14.12.22 - Message from the Director of Education re HAF, Disruptive weather and other matters
FAO: ALL
This email has been sent to all schools. Please forward onto your Chair of Governors.
Dear Headteacher/Principal,
I hope you are well enjoying the last week of term (I do know some schools are going on until 22nd December). I have just had the great pleasure of visiting Tottenhall Infants School seeing the young children engaging in a variety of Christmas and new year type activities – I am sure most of your schools will be doing similar. I need to update you on a couple of issues before the end of term
i) Holiday and Food Programme - Please find attached the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) Winter 2022 poster. This is a DfE funded programme running in Enfield between 19th – 23rd December and 28th – 30th December 2022. Children and Young People in receipt of benefits related free school meals can receive up to 4 days of free fun and food across Enfield. Each day will include a nutritious hot meal, snacks and a selection of activities ranging from football and swimming to coding and cooking. Please can you help us promote the spaces available by sending the winter poster to all of your families in receipt of benefits related free school meals or direct them to hafenfield.co.uk If possible, please add the poster to your website and share with your parents’ groups to promote this opportunity as widely as possible.
For more information please email HAF@enfield.gov.uk
ii) RAAC urgent - Please see the link to the latest guidance relating to Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete – Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete: estates guidance - this relates to schools built between the mid 1930’s and the mid 1990’s. Please ensure that this is read as there are some actions that you will need to carry out if you have RAAC in your school.
iii) Severe weather guidance – RA template - Please find this risk assessment template attached (you may have this already) from the Health & Safety Team. Many schools were closed for one or more days during the latest freezing weather so we hope you find this useful.
I very much hope that you have a great Christmas break what ever you do. The bad weather has cancelled much of my sport so I have resorted to the pain of body pump and Pilates in the gym!! Although Christmas Day morning tennis is still played. The cold weather though will sweeten my parsnips apparently if I can dig them up.
The new year will be an interesting and challenging one inevitably – the local authority (area) is expecting a SEND inspection as we were last inspected in 2016 and this is a new framework. We may also have a Youth Justice and/or a social care inspection (ILAC) – all of these inspections will involve schools to a lesser or greater degree. And I haven’t mentioned the financial challenges which we all will face.
Greetings of the season and I hope you have a great break when it comes.
Peter Nathan
Director of Education