St Luke's C of E Primary School, Glossop

Safe and Sound Group

2nd February 2021

Dear parent or carer

I am writing to you personally as the CEO of Safe and Sound, a local grassroots charity in Derbyshire that supports children, young people and their families who have been exploited or are at risk of exploitation. When I took over the leadership of the charity in May 2019, I was surprised how hard it was to get people talking about child exploitation.

“It I don’t hear about it it’s not happening.” I must change that and get everyone thinking about it.

Over 70% of children and young people we supported last year were groomed online. The youngest child we have supported was eight years old. One in twenty children will suffer some form of sexual abuse. That is one in every classroom. Sadly, it can happen to any child anywhere and at any time.

The use of some form of technology features in many cases of child sexual exploitation. Perpetrators might use social media to locate and target vulnerable children or they might use a mobile phone as a direct line to a child to facilitate the grooming process.

For children and young people growing up today being online is very much a part of their normal social experience. Most children from school age have access to the internet whether through a tablet, a mobile phone, or a gaming device.

At the same time, technology moves quickly, and it can be difficult for parents to keep up and to know what safeguards might help minimise the risks children could encounter online.

We also know during Covid-19 the risk has again escalated. Perpetrators are aware children and young people are at home spending more time at home, may be isolated from their friends. They are using this to their advantage.

We are always available through our online chat facility on our new and improved website www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk You will also find guidance and resources on here.

On Tuesday 9th February 2021 it is Safer Internet Day. We are using this opportunity to reach out to parents and carers to reduce the risk of our children and young people being affected by online dangers and exploitation.

During this day we are also hosting an online interactive live session through our Facebook account between 10 and 11am

https://www.facebook.com/safesoundgroup and providing an hour workshop on online safety and awareness through Zoom between 130 and 230pm

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85229040011?pwd=SENCVk9kalRCelNSR3BlMVdRbHVTZz09

Meeting ID: 852 2904 0011

Passcode: 811976

There are 100 places so log on nice and early.

If you would like to take part in an awareness workshop but cannot make Tuesday, please contact us via info@safeandsoundgroup.org.uk to register your interest for a future workshop.

In the first instance, talk to your child about what they do online in the same way as you ask them about what they do offline. Ask them about what they share, who they talk to, how they know their online friends and what they do to keep themselves safe. You would not let them go to meet someone you did not know without putting some checks in place, would you?

Thank you for reading this letter and I hope together we can keep our children and young people safe.

Yours sincerely

Tracy D Harrison

CEO, Safe and Sound

St Luke’s CE Primary School Newsletter

28.1.2021

Dear Parents,

What a wet week we have had January seems determined to go out with a whoosh. It feels very dark and gloomy as the sun has not managed to break through the clouds, however your children’s work and messages are bringing the sunshine to us all. I continue to be so impressed by you and the way you are organising learning at home, less than 1.5% of our children are not attending school or their live lessons and we are hopeful that those very few children will be able to join in before long. That regular contact with the rest of the children, their teacher and teaching input is so important for the children. Thank you for making sure it happens, I do not underestimate how difficult it can be.

I am starting to see sunflowers and messages appear in people’s windows brightening the gloomy winter scene, thank you. For those of you who have missed the two-week project for every class on Seesaw the whole school is working on Van Gough’s ‘The Sunflowers’, do go on and check out the ideas for home learning. As part of the project we have suggested that children can make pictures of sunflowers to put in their windows with messages to brighten up everyone’s daily exercise. The story goes that Van Gough had invited his friend Gauguin to visit, Gauguin said he would come so Van Gough got his room ready and put some fresh sunflowers in it to make it bright but Gauguin didn’t come. This kept happening until in the end Van Gough decided to paint the sunflowers so the room would always be ready for Gauguin if he came. We are all looking forward to seeing our friends again so are putting sunflowers in the window to let them know we are thinking of them just like Van Gough.

You will have heard on the news last night that schools will not start to open more widely until at least 8th March. I am sorry but we have got to keep protecting our whole community. As ever if you need anything do let us know. If what you need is a chat, we are here for you we know just how lonely it can be at home with the children all day.

We have been told that schools should shut as normal at half term. Just like at Christmas if anyone who has been in school, adult or child, tests positive over half term they must let me know as I may need to ask others in school to isolate. As the school office will be closed please inform me by texting or emailing headteacher@st-lukes.derbyshire.sch.uk

As we are in this strange time we are not able to hold our annual House Verse Speaking event which we all love, however we have a plan! Any child who would like to learn a poem and recite it on Friday 12th February we would love to hear it. All they have to do is let me know by Wednesday 10th that they want to join in the event and I will set it up. Get looking for those poems to learn.

I hope you all have a good week this week.

Stay happy and healthy

Alice Littlehailes

St Luke’s CE Primary School Newsletter

21.1.2021

Dear Parents,

I don’t know if you are surprised we are at Thursday already, can’t believe it is only Thursday or like me both at the same time! Anyway well done we have all managed another week, actually amend that judging by what I have seen in school, on zoom and on seesaw we have all bossed this last week. The children are engaging with their learning and seem happy and relaxed. As ever if you have any concerns about your child emotionally or academically please, please contact us. A message on seesaw will get privately to the class teacher, an email or text to school will get to the class teacher or me and I am nearly always at the end of the phone.

I know the weather has been rubbish and made getting your children active even harder. If you can’t face another Joe Wicks session, you have all learnt all Oti’s dances and the thought of another set of chair exercises makes you want to scream, have a look at the cricket session I sent out yesterday. The live session is on a Wednesday but a recording of it is still available by following the link.

Thank you to all of you. Why? I hear you ask because as members of the PTA you have bought us some more ipads and a new ipad trolley to keep them in. They are a very useful addition to the equipment we have in school.

I have an apology to make to the lovely children who come along to Story Time every day at 4pm. I had promised them another Dick King Smith story tonight but I have to be in a meeting. So the bad news is they will have to wait until Friday for the story, but the good news is Mrs Hillier is going to be doing story time instead. Everyone is welcome to join in and listen to a story at the end of the day, it is lovely to see those that come along.

I hope you all have a good week this week.

Stay happy and healthy

Alice Littlehailes

St Luke’s CE Primary School Newsletter

14.1.2021

Dear Parents,

Thank you all so much for the way you have just stepped up and helped us get remote education working. I have been amazed at just how smoothly it has gone. I know there have been a few teething problems at our end and yours but we seem to have got those sorted. If you are having any problems at all technological or emotional please get in touch.

You will have seen that the guidelines around part time timetables have changed. The children of critical workers are expected to be at home if they can be and can now be in for part weeks, vulnerable children are expected to be in school full time.

You will have seen that there has been some controversy over the quality of the food hampers provided to the parents of children in receipt of free school meals in some parts of the country. I am pleased to be able to tell you that the hampers provided by Derbyshire Catering Service to our parents have been great. They contain a lovely mix of fresh and tinned produce and would make tasty, healthy lunches. The Catering service should be commended on the speed with which they put together these hampers across the whole county. I know our catering team assembled them as well as providing lunches for the children in school. A huge thank you goes out to them.

I am missing you all.

Stay happy and healthy

Alice Littlehailes