not on the national booking system. 

If they have not already been in contact, local GP services will be in touch soon offering first dose appointment slots locally to people in the latest priority age group (30-39) at one of the ten centres across the county. Residents are politely asked not to call their GP surgery for their first dose of vaccine – the surgery will be in contact. 

Should they choose to, local residents have the option to use the national booking website: www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination or phone 119 to book a vaccination appointment at other available services. Through the national booking website or phone number, residents can choose to make an appointment at several pharmacy locations in the county - subject to availability. Some out of county services/centres may be available to certain residents in priority groups (based on where they live) through the national booking system. 

Uniform is very important and we expect all children to wear it with pride.  It helps to engender a sense of belonging and pride in the school.  When children wear their uniform, they are preparing themselves for school and learning.   

Thank you for sending your children to school in their P.E. kits on their P.E. days. This has had a number of practical benefits and, whilst supporting our Covid-19 risk assessment, it has helped the school day to run really smoothly.  Given our fantastic grounds, and our passion for outdoor learning, during the autumn term we will would like everyone to wear the following uniform every day.   

Bottoms: 

• BLACK tracksuit/joggers (plain – no stripes or patterns) or 
• BLACK leggings (plain – no stripes or patterns) or 
• BLACK jogger-type shorts or cycle shorts (plain – no stripes or patterns) 

Tops:  

• WHITE polo shirt  

Sweatshirt: 

• BROWN sweatshirt with logo (available from SchoolTogs / Monkhouse School wear in the lower high street) 

Footwear: 

• BLACK trainers – no shoes please as children will need to wear trainers for P.E./playtimes/lunchtimes/outdoor learning/daily mile.   

NO - cardigans, skirts, pinafores, jumpsuits, school trousers, woolly jumpers, shirts, tie, sweatshirts without the school logo or school shoes. 

Dressing in the items listed above will ensure that children can enjoy active P.E. lessons and outdoor experiences on a daily basis without the need to change.  We are also keen to support you in ensuring that our uniform is easily available at a reasonable price.