Covid-19 RCT Updates
Applications for emergency childcare for the week commencing 27th April will be going live on the Council’s website from 9am this morning (Monday 20th April).
Parents/carers have until midday on Wednesday 22nd April to apply.
Applications for emergency childcare for the week commencing 20th April will be going live on the Council’s website from 10am today (Monday 13th April). Parents/carers have until 23:59 hours on Wednesday 15th April to apply.
Urgent update for parents/carers
Free school meals (fsm) stop today. All parents/carers of children who are eligible for fsm will have received a letter from the Council detailing how to apply to receive a cash equivalent amount paid directly into your bank account. Please look out for this letter and register for this payment urgently. If you have difficulty in registering, then please contact your school today. We have only received 2,300 applications so far.
Emergency Childcare Provision Update
Please note that all parents/carers need to re-apply for emergency childcare provision for week commencing 6th April. Please refer to the RCT website for information. Thank you.
Free School Meal Update - 31/03/2020
Your child will continue to receive a free school meal this week and arrangements remain the same. However, the provision of chilled free school meals will end on Thursday 2nd of April. Two free school meals will be provided on the 2nd of April, one for the 2nd of April and another for the 3rd of April. Parents/carers of children eligible for free school meals will shortly receive a letter from the Council detailing how to apply to receive a cash equivalent amount paid directly into your bank account. Please look out for this letter and if you have difficulty in registering or do not have access to the internet, then please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Free School Meal provision will change to bank transfer from April 6
RCT Message 27/03/2020
The following message is on behalf of RCT Council:
Coronavirus is continuing to spread throughout Wales. Public Health Wales have now confirmed 34 people have died in Wales as a result of the virus and the number of confirmed cases in Wales continues to grow by the day.
The social distancing advice is there for a reason, it is absolutely imperative that we all personally take the responsibility to minimise the contact we have with one another to slow the spread of the virus. We must all work together and help the NHS which will come under huge strain in the coming weeks.
If your children are not in the Emergency Childcare settings please keep them safe at home, this extends to the evenings and weekends. We all have to do this for the safety of them, our family, friends and neighbours, the message is to STAY AT HOME as much as possible.
Updated information from RCT about school closures, emergency childcare, free school meals and advice for parents.
Eligible parents need to apply for a place in the appropriate hub by midday on Friday the 27th March 2020.
Free School Meals Reminder
We understand that the take up of on-online application for free school meals has been limited and as a school we are concerned that pupils entitled to this provision are not registering for free school meals.
We would like to remind all parents/carers of children eligible for free school meals of the link to the RCT on-line application http://orlo.uk/I9d8c
Important update from Director of Education 23/03/20
1. The latest scientific advice.
The most recent scientific advice on how to further limit the spread of COVID-19 is clear. Everyone must, as far as possible, minimise social contact and make sure that anyone who is particularly vulnerable to the virus is able to adopt strict social distancing.
2. How does social distancing affect your children?
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has advised schools that emergency childcare should only be open to a limited number of children. We must keep the number of children in educational, childcare and play settings to the smallest number possible. We also need to make sure children are not left with anyone who should be following strict social distancing guidance, such as anyone over 70 or anyone with the specified underlying health conditions. Keeping children safe in their home should limit the chance of the virus spreading and protect those vulnerable to more serious illness as a result of the virus. Parents/carers should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should ensure that children remain at least 2m apart where possible and that gatherings are avoided. Play areas across the County have now been closed and should not be attended. If your child is not in an emergency childcare setting please keep them safe at home during the day and in the evenings. This is essential to ensure the safety of your family, friends and neighbours and to limit and slow down the spread of the virus If your child receives free school meals, this will continue. In Rhondda Cynon Taf, all children eligible to free school meals will access this from their nearest primary school on a daily basis between 11am and 12pm. This has to be applied for on-line using the e-forms on the Council website.
3. What is the latest advice on key or essential workers?
A list of categories of critical workers has been published on the Welsh Government website. Places in schools and childcare will be highly limited and only particularly vulnerable children and the children of critical/essential workers whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response should be attending during this time. If you are classed as a critical or essential worker but are able to perform the critical parts of your job effectively when working from home, then you should do so. Even for critical or essential workers, provision will only be made in schools or other settings where there is no safe alternative for your family.
4. I’m a key or essential worker but my partner isn’t. What should we do?
If one parent is a critical or essential worker but the other parent is not then the other parent should provide safe alternative arrangements at home when possible.
5. What support is available in Rhondda Cynon Taf?
The Council is doing everything it can to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Please refer to the Council website for further detail. These plans will now adapt and change as we respond to the latest guidance available from the Welsh Government and Public Health Wales. For the very latest advice, please check your local authority’s website at
Important update from Director of Education 23.03.20
Coronavirus continues to spread in Wales. Public Health Wales yesterday announced that a further seven people have died in Wales over recent days as a result of the virus and the number of confirmed cases in Wales continues to grow by the day, with significant increases over the last two days in particular. The social distancing advice is there for a reason – people are falling ill and people with under-lying health issues are dying as a result of continued transmission of the virus. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that we all personally take the responsibility to minimise the contact we have with one another to slow the spread of the virus. Play areas across the County have all now been closed and should not be attended. If your children are not in the Emergency childcare settings please keep them safe at home, this extends to the evenings too. You have to do this for the safety of your family, friends and neighbours, to limit and slow down the spread of the virus.