9th December 2022

Weekly update

WC: 09/12/22

Dear Parents/Carers,

At NUSA this week:

This week we held a Christmas Jumper day in support of ‘Save the Children’. It was fantastic to see so many children wearing their Christmas jumpers to school.   

Our EAL ambassadors completed their 4-week course to become official ‘Young Interpreters’ this week. We are really proud of them and the hard work they have put in to this.

We have held ‘Year 8 achievement week’ this week and it has been great to see so many students so keen to complete their challenge cards.

In NUSA16, our Year 13 students conducted presentations to their peers on different public health campaigns. They were confident, articulate and had clearly worked hard to be well prepared.

Our year 10 Computer Science group completed their ‘Idea Award’ this week and were issued with their certificates and celebratory pizza on Friday. Well done Team!

Coming up at NUSA:

On Monday 12th December we will be holding a ‘Steps to Success’ evening for all Year 11 students and Parents/carers. A separate letter has been sent to parents/carers of Year 11 students.

Christmas dinner – we will be holding our annual Christmas dinner on Wednesday 14th December 2022. This will be opportunity for students to purchase a Christmas dinner for lunch if they wish. All free school meal students will be entitled to a Christmas dinner as part of their free school meal allocation.

Christmas trips – we will be holding our annual Christmas trips on Thursday 15th December. Students have had letters about this already. As the trips have already been paid for, we will not be able to offer refunds now.

On Friday 16th December, we will finish school for the Christmas holidays at 12pm. All students will leave the school site at 12pm. Any student who is entitled to Free School Meals will be able to pick up a lunch to take home should they wish.

All students will return to school at normal time on Monday 9th January 2023.

Parent/Carer Connection group:

We will be looking to launch a parent/carer connection group in the New Year. This will involve parents/carers joining a working party that would meet, initially, half termly to discuss how our school can be even better and also discuss ideas for how we can work more closely with our community. This is an amazing opportunity to be a part of the future of your child’s school. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact me via email on ehoward@nusa.org.uk and I will send more details.

Safeguarding corner:

You will have no doubt heard details in the news about the Strep A virus. The Department for Education and Nottingham City Council have put together the information below to help inform parents/carers of signs and symptoms of the virus and the steps you should take should you suspect your child has it.

Re: Increase in scarlet fever

We are writing to inform you of a recent [national/local] increase in notifications of scarlet fever to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), above seasonal expected levels.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the signs, symptoms and the actions to be taken if you think that you or your child might have scarlet fever.

Signs and symptoms of scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is a common childhood infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus (GAS). It is not usually serious, but should be treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of complications (such as pneumonia) and spread to others. The early symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. After 12 to 48 hours, the characteristic red, pinhead rash develops, typically first appearing on the chest and stomach, then rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, and giving the skin a sandpaper-like texture. The scarlet rash may be harder to spot on darker skin, although the 'sandpaper' feel should be present. Patients typically have flushed cheeks and be pale around the mouth. This may be accompanied by a bright red red ‘strawberry’ tongue.

If you think you, or your child, might have scarlet fever:

contact your GP or NHS 111 as soon as possible

make sure that you or your child take(s) the full course of any antibiotics prescribed. Although you or your child will feel better soon after starting the course of antibiotics, you must complete the course to ensure that you do not carry the bacteria in your throat after you have recovered

stay at home, away from nursery, school or work for at least 24 hours after starting the antibiotic treatment, to avoid spreading the infection

You can help stop the spread of infection through frequent hand washing and by not sharing eating utensils, clothes, bedding and towels. All contaminated tissues  should be disposed of immediately.

Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS)

The same bacteria which cause scarlet fever can also cause a range of other types of infection such as skin infections (impetigo) and sore throat. In very rare cases, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive group A strep (iGAS). Whilst still very uncommon, there has been an increase in iGAS cases this year, particularly in children under 10 years old. It is very rare for children with scarlet fever to develop iGAS infection.

As a parent, you should trust your own judgement.

Contact NHS 111 or your GP if:

your child is getting worse

your child is feeding or eating much less than normal

your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration

your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39C or higher

your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty

your child is very tired or irritable

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs

there are pauses when your child breathes

your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue

your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

Stop the spread

During periods of high incidence of scarlet fever, there may also be an increase in outbreaks in schools, nurseries and other childcare settings. Children and adults with suspected scarlet fever should stay off nursery / school / work until 24 hours after the start of appropriate antibiotic treatment. Good hygiene practice such as hand washing remains the most important step in preventing and controlling spread of infection.

Have a lovely weekend,

Emma Howard