Letter from Robert Page, Head Teacher

                                                                   6th November 2020

Dear Parents/Carers

 

Thank you very much for your support of the school, in what could have been a really difficult week. We were able to be effective due to the efforts of all staff and parents/carers working together.  Staff have worked very hard this week to ensure pupils had home learning packs, alongside the development of their TEAMs skills to be able to deliver remote learning online. Feedback from you shows that this has been very successful.  As the staff who have been isolating this week have not developed symptoms all will be back on Monday, so I plan for the majority of pupils to be back in school on Monday.  

 

Despite the national lockdown we will aim to keep the school open, but at times we will need to be flexible, as open could mean some classes will be learning at home. The challenge is trying to ensure we have our talented staff in school to support learning. However the Test and Trace App has now identified two staff members who need to isolate.  This is very frustrating as we need all staff to be in to guarantee pupils get their full learning entitlement but at the same time I need to support all staff to be safe and well.

 

As you have done successfully in Term 1, if your child is not feeling well please keep them at home, err on the side of caution as pupil’s and staff’s anxiety levels are high.  If you are not sure please call the school and we can decide upon a course of action.

 

As l highlighted in September we have a range of strategies in place to reduce the risk of COVID and to keep all staff and pupils safe.  Please check the Risk Assessment on the website and make sure your child is aware of our plans. If you have any questions please speak with the class teacher.  

 

Face Coverings

In light of new government guidance we have made changes to wearing of face coverings in school.  Pupils do not need to wear face coverings but we would ask for your support.

I would like pupils to have a face covering in school (plain colours and design please) as when on transport we will be encouraging our pupils to wear them.

All adults in school will be wearing face coverings in communal areas, but not in the classroom when teaching, so l would ask those parents and carers when dropping off and collecting pupils to wear a face covering.  If you need to come to school for a meeting we would ask you to wear a face covering.

 

We have identified a number of staff and pupils who are Critically Vulnerable and l have a duty of care to keep them safe while they are in school. If your child is not able to follow our structures and routines and their behaviour is putting others at risk, we may need to speak to you about your child continuing their work at home via remote learning. Obviously, we would support children to stay in school wherever possible, and would always take everyone’s views into consideration.

 

On to better news for the school:

 

Sweet Sale

On the last day of term we had a sweet sale which raised £90.65 for the PTFA.

Thank you to everyone who supported us.

 

Christmas Fayre

Due to COVID we are not be able to have our traditional Christmas Fayre this term to raise funds for the PTFA.  Money raised at this event is used to provide pupils with additional opportunities such as trips out, money for class resources.  So the PTFA is devising COVID safe activities to raise these much needed funds.  

 

To support this we will have non-uniform days on Friday 27th November and Friday 11th December.  We are asking that on Friday 27th November a £1.00 donation be sent in, so that we can buy food and donate it to the local food bank to help others less fortunate than ourselves.

On Friday 11th December, we are asking for £1.00 to be sent in to school, so that we can buy some prizes for our Christmas raffle, which would normally be held at the school fair.

More details to follow on how you can purchase raffle tickets.

 

We look forward to your continuing support of our PTFA

 

Dates

Non-uniform days Friday 27th November and 11th December

Training Day – Monday 23rd November

Last day term 2 – Friday 18th December

 

Yours sincerely

Robert Page

Headteacher