Headteacher Newsletter Issue 1
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1: 10.9.21
This is the first of our fortnightly newsletters for this academic year. Welcome again to the new term and it is very pleasing to see how well the children have settled into the new term. The children are thoroughly enjoying the school with less restrictions especially our whole school assemblies and eating in the dinner hall. We are looking forward to having Headteacher Coffee Mornings again!!
Each class will be sending out a class newsletter. Each newsletter will inform you of the curriculum that is being taught this term and the trips that have been planned.
I would like to thank you for embracing all of our return to school procedures. We are looking to resuming our previous school events, as you will see in the ‘Dates for your diary’ section at the bottom of this letter, but care will be taken. To that end our Parent Evening appointments this term will be via Teams. Meet the Teacher will be face to face but we ask you to attend wearing a mask.
Supervision of children
Teachers are on duty from 8.45am when the gate will open. NO CHILDREN will be supervised prior to this time and should not be on the premises. A member of staff will be present at the gate to take any messages for staff members. Children are to arrive 8.45 – 8.50 and go straight into class. Children will be collected at 3.15pm outside their classroom doors as usual at the end of the day and we are continuing the process we adopted recently collecting children for buses and Willows from their classrooms and taking them to bus/Willows staff. We will be using the drive and pavement as a one way system but this will be adapted when the buses need to leave. Staff will be on duty to direct you.
Meet the Teacher Evening – Tuesday 21st September
Tuesday 21st September
Meet the Teacher sessions (in classrooms) –
6.15 – 7pm: Reception Class only
7pm – 7.20pm and repeated at 7.30pm – 7.50pm: Years groups 1 – 6
(We have repeated the session to accommodate families with more than one pupil in the school)
These evening sessions are for parents to attend without their children. Please go to your child’s class where the teacher will talk about the rules, routines and expectations of the class as well as the curriculum coverage. This is not an evening for individual consultation, which will take place in November.
Healthy Snacks
We would like to encourage all children to bring in a snack for break time. It is a long time between breakfast and lunch and a snack, as well as a drink of water, make a big difference to children’s concentration levels and ability to learn. As a healthy school we have agreed strict guidelines for the type of snack brought in, it must be fruit or vegetable in the form in which it grew (ie. nothing added, not stretchy or made into a bar and wrapped). This also helps to promote our eco school policies of reducing waste and packaging.
We would also like to take this opportunity to encourage a healthy balanced lunch box for those not taking a school lunch.
HARVEST
Harvest will be celebrated during the week commencing 11th October. We normally ask families to bring in food donations. More information will be sent out soon.
Mrs Course
Sickness
The school office should be notified on the first day of each absence before registration at 9.00am and this should be followed up in writing on the day of return.
If your child has been vomiting or had an upset stomach a 48 hour leave of absence from the last episode is required. For guidance on other illnesses please contact the School Office or refer to the document on the website in the ‘Attendance’ section – “Guidance on infection control in schools and other childcare settings”.
COVID
Restrictions and protective measures have been reduced but it is vital that we are still vigilant and recognising and acting on COVID symptoms.
The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) 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
If anyone has any of the COVID symptoms, no matter how mild, they must stay at home and take a PCR test. If the results are positive then they must isolate for 10 days. If they have symptoms they must isolate whilst waiting for the test results. If anyone has a positive result on any test they must isolate.
Please inform the school if anyone in the household has COVID symptoms.
Protective measures
Staff will continue to take Lateral Flow tests twice a week. As per the government guidance ventilation, strong hygiene and cleaning routines will be in place. These measures will be increased if the virus rate increases. Visitors coming into the school will be asked to wear a mask if they cannot distance during their visit. For school events we may request for families to take Lateral Flow tests beforehand.
Self-isolating and taking a test
Close contacts will now be identified via NHS Test and Trace and education settings will no longer be expected to undertake contact tracing.
As with positive cases in any other setting, NHS Test and Trace will work with the positive case and/or their parent to identify close contacts. Contacts from a school setting will only be traced by NHS Test and Trace where the positive case and/or their parent specifically identifies the individual as being a close contact. This is likely to be a small number of individuals who would be most at risk of contracting COVID-19 due to the nature of the close contact. Schools may be contacted in exceptional cases to help with identifying close contacts, as currently happens in managing other infectious diseases.
Individuals are not required to self-isolate if they live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19, and any of the following apply:
- they are fully vaccinated
- they are below the age of 18 years and 6 months
- they have taken part in or are currently part of an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial
- they are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons
Instead, they will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace, informed they have been in close contact with a positive case and advised to take a PCR test. We would encourage all individuals to take a PCR test if advised to do so.
Staff who do not need to isolate, and children and young people aged under 18 years 6 months who usually attend school, and have been identified as a close contact, should continue to attend school as normal.
Vigilance re possible symptoms and care around distancing, where possible, needs to take place.
Settings will continue to have a role in working with health protection teams in the case of a local outbreak. If there is a substantial increase in the number of positive cases in a setting or if central government offers the area an enhanced response package, a director of public health might advise a setting to temporarily reintroduce some control measures.
Please let the school know if anyone in the household has COVID symptoms.
Outbreak Management Plan
Schools have an Outbreak Management Plan. This has been developed to cover arrangements should children, pupils, students or staff test positive for COVID19, and how the school shall operate if advised to take extra measures to help break chains of transmission. If the plan is activated then there will be the re-introduction of some measures including reduced mixing, face coverings and remote education. If this is needed then parents will be informed. Schools will work closely with Track and Track and the Public Health team when cases are identified.
E-safety
Last week, as part of our school e-safety policy, we sent out some e-safety rules that we would like you to discuss with your child. We will reinforce these messages in school. Please return the slip that is attached to the e-safety letter once you have been able to discuss the rules with your child. Thank you
PE Clothing – a reminder
In compliance with health and safety regulations, earrings (including studs) must not be worn for any sport. Please make sure that children who wear earrings know how to remove them and have somewhere safe and clean to keep them during PE lessons. Thank you.
Nut Free School
Please note that we have a number of children in school with nut allergies, some very severe, so please ensure that you do not send nuts in any form into school as snacks or in your child’s lunch box including peanut butter or Nutella sandwiches. This also includes sesame which is in houmous. Thank you.
Application for leave of absence for term time holidays
Guidance from the Local Authority:
“Leave of absence may only be granted by a person authorised in that behalf by the proprietor of the school. As from 1st September 2013, the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 amended Regulation 7 to prohibit the proprietor of a maintained school from granting leave of absence to a pupil, except where an advance application has been made by the parent with whom the pupil normally resides, and the proprietor considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application.
Taking your child out of school during term time could be detrimental to your child’s educational progress. There is no entitlement to parents to take their child out of school during term time, however, you may apply to the school for leave of absence if you believe there are exceptional circumstances.
If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case will be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.”
Please note occasional days for birthdays and treats cannot be authorised and cheaper prices cannot be considered to be a valid reason. No leave of absence will be granted during our assessment weeks or the first week of the Autumn term. Medical appointments, if at all possible should be made outside school hours. Siblings of children attending medical appointments should remain in school.
School Admissions – Primary and Secondary – Apply Now!!
To apply quickly and easily for primary and secondary school places go online to https://www.essex.gov.uk/admissions-to-essex-schools-for-the-next-school-year
Secondary school places for September 2022
From 10 September 2021 you can apply online for your child’s school place https://www.essex.gov.uk/apply-for-a-secondary-school-place
You must submit an application by the national closing date of 31 October 2021. Applications received after this date will be considered late and you may reduce your chance of being offered a place at your preferred school.
Primary and junior school places for September 2022
From 8 November 2021 you can apply online for your child’s school place https://www.essex.gov.uk/apply-for-a-primary-school-place
You must submit an application by the national closing date of 15 January 2022. Applications received after this date are considered late and will reduce your chance of being offered a place at your preferred schools.
Free School Meals Funding
You can register for Free Schools Meals Funding if you meet the criteria below.
If you have a child in Key Stage One and are receiving the free meal, which is part of the universal offer, you could be missing out on this additional funding for the school, which will support your child with their learning, if you meet the criteria below. You have to apply for this funding. If you think you meet the criteria below then please follow the guidance below and contact the school office.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals
MOBILE PHONES.
This is a gentle reminder not to use Mobile phones whilst on the school site.
This is part of our safe guarding policy for all of our children.
Ooo000ooO
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
10.9.21 Non-uniform day Saville – most house points last term
10.9.21 Non-uniform Ludgate – Sports Day winners
22.9.21 Fitness Day
22.9.21 Girls’ Football Festival years 5 and 6 am, years 3 and 4 pm
24.9.21 School Coffee Morning for Parents – view decking and raise money for
MacMillan
30.9.21 Sports Ambassadors training
6.10.21 Years 5 and 6 Football Tournament – boys am and girls pm
13.10.21 Years 3 and 4 Multi Skills event pm
19.10.21 Flu Vaccine
20.10.21 Cross Country Event years 1 – 6 am
11.10.21 E-safety training for Staff/Pupil/Parents – online
18.10.21 – 21.10.21 Bikeability for year 6
1.11.21 – 5.11.21 Friendship Week
3.11.21 Dodgeball years 3 and 4 pm
15.11.21 Odd Sock day Anti Bullying Week
17.11.21 Dodgeball years 5 and 6 pm
17.11.21 Parent Evening
18.11.21 Parents Evening
19.11.21 Children in Need
25.11.21 Flu Vaccine
1.12.21 Sports Hall Athletics years 3 and 4
14.12.21 KS2 Dress Rehearsal (for pupils) am, KS1 Dress Rehearsal pm and KS2 Evening Performance for Parents of years 3 and 4
15.12.21 Church Service
15.12.21 Christmas Lunch
16.12.21 Reception Nativity am, KS1 Performance pm and KS2 Evening Performance for Parents of years 5 and 6
17.12.21 Last day of term
4.1.22 INSET day – school closed to pupils
5.1.22 New Spring term begins
ACHIEVEMENTS
STAR OF THE WEEK –
Will be issued from the next letter
If you have any questions at any time then please feel free to make an appointment.
Have a good weekend.
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher