The following message was sent out to Year7-11 parents on Monday 28 February:

The announcement that we need to be “learning to live with COVID” quickly comes to the fore as vaccine plans roll out over the next few weeks in schools.

This email will cover the following topics:

* COVID Vaccinations
* Other Vaccinations
* Communication

COVID Vaccinations

The ‘12-15 Years Old’ COVID Vaccination Team – as part of the Midland Partnership NHS – have asked us to circulate the following information relating to 1st or 2nd COVID vaccinations which will be given in school on Wednesday 23 March.

Those children who can take up this offer must:

* be aged 12-15 on the vaccination date.
* have been absent on the previous vaccination sessions and have missed their 1st vaccine.
* have received their 1st vaccine 12 weeks prior to 23 March.
* have not tested positive for COVID in the 12 weeks prior to 23 March.

Again, the consent process will be between parents and the NHS and a new consent form will need to be returned for this latest vaccine. The consent forms will be handed out shortly after half-term and they must be returned to the NHS team via the school by Monday 7 March.

If you have any further queries about this process then contact the team via: 12-15covidimms@mpft.nhs.uk

For our part, experience tell us that the NHS team will not get all of the vaccines done on the single date. It is very likely they will need a second session at some date in the future.Consequently, we would advise parents to get their child the vaccinated at one of the drop-in centres wherever possible; especially if you are relying on getting it to protect vulnerable families members or for a holiday over the Easter period.

Other Vaccinations

The normal round of vaccinations will be rolling through too and details will be circulated nearer the time. Again, consent will be solely between the child / family and the NHS and in these cases it will be obtained electronically.

These vaccinations include:

* Friday 18 March – Year 9 – Meningitis, ACWY, Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio Boosters
* Thursday 26 May – Year 9 – Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Dose 2
* Thursday 30 June – Year 8 – Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Dose 1

We will distribute further details once the NHS Immunisation Team give them to us.

Communication

We would urge all parents to use the EduLink app wherever possible as this means we can communicate with you more regularly and saves the school money in doing so.

It is also an easy one-stop-shop for school information and allows you to keep up-to-date with your child’s progress on a daily basis.

We would also recommend all parents check the school website – remembering that our school website address is: www.friaryschool.co.uk.

Alternatively, the same newsfeed is available on our Twitter or Facebook account. It is worth checking at least on a weekly basis as there is always lots of information come out about school life.

Matt Allman, Headteacher, added: “Certainly, school will be a busy place in the weeks ahead with GCSE and A-Level exams coming up, the Y9 Pathways Evening starts the ball rolling on the journey to these exams, school residentials rolling out, ‘Encore’ and the KS3 Show ‘Joseph’ hitting the stage, and outdoor events like Sports Day and the Summer Sizzler on their way. This is all mapped out on the calendar on the school website (https://www.friaryschool.co.uk/calendar/). We hope to see you in school at one of the forthcoming events soon.”