Everyday Essential Information

Between 7.45-8.10am - Breakfast Club and 8am special lessons ONLY
The turning circle at the main house must be used ONLY for pupils who need to be dropped off for Breakfast Club or Pre-Arranged 8am early music, drama or academic lessons. No cars must wait and queue in the turning circle before 8.10am as this blocks the area for those trying to drop off for 8am lessons.

8.10-8.30am - Prep School daily drop-off
From 8.15am, all cars may access the turning circle in turn to allow children to be dropped off, under the supervision of the staff member on duty.

Arrival before 8.10am - but for normal drop-off time
If you arrive before 8.15am, but your child is not attending Breakfast Club or an 8am pre-arranged lesson, please park in the car park and wait until 8.15am to then drive to the turning circle. Please do not wait in the turning circle as this blocks the area for others.

Thank you all for your support with this facility, to help all our families access Drive-and-Drop at the times needed.

If you do need to get cracking with your work day and can't risk waiting in the Drive-and-Drop queue, Breakfast Club is £3.50 per session, opens at 7.45am and is available as a drop-in. This is a safe way of ensuring your child is supervised before the normal school day.

We appreciate that parking spaces can be at a premium at certain times in the school day.

However, we are grateful for your support with keeping the clearly-marked reserved and disabled parking spaces clear at all times.

There are two reserved spaces for named families and a disabled space for Blue Badge Holders behind the Harcombe Block, and an additional disabled space near the swimming pool. These spaces must be kept clear for the relevant families and registered Blue Badge holders who require access at all times.

Please contact the school office should you require any clarification about the use of these spaces.

To log in to your SOCS Parent Account please use this link: SOCS Parents Link

For useful information about how to use your parent account please follow this link: SOCS Parent Portal 

Syncing your child's calendar with google, outlook or apple/iphone calendars:

You can synchronize your child's SOCS calendar with your personal calendar (e.g., Google or Outlook) to receive live updates about clubs, fixtures, and one-to-one lessons. Any changes made to clubs or fixtures will be automatically updated in your personal calendar.

To sync the calendar

1. Log into SOCS.
2. Click on the "Calendar Sync" button.
3. Click on the WebCal link generated by SOCS.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the syncing process. This will create a live feed of clubs and fixtures in your personal calendar.

If your child experiences vomiting or diarrhoea, they must stay off school for a clear 48 hours from the last episode of illness. This is in line with current NHS advice for schools and workplaces. 

If your child has an epsiode of either of the above whilst at school, we will contact home and your child must be collected. 

NHS Diarrhoea and Vomiting

Head Lice and Nits are very common in young children and their families. They are not caused by dirty hair and are picked up by head-to-head contact.

If Head Lice or Nits are found at school, we will ask for children to stay off school until their head has been treated, after which they may return. This is to help prevent the spread around school which happens very quickly.

We recommend regularly checking your children's hair and treating with an appropriate pharmaceutical product. 

We also recommend that long hair is tied back for school days, to reduce the risk of head to head transfer.

NHS Head Lice and Nits Advice

Chickenpox is common and mostly affects children, but you can get it at any age. It usually gets better by itself after 1 to 2 weeks without needing to see a GP.

If your child develops chickenpox, please keep them at home until no longer contagious (once ALL the spots have crusted over). 

Symptoms are: a mild flu-like illness (nausea, raised temperature, aching or stiff muscles, headache, loss of appetite) followed, one to three weeks later, by the appearance of small, itchy red spots in clusters on the face, scalp, behind the ears and on the torso. 

After 12 to 14 hours, the spots develop into fluid filled blisters which become intensely itchy. After several days, the blisters begin to dry out and crust over.

NHS Chickenpox Advice

Threadworms (pinworms) are tiny worms visible in faeces. They're common in children and spread easily. You can treat them without seeing a GP.

The treatment for threadworms is very straightforward and involves everyone in the family taking a small, chewable tablet or liquid you swallow which can be purchased from any pharmacy. It is important that every member of the family is treated as symptoms may not be apparent. Good hygiene is vital in preventing the spread of threadworms; please encourage children to wash hands after visiting the toilet and before eating.

Threadworm treatment may not be appropriate for children under two years old or for pregnant or breastfeeding women. In these circumstances, advice should be sought from a GP.

The symptoms of threadworms include itching around the bottom, irritability, difficulty in getting to sleep and loss of appetite. 

NHS Threadworm Advice

Oakwood is situated in an area of the South Coast prone to ticks and it is important to be particularly vigilant around the months of May and June, and into the summer. Whilst we do not have any long grassy areas on the school site, our children regularly use the woods for activities and clubs, or make use of our shaded areas beneath the trees during the day – habitats particularly enjoyed by ticks. 

Below is some information for parents about preventative measures you can take, as well as advice regarding what to do if you find a tick on your child.

What are ticks?

• Ticks are tiny spider-like creatures that live in woods, areas with long grass, and sometimes in urban parks and gardens. They're found all over the UK.
• Ticks do not jump or fly. They attach to the skin of animals or humans that brush past them.
• Once a tick bites into the skin, it feeds on blood for a few days before dropping off.
• Tick bites are not always painful. You may not notice a tick unless you see it on your skin.
• Ticks are carriers of a disease known as Lyme disease, which if untreated, can lead to serious illness. While not all ticks carry the disease, and not all tick bites will result in infection, it is important to take necessary precautions to prevent tick bites where possible, and to check for ticks after spending time outdoors, as the longer a tick is attached, the higher the risk of infection.

Advice for parents:

• Children should wear long trousers or leggings during forest school activities, outdoor learning or clubs and wear trainers with ankle socks.
• Nursery and Kindergarten children will not be taken into the wider grounds and woods by teachers unless they have covered legs and arms, and they will use spare clothes in Nursery and Kindergarten to ensure children are protected, if necessary.
• Check your children at home after school, especially if they have had any forest school or outdoor learning activities – including head and neck.
• Remove ticks immediately if found, ideally with a tick removal tool (from chemists) and then apply antiseptic to the bite area (see removal advice below).
• Consult the doctor immediately if a rash appears or your child feels unwell, aching, fever and other flu-like symptoms and tell them about the tick bite.
• Be aware that a rash may appear up to 4 weeks after a bite.

Tick Removal

• If Oakwood Staff find a tick on your child, we will contact you to arrange to safely remove the tick either at school, home or at a pharmacy. Staff are not permitted to remove ticks on your child.
• Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. You can buy these from pharmacies, vets and pet shops.
• Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
• Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you have removed it.
• Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water. The chances of getting ill is low. You do not need to do anything else unless you notice a rash or become unwell.

Useful online information

NHS Inform Tick Bites
NHS Lyme Disease
St John Ambulance - Tick Bite Advice
LDUK (Lyme Disease UK) - Tick Bite Prevention

For most children and adults this does not require a GP appointment and does not require time off work or school. However, for those who are pregnant or have a weakened immune system this may present a higher risk.

The first sign of Slapped Cheek is usually feeling unwell for a few days, possibly including a high temperature, runny nose, sore throat and a headache. However, there may be no initial symptoms. This is followed a few days later by a distinctive red rash on the cheeks, and sometimes on the chest, back, arms and legs. The rash can take up to 3 weeks to fade and sometimes longer.

Slapped cheek syndrome is caused by a virus (parvovirus B19) which is contagious during the initial period of feeling unwell. The virus is no longer contagious once the rash appears.

Please visit the NHS website for more information: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/slapped-cheek-syndrome/