County Voice

Education Matters

Council's free school meals appeal to remaining eligible families

The Council is calling on those families in the county who may be eligible for free school meals to get in touch.

In recent weeks, the Council has put in place a system where it provides payments instead of free school meals, with £19.50 being paid to parents or guardians, per child per week.

So far, over 1,500 parents/ guardians (3,000 children) are benefitting from the free school meals payments, but the Council estimates that up to 400 more families could be eligible. Despite phone calls and correspondence, these families have not come forward.

The Council moved quickly to put plans to deliver free school meals, once the school closures were announced. Within a matter of days, the Council had put in place a way of providing meals to children that were legally entitled to receive them.

This system was replaced by the direct payments method, where the Council pays money directly into the bank accounts of parents and guardians, making sure they are paid money to feed their children. Staff from the Council have been in touch with the vast majority of families and arranged payments. However, there are families that are more difficult to reach and despite extensive efforts, they have so far yet to come forward.

If parents or guardians believe they are eligible, they are urged to click here for more information.

Council issues statement following schools announcement

The Council has issued a statement in response to the announcement by Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams MS that schools will re-open in phases from June 29.

The main points of the Minister’s announcement were:

  • It is proposed that all schools will start the next phase on 29 June, with the term extended by a week, therefore ending on 27 July. 
  • In the next academic year, beginning in September, the intention is that the autumn half-term break will be expanded to two weeks.
  • In each school there will be a phased approach. Year groups will be split into cohorts with staggered starts, lessons and breaks. It is expected that this will mean, at most, a third of pupils present at any one time, though schools may need time to reach this level of operation.
  • There will be much smaller classes, providing secure dedicated time with teachers and classmates. This time will include online and personalised classroom experience, getting children and teachers ready for a similar experience in September.

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, Children’s Services and Public Engagement, said: “The safety of our children, young people and our staff is a top priority and we would like to reassure parents and guardians that we will do everything it takes to create safe environments for when our pupils and students return.

“The Welsh Government has made it clear from the outset of coronavirus that schools will only re-open in Wales when it is safe to do so, but we recognise that some parents/ guardians may be still have concerns around the timing.

“A lot of work is going on in Denbighshire and across North Wales, to review all our education and school policies and procedures, to make sure they are fit for purpose for new arrangements to be put in place that will allow our schools to open safely.

“We will now consider the details of the announcement in great detail and we will work closely with schools, governing bodies and teaching unions to prepare for re-opening schools, with stringent social distancing measures being introduced in every school. There will be rigorous cleaning and hand hygiene procedures in place and we will ensure that schools have everything they need to operate safely.

“Schools will provide information over the coming days and weeks about arrangements that will be put in place and steps that people must follow to ensure  that the health and safety of all our pupils and staff are protected”. 

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