Half term update
23rd October 2020
Dear Parents and Carers
As we come to the end of a slightly more unusual half term, we thank you for your continued support. School ends at 2.45pm or 3pm (depending upon your child’s year group) today Friday 23rd October, for the half term break. I have been delighted to see our learners back in school, enjoying their lessons, ‘socialising’ with friends and working closely with their teachers again. Learners are still enjoying a full curriculum with access having worked initially on the principles of a ‘recovery curriculum’ so that teachers could assess and act upon any gaps in knowledge. We have begun to consider the use of the additional ‘catch up’ funding from the government to support our learners with additional resources and guidance to address the lost learning time due to the school closure earlier in the year.
The roll out of Google Classroom is providing us with some new, exciting opportunities to support our learners with their work through the use of resource sharing and teacher-learner dialogue. If you or your child have any queries regarding accessing Google Classroom please contact your child’s teacher in the first instance. It is very important that your child is able to access the platform.
The school is closed from Monday 26th October to Monday 2nd November, with pupils returning to school on Tuesday 3rd November.
Continued start and finish times after the half term
EYFS (Reception) and KS1 (Year 1 and Year 2)
Start time: 8.30am
Finish time: 2.45pm
KS2 (Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6)
Remains the same:
Start time: 8.45am
Finish time: 3.00pm
Arrival and collection arrangements
As London moves into Tier 2, it is even more important that everyone stays alert. The latest guidance to reduce transmission of Covid-19 is to maintain a 2 metre distance apart where possible, or 1 metre with a face covering or other precautions.
Please ensure that children are dressed appropriately for the weather while they wait for their school start time. Unless the weather is dreadful, children will not gain access to the school until their start time. We understand that you would like to stay with your children whilst they line up, however please social distance (2 metres) from children outside your household and other parents and carers. If you are medically able to, please wear a mask when standing close to others.
At the end of the school day, we have noticed that parents who have younger children are standing in the middle section, directly in front of the school gate. At 3pm, more KS2 parents arrive to collect their children and also stand in the same area waiting to be acknowledged by teachers. This results in more parents standing in front of the gates together and there is not a clear path for pupils to leave the school without going around or amidst other pupils and parents.
To aid social distancing, please could we again request that once you have collected your children, that you vacate the area so that other parents can collect their children safely. If you are collecting older siblings, please collect your young child/ren at 2.45pm and wait across the road until 3pm for your older children. This would also allow pupils who walk home alone children to be able to leave the school in their bubbles.
In front of the school, there is a marked squared area. This area is for the children to enter and exit the school and for staff use also. We would be grateful if parents did not enter this area. If you would like to speak to teachers, please contact them on Class Dojo or on the Arbor In-App. If you would like to speak to the office, please contact them on the Arbor App or telephone the school on 020 8670 1981.
It is very important that pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are collected at 2.45pm and pupils in Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 at 3pm. We would like you to support us with this by being on time. We have spoken to some parents regarding late collection of their child/ren and we will be writing to parents who are regularly collecting their child/ren late.
We welcome your ideas and suggestions for the beginning and end of the school day. We always seek to work with parents and carers to protect our pupils and staff. Previously, we listened to the suggestion of staggered starts and after consideration; we were able to incorporate this. We have taken all parents and carers suggestions into consideration and taken the advice of our Health and Safety consultant. Unfortunately due to staff capacity, health and safety issues, pending building works and the need to maintain bubbles we are unable to make any immediate changes to our arrangements. We will of course keep this under review, particularly the dismissal of siblings.
Restricted access to Linton Grove
As you are aware, Linton Grove has restricted vehicle access at the junctions of Elder Road and Basil Gardens between the hours of 7.45am to 9.15am and 2.15pm to 3.45pm during term time. This is to aid parents and families to social distance, as well as making the journey to school safer for pupils. At the moment, Lambeth Emergency School Streets scheme is a trial and consequently we are unable to block the road completely and stop vehicles driving through if they really insist on doing so. Residents are allowed to access the road and we cannot be sure who the residents are. Therefore, please take care of yourself and family when standing in or crossing the road.
If you would like the trial to be permanent, we would encourage parents and carers to provide feedback via the link. https://lambethemergencyschoolstreets.commonplace.is/
Please also ensure that you take particular care when going past the barrier near Basil Gardens as people reverse their vehicles in this area. Likewise, Elder Road is a very busy road with a bus stop nearby. Please ensure that you cross Elder Road safely. We ask our children who walk home alone to cross the road at the crossing or to ensure that the road is completely clear before crossing. If they see adults running across the road, they may think it is acceptable for them to do the same. Please stay safe and lead by example.
Breakfast Club
Breakfast club will continue to be available to be via invitation only. We will inform parents when we are able to accommodate more children. This is to ensure that pupils can remain in their class bubbles whilst at the club.
After School provision
Pupils who have booked online to attend the after school provision with Premier Education will join them at either 2.45pm/3pm. If you wish your child to attend the after school club, please contact them directly as a form needs to be completed in advance of attendance. Payment will also need to be made to them directly.
https://www.premier-education.com/parents/venue/courses/16992-649646/?school=SE27%200DZ
For the autumn term, there will be no other after school activities taking place.
Attendance
All pupils are expected to be in school every day, on time.
The school has a very clear plan about the management of a child or staff member displaying symptoms of COVID and the implications for the school, staff, pupils and premises. This has been developed in line with Public Health England (PHE) and Government guidance.
If your child shows any symptoms of Covid-19 (a new, continuous cough or a high temperature or a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell) do not send them to school. You should arrange a test online. You must notify the school if the test is positive.
If you develop these symptoms, however mild, or you have received a positive coronavirus test result, then you should immediately self-isolate and stay at home for at least 10 days from when your symptoms started. Members of your household, including siblings, should self-isolate for 14 days from when the symptomatic person first had symptoms.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
If your child has a cold, they will still be expected to be in school.
If your child has diarrhoea, sickness or chickenpox etc, they should not be in school.
Please ensure that your contact details are correct on Arbor so that we can contact you. If you are not allowed your mobile at work, please ensure that we have your work telephone number. Please update your details as necessary on Arbor.
The school will be working closely with the school nurse team and the Educational Welfare Officer to support pupils to attend school.
The usual safeguarding attendance procedure will be adhered to including contacting parents if a child is not in school without a reason and a referral to the Educational Welfare Officer if a child is missing education (absent for at least five days without parental contact) or attendance is a concern.
Please ensure that you contact the school, if your child is not in school. You need to ensure that you keep the school updated.
After half term, we will be writing to parents regarding any punctuality and attendance concerns. Attendance support meetings will also start to take place after the half term.
Communication
As parents are not permitted on the school premises at the moment, please either contact the school via Arbor, email or telephone. We would be grateful if you could use the admin email address and not individual staff email addresses.
If you are experiencing issues with logging into Arbor, it is usually because the email address we hold for you is incorrect or your password has expired. Please contact the office and a new link will be sent via email.
All copies of our letters are available on the school website, either under the news or Coronavirus tab. As well as communication from external parties; such as Public Health, top tips from the Educational Psychology (EP) Service.
Please do not use Class Dojo to contact the school office. Although the office uses Class Dojo to send general messages to parents, it is no longer monitored for individual messages for the office.
Free School Meals / School Dinners
- The Free School Meals voucher scheme will not be reinstated for the Autumn Half Term.
- If you have been receiving the Magic Breakfast deliveries to your house, these will continue for a little while longer, unless you notify Magic Breakfast or the office that you do not wish to continue receiving them.
- If your circumstances have changed and you believe that you are now entitled to free school meals, please visit https://pps.lgfl.org.uk/If you are eligible, the school will receive confirmation and you will not be required to pay for your child’s meals.
- If your child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 and you are eligible for free school meals, please complete the form as the school receives additional funding for pupils entitled to FSM.
- Pupils in Year 3, who are not entitled to free school meals, will need to pay for meals as Universal Free School Meals are for pupils in Reception to Year 2.
- Meals will remain at £2.50 at this present time.
- Please ensure that the school is aware if you wish to change meal types. Some schools insist on a month or term’s notice. However we are happy for parents to change their meal types more frequently as long as the school is informed in writing, otherwise you will be charged for meals that are ordered on your behalf and for which the school pays for.
- School dinners should be paid via Arbor (we no longer use SIMSPay).
- Please contact the school office if you are experiencing difficulties with dinner payments.
- We recently sent out information regarding special dietary needs, please ensure that you complete the forms if this is applicable for your child. Otherwise, your child will need to be provided with a packed lunch.
- Packed lunch should consist of a healthy lunch and therefore no crisps, chocolate or any products with nuts. Please be mindful when giving your child grapes, especially young children who could choke on something so small.
Medication in School
As per our policy, the school only administer prescribed medication. The medication must have the pupil’s name and medication usage information.
For the school to give the medication, parents need to complete a medication form. Please ask at the office.
As per our recent communication, if you are aware of anyone using an Emerade Adrenaline Auto-injector, please ask them to contact their doctor to get a replacement Brand of adrenaline pen.
Educational Visits and school journey
No educational visits are planned for after half term.
We have written to parents regarding the cancellation of the school journey for pupils now in Year 6. Please ensure that you have responded so that we can get those refund payments out to parents. The cancellation was due to the expense of arranging a new date after SATs.
We are planning that pupils in Year 5 will be participating in a school journey in May 2020. We will write to parents shortly.
Clothing
Children should wear their uniform. On days when they have PE, they should wear their PE Kits. The expectation is that your child will wear the school approved kit as outlined in our uniform policy. Please ensure that all items of your child’s clothing is labelled.
School Photographs
Individual and siblings photographs will be taken on Thursday 5th November. The expectation is that your child will wear the school uniform including school shoes. Parents should ensure that their children have their jumpers, blazers (with the exception of pupils in Year R for whom it is not a requirement) and ties. The school will not be able to loan items of clothing at this time.
Secondary School Transfer Deadline
The closing date for secondary school transfer forms to be completed is Saturday 31st October. Having checked the school application log this morning, we can see that 18 parents have submitted their applications. It is vital that you apply via www.eadmissions.org.uk by 31st October and also submit the individual school’s supplementary information forms by their closing dates.
Primary School Applications for September 2021
Due to the current Covid-19 situation it is important that we do everything we can to keep everyone safe, this means that we need to minimise the number of visitors coming into school. Consequently, we regret that we are unable to operate new intake events for prospective parents in the same way as we have in previous years. We are currently preparing a digital presentation and virtual tour of our school for prospective parents with a focus on our wonderful foundation stage team and incredible indoor and outdoor play and learning areas. Alternatively, for new prospective parents who would like to tour the school themselves, this can be arranged after school in single family groups.
Lambeth’s primary school booklet is available from the school office. If you would like a copy, please telephone the school office to arrange a collection.
Pupils start school the year that they turn five years of age. Therefore, pupils starting primary school in September 2021 were born between 1st September 2016 and 31st August 2017. Parents need to apply via www.eadmissions.org.uk and the closing date is 15th January 2021.
If you apply for a church place, you will also need to complete our supplementary information form and clergy form, which will need to be returned to the school by 15th January 2021. This is available on the school website or from the office.
Primary School Applications for September 2022
We will shortly be writing to parents and carers to consult on our 2022/2023 admission arrangements. We will be amending our policy in reference to the consideration of being a faithful and regular worshipper. This will allow your Minister to determine whether or not there were consistently unavoidable circumstances for preventing parents and carers from attending worship.
Parent Governor
We will shortly be writing to parents and carers regarding the election for two parent governors. One parent governor would commence their term after the election and the other to start in January 2021. The letter will detail the role of a parent governor and the election process. Once we have read the letter and you would like to speak to Mrs Zeronian-Dalley or Mrs Bryan-Whyte regarding the role, please let us know.
During the half term break, I hope learners have a well-earned rest and that they return to school fit and healthy. With this in mind please can I urge parents to follow government guidance in minimising the risks to your child. As always, thank you for your continued support.
We look forward to welcoming our learners back into school on Tuesday 3rd November 2020.
Best Wishes,
Mrs Nicky Zeronian-Dalley
Executive Headteacher
