Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Handwashing advice

The most important thing individuals can do to protect themselves is to wash their hands more often, for at least 20 seconds, with soap and water. Public Health England recommends that in addition to handwashing before eating, and after coughing and sneezing, everyone should also wash hands after using toilets and travelling on public transport.

Watch this short NHS film for guidance:

Department for Education coronavirus helpline

The Department for Education coronavirus helpline is available to answer questions about COVID-19 relating to education and children’s social care. Staff, parents and young people can contact this helpline as follows:

Phone: 0800 046 8687

Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday), 10am to 4pm (Saturday to Sunday)

Latest Department for Education information:

Free School Meals - Weekly Food Hamper

During the current school closure period we are offering all Merit pupils eligible for free school meals a weekly food hamper with the following contents:

Please can you confirm if you would like to receive a food hamper by emailing mpru@meritpru-stoke.org.uk or calling 01782 928980.

You will need to give consent to delivery of the food hamper by Fresh View and provide the delivery address.

Deliveries will be made weekly until further guidance is given regarding Coronavirus.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): free school meals guidance

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Government are temporarily extending free school meals eligibility to include some groups who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF), including:

• children of Zambrano carers
• children of families with no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights
• children of families receiving support under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 who are also subject to a no recourse to public funds restriction

These groups are also subject to a maximum household earnings threshold of £7,400 per annum.

The Government is also temporarily extending free school meal eligibility to children of a subset of failed asylum seekers supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

This group is not subject to any maximum household earnings threshold.

This extension is temporarily in place due to the current unique circumstances. It covers both children who are attending school and children who are at home.

See guidance for the temporary extension of free school meals eligibility to NRPF groups for more information.

Please find below an application form which should ONLY be used for applicants who may now qualify for the Coronavirus (Covid19) temporary extension of free school meals eligibility (as above).  Please ensure that all sections of the form are completed so that the Local Authority can make an assessment of eligibility.

Talking to a child worried about Coronavirus