Headteacher Newsletter Issue 14
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 14: 22.4.22
Welcome back to the start of the Summer term. We are looking forward to the new term ahead and we would like to welcome Mrs Gates who will be teaching in Year 4 on a Thursday and Friday this term.
Staffing update
At the end of last term, we appointed Mrs Anna Ullmann, an experienced teacher, who will be joining us full time from September 2022. We are looking forward to her joining our team.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Miss Sabin and Simon Camp who got married over the Easter holidays! We send them both our best wishes and welcome MRS CAMP to the team.
Sports Hall Athletics Final
The final of the Sports Hall Athletics took place on Monday 28th March at Lord Butler against 5 other Saffron Walden schools. It was a tough competition, and we came 5th. Well done to everyone for doing their best at every sporting event this term and working well as a team.
Clavering Art Show
As part of the National Gallery’s Take One Picture project, the whole school spent Art Week studying Claude Joseph-Vernet’s A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas; our discussions of the painting led each class in different directions, finding out more about the undersea world, the history of the spice trade and other shipwrecks. We had great fun producing dance and drama interpretations and making our own art works inspired by the painting – from collaborative collages to spice-coloured tie-dye and wire underwater sculptures. A sample of the children’s work was included in the Clavering Easter Art and Craft Show and some can also be seen in the school reception area this term.
Year 6 Magistrate visit
On Thursday 21st April, Mrs Terry, a local Magistrate visited Year 6 and told them all about her role as a magistrate. We learnt about the two types of court: a Magistrates Court and a Crown Court and what types of offences each dealt with. Mrs Terry also told us about the different punishments that can be given by a Magistrate’s Court such as fines, community service or up to 12 months’ imprisonment, depending on the seriousness of the crime committed. The talk was very interesting and informative. We all learnt a lot about how the Courts work in England. We are very thankful to Mrs Terry for giving up her time to visit us.
FOC Easter Egg Hunt
Thank you to the Friends of Clavering team for a fantastic Easter Egg Hunt at the end of last term. Each class had a great deal of fun searching for eggs.
Governor Tour
Our Heads of School welcomed our two newest governors to the school with a tour and a lunch at the end of term. Unfortunately, we had to postpone the event on a few occasions due to COVID, but Jake Jones and Simon Camp enjoyed it all the same. The Heads of School were proud ambassadors of the school and looked after their visitors extremely well.
Heads of School
The Heads of School met with me at the end of last term to discuss their lunch club plans. They are keen to introduce different activities during lunchtime. The idea has been shared in a whole school assembly and the children are sharing their interests for the type of clubs they would like. We are hoping to start them in the next few weeks.
COVID update
Please see below the updated guidance around COVID.
Please note we will no longer be wearing masks around the school, or request that visitors do so, unless infection rates increase or if individuals choose to do so. It is important, however, in order to avoid infections rates increasing in school that we are all vigilant with recognising and acting on symptoms as advised below. We do recommend that you take a LFT test if you have any of the symptoms.
Changes to Measures and Guidance for Managing COVID-19 in Education and Childcare Settings from Friday 1 April 2022
New Government guidance came into effect on 1st April which states that Covid 19 is to be treated like other respiratory infections.
The guidance says that pupils who are unwell or have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can return to school when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend.
While testing for Covid is no longer required, if someone does have a positive test, they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days (for those aged 19 and over) or 3 days (for those aged 18 and under), which is when they are most infectious. At the end of this period, if they still have a high temperature or feel unwell, they should continue to stay at home until they feel well enough to resume normal activities and no longer have a high temperature (if they had one).
Updated List of COVID-19 Symptoms
The list of COVID-19 symptoms has been updated and now includes:
- A high temperature or shivering (chills)
- A new, continuous cough
- A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- An aching body
- A headache
- A sore throat
- A blocked or runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling sick or being sick
Covid Vaccinations
Parents and carers of all 5 to 11 year olds can book a COVID-19 vaccination for their child. The national booking service opened for this age group on Saturday 2 April 2022.
Appointments are available in larger vaccination centres and some community pharmacies. Larger vaccination centres also offer whole family appointments so that already eligible adults and older children who are not fully vaccinated can take advantage of the ‘evergreen’ offer and have a vaccination at the same time as their 5 to 11 year old.
Appointments for 5 to 11 year olds who are not ‘at risk’ will also be available at some GP-run sites. If your GP is offering the vaccine, they will contact you. Please do not contact them. Vaccinations are already available for ‘at risk’ 5 to 11 year olds, and children in this age group who live with someone who has a weakened immune system. Until now vaccinations for this ‘at risk’ group of children have been available through GPs and special educational needs schools but parents and carers will be now able to book their vaccination through the national booking service when that opens for 5-11s. To book a COVID vaccination for all eligible age groups please visit the NHS national booking service or dial 119.
Thank you for your support in helping us to manage infection rates in school and in turn enabling us to keep the school functioning as normal.
Essex Wellbeing Service – ‘In Your Area’
The Essex Wellbeing Service has a handy search function called ‘In Your Area’, which allows you to enter your location to view local services in either a list or map format. This page also includes ‘Live Well, Link Well’, which can help to find and connect to well-known support organisations across the county, such as United in Kind Coaches, HeadsUp and access to virtual support plus much more. They have asked us to share this information with staff and families.
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”.
Lateness
School starts at 8.50 a.m. We have noticed several children are consistently arriving late for school – ‘late’ is defined by not being within the school gates by 8.50 a.m. Please make every effort to be at school on time and if you know that your journey will be disrupted by road works, do allow time for this.
Please note that lateness is recorded on a per pupil basis.
Thank you.
Mobile Phones
This is a gentle reminder not to use mobile phones whilst on the school site. This is part of our safeguarding policy for all of our children.
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.
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
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
19th April INSET day – school closed to pupils
20th April Children return to school for the Summer term
29th April 29th April House Point winners – non uniform day – Saville
29th April Tray Day
2nd May Bank Holiday
4th May Kwik Cricket KS1 pm
9th – 12th May KS2 SATs week
11th May Striking Festival KS1
13th May Sharing Assembly with year 3 parents
19th May FOC disco
20th May Sharing Assembly with year 5 parents
25th May Years 5 and 6 Cricket
26th May Years 3 and 4 Cricket
30th May – 3rd June Half Term
25th May Crucial Crew TBC
27th May FOC Royal Dress Up and School Tea Party TBC
6th June INSET day
w/b 6th June Phonics week
8th June Years 3 – 6 athletics pm
10th June Sharing Assembly with year 4 parents
20th June pm FOC Fun Run TBC
22nd June Athletics festival KS1
23rd June New Reception Induction morning
24th June Sharing Assembly with year 1 parents
27th June Sports Day
29th June KS2 Commonwealth Athletic 10 – 1pm
1st July Tray Day
8th July Sharing Assembly with year 2 parents
11th – 13th July Year 6 Residential Year 6 Residential
15th July Sharing Assembly with Reception parents
18th July Parent Evening – early
18th July Class Swap 11 – 12
19th July Parent Evening – late
20th July Leavers’ Assembly
21st July Last day of term
ACHIEVEMENTS
STAR OF THE WEEK
Week ending March 25th
Reception Jakob – for his super independent subtracting
Year One Reggie – for his focus and independent working in Maths when counting numbers including tens and ones
Year Two Christopher – for great effort and enthusiasm when writing his own version of ‘Diary of a wombat’.
Year Three Polly – for an amazing creature creation with descriptive writing for our non-chronological reports
Year Four Rowan – for his amazing effort and creativity with his art homework
Year Five Will – for demonstrating real focus on his learning and offering great contribution in class
Year Six Miley – for her excellent short story ‘Room for one more’.
Week ending April 1st
Reception Luna – for her amazing writing about her rocket
Year One Consuello – for her continued well-formed handwriting style and excellent use of nouns and adjectives when writing a sense poem.
Year Two Tilly P – for super scientific thinking during our experiment this week
Year Three Maya – for her fantastic effort with her non-chronological report
Year Four Ernie – for brilliant effort writing his Ananse story
Year Five Joshua L – for demonstrating great concentration and for always trying his best
Year Six Jake – for his improved reasoning skills in Maths
WRITER OF THE WEEK
| w/e 25.3.22
|
R Rollo for his number 8 formation
1 Kyle for a super acrostic poem 2 Esmee for great independent diary writing 3 Tilly for her descriptive writing 4 Samuel for great effort with his Ananse story 5 Sidney for trying super hard with all of his writing 6 Olive for her super short story ‘Room for one more’ |
Look out for our next edition of ‘Friday Focus’:
The fortnightly Friday Focus is a chance for every class at Clavering to share their learning with the Clavering School community. It is a great opportunity to find out what each year group has been up to and engage in conversations around learning.
If you have any questions at any time, please feel free to make an appointment.
Have a good weekend.
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher
