16th July 2021Paul Conway

Dear Parents/Carers, 

 

As we approach the end of our academic year, we would like to thank you all for your love, kindness and commitment to school in what has been another challenging year.  

 

Our children are a credit to you all and have shown such resilience in their learning journey.  We also appreciate the juggling you as parents have faced when we have had enforced periods of home-schooling. Finally, a massive thank you to our staff – your words of support have kept us going this year!  Like many of our families, several staff members have experienced personal tragedies in the last year and despite this they have continued to commit themselves fully to your children and our school. We really are one family at St Bernadette’s and we walk hand in hand though good times and bad.  

 

Goodbye

Goodbye to our wonderfully unique Year 6.  You have ensured a strange last 18 months but have shown such resilience and determination.  We know you are ready academically, spiritually and morally to make a great impact on the world.  Good luck with secondary school and keep in touch! Once a St Bernadette’s child, always a St Bernadette’s child. 

We send our love and very best wishes to Mrs. Davies as she retires today. Mrs. Davies has been a huge part of school life for 21 years. We wish her the very best in her retirement.

 

ParentPay

  • Please could all parents check their ParentPay accounts are cleared in full (dinner monies and Schools In/Out).
  • Payments for the Summer parties may still be made on ParentPay (if you have not yet contributed).
  • PTA contributions for merchandise may also be made via ParentPay.
  • From September – all dinner monies must be paid in advance.

 

Teaching staff 21-22

Teaching staff for next year is as follows:     

  • Nursery – Mrs Whitfield 
  • Reception – Mrs Pennick

*Mrs Andrews will teach in EYFS on her 2 days in school

  • Year 1 – Miss Simpson
  • Year 2 – Mrs Smith
  • Year 3 – Miss Lumley
  • Year 4 – Mr Lynn  
  • Year 5 – Miss Cuff
  • Year 6 – Mr Bourner 

 

Attendance 

 

  • It is vital that children are in school each day to maintain strides made in their educational progress, wellbeing and wider development.
  • It is the expectation that parents will avoid a holiday in term-time as this will cause further disruption to their child’s education. Holidays in term-time must be in writing to the Headteacher using the appropriate leave of absence form.  
  • Term time dates for 2021-22  https://stbernadettes.npcat.org.uk/term-dates/
  • The guidance remains that staff and children who are symptomatic must not attend school unless they have a negative PCR test (main symptoms of coronavirus remain a high temperature; a new, continuous cough and/or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste).  Anyone with a positive test must also self-isolate. This remains a legal duty after 19 July. Schools must retain procedures for dealing with suspected cases as they did prior to 19 July, including immediate isolation. School will no longer trace close contacts – close contacts will still be identified via NHS Test and Trace.
  • If your child/children cannot attend school for covid related absences, school will provide remote education for your child. 

 

No more staggered start and end times

  • From September all children should be dropped off at school between 8.30-8.40am.  Registration and lessons will begin from 8.40am so the gates will be closed at this point and children will be marked as late if arriving after 8.40am.  It is vital children arrive on time so they do not miss out on vital learning from 8.40am.
  • Parents should continue to drop off children at the side gate on entry (8.30-8.40am).Staff members will be on the gate to welcome your children and supervise their access into school. 
  • On collection – 3pm for ALL pupils, parents will collect from set areas around the perimeter of school.  Please collect the oldest children first and proceed to younger siblings exit points.  Please note Nursery children can be collected from 3-3.15pm. 
  • Children must be collected by a designated adult and children are only permitted to walk to/from school alone with permission.  If you are collecting another child you must inform the school office. 
  • Lines on our playground/paths will remain as a reminder to distance from each other. 
  • Face masks are advisory for parents on drop off and collection but will not be compulsory. 
  • Parents/children are encouraged to walk/cycle/scoot to school. 

 

 Organisation of Children in school 

 

  • From 19 July, the requirement to keep pupils in bubbles ceases, meaning that the guidance permits pupils to mix freely in schools, and that large gatherings such as assemblies can resume. ‘Bubbling’ may be reintroduced in the case of local outbreaks.
  • Children will continue to remain with their class ‘bubbles’ for large parts of the school day but we are really looking forward to sharing whole school / mixed group experiences in person again. 
  • Children will return to normal seating arrangements as appropriate to their stage of learning.
  • Pupils will continue to use their own toilet areas and regular hand washing will continue.

Break times and lunch times 

 

  • Some breaks and lunch times may still be staggered however larger groups will be allowed to be inside the hall and play outside together. 
  • Each class will once again eat school meals in the hall.  
  • The children can choose daily from the 3 week menu (attached)  
  • Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children are entitled to a free school meal under the universal free school meals offer.   Normal charges will apply to all other year groups (£2.20).  Please inform us if your child is having a home packed lunch.  

Please view the link for our new school menu https://stbernadettes.npcat.org.uk/lunch-menu/

 

Homework

  • Homework will continue to be provided weekly via Google classroom.  It is essential all children know how to access learning from home if required for homework and in the event of enforced isolation.  

 

Use of Equipment 

  • All children will use school stationary with the exception that they may bring in and leave their own glue sticks/ coloured pencils if they want(no felt tips/Sharpies allowed).   
  • All materials, surfaces and areas will continue to be cleaned and disinfected frequently.

Uniform and items from Home 

  • Our normal standards and expectations will be expected for behaviour and work, therefore all children are asked to wear full school uniform each day, inclusive of school tie and black shoes.  Trainers will only be permitted on PE days.  
  • On PE days (Reception to Year 6) children will be expected to wear purple hoodies, house colour tops, plain blue shorts and trainers.  No branded clothing is allowed.  We have been so pleased with how you have embraced this change this year – the children look smart as carrots!   We will inform you of PE days in September.  
  • If anyone needs support with uniform orders please contact the school office.

Uniform orders can be placed via the school website https://www.motif8.co.uk/schoolwear/primary-schools/st-bernadette-s-primary.html

    • Children should bring limited items to school other than reading books, coats, sun hats and water bottles. Sun cream should be applied before arriving.  (still WATER only- no juice allowed / books/ lottos will be changed twice weekly.
    •   Sun cream should be applied before arriving.

 

Contact with School 

  • All contact with school should be via telephone and email. 
  • In recent weeks a number of staff have been receiving emails from parents after 6pm. Please can we respectfully ask that from now on any queries beyond working hours be directed to our school enquires email ([email protected] ) or in an the event of emergency then use Mr Conway’s email [email protected] 
  • Please ensure that we have your most up to date contact details and that you are able to be contacted throughout the day. 

 

Wraparound care

  • Our Schools In and Out service will be open from Thursday 2nd September (7.45am-5.30pm).   
  • Schools In children will access school through the main office entrance and be registered on entry. Children in School’s In will be taken from the hall to class from 8.30am.  
  • Children remaining in school after 3pm will be taken to School’s Out by their teachers. On collection, parents should ring the bell and wait for their child in the holding bay in the office or outside. 
  • Currently charges are applied as follows:
    SCHOOL’S IN:   7.45am-8.40am £4  and   8.20am -8.40am £2  
  • SCHOOL’S OUT:  3pm-5.30pm   –    £4 per hour / £2 per half hour 

 

Precautions 

 

We will continue to take precautions in line with DFE guidance such as:

  • a thorough and deep clean of the whole school prior to the return of all children
  • enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces more often
  • ensuring everyone at school continues to clean their hands regularly – this will be both hand soap and hand sanitiser (please inform school if you do not want your child to use alcohol based sanitiser) 
  • ensuring good respiratory hygiene, by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach
  • regular opportunities for outdoor development and good ventilation to minimise risk of spread 
  • generally staff will not wear PPE unless necessary for personal or intimate care.   

 

 

And finally,

 

As a school, we will continue to do all we can to minimise risk and operate a safe learning environment but please be prepared for changes as we assess the impact of these changes in September and as guidance changes. We hope this long and detailed letter provides you with the information you need to prepare yourselves and your children for September.  

In the meantime, have a wonderful summer holiday, remember our Reading and Times tables challenge and we look forward to welcoming you back from Thursday 2nd September.  

If you need any further guidance or information please do not hesitate to make contact.  

 

With thanks for your support, 

Mr P Conway (Headteacher) and Miss S Brady (Head of School)