Dear Parents/Carers,

Punctuality

To help us keep bubbles of children apart it is very important that children arrive to school promptly at their allotted time. Where punctuality remains a concern we will contacting parents directly. Thanks. 

Bad weather and start and end of day procedures

As the weather goes from sunshine to rain and wind, we understand how difficult it can be for parents who have to wait for an extended period for time for siblings. To address this we are trying a new system to help those who wait the longest:

When weather looks particularly bad we will text parents who would have to wait 15 minutes or more between pickups.

If parents phone us by 2.30pm at the latest we will arrange for children to leave early with their siblings.

Managing these groups, and maintaining the safety of the bubbles, does require a number of staff to ensure children are in the right place, at the right time, without mixing with children from other bubbles. Because of this, we can only manage children leaving early when the weather is very bad and parents arrange this in advance. 

COVID Symptoms

With winter approaching, the UK is entering the traditional seasons for colds and flu, with the additional complication this year that symptoms of those two illnesses can be broadly similar to those experienced by people who have caught the coronavirus and may be at risk of spreading it.

The NHS in England has produced a guide to differentiate between the three types of illnesses, which health experts hope will make it clearer to people whether they have an illness they would have most likely brushed aside last year, but which this year might lead them to think they need to self-isolate or seek to have a coronavirus test.

If you are in any doubt and are concerned about your wellbeing or the health of someone you are caring for, you should seek medical assistance in the UK by dialling 111 or by following the Covid-19 advice on the NHS website.

Birthday Parties and COVID 19

Recently we have been made aware of a number of children attending parties at other children’s houses, seemingly often in breach of the government's new guidelines around groups of 6. Whilst we obviously want everybody to celebrate such events as birthdays, the restrictions are designed to reduce transmission of COVID 19, enabling everybody to live their lives safely and services such as schools to remain open whilst protecting the NHS

The principal of the new guidelines are if you’re gathering socially, it’s no more than six, which if at a party would include birthday boy or girl as well as parents before including friends. 

We ask you all that you are mindful of these restrictions so we can keep each other safe.

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School – Virtual Open Day

As the Catholic partner secondary school of Christ the King, St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School, is hosting a Virtual Open Day, so that prospective pupils and parents can learn more about the school, which has been judged to be an ‘outstanding Catholic school’.

Please visit our school website https://www.stberns.bristol.sch.ukand click on Open Day, where you can watch films of the pupils and staff and access a range of information about our vibrant and ambitious school. Any enquiries can be directed to info@stberns.bristol.sch.uk.

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week:  

• Reception with 98% attendance.
• Year 1 almost made it with 96% attendance.
• Year 2 with 99% attendance.
• Year 3 with 97% attendance.
• Year 4 with 97% attendance.
• Year 5 with 99% attendance.
• Year 6 with 99% attendance.
• Medical needs and risk assessments 

We have been planning very carefully for the needs of individual pupils with COVID specific risk assessments. If your child has medical needs that you feel the school does not know about or may need an update on please contact the school office so that we can update risk assessment for your child. 

New school nursery opening in January

Our new nursery is looking wonderful - we will be opening in January and still have places available for both 15 hour and 30 hour places. Please contact Mrs Jordan or Mrs Martin in the office for more information.

Lantern Project

Year 3 are very excited to be taking part in the Lantern Project this year. This year’s theme is ‘The Walk of Hearts and Stars’. Alan, who is leading the project, has kindly gifted us 10 lantern kits. These lantern kits are free of charge and are for your child to make a lantern at home. All of the materials will be provided in the lantern kit. There are only 10 kits available. These will be given out on a first come first served basis. If you are interested and would like a lantern kit, please contact the school office. These will be given to your child to take home. 

For more information on the Lantern Project, please visit the Walk of Hearts and Stars Facebook page.

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception - 

• Emelia - for being a team player through her play with friends and for always helping the adults in the room to keep the classroom a safe and tidy place to be'

Year 1 -  

• Lily R - For working independently in maths to compare numbers using the correct symbols.

Year 2 - 

• Ralf - For great imagination and originality when drawing illustrations in his work.
• Kevin - For being resilient and moving up the levels when reading with Mrs Wakeford.

Year 3 -  

• Kaiden- For challenging himself in maths to complete problem solving questions. 
• Leighton- For making interesting predictions for our science experiment. 

Year 4 -

• Freddie- For being successful with his maths work this week and investigating four digit numbers independently as part of his ‘figure it out Friday’ challenge.

Year 5 - 

• Charlotte - for persevering with her shading techniques and being willing to try new things.
• Gracie - for working outside her comfort zone and showing steadfast resilience in her maths.

Year 6 - 

• Ellis - for resilience in his maths learning and for always being kind.
• Anya - Fantastic improvement in reading. 
• Olly - for being a great fun team player all week.

Dates for Diaries

End of Term 1- Friday 23 October 2020.

• Term 2 Monday 2 November 2020 to Friday 18 December 2020.
• Term 3 Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.
• Term 4 Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.
• Term 5 Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.
• Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 4. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

IMPORTANT - Changes to Start of Day Procedures

To address certain issues and to make the start of the day safe but quicker for everybody, the following changes will take effect from Monday:

• There is now a 5 minute gap between classes in the morning.
• At the end of the day we are retaining a 10 minute gap for most classes. We hope to reduce this to 5 minutes ass oon as possible.
• At the end of the day, can parents collecting children from the car park exit not enter the drive until the previous class are leaving. 
• All children will line up before their teacher allows them to leave with a parent or carer. Please can we ask you not to encourage children to leave before their teachers, as this makes it more difficult to manage the end of day safely. 
• Can everybody remember to use the on-way system! Thank you.

Primary School Applications for a New Reception Place for September 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 you'll need to  apply for a new reception school place for September 2021.  You'll need to apply by Wednesday 15 January 2020.

Apply online for a reception place for Sept 2021 at:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/primary-admissions

Please contact the school office if we can help in any way. 

School Uniform

Can I remind you that all children should be wearing the following school uniform:

• PLAIN BLACK shoes or trainers
• grey / black trousers or skirts – no tracksuit bottoms, or leggings
• red sweatshirt or cardigan or fleece
• white / red polo shirts
• PE Kit (which is plain white t-shirt / plain black shorts and PE daps or trainers)

We continue to use S & H Workwear, 98 St Johns Lane, Bedminster.

New school nursery opening in January

Our new nursery is fully built and ready to be set up. We will be opening in January and still have places available for both 15 hour and 30 hour places. Please contact Mrs Jordan or Mrs Martin in the office for more information.

Government letter to share with parents on coronavirus (COVID-19) testing

Public Health England has produced a letter for schools and colleges to share with parents which explains when a child requires a coronavirus (COVID-19) test and what the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are.

Establishing Good Routines

As we all get back into the routine of regular school life it’s also important we all get enough sleep to be ready for the school day. In particular we are finding many children are unable to concentrate on a Monday due to late nights over the weekend. Please help us help our children by encouraging them to sleep well, especially before a day in school. Breakfast is very important and if your child is in KS2 we ask you to send them with a piece of fruit for tuck to keep them going.  Thanks. 

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at or over 97% this week:  

• Year 2 - 98%
• Year 3 - 99%
• Year 5 - 97%
• Year 6 - 99%

Medical Needs and Risk Assessments 

We have been planning very carefully for the needs of individual pupils with COVID specific risk assessments. If your child has medical needs that you feel the school does not know about or may need an update on please contact the school office so that we can update risk assessment for your child. 

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception -

• Lily M -  for joining in enthusiastically during phonics and for independently choosing to practice letters during play. 

Year 1 -  

• Harper L - For having a great attitude towards school, working hard to manage her emotions and always trying her best.
• Lianater - for always thinking carefully and sharing her wonderful ideas linked to a story we read in class.

Year 2 - 

• Amber Lane - For trying so hard at the start of the school day.
• Brody - For trying hard to work independently in our numeracy lesson.  

Year 3 -  

• Reggie - Challenging himself to complete extra work at home. Reggie created a Stone Age booklet all about prehistoric homes and how they changed over time. 
• Zack - Working hard to retell our class story using paragraphs and joined handwriting. 

Year 4 -

• Cheyenne- for always being engaged in his learning and contributing to class discussions. His vocabulary choices this week for his descriptive writing were superb. His tray is always immaculately presented too! 

Year 5 - 

• Deniro - for smiling and using his resilience when learning about negative numbers.
• William - for collaborating with others through play at breaktimes.
• Omar - for showing empathy in the playground.

Year 6 - 

• Roxanne - for completing her work efficiently each day and finding her own solutions.
• Imogen - for supporting Dylan and encouraging him with his maths work - well done!
• Freddie - for using excellent vocabulary in his English work and taking risks - great job!

Dates for Diaries

• End of Term 1- Friday 23 October 2020.
• Term 2 Monday 2 November 2020 to Friday 18 December 2020.
• Term 3 Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.
• Term 4 Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.
• Term 5 Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.
• Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 4. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

Reading Records and Spelling Books 

Thank you for the overwhelming response in returning our school books, class reading books and local library ones. They are now back on the shelves after quarantine.

Children are bringing their reading bags in daily and ready for more great learning in reading sessions in class..

New procedures regarding Covid guidance means that staff can no longer write in the Reading Record diary. In order to continue home and school communication, we request that parents/guardians support us by noting the books read at home, date and comment. Children can share their dairy with staff in their class.

At present:

KS2 books are changed when finished. New spelling books are being handed out in classes so that the children can write their weekly words in the book, and keep it at home to learn their new words. Teachers will inform their classes when spellings are being set.  

Year 2 children can change books on Fridays. Those reading with Mrs Wakeford, our Reading Support Teacher, will be changed more frequently. 

Reception and and Year 1 will send out a class text regarding phonic phases and reading books matched to these.

Top Tips for successful home reading:

Find a quiet time when the telly is off, younger siblings are asleep, sit side by side and let your child show off their increasing book knowledge and reading skills. Remember that hugs and praise alongside this goes a long way too. We look forward to reading your comments in school.

Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week:  

Year 2 with  99 % attendance

Year 3 with  98 % attendance

A reminder of COVID 19 symptoms

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Most people with coronavirus have at least 1 of these symptoms.

Change to start and end of day procedures - mainly affecting Year 2

From Monday we are trialling some changes to how we manage the start and end of day, to make things easier for parents and children in certain groups. To help this work safely:

• Only one class down the lane at a time.
• Y2 will now come in 5 minutes earlier at 9.00am and finish 5 minutes later at 3.00pm, hopefully this will make it easier for parents with siblings.
• We are planning to shift timings for other year groups as soon as possible. 
• Please arrive only at the time your child’s class has been given.
• Please do not stay in the drop off/pick up zones longer than needed. 

Headteacher’s Awards

Reception - 

• Korey-Lee - For showing initiative by inviting a friend to play with him through using toys. 

Year 1 -  

• Lily B - for showing care and empathy towards her classmate by helping her maneuver safely around the school.
• Megan - for making links between the characters in our class story and the qualities  that make her a good friend to others.

Year 2 - 

• Liliana - For making a fabulous start to year 2 by showing how much she has matured into an independent learner.
• David - For always working hard on each task and demonstrating how he is now confident to work more  independently.

Year 3 -  

• Preya- For challenging herself to join her handwriting. 
• Freya- For using interesting vocabulary in our science lessons. 

Year 4 -

• Angelina- For engaging and showing willingness to share her thoughts and ideas with the class during our reading comprehension lessons this week.

Year 5 - 

• Reggie - was voted for by the whole class for his dedication to his learning. A very independent thinker.
• Cody - being resilient especially in his writing.  Super independent learning.  
• Ian - for listening to and valuing others in all lessons.  A great team player.

Year 6 - 

• Emmanuel - for an excellent detailed description of the story of Moses and of how the Israelites were treated. He was able to explain his thinking to the class and justify his opinion. - well done.
• Jazleen - for setting the best example of independent learning.

New school nursery opening in January

Our new nursery is looking wonderful - we will be opening in January and still have places available for both 15 hour and 30 hour places. Please contact Mrs Jordan or Mrs Martin in the office for more information.

TikTok

Last week, we were made aware that there is a video uploaded on Tik Tok (and possibly now being shared on other social media platforms) that might expose children to extremely disturbing content.  Some of you, I am sure, are familiar with this app as it has become very popular in recent times. It is an age 13 rated app so if your child does have access to it please ensure you are supervising that use at the present time.  

Please can we encourage you to have regular conversations with your child about online safety, being aware of how you can build their resilience to online content, encouraging open conversations about online life and ensuring they know they can talk to you or anyone at school about it.

Please visit the UKSIC’s (UK Safer Internet Centre) advice for parents and carers page for lots of tips and advice to help with conversations: https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers.  They also have helpful content to support children who have seen something upsetting online: 

www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/advice-parents-what-do-if-your-child-sees-something-upsetting-online 

Dates for Diaries

• End of Term 1- Friday 23 October 2020.
• Term 2 Monday 2 November 2020 to Friday 18 December 2020.
• Term 3 Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.
• Term 4 Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.
• Term 5 Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.
• Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

 Dear Parents/Carers,

Thank you all for a wonderful start to the new school year!

All the classes have now settled in really well and it has been lovely welcoming a number of new pupils as well as our new Reception Class.

Amazing Attendance

Well done to the following classes who had attendance at over 97% this week:

• Reception with 100% attendance!!!
• Year 1 with 97% attendance
• Year 2 with 97% attendance
• Year 5 with 99% attendance
• Year 6 with 99% attendance

Overall we started term with a very positive 97.3% across the school.

Start and End of Day Procedures

As many of you will now know, due to some health and safety concerns, we have introduced a new 1 way system for parents to drop off and collect children from the school car park at the rear of the school. This system currently affects children in Years 2, 4 and 5.

Parking

As we are now using more than one entrance, at the start and end of the school day, it is even more important that we drive and park safely. Can we ask everybody to park on the road, not the pavement, even if it means parking a bit further down the road. Together we can make sure our children are safe.

Use of language outside school

You will have noticed the new fencing that we have, as part of our new nursery class that will open in January. Due to COVID, this space and class is currently being used by our Year 6 pupils, so they can have more space and open the doors for more ventilation.

However, our pupils have been hearing conversations at the beginning and end of the school day where parents are using more ‘colourful’ language. We would very much appreciate it if parents and carers are considerate with their choice of words whilst waiting outside the school.

Headteacher’s Awards

Well done to all the children who have achieved Headteacher’s Awards this week. I will be visiting classes next week to present the certificates.

Reception - We have had a fantastic start to our time, as a class in Reception. Every child has settled in well and we are really enjoying our time together - well done, Reception! 

• Jenson - For setting a good example during carpet times and showed initiative by making sure everything is tidied away at the end of each session.

Year 1 -  

• Matheo - For having a super first week back at school and trying his best to follow instructions.
• Zuzanna - for working independently to produce a lovely dream catcher.

Year 2 - 

• Alfie Ince- For a super first week back at school and for trying so hard to improve his creative skills.
• Summer - For a fantastic first week in Year 2.

Year 3 -  

• Ronnie- For producing fantastic writing this week. She has tried hard to join her writing and ensure her work is presented to a brilliant standard.
• Oscar- For challenging himself to work independently in maths lessons. 

Year 4 -

• Miley- For producing fantastic maths this week, presented to a high standard. Miley has settled into life in Year 4 and has contributed to all lessons this week!
• Merit- For being organised, polite and engaged in all lessons this week. Merit has been keen to share her ideas in Maths and English and has not stopped smiling!

Year 5 - 

We’ve already had a superb start and they have all earnt a mention as independent learners for trying out new things as we learn our new routines; as team players for taking on responsibility within the class for maintaining covid measures and as deep thinkers by imagining new ideas in our ‘Key’ descriptions.  Go Team 5!

• Alex for showing his independent learning by working outside his comfort zone in his writing.
• Miley for showing her independent learning by being completely absorbed in her work in all areas.

Year 6 - 

• Jayden - for being a team player and a good friend to his classmates. 
• Roxanne - for rocking her literacy this week with her deep thinking when improving the class’s sentences.
• Marta - for taking responsibility for our group by ensuring our bubble area is tidy, at the end break time.
• Layla - for being an excellent support to Astou, as she settles into Year 6. 

Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 4. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

New school nursery opening in January

Our new nursery is looking wonderful - we will be opening in January and still have places available for both 15 hour and 30 hour places. Please contact Mrs Jordan or Miss Roberts in the office for more information.

Census Day - Thursday 1st October

On Thursday 1st October, the Government will be running a Census day where we have to report on the number of children within the school.  As part of this Census, the Government likes to know the number of children who ate a hot school meal, as it contributes towards our funding budget.

THIS MEANS - THE MORE CHILDREN WHO HAVE SCHOOL DINNERS = MORE MONEY FOR THE SCHOOL!

We have therefore changed the hot menu choice for that day to the following, with the hope that you child will consume a hot lunch:-

• Fish fingers, baked beans, peas and chips with jelly and ice cream for dessert.

We will also be holding a lucky plate competition where your child might win a prize, if they have a school meal on this day.

TikTok

This week, we have been made aware that there is a video uploaded on Tik Tok (and possibly now being shared on other social media platforms) that might expose children to extremely disturbing content.  Some of you, I am sure, are familiar with this app as it has become very popular in recent times. It is an age 13 rated app so if your child does have access to it please ensure you are supervising that use at the present time.  

Please can we encourage you to have regular conversations with your child about online safety, being aware of how you can build their resilience to online content, encouraging open conversations about online life and ensuring they know they can talk to you or anyone at school about it.

Please visit the UKSIC’s (UK Safer Internet Centre) advice for parents and carers page for lots of tips and advice to help with conversations: https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers.  They also have helpful content to support children who have seen something upsetting online: 

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/advice-parents-what-do-if-your-child-sees-something-upsetting-online 

Dates for Diaries

• End of Term 1- Friday 23 October 2020.
• Term 2 - Monday 2 November 2020 to Friday 18 December 2020.
• Term 3 - Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.
• Term 4 - Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.
• Term 5 - Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.
• Term 6 - Monday 7 June 2021 to Wednesday 21 July 2021. 

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

Thank you so much for your support and help in preparing your children to return this week. Most children in Years 2, 3, 5 and 6 are now in school and have settled in really well. As we move forward, we will continue to review our procedures to make school as safe as possible for everybody. We appreciate any feedback you can give to make everything even safer.

We look forward to seeing children in Years 1, 4 and our new Reception children on Monday.

Here are some clarifications:

Pick-up and drop off of children

This morning, we opened the front area of school. We did this so some groups could congregate before coming into school. The hope was that this would give more space for social distancing and enable parents and children to wait off the road. We also were concerned that parents and children lining up were blocking the pavement for those walking by and felt opening up this space would help.

However, we did find that waiting at distance in this way was very difficult to manage and from Monday we will be returning to the system where children and parents line up, at a social distance on the pavement. Can everybody line up in a single file, so that there is enough space for pedestrians to walk by.

This means that we will revert to the following, until further notice:

To ensure parents do not gather outside the school building and can follow social distancing guidelines, each group will have a different start and finish time. Please stick to the time your child is allocated, as groups of children are not to come into contact with each other:

• To make the start of the day as safe as possible, when children enter and leave the school, we will be using two entrances:
• The main entrance
• The black door next to the kitchen (near the school hall)
• 2 metre markings will be on the fences outside of school, for parents and children to wait by.
• If at all possible, just one parent/carer to drop and collect children.
• If possible, do not bring younger siblings in buggies.
• Children must not bring bags – just their packed lunch in a plastic box or disposable bag, water bottle, sunhat and suncream, if necessary.  We expect to have children bringing in bags for essentials like reading books soon - we will let you know when.
• Please stay outside the school gates and please pass on any concerns or queries via the office email address or phone.
• IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT ALL CHILDREN ARRIVE ON TIME, AS WE HAVE PLANNED CAREFULLY TO ENABLE SOCIAL DISTANCING. 

Thank you very much for your support.

Pupil Places Available

The school is almost full but we do have some space available in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 4. If you know somebody who might need a school place, please ask them to contact the school office.

Food Allergies

WE HAVE CHILDREN STARTING OUR SCHOOL WITH FOOD ALLERGIES. PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE FOOD CONTAINING NUTS IN THEIR PACKED LUNCHES. MANY THANKS.

Medication for Children 

Please ensure your child has any medication in school which they would usually take and that it has a label with their name printed on it and is in-date.

Returning reading books and bookbags

Once all of the children have settled back into school, we will be asking for all reading books to be brought back in. Therefore, from Wednesday 9th September, children will need to bring in their school reading books in their book bag so that we can start the process of changing them. 

Please can all books that have been borrowed from school be returned to the child’s class teacher. 

Dates for Diaries

• End of Term 1- Friday 23 October 2020.
• Term 2 Monday 2 November 2020 to Friday 18 December 2020.
• Term 3 Monday 4 January 2021 to Friday 12 February 2021.
• Term 4 Monday 22 February 2021 to Thursday 1 April 2021.
• Term 5 Monday 19 April 2021 to Friday 28 May 2021.

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope you have had a restful summer and are ready for our children to return to school, over the next couple of weeks. Although we all share concern about the wellbeing of everybody in our school and community, a safe return to school will benefit our children greatly and enable them to continue learning, playing and being part of the family here at School of Christ the King. 

It's especially positive that a large number of children were able to attend school for at least one week before the holiday - with many attending much more. I very much hope that this makes the return to school easier for many families. Where there are difficulties, we will work together in supporting children in their return to school.

This newsletter gives you key information that you will need to know about the return in September, including a reminder of start dates, staggered start and finish times as well as other key information. If there is anything else you would like to know, please email the school office and someone will get back to you or the information will be added to future updates or newsletters. These are our plans for a September start and we do expect plans to change over time.

When the Term Starts - a reminder

Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd September are  INSET days - so the school will be closed to all children on these days.

We are planning a phased return, so that all remaining classes return by Monday 7th September.

• On Thursday 3rd September, Years 5 and 6 will return (including Learning Hub 2).
• On Friday 4th September, Years 2 and 3 will return.
• On Monday 7th September, Years 1 and 4 will return. Small groups of Reception children will also start on this day.

Pick-up and drop off of children

To ensure parents do not gather outside the school building and can follow social distancing guidelines, each group will have a different start and finish time. Please stick to the time your child is allocated, as groups of children are not to come into contact with each other:

• 2 metre markings will be on the fences outside of school, for parents and children to wait by.
• Children will enter school via the main entrance (left or right side) or the kitchen entrance (see timetable below).
• If at all possible, just one parent/carer to drop and collect children.
• If possible, do not bring younger siblings in buggies.
• Children must not bring bags – just their packed lunch in a plastic box or disposable bag, water bottle, sunhat and suncream, if necessary.  We expect to have children bringing in bags for essentials like reading books soon - we will let you know when.
• Please stay outside the school gates and please pass on any concerns or queries via the office email address or phone.
• Current guidance is that it is best not to use public transport, if at all possible. For those families for whom this is unavoidable, we will provide further guidance from Public Health England on how to travel as safely as possible.
• To help avoid extra congestion around school, we ask that as many families as possible walk, cycle or scoot to school.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT ALL CHILDREN ARRIVE ON TIME, AS WE HAVE PLANNED CAREFULLY TO ENABLE SOCIAL DISTANCING. If you are late for collection or drop-off then you will need to wait until the next drop off or pick up time.

To make the start of the day as safe as possible, when children enter and leave the school, we will be using two entrances:

• The main entrance
• The black door next to the kitchen (near the school hall)

There will be markings on the railings outside so that children and parents can line up, at a social distance, at the start and end of the school day.

Break time and lunch time arrangements

 

We have organised a strict rota for playtimes and lunch, to ensure groups can access their play zones, without contact with other groups.  Children should have sun-hats, sun-cream or waterproof coats if needed.

 

There will be no cooked lunches available on site, for at least the first month back in school.  Packed lunches will be made in school and will be available for all Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children, unless you decide you want to send your child in with a packed lunch from home.  They will also be provided for any children eligible for Free School Meals.  All other children should bring a packed lunch.  We will inform the catering team of dietary requirements. They must all bring their own clearly labelled water bottle which needs to go home daily to be washed. This term classes will be split at lunchtime between two rooms so they can eat whilst sitting 2m apart. If weather permits, they will eat outside.

 

Hand-washing

 

This is the most important thing all children and staff can do to, minimise the risk of spreading the virus. Therefore, we have strict hand-washing procedures and expectations for each group in place. Each morning, and throughout the day when necessary, children will be shown how to wash their hands thoroughly and effectively.  Please help us by spending time now practising hand washing procedures with your child, following the government guidelines of washing hands for at least 20 seconds or whilst singing the whole of the ‘Happy Birthday’ song. Here are also some good resources online to demonstrate:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9VjeIWLnEg
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEzJ_QKjT14
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEzJ_QKjT14

Children will wash their hands on arrival at school, before and after eating, and after sneezing or coughing.  We will encourage them not to touch their faces, as far as possible.  We will also use the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach to use of tissues.

 

Uniform requirements

 

Children should wear school uniform when they return. Following current government guidance, primary school children should not wear protective masks in school.

 

PE Kit

 

To allow us to settle into school life, whilst managing the risk of infection transition, children should not bring a PE kit into school for the first two weeks of school unless directed otherwise. This gives us time to plan safe changing, especially for those children who need adult help and older children who change in separate spaces. We will update you when children can start bringing PE kits into school. Physical education will be more important than ever, when we return in September and children will be having daily PE lessons, that they will initially do in their uniform. 

 

Additional Support

 

If you feel that your child will need extra support transitioning back and starting in their new year group, please get in touch. Mrs Jordan is available to talk this through with you, so that we can find the best way to meet the needs of your child.

 

Important Health Reminder

Symptoms of COVID-19 are: a high temperature or a new persistent cough, a loss of or change to sense of smell or taste. Children must not attend school if they have symptoms or are self-isolating due to symptoms in their household. If your child, or anybody else in your household are displaying these symptoms, please contact the school immediately. We would then advise on the current guidance of self isolation and how to get tested as soon as possible. (Contact NHS online 111 or call 119).

In the case of a confirmed case, we will contact the local health protection team. The health  protection team will carry out a rapid risk assessment to confirm who has been in close contact with the person during the period that they were infectious, and ensure they are asked to self-isolate.

Thank You

Can I take this opportunity to thank you all again for working so closely with us to keep the school active and alive and ready for the challenge of a new school year. We look forward to seeing more of parents/carers and grandparents, as time goes on.

All the following information is planned to enable us to start the term safely and calmly, and we do anticipate guidance and procedures to change over time. Please look out for regular newsletters for updates.

Dates for Diaries

• Tuesday 1st September - Staff training day (SCHOOL CLOSED)
• Wednesday 2nd September - Staff training day (SCHOOL CLOSED)
• Thursday 3rd September - Start of year for Years 5 and 6  (including Learning Hub 2).
• Friday 4th September - Start of year for Years 2 and 3.
• Monday 7th September - Start of year for Years 1 and 4.

Yours sincerely

Matt Condon

Headteacher

Dear all,

Here is some updated Government information regarding all schools reopening in September -

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-in-the-autumn-term

We will share more specific information regarding our school soon.

We are looking forward to seeing you all in September,

Mr Condon