Dear Parents/ Carers
We hope that you are keeping well and enjoyed a relaxing half term in the beautiful sunshine? The children who attended school during half term certainly enjoyed playing and having a picnic lunch outside each day.
The wider opening of school
As you are aware, school has remained open every week to support key workers and vulnerable children since the COVID-19 lock down began, including during the Easter holiday and May half term week.
As part of the wider opening of school during this pandemic, we are operating a phased return so that all necessary protective measures are in place and the process is managed with extreme caution and care. This means that it has been necessary to take a more gradual approach than the government initially indicated.
It is important that we respond to the unique circumstances of our school including taking into account our building, the size of our classrooms, staff availability and the increasing number of key workers within the community requiring places.
Over the last few weeks, we have been preparing for the wider opening of school and as such, have welcomed a larger group of children back this week.
School looks and feels quite different as the key worker children are based in small fixed groups in the upstairs classrooms and the downstairs classrooms are being prepared for small fixed groups of reception children. The children of key workers have been getting used to a new one-way system inside school and around the school building and trying to adhere to the new social distancing routines and behaviour expectations.
It has been lovely to have more children in school and we are very proud of the way they have adapted to the new environment and classroom groups.
We are looking forward to welcoming some reception children back to school next week as part of a phased return. We will then be reviewing procedures and the remaining classroom space to see how we can support the wider opening for small groups of children from year 1 and year 6 later this month.
Website updates
The home learning plans for next week are now available on the class pages of the school website.
A COVID-19 section is also available in the parents section of the website and this includes information and photographs of classrooms and the playground. There is also a short film, which may help children to understand the changes within school.
Please keep checking the latest news section as local news and information which may help parents and children, is regularly uploaded to this part of the website.
Thank you for working so hard to support your child's learning at home. Staff really appreciate the comments from you and the children and seeing their learning projects on J2E- you are all doing an amazing job!
Take care and keep safe,
Mrs Forde