Contact Last chance to apply for primary school places
Last chance to apply for primary school places
Parents are being reminded that they have just a few days left to apply for their child’s primary school places.
Children are entitled to start school in the September after their fourth birthday, meaning parents/carers of children born during the period 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 must apply by 15 January 2021.
Primary school places which are applied for and submitted after the deadline will only be considered after all on-time applications and Essex County Council is encouraging families to give themselves the best chance of being considered for a school they want by getting them in on time.
The council has also encouraged parents to use all four of the preferences available and to check the admissions criteria for each school they wish to apply for to ensure they have the best chance of being offered a preferred place.
Applications can be made online at www.essex.gov.uk/admissions
You can apply for Reception school place at an Essex primary school between 9 November 2020 and 15 January 2021.
Explore new worlds and meet new friends – take up the Winter Reading Challenge
You might be at home, but you can still go on an adventure – that’s the message from Hampshire County Council’s Library Service which is encouraging children to sign up for this year’s Winter Reading Challenge and read any four books, with an emphasis on sharing stories with others.
Councillor Edward Heron, Executive Member for Recreation, Heritage, Countryside and Rural Affairs, said: “This year, more than ever before, I feel that Hampshire’s children will benefit a great deal from participating in the Winter Reading Challenge. Books are a marvellous way to escape the here and now, which is even more important when we can’t physically visit new places. It is within these stories that children can go on adventures in new worlds and meet lots of colourful characters. A bit of escapism can offer welcome respite after months of social distancing and restrictions.”
Over the school holidays children can experience a ‘dip’ in reading skills and learning, and the disruption to education caused by Covid-19 means that supporting children’s literacy is more important than ever.
Councillor Heron continued: “Reading for pleasure is proven to boost literacy skills in children and we are eager to support this, especially in light of the ongoing disruption to our schools due to the coronavirus pandemic. There is nothing quite like finding a cosy spot to curl up with a good story on a cold winter’s day, whether it’s alone or together with family.
“We have a wide variety of resources waiting to be discovered at our libraries during winter and throughout the rest of the year. The thing to remember about the challenge is that all books count towards it. This means that children can choose their four titles from various formats including eBooks, audiobooks, and picture books.”
The Winter Reading Challenge is aimed at children aged 4-11 years, but all ages can enjoy reading any four books of their choice between 11 January and 27 February. Participants can discover more about the Winter Reading Challenge and sign-up online at www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/kids-zone, which features a host of activities, plus rewards and incentives for reading and reviewing books.
With the current national lockdown in place to help stop the spread of Coronavirus, readers of all ages are encouraged to use the Hampshire Library Service’s digital library as far as possible. All Hampshire Libraries are closed for browsing, and fines are frozen. Library customers who are unable to access Hampshire Libraries’ digital library can borrow and reserve physical items by using the Ready Reads service or reserving online.
Winter Reading Challenge participants will be able to track their progress using the Winter Reading Challenge Reading Record and celebrate their completed books with official Winter Reading Challenge Completion Certificates. These will be available in digital format for participants who sign-up online, and in hard copy format for collection when customers next visit their local library to pick up their Ready Reads or reserved items.
With national lockdown restrictions in place, Medway’s symptom-free testing centres are now being prioritised for critical workers and their households.
If you are a critical worker, you can book a symptom-free COVID-19 test at one of our five testing sites in Medway.
You should only book a symptom-free test if you are a critical worker who isn’t currently working from home.
Booking a test
If you’re eligible to book a test, then all of your household will also be eligible too. Please note: you must complete all bookings individually for each household member (EG: If you have a family of four, then four bookings will need to be made using the slots available on the booking website).
We have five symptom-free test centres available in Medway, including our new site at Medway Park Sports Centre in Gillingham. The centres are open between 9am to 7pm seven days a week (Medway Park is open Monday to Friday: 9am to 7pm).
You must book before you visit. No booking = no entry.
You must bring the following proof to your appointment:
Test booking confirmation (text or email)
Critical worker status (your photo ID OR a letter from your employer)
Your mobile phone, to help with registering on arrival.
Limited parking is available on some sites. Please remember to drive and park considerately (please do not block any driveways while you attend your test).
For a full list of eligible critical workers, along with further information, visit our website.
If you have any family or friends who fall under this list, please encourage them to book their symptom-free test.
Your test result
You should receive the result of your test by text and email within 24 hours of your test.
If you test negative you will need to retake the test in two weeks. You can book your second test using the same online form
If your test is positive, you will need to self-isolate for 10 days and take a home test to confirm the result.
Regular testing is needed to help control the virus in Medway. One in three people with coronavirus have no symptoms, meaning that someone could be highly infectious without being aware of it. You may have the virus without knowing so your support is crucial to help protect each other from infection.
Got a question?
If you have any other queries on booking your symptom-free test, you can email: [email protected]
For more details on symptom-free testing, visit our website.
Thanks for your support. Play your part now and help us stop the spread of the virus in Medway.
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