Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Whole School Welcome Letter 07.09.21
Wed 08 Sep 2021Tuesday 7th September 2021, Dear Parents, It was fantastic to see such a busy and happy playground on the first morning as we welcomed our children and their families back to Cropthorne for another school year. We were also very proud of all of the children, especially those new to the school and how wonderfully they began what is such a big day in their lives as they start their journey here together. A new school year is always full of feelings of excitement and of course some understandable nerves, but seeing how the children have settled quickly into their learning with their classmates, I have been very impressed indeed! Thank you to all of our families for their cooperation at collection and drop offs, what seems new today will quickly become routine we are sure. Our staff team as ever will continue to endeavour to keep you as well informed as possible via our weekly class letters, these are extremely important as they detail information about events which will be happening in your child’s class in the weeks ahead. The first of these will be issued via email this week, and normally on each Friday after that along with our Whole School Newsletter. Both these are also easily accessible on our School Website, www.cropthorneschool.org, from the home page and on our Class Pages. Please do check regularly, and if you find you are not receiving these weekly updates, do please contact Mrs Evans so we can explore why this might be. In the meantime, if you do have questions or queries please email Mrs Evans at office@cropthorne.worcs.sch.uk so we can answer your query or pass information on promptly to class teachers to help us best support your child in school. Mrs Evans and I will also be around at all entrances throughout the week to help where we can. We know that our families very much value the importance of education and support us by promoting excellent attendance but the Department of Education have asked all schools to communicate to parents that school attendance is mandatory and that it is a parent’s duty to ensure that their child attends regularly at school. We at Cropthorne also fully appreciate that many parents have adopted a very cautious approach to sending pupils to school when they are unwell, and we know that families will continue to follow government guidance if a pupil displays symptoms of COVID-19, this is available here. As outlined in our FAQs, issued prior to the start of term, all schools are required to have contingency procedures in the event of a number of COVID-19 cases within a setting. It is worth you knowing in advance that this will mean the school will need to run differently for a short period of time. In the event we were instructed to implement these procedures, it would see a return to bubbles, the use of different entrances, face coverings for adults on school premises and the postponement or cancellation of large events or visits. We of course hope that these measures do not become necessary but also want our families to be as informed as possible. It has been a brilliant start to the new school year and we look forward to a more normal and enjoyable year ahead. Yours Sincerely, Rob Bothma Headteacher
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PTFA Event - Bounceathon - 14th July
Thu 08 Jul 2021Dear Parents,
Following the strange academic year the children have had, we, the PTFA, would like to offer a few end of term treats to the children over the last couple of days of this term, during the school day, as well as a big end of year Sheppey teas extravaganza on Wednesday 21st at 3pm (if the restrictions on school events are lifted on the 19th). As most of you are aware, a large proportion of our funds raised come from our Friday Sheppey Teas which, due to restrictions, has unfortunately not been able to go ahead over the last 16 months, so in order for us to do this we need to do a fundraiser.
During recent School Council meetings the children have expressed their wish for a school trampoline and so we have taken this on board and decided to do a sponsored Bounceathon on Wednesday 14th July. Each class will have their own exercise trampoline with a handle and during the school day the children in turn will bounce, so the trampoline is in use all day.
We would like to ask you to sponsor your child/ren to do this activity throughout the day and any family or friends who would also like to support us would be gratefully received too.
Please could all sponsor forms and money be returned to school by Friday 9th July.
Thank you for your continued support
Ann-Marie Freeman and Abbi Denney.
PTFA
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Sports Day
Fri 02 Jul 2021Friday 2nd July 2021
Dear Parents,
Following on from the dates issued last week for Sports Days we wished to provide more details and timings on these events.
Monday 12th July - Year 3 Sports Day 9.15am
Tuesday 13th July – Year 2 Sports Day 9.15am
Thursday 15th July – Year 4 Sports Day 9.15am
Thursday 15th July – Year 5 Sports Day 2pm
Friday 16th July – Reception Sports Day 9.15am
Friday 16th July – Year 1 Sports Day 2pm
We have been required to carry out a risk assessment on these events and to ensure they comply with Local Authority and Department of Education guidance. We are confident that if everyone works together and all visitors to the site comply with the requirements below we can carry out the events successfully and safely.
We are only permitted to have limited numbers so two relatives/guests per child are able to attend, we are sorry but this does include children/siblings. Family members will need to stay in their designated area and will not be able to enter the school building or use the facilities. At the moment under the current guidance family members will not have to wear face coverings when spectating but we kindly ask that you please continue to do so on arrival and departure. There will be no refreshments available like in other years. Photographs can be taken but must not be shared online at all. If we become aware that photographs are shared online, we will no longer be able to permit photographs to be taken at school events. Each year group’s Sports Days will likely last between 40 minutes to an hour and further details specific to each class are available on weekly class letters.
In the event of unsuitable weather conditions, we will do our best to reschedule as we have done in the past but it may be a challenge to do so this year.
Hopefully, we won’t have any changes to guidance and avoid poor weather and we’ll have some memorable days with our families back on the school field.
Thank you for your continuing support,
Rob Bothma
Headteacher
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Whole School Information Letter 10.06.21
Fri 11 Jun 2021Thursday 10th June 2021 Dear Parents, The children have returned extremely positively following the half term break and have rapidly settled back into their established routines and as ever have adapted quickly to any slight changes to their week in school. We as a school are really aiming to keep things as familiar and consistent for the children as we possibly can, after what has been another unsettled year for everyone. Years 1&2 particularly deserve a mention this week for their exemplary behaviour as they began their swimming lessons, despite the incredible levels of excitement best reflected when one child exclaimed to me on Tuesday morning, “We’re going swimming today… at long last!” Although we are still unsure about many aspects of how schools will need to operate when we begin the next academic year and what COVID-19 safety measures will still need to be in place, we have finalised our class and staffing structure and are now in a position to be able to share them with you. We always aim to share these with our families as soon as we possibly can each year and are pleased that despite the continuing challenges we all are facing as result of the pandemic, we are able to inform our families at a similar time as we normally do. Classroom Arrangements for 2021/22 Cats Class: Miss Hughes will be remaining in her current classroom for next year with Reception & Year 1. Miss Hughes will continue to be supported by Mrs Denney, Mrs Harrington & Mrs Freeman. Chimps Class: Mrs Komor will be teaching Year 2 & Year 3. Mrs Komor will be supported by Mrs Castle & Mrs Annis. Cockatoos Class: Mrs Jones will be teaching Year 4 and will be supported by Mr Ramus. Chameleons Class: Mrs Hunt will be teaching Year 5 and will be supported by Mrs Brown. Your child’s class teacher for the next school year will also be writing to you today. Should you have any questions regarding the upcoming year please feel free to email your child’s new teacher via their email addresses, or the office email address so they can be passed on. They will reply as soon as they can, and will be very happy to help with any queries they are able to answer. However, we do ask for your understanding if we cannot answer questions which we normally would expect to be able to, as we await further guidance on how schools will be able to operate from September. Tel: 01386 860 246 www.cropthorneschool.ik.org office@cropthorne.worcs.sch.uk Cropthorne with Charlton C of E First School, Main Street, Cropthorne, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 3NB. The children will, as in previous years take part in a ‘Moving Up Day’ where they spend the day with the adults and children they will be working with next year. This takes place on Wednesday 30th June, which is the same day as our soon to be Year 6 children will spend at their Middle Schools. We will also be welcoming our new Reception cohort on this day as part of their transition up to First School. In the meantime, we all look forward to a positive and productive half term ahead. Yours Sincerely, Rob Bothma Headteacher
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Whole School Information Letter 28.05.21
Fri 11 Jun 2021Friday 28th May 2021 Dear Parents, We have been asked by the Local Authority share some key information about how families will need to notify their school if a pupil tests positive for COVID-19 over the bank holiday weekend: • If a child develops symptoms within two days of the last day the child attended school, for most children this will be up to and including Sunday 30th May, parents should book a PCR test immediately. • If the result of the PCR test is positive, parents should then report this via this designated email address: cv19alert@cropthorne.worcs.sch.uk • Any cases where symptoms start from Monday 31st May do not need to be reported, as there will be no action (e.g. bubble closures) for the school. • This designated email address will be checked every 24 hours whilst cases still need to be reported to school and you should receive a response to your notification within this window. • This email address should only be used in order to notify the school staff who are working as part of the track and trace process whilst school is closed, that your child has returned a positive test. • Self-isolation may be required, and parents should expect to be notified via this email address. • Please do not send children to school, on the first day back after the holiday if they or any member of their family are exhibiting symptoms, or if they have been instructed to self-isolate as an identified close contact. Other school email addresses are not routinely monitored when the school is closed, and therefore they should not be used to communicate a positive test result, nor should parents use any other means of communication normally used when the school is open, e.g. leaving a message on the school answer phone. In the unfortunate event that we have a confirmed case in school, who must isolate is determined by the Local Outbreak Response Team. We are very aware that communicating to you that your child needs to self?isolate over the half term break is once again likely to be extremely unwelcome news for all of us who are affected, as we know that many of our families have made plans to get away for the first time in months. We all simply hope that none of the measures outlined in this letter become necessary. In spite of all the challenges, we have enjoyed a very successful half term in school. The children have responded well to our intense focus spent learning and developing their key skills in Reading, Writing and Mathematics, balanced with their weekly outdoor learning and sports sessions. We will continue to adapt the Tel: 01386 860 246 www.cropthorneschool.ik.org office@cropthorne.worcs.sch.uk Cropthorne with Charlton C of E First School, Main Street, Cropthorne, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 3NB. curriculum through the rest of this term and into the autumn as we aim to return to a full, more familiar curriculum as soon as restrictions allow us to practicably do so. Thank you very much for all of your continued support and valued engagement this term. The restrictions placed upon us due to the pandemic continue to be a challenge for all schools and all of the positive feedback and encouragement we’ve received continues to be very much appreciated. I hope that the half term break from school provides the opportunity for our families, our children and our staff to enjoy doing more of the things we have all missed for so long. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Monday 7 th June. Yours Sincerely, Rob Bothma Headteacher
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Whole School Information Letter 08.03.21
Mon 08 Mar 2021Monday 8th March 2021
Dear Parents,
Monday 8th March. A date which has indelibly been imprinted upon our minds, for what feels like a very long time indeed, has finally arrived. It is overwhelmingly wonderful to have all of the children able to return to school and thank you for your cooperation with all of the continuing safety measures. Thank you also for all of the kind words and positive feedback about our provision since the start of the year, they are all very much appreciated by the staff team who have adapted so well and steadfastly applied themselves to the task at hand. We have all been learning as time has gone by and the participation and support we have received from our families has been absolutely incredible. The teaching team are also extremely grateful for the unwavering commitment of the support staff in maintaining on-site provision, which in turn has allowed the teaching team to provide the best remote learning possible to all of our pupils. We know not everything worked perfectly for everyone all of the time, but the efforts of children, parents and staff has been extraordinary under the challenging circumstances.
The children have returned very positively indeed this morning and have enjoyed being with their friends again, smiling, learning, laughing and having fun. We know this period is one of transition, and have prepared for it as such. Our primary goal is to support all pupils back into full time face to face education so they can once again thrive and achieve their best. We will continue to provide children with the very best opportunities for their development, despite the restrictions placed upon us all and our experienced team will draw upon all our expertise to ensure that school can be the best place it can possibly be. We have already adapted our curriculum to respond to the impact of the events of not just this year but the last too. We will continue to do so, as we learn more, both as a school and as an education sector, about how children have responded to the disruption to all of our lives. We will continue to work with other schools to achieve this. It will not yet be ‘business as usual’ but our core ethos, values and sense of purpose with be the same as ever.
We also know that this continues to be a very tough time for everyone, we are still in the grip of the pandemic, not able to see loved ones and things still feel uncertain. We know people are struggling, it may be with mental health, family finances or worrying about what the future holds for our children. We are here, please reach out to us and if we can help we will. We may not have a magic wand or a quick fix to help with these complex issues, but we will do everything we are able to. Sometimes just sharing can help. There are positive signs ahead but we’ll all need to continue to draw on all our patience and resolve in the weeks and months to come as we gradually begin to address the continuing impact of the pandemic. For now, we all appreciate every single day we have a full school more than ever, and all very much look forward to the rest of the school term.
We also wished to remind you that we have postponed our staff training day scheduled for later this term. School will now be open to all pupils on Thursday 1st April, and instead, closed on Tuesday 4th May.
Finally, some exciting news from Cats Class, today our youngest children have been outside into their revamped outdoor area for the first time following the installation of a new canopy. The new canopy will provide them with a lighter more spacious area to learn and play in, and I must thank the team in Cats Class who came into school this weekend to make sure it was ready to use as soon as possible. We are also grateful for the work underway on our ‘Wild Flower’ garden – which we originally hoped to plant at around this time last year- (before other events got in the way!) We hope that it will increase the children’s awareness of biodiversity and it was an idea originally suggested by our Eco Club.
I wish everyone continuing success for the remainder of this term.
Yours sincerely,
Rob Bothma
Headteacher
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Whole School Information Letter 03.03.21
Thu 04 Mar 2021Wednesday 3rd March 2021 Dear Parents, We are all very much looking forward to welcoming all of our pupils back to school on Monday 8th March. We have updated our risk management procedures in line with the latest guidance and preparations for the full return of all pupils are almost complete. Along with this letter you will also receive a letter from your child’s class teacher and a list of Frequently Asked Questions, we hope you will find both informative. These should provide you with all the information you need but if you still have any queries please contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. In light of the current situation we have now rescheduled the Teacher Training Day scheduled for Thursday 1st April to Tuesday 4th May. We hope that this will not cause too much inconvenience due to the restrictions we will still be living under on these dates, but feel it is in the best interests of our pupils to reschedule the staff training arranged for this day and hopefully this will be welcomed by most of our families. As we all look forward to next week we must once again stress continued vigilance and strict adherence to all procedures. Whilst everyone is understandably utterly fatigued by the situation we all find ourselves in, we must once again work together to ensure on-site provision for all can be maintained. The sad and stark reality is that by sending into school a child who may be showing symptoms of COVID-19, or who is living with someone who has them, it may unfortunately result in a wider closure for so many more pupils and a return to learning remotely. We know everyone is desperate for children to be in school, where they belong - with their friends, teachers and support staff. We need everyone to work together to give us all the best possible chance of keeping it that way.
Yours sincerely, in thanks and in hope,
Rob Bothma Headteacher
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Whole School Information Letter 28.01.21
Fri 29 Jan 2021Thursday 28th January 2021
Dear Parents,
First of all, we recognise that you will have received many emails from school recently, the majority of which relate to remote learning, and this will especially be the case if you have more than one child at the school. We are conscious of this and therefore have deliberately limited whole school correspondence, such as our weekly newsletters, for a short period. We also know many of our families are in regular contact with class teachers through our various communication platforms.
You will be aware that yesterday the Prime Minister announced that schools will remain open to vulnerable children and the children of critical workers after February half-term, as they are now, and that all other pupils will continue to be educated remotely. It is also hoped that subject to national public health data and pressure on NHS capacity we will be able to readmit other pupils from Monday 8th March. For all of our children, parents and staff the thought of operating as we have been, with a blend of on site and remote provision for another ten days, following the February half term will not have been welcome news, although for many it will have been expected given the wider public health situation. However, we can take heart from the fact that we know we have done this before. We can do it again.
Thank you for all for the wave of positive comments regarding both remote and on site provision we have received since the start of term. They have meant a great deal to all of the staff team who are living with the same uncertainty we are all faced with at this very difficult time, and are continuing to adapt to a different way of providing learning. We, like you, have appreciated the regular contact, and your vital feedback as to what is working well and what isn’t. This has already helped us improve and develop the ways we support our children. Thank you again for your engagement with this process. We will continue to learn, adapt and improve at what we do, to make this challenging period the best it can be for our children and families as we work under these restrictions for the safety of all. We’ve done this before. We can do it again.
Like in many schools, and due to a range of factors, we have seen an increase in the attendance of the children of Key Workers in comparison with those attending during the first national lockdown in March. Children in school are accessing a blended curriculum, learning alongside pupils who are at home, and learning remotely on days when they can remain at home. When children are at school, this provision is being facilitated by our skilled and talented support staff, whose commitment and resolve to supporting our frontline workers has been amazing. A key component of lockdown is to limit contacts for us all and we will continue to implement our risk management plan, a part of which is to limit the number of contacts that children and staff experience when in school for everyone’s safety. Staff are now also taking part in rapid lateral flow testing twice each week. Parents whose children are attending school continue to support our risk management measures in a range of ways, such as following the government guidance which states ‘parents and carers should keep their children at home if they can.’ and only sending in children when they cannot stay at home. We also know that some parents are working with their employers to ensure they need to send children into school as little as possible. Everyone should of course continue to maintain social distancing from others and wear face coverings during collection and drop off times, and as always, under no circumstances should anyone send a child to school if anyone in their household is displaying the symptoms of COVID-19, until they have received a negative test. All these measures look set to be with us for quite a while yet and although there is a sense of fatigue, we are grateful for everyone’s continued cooperation with these measures. We have all done this before. We can all do it again.
We know that we are in a situation that none of us want to be in, we know things are very far from ideal and we know there is nothing that comes close to replicating a child’s experience of a fully open school, surrounded by their friends, teachers and support staff. We know that supporting children with remote learning – whilst juggling full time work, caring for younger children, elderly or vulnerable relatives, or trying to fulfil almost any other commitments is not only challenging and exhausting – there are days for some it can feel impossible. We know most of our families are managing, but we all know it is far, far, from easy, there are good days, bad days and some very difficult days too. Remember to be kind to yourselves, so many are feeling the same way. Everyone is doing the very best they can, in their own uniquely challenging circumstances. It is normal to worry about our children’s education and well-being under these circumstances, we all do so because we care so deeply. This week we have faced once of the most harrowing and difficult weeks we have yet faced during this pandemic, and it is difficult to not be able to operate in the way we would want to, especially when our children and families need us the most. But we will get through this. We have done this before, and from this we can know that we can do it once again, for what we all dearly hope is for one final time.
Finally, it was with great sadness that we received news this week of the passing of a great friend of the school, Mrs Helen Fowler. Helen worked with the children of Cropthorne with Charlton for so many years, sharing her love of gardening through leading many projects and clubs, leading Open the Book Assemblies and raising money for wonderful causes such as Alzheimer’s UK. Many of our families who have older children who have now left the school will remember Helen with such fondness, as do we all. Helen was also a huge part of our local community, but I know that others are far better qualified than I to reflect upon her contributions to our villages more fully, and I am sure they will be paying their tributes to her in the days to come, of which there will be many. Our thoughts and prayers are very much with Helen’s family and friends at this time. Words cannot fully illustrate what Helen meant to our school – its children, staff and families, but for those of us privileged enough to know her, we only need to look upon the imprint she has left upon on our hearts.
Thank you for your ongoing support,
Rob Bothma
Headteacher
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Whole School Information Letter 08.01.21
Fri 29 Jan 2021Friday 8th January 2021
Dear Parents,
I hope this letter finds you well and you find the information outlined useful as we update you further on the situation at school.
Firstly, I wish to remind our families that they are able to contact us should they need help, advice or support. If we can help, we will. School is open, albeit to restricted numbers of pupils – staff are working both on site and remotely to support the continuation of learning for all pupils. Some routine school operations have been put on hold due to a number of factors related to the current situation, for example due to staff needing to self- isolate or needing to fulfil their own care commitments. Some others areas of school operation may take a little longer to complete than under ‘normal’ circumstances. We know the vast majority of our parents understand and thank you for your patience. We aim to get all school operations running as close to normal as soon as we possibly can, especially in the case of extended childcare provision for our frontline workers. Hopefully, the local and national picture relating to COVID-19 will begin to improve and this will help in these endeavours.
Secondly, to support with communication at this challenging time and so that parents receive a response as soon as possible, I wished to clarify who parents should firstly contact at school. If it is any matter relating to learning – remote or on site – please contact class teachers on the email addresses outlined below. This also applies if you wish to consult with your child’s class teacher about your child’s wellbeing during this difficult time. Our technicians are continuing to address any issues linked with Microsoft Teams and I know some children are beginning to contact school staff directly via MSTeams for support with their learning, although we know this is understandably more likely to be our older pupils, and they should continue to be able to do so.
Miss Hughes (Reception & Year 1) - misshughes@cropthorne.worcs.sch.uk
Mrs Komor (Year 2) - mrskomor@cropthorne.worcs.sch.uk
Mrs Jones (Year 3) - mrsjones@cropthorne.worcs.sch.uk
Mrs Hunt (Years 4&5) - mrshunt@cropthorne.worcs.sch.uk
All other queries, such as arrangements for children of key workers and those who are vulnerable, Free School Meals, or to contact myself or Mrs Evans please do so via office@cropthorne.worcs.sch.uk. The office is not able to be routinely staffed at the moment so parents should firstly contact Mrs Evans via email.
Thirdly, I wish to thank our parents and staff for the incredible work they are doing to support the children with their learning. We know it is extremely challenging, with everyone in their own unique personal circumstances. Stay in touch, stay safe and know that we are here for you.
Finally, I very much hope that our children and parents are able to set aside schoolwork this weekend and get some well-deserved rest after what has been an extraordinarily difficult week for everyone.
Yours Sincerely,
Rob Bothma
Headteacher
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Whole School Letter 03.11.20
Tue 03 Nov 2020Tuesday 3rd November 2020
Dear Parents,
It has been fantastic to see everyone back in school this week. We hope that the children managed to recharge their batteries over the half term break and that families were able to enjoy some time together during what continues to be a trying and concerning period for everyone.
Thank you for following the advice issued prior to the half term break concerning drop off and collection. You will have noticed that staff are now wearing visors or face coverings at these times. We spent time preparing children for this yesterday and going through why it is necessary.
We have of course managed to so far avoid closing any bubbles or the whole school, but it is hugely important that we are all now extremely vigilant. If a child or member of staff in school becomes ill with any of the symptoms of Covid19 we shall send them home. Children must be collected immediately once a parent has been contacted. You will need to book a test for the child and isolate them in the meantime (for two weeks without a negative test result- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance. If the test result comes back negative, when the child is well enough to return to school they can come back. Again, please be reminded that if anyone in your household displays any of the main symptoms, then the whole family should isolate immediately. If that family member then receives a negative test result, then the isolation period can end immediately. However, families should not wait for a test or result before isolating. This is particularly important given the risk that children might then bring the virus into school without displaying symptoms. Please do help us to protect everyone.
From what has happened in other schools both locally and nationally, we also want to share with you what would be the most likely outcome if we were to get a positive case within our school. In the event of this, the Local Outbreak Response Team (LORT) organises what happens next. Here at Cropthorne with Charlton, we would probably have to close a bubble for two weeks. In our school, one bubble consists of Mrs Jones’ & Mrs Hunt’s classes, the other, Mrs Komor’s & Miss Hughes’ classes. Depending on the amount of staff affected it may also be necessary to close the entire school for a short term basis whilst we work with the Local Authority to ensure our staffing levels are such that we can operate safely. This remains unlikely but we wished to make you aware of this. Children in the unaffected bubble would not need to isolate and they would attend school as soon as their bubble has reopened, unless they were to be directed otherwise.
Remembrance Day is always a special day in our school calendar and whilst we cannot physically come together for our service we will be holding a virtual service on the 11th November to learn and remember why it is such an important day in a different way. Rev’d Dangerfield will be attending our virtual service along with Evie’s (Y3) & James’ (YR) Dad, who will be representing Armed Forces Personnel. We thank them for their support. We will honour the two-minute silence during our Service. From now until then, we will be selling Poppies, for a donation of £1. If you do send in money for the poppy appeal, please reinforce why we do it.
Parents Evenings Meeting will take place on Wednesday and Thursday this week, please contact the office if you have not yet been able to book your appointment. Please bear with us as we are having to do things differently but we are looking forward to updating you on how your child has settled into school and what they need to focus upon with regards to their learning. Thank you in advance for helping us to keep appointments to 10 minutes.
Following a review of our staffing arrangements last half term, we wish to notify parents of children in Chameleons & Cockatoos that Mrs Freeman is moving across to support Chameleons class more frequently for the time being. Mr Ramus remains with Cockatoos. Mrs Freeman will still welcome the children in Cockatoos each morning if Mr Ramus is not in school, and continue to supervise them at lunchtimes.
Microsoft Teams – Later this week your child will be provided with a login for Microsoft Teams, instructions for this will accompany this week’s class letters. Initially we will be using Microsoft Teams to stay in regular face to face contact with pupils, should we be required to close a bubble or the whole school for an extended period. Several parents commented on how children missed this when we were unable to do this during the summer, and we feel the same way. The rest of the learning will be delivered in a similar way as during the first lockdown period, but more frequently and in shorter segments than last time. This frequency is possible because we expect that in the event of closure, this time it is likely that staff will also need to be isolating and not required to be in school as they were during the March- July period. Again, we hope that this does not become necessary.
We know school is having to run differently in lots of ways than it has done in the past and we like you, and like the children, miss many of the things we can’t do at the moment. We are resolved that things will get better eventually and appreciate everyone’s support and patience as we all navigate this next national lockdown.
Finally, a big 'thank you' to all of the staff who have 'gone the extra mile' and continue to do so to keep everyone safe and secure, and make our school a happy island amidst an ocean of uncertainty.
Yours Sincerely,
Rob Bothma
Headteacher
