Dear Parents and Carers
Following my letter of 13 May, I am writing to explain the approach The Three Rivers Learning Trust is taking regarding the expansion of provision to include the priority year groups – Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, along with the children of Key Workers and vulnerable groups, defined here. Further DfE guidance has been issued, which has helped to inform our planning, including detailed guidance for primary schools settings, which includes our First and Middle Schools which you can find here.
We are awaiting secondary school guidance to support KEVI in determining how we should engage with students in Year 10 and Year 12. Ms Savage will be in touch with parents once these details are known.
The Learning Trust is committed to support all of our schools to expand provision, in line with the government’s aspirations and in the safest way possible. Please be assured that the health and wellbeing of our pupils and our staff is our highest priority.
The planning process is complicated and we are currently working through social distancing guidelines with our Health and Safety advisors to consider issues such as break and lunch time, children with specific learning support needs, entry and exit from school site, toilet access and arrangements and movement around school. We have also considered the use of PPE and, whilst the government guidance is clear that face masks are not recommended for staff or pupils, we will have appropriate PPE available in the event of anyone showing symptoms so that staff can safely deal with the situation. Our schools will also be looking at adjusting curriculums and will be focussing on ensuring your children’s wellbeing and mental health is a priority upon return to school as they transition from learning from home.
Thank you to First and Middle School parents, for your response indicating whether your child is to return at this point; each school now has the list of additional pupils and is organising class groupings. I know that this has been a difficult decision for parents/carers and can assure you that pupils not returning to school at this point will continue to be set home learning work.
The schedule for the pupils coming into school is as follows:
- Monday 1 June and Tuesday 2 June continued provision for the children of Key Workers and vulnerable groups currently attending school
- From Wednesday 3 June we will open for more children from the Key Worker and vulnerable groups, who have not attended to date
- Monday 8 June we will open for those children from Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, who have indicated they wish to return
Your Headteacher will write directly to you to confirm the specific start dates for your child, and provide detailed information about the revised school arrangements. It is very clear that the return to school will not be what our children are used to and they will need support to understand this.
The Board of Trustees has carefully considered the guidance to ensure our schools are well prepared and safe for pupils and staff.
Our schools will ensure:
- Classes of no more than 15 pupils, and sometimes fewer depending upon the size of rooms
- Pupils will remain together in the same class throughout the day and, wherever possible, with the same teachers and teaching assistants
- Safe arrangements for entry into and exit from the school premises
- Staggered break and lunch times to manage social distancing arrangements between class groups
- Continued regular hand washing and cleaning of the school during the day
- Thorough daily cleaning of each school, and enhanced cleaning each week. Therefore, our schools will close to all pupils, from 1.00pm each Friday, from Friday 12 June, to enable enhanced cleaning to be undertaken
Please note that the government will review the national data and the associated evidence on 28 May, before confirming that the reopening of schools will proceed. We will also continue to assess numbers in school in line with our risk assessments and staff availability. Your school will keep in touch with you about this and will communicate as soon as possible, if further changes are required.
I fully understand what a very difficult and anxious time this is for parents, staff and children. I encourage you to read the guidance for parents and carers which you can access here and I want to reassure you that we are doing all we can to prepare for the wider re-opening of our schools and we are confident that we can do so safely.
Yours sincerely
Simon Taylor
CEO
Dear Parent/Carer,
We are aware that some family circumstances may have changed during this unprecedented time and we would like to help.
If you are experiencing financial difficulties, your child may now be eligible for Free School Meals. Please follow this link to check your eligibility and apply https://www.gov.uk/apply-
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further queries.
Mrs Donkin
Business Manager
Emblematic Ltd are offering the following options to parents/carers this summer;
- Free delivery on all orders placed before 1st July. Following this parents/carers will have the option to pay for delivery to their home address or use the “Click and Collect” option (starting date to be decided), “Delivery to School” will not be an option
- Measuring videos are available to view on the website, ensuring parents/carers purchase the correct size, using measurements they have taken at home
- A free returns system is currently being offered allowing parents/carers to use the website to return items. Parents/carers will then be expected to raise a new order for the correct size (there is no exchange service, as garments must be safely stored (Covid-19) before going back into stock)
- Emblematic are also offering a “Click and collect” option in the future from their Benton shop only, until mid August (date and times to be decided)
Emblematic have confirmed that their manufacturers are delivering as planned, resulting in all of their uniform stock being available and don’t foresee any shortfalls in supply for returning to school in September.
Could we please stress the need however to order early so that deliveries can be made allowing time, should the need be, for exchanges etc.
Emblematic will continue to follow guidance to allow them to decide if/when their shops can re-open and what other changes can be safely made.
Government guidance is now published which outlines the partial reopening of schools from 1 June 2020. I wish to inform you of the principles and processes that The Three Rivers Learning Trust will follow, to ensure a safe school environment for all.
The letter issued on 13 May 2020, can be read in full here
Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope this email finds you well. Another week has passed in this strange and challenging time and I hope it has gone well for you and your family. Please remember that we’re here for you every step of the way so, if you are finding things difficult, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
If you have any worries or concerns, contact the school
If you have any concerns about helping your child learn or you need any other support from the school, please let us know by contacting our school on 01669620287 or emailing us [email protected]. We are here to support you so please do get in touch.
Our school is open for the children of key workers
Naturally we miss having our pupils in school, but we must continue to follow the government’s guidance to keep everyone in our community safe. Our school is open for children of key workers and we ask that parents/carers only use this service if they are not able to safely care for their child at home whilst working. If you wish to access this service please get in touch with school. Please be aware that the children who are in school during this time are completing the same work that is set for all children via google classroom. If parents/carers have any concerns or difficulties with the system then please do not hesitate to get in touch with the school.
Google Classroom
How to check what work your child has to complete
To check if your pupil has work set in their classes on google classroom, log on to their main google classroom page with the large squares with each class on. Please note that current assignments are not necessarily listed in these large squares. If the squares are empty do not assume you have no work set. In order to check for work you need to click the class name eg 5H PE 2019-2020 in order to enter the class. This will take you to the google classroom stream where teachers post assignments and other comments and pupils from that class can also post comments . To see each individual assignment, look towards the top of the page and click on ‘classwork’. That takes you to the page where all assignments, current and past, have been set. Just click on an assignment that has not been completed to access further information and any attached documents needed in order to complete the assignment.
We are no longer setting due dates
Following feedback from parents/carers we are no longer setting due dates for when work is expected to be completed. Therefore the activities/tasks in each class are a bank of resources from which children can choose what to complete.
Why not join us in our twice weekly school worship?
If you click on Learners 2019/2020 in google classroom you will see a number of whole school worships – they are normally placed on the site on a Tuesday and a Thursday. The worships – usually 20 minutes in length – involve a song; a link to our school values and then a reminder of the seven suggested strategies to help us through this difficult time – namely:
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Strategies to support our Well Being Try to avoid rapid, breaking news Be mindful of others Do one purposeful thing every day Connect with others Carry on doing the things you enjoy Stick to a daily routine Take time to relax – mindful breathing |
Resource to help us stick to a daily routine
One of the strategies above is to stick to a daily routine. The Education Endowment Foundation have developed a short film for parents/carers and children to watch together to help do this – the link is: https://
NHS guidance to help with our mental well being
It is always important to take time to consider our own mental well being and that of others. The NHS have provided the following materials to support us in this goal – the link is: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/
New national home learning telephone helpline
Obviously if your child is finding any of the work difficult we suggest you get in touch with the school, however please be aware that there is a new national home learning telephone helpline called startline – this can be accessed via https://www.starline.org.uk/
Remember that Key Stage Two Tests for 2019/2020 have been cancelled
Please remember that on March 18th, 2020 the Education Secretary announced that “We will not go ahead with primary school assessments or secondary exams this summer”.
Keep in touch with news in our Community
Last week I shared with you the link for Over The Bridges. The team is working at an impressive speed. They have done three issues for April and their May issue is now on their website. You can read about everything that is happening in our community via this link http://overthebridges.org/
Reflections on the school Year so far
While we can’t say yet when we’ll be able to open the school fully, our Prime Minister – on April 30th – did say that next week the Government would discuss the way forward from our current lockdown. We were last physically together as a school on March 20th, 2020 and it would be nice if all children could take some time to consider what has gone well so far during our school year so far – from Wednesday, September 4th, 2019 to the present day. Please could children fill in the appropriate form linked to their class below:
Keeping Safe Online
In these difficult times we are spending a lot of time working on line so please keep safe. The Department of Education is providing parents with ways that they can keep their children safe online. The following link will provide further information on ways to further help Parents/Carers with this important task – https://parentinfo.org
Resources to for COVID-19 advice to parents and carers
Clearly this is a very stressful time for families. If you are finding things difficult, then please get in touch with us and we will do our utmost to help. The NSPCC have produced resources to for COVID-19 advice to parents and carers which can be accessed via https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
The resources include how to talk to children about COVID-19; Taking Care of Our Mental Health; Arguments and Family Tension and How to Cope With Tantrums.
Children can contact School Nurse
Children between the ages of 11 – 19 can access a service entitled “Chat Health Messaging Service” whereby they can text a school nurse. They will receive a reply within one working day. The number is: 07507332258 and is available from Monday to Friday between 9:30am and 4:30am.
Information about Crimestoppers
In this difficult time we may see things as neighbours, friends and colleagues that we may wish to pass on. Information can be passed on to Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111 or online: https://bit.ly/2ykQ3bo
Government Information regarding testing for Coronavirus
The Government have published information that details how essential workers with symptoms, and people who live with essential workers and have symptoms who need a test, will be able to book a test – this can be accessed via https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
I hope you are finding this information useful. Please remember we are always here for you. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any concerns.
Take care,
Liam Murtagh – Headteacher
