Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Home Learning (week 2)

  Mon 30 Mar 2020

  This week’s home learning is on the school website and/or Google Classroom:

  
  Bluebirds (EYFS): hard copy sent home with the children last week. A copy is also uploaded onto their class page on the school website. A timetable of learning is also on their class page.

  
  Eagles (Y1/2): A copy uploaded onto their class page on the school website.

  Falcons (Y2/3): A copy uploaded onto their class page on the school website and uploaded to Google Classroom.

  
  Ospreys (Y4): Home learning document has been uploaded to ‘Google Classroom.’
  
  Sparrows (Y5): Home learning document has been uploaded to ‘Google Classroom.’
  
  Wagtails (Y6): A copy is also uploaded onto their class page on the school website. The children will also be expected to log into Google Classroom.

  
  The class pages also have various weblinks pertinent to the children’s age group and learning; check in with the Claypole Learning Padlet too (a link is also available on our website...menu-children-home learning):

   

  https://padlet.com/esilby/519lw4ta5ubq

   

  Thank you to everyone who has kept in touch, shared their learning and reached out to each other.
   

  If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

  Best wishes - stay safe.

• PM’s form measures

  Mon 23 Mar 2020

  After the Prime Minister’s announcement this evening in relation to new, firmer measures about staying at home, I have taken the difficult decision to cut my staff team even further on site from now on.

   

  The pressures placed on schools to stay open for the children of key workers is in direct conflict with the new advice this evening and leaves me between a rock and a hard place when making decisions as to how to operate in real time.

   

  As a result, unless absolutely vital and unavoidable, we will not be able to take pupils from now on. We will remain open but on the most minimal staffing model I can allow for health and safety reasons and for only the most essential key worker roles. If you are unsure how this affects you, please email the office ASAP: adminoffice@claypoleprimary.org

   

  I am sorry that I have had to take this decision, but I have a duty of care to my staff team, as well as my young people.

   

  There will be minimal class activities tomorrow and a skeleton team. If the team are slower dealing with your enquiry this will be the reason.

   

  As the spread of the virus accelerates and we face even more acute pressures as a society, I implore you to stay at home and support one another in doing so.

   

  We will have many difficulties to face together in the coming days and weeks. The landscape will, no doubt, change many times and rapidly. Consequently, I hope you will appreciate my reasoning on this matter.

   

  I wish you all the very best as we enter a new phase of this pandemic. Best wishes - stay safe.

• Prime Minister Update

  Mon 23 Mar 2020

  The announcement by the Prime Minister has launched the next phase of managing Covid19 which has placed a significant number of restrictions on a number of activities. 

   

  The announcement did not specifically talk about the recent introduction of childcare in schools.  However, due to the critical nature of supporting vulnerable children and key workers critically responding to the virus; our understanding is that DfE expects provision to continue as established.  We will endeavour to keep you updated.

   

  Best wishes - stay safe.

• Reaching Out

  Mon 23 Mar 2020

  Hope you're all keeping well and safe. Please feel free to keep us all updated as to how/what the children are learning & doing - we'd love to see and hear from you (don't feel like you have to - I understand you're busy).

   

  There will be a reduced admin team on duty in the coming weeks so please bear with us. Office in-house hours are 8:30-9:30 & 2:30-3:30 Monday - Friday. Between these hours, you're welcome to call. Outside these hours, please contact us via email; we'll endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible.

• Attendance - only if absolutely necessary

  Mon 23 Mar 2020

  COVID-19: school attendance if you absolutely need to attend

   

  The Coronavirus outbreak is the biggest public health emergency in a generation. It calls for decisive action of the kind not normally seen in peacetime. This is why Central and Local Government together with schools are doing everything we can to tackle the pandemic and mitigate its impact. Communities across the country will need to come together to help. The overriding objective is to save lives, protect the vulnerable and support the NHS so it can help those who need it the most.

   

  The Government is asking parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, but they are also asking schools to remain open for those children who absolutely need to attend.

   

  It is important to underline that schools remain safe places for children. But the fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society. We are, therefore, being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children - children who are vulnerable and children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home.

   

  The national rules on self-isolation for those with symptoms or those who fall into a vulnerable health category apply to education staff as well as to pupils so we are aware that schools will not have their usual compliment of staff available. We are endeavouring to meet these challenges in the best possible way and they are having to incorporate the changing information, advice and guidance that is coming from central government as quickly as possible.

   

  If your child[ren] can be kept at home to protect them from the virus please do so.

  Please, therefore, follow these key principles:

  1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be;
  2. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them;
  3. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions;
  4. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. This includes using multiple settings for child care.
     Parents should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
      
     If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response and one of the critical sectors listed above, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your children will be prioritised for school-setting provision.  Please remember, the school setting is the final option for care, not the first. 
      
     These actions are to protect and safeguard everyone, socially distancing ourselves from the harmful virus and a means to reduce its spread. It’s vital we comply with these instructions given to us by the Prime Minster for the safety and protection of everyone. 
      
     These are difficult times for all of us and working together to keep people and children safe is our priority. The situation is changing by the hour and whilst the staff at our school will do all they possibly can to make available provision for targeted groups, it may not be safe to accommodate every key worker’s child or children in coming days as between now and then it is likely that more school staff will need to self-isolate and/or may become ill. Please be prepared to support your school community by ensuring the most critical key workers on the coming days are able to work and these groups are likely to be those in the medical or social care professions and those delivering food.

   

  Best wishes,

  Martyn Wells

• Home Learning

  Sun 22 Mar 2020

  Where to find the home learning:
  Bluebirds (EYFS): hard copy sent home with the children. A copy is also uploaded onto their class page on the school website. A timetable of learning is also on their class page.

  
  Eagles (Y1/2): A copy is also uploaded onto their class page on the school website. Falcons (Y2/3): A copy is also uploaded onto their class page on the school website.

  
  Ospreys (Y4): Home learning document has been uploaded to ‘Google Classroom.’ The children have been sent home their gmail account information.
  
  Sparrows (Y5): Home learning document has been uploaded to ‘Google Classroom.’ The children have been sent home their gmail account information.
  
  Wagtails (Y6): A copy is also uploaded onto their class page on the school website. The children will also be expected to log into Google Classroom (they were sent home their gmail accounts).

  
  The class pages also have various weblinks pertinent to the children’s age group and learning.
   

  The ‘curriculum’ page also has lots of hyperlinks to various online learning.

• Am I a ‘critical worker’ in the COVID-19 response?

  Sun 22 Mar 2020
  

• Phonics (live)

  Sun 22 Mar 2020

  From Monday 23rd March, Read Write Inc have scheduled phonic lessons on Facebook & Youtube for children to watch at home - these are streamed live & won’t be available at any other time. These times are:

   

  Set 1 Sounds: 9:30 and again 12:30

  Set 2 Sounds: 10:00 and again 13:00

  Set 3 Sounds: 10:30 and again 13:30

   

  https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCo7fbLgY2oA_cFCIg9GdxtQ 

  
  PhonicsPlay is also free during school closures - no subscription required. To access the resources, all you need are the following details:

   

  www.phonicsplay.co.uk

  Username: march20

  Password: home

• Key Workers?

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

  The Government has instructed that, after this week, it is asking schools to open to provide care for children of key workers and vulnerable children – schools are being asked to help as part of a national response.

   

  This is a very different type of provision than schools usually provide; for these pupils, it will be about care, not education. This is about keeping children safe and allowing key workers to go to work and care for the sick, or to keep food supply chains moving. All expectations regarding educational provision have been lifted. Schools that provide this care will be free to determine what the provision looks like and what they deem to be best for the pupils they are supporting.

   

  It remains the case that if a school does not have enough staff to care for pupils safely (even based on the new ‘reduced provision’ approach) then, subject to a risk assessment and consultation with the chair of governors, a full or partial closure may be necessary. We will need to keep this decision under daily review.

   

  The highest priority will be for families where both parents are keyworkers or where a sole parent is a key worker. The school setting is the final option for care, not the first. 

   

  Health and social care

  Frontline health and social care staff such as doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, as well as support and specialist staff in the health and social care sector. In addition it includes those working in supply chains including producers and distributors of medicines and personal protective equipment.

   

  Education and childcare

  Nursery, teaching staff and social workers.

   

  Key public services

  Those required to run the justice system, religious staff, as well as those responsible for managing the deceased, and journalists providing public service broadcasting.

   

  Local and national government

  Administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response or delivering essential public services, including payment of benefits.

   

  Food Production & Distribution 

  Those involved in the production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery of food.

   

  Public safety and national security

  Police, Ministry of Defence, armed forces personnel, fire and rescue staff, and those responsible for border security, prisons and probation.

   

  Transport

  Those who will keep air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response.

   

  Utilities, communication and financial services

  Staff required to keep oil, gas, electricity, water and sewerage operations running. Staff in the civil nuclear, chemical and telecommunications sectors. Those in postal services and those working to provide essential financial services.

   

  Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home and it’s critical for every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.

   

  Please, therefore, follow these key principles:

  1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
  2. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
  3. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
  4. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.

   

  If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response and one of the critical sectors listed above, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your children will be prioritised for school-setting provision. 

   

  Please remember, the school setting is the final option for care, not the first. 

   

  These actions are to protect and safeguard everyone, socially distancing ourselves from the harmful virus and a means to reduce its spread. It’s vital we comply with these instructions given to us by the Prime Minster for the safety and protection of everyone. 

   

  Please contact us as soon as possible if you think this applies to you and intend to send your child to school so that we can plan to staff this provision for Monday. Please give us as much notice as possible in order for us to do this as the size of the task is significant in such unprecedented conditions. Please note, we will be unable to staff this skeleton service for any parents not in the specific groups as identified by the Government. In addition, if we do not hear from you, we will assume you may not require this service and will plan accordingly.

   

  I would be grateful if you would continue to keep up to date with the Public Health England guidance on Coronavirus via the website below, which is currently being updated daily:

  https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response 

   

  As usual, I will keep you updated on developments via our website, ParentMail & Twitter: I will also ensure that our social media channels are updated accordingly. 
   

  I will stay in touch with you as I have promised until such time as I also self-isolate. In the meantime, stay safe, stay in touch and go well.

• School Closure: updates & plans

  Thu 19 Mar 2020

  Firstly, thank you for your overwhelming support at this difficult time. I have been bowled over by the outpouring of community spirit and positivity we have been shown. Please excuse the length of this as I try to capture every development in one place.

   

  For tomorrow, school remains open. From Monday, I have staffed a skeleton service to ensure that all children of key workers can send their children to school. I’m assured clarification of key workers will be sent to schools tomorrow.

   

  Work will be set in a ‘week-block’ and will be sent home via ParentMail, uploaded to the website (on the class pages & the ‘Home Learning’ page). The work will be a mixture of academia, creativity, physical activity & mindfulness. This allows families the flexibility to organise the children’s learning around their lives. Reminders will also be sent via Twitter too.

   

  Since the announcement about the cancellation of the examination period (this includes phonics, KS1 & KS2 SATs and Y4 Multiplication Test), we expect to be asked for evidence relating to the awarding of grades - please continue to focus on such areas of key learning; it’s going to be really important for the children to have these firm foundation skills when we return together.

   

  Additionally, for those who do not have home internet access, we have sent home hard copies of packs of work.

   

  For pupils eligible for Free School Meals (NOT Universal Infant Free School Meals), we need to know by 4pm on Friday if your child will require lunch provision. In the absence of a national answer to this at this time we are planning to ensure we meet need but want to be clear on the numbers we are serving - this might mean a lunch package being prepared for pick-up from school at 12pm.

   

  From Monday 23rd March we will have a skeleton staff in place and, as mentioned, the school will be open for children of key workers only. We await clarification as to who is a key worker (and whether this applies to one parent or both parents). These pupils should all enter the school through main reception in full uniform at the normal time and register in a designated classroom. School opening hours will be 8:45 - 3:30 Monday to Friday. Lunch will not be provided unless they are in receipt of Free School Meals (this is not the same as Universal Infant Free School Meals).

   

  Please contact us as soon as possible if you think this applies to you and intend to send your child to school so that we can plan to staff this provision. Please give us as much notice as possible in order for us to do this as the size of the task is significant in such unprecedented conditions. Please note, we will be unable to staff this skeleton service for any parents not in the specific groups as identified by the Government (tba). In addition, if we do not hear from you, we will assume you may not require this service and will plan accordingly.

   

  A reminder, you are asked where possible, to ensure that you keep your children at home. We have already received correspondences from some parents falsely claiming they are key workers and/or that they have no other means of childcare. Yesterday’s announcement are strict instructions from the Government, not soft advice… it is to protect and safeguard everyone, socially distancing ourselves from the harmful virus and a means to reduce its spread. It’s vital we comply to these instructions given to us by the Prime Minster for the safety and protection of everyone. 

   

  There will be a reduced admin team on duty from next week so please bear with us if we are a little slower getting to the phone. It may be quicker to email school: adminoffice@claypoleprimary.org 

   

  I would be grateful if you would continue to keep up to date with the Public Health England guidance on Coronavirus via the website below, which is currently being updated daily:

  https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response 

   

  As usual, I will keep you updated on developments via our website, ParentMail & Twitter: I will also ensure that our social media channels are updated accordingly. 

   

  As we mobilise as a society to provide the largest peace time war effort in order to protect our most vulnerable from this virus, I feel that we cannot close our doors and not redirect our efforts to support those most in need. If you feel you know of any local residents who would benefit from this service we want to hear from you please via the email or on the usual phone number. 

   

  If you have any questions with regard to whole school arrangements, please email:

  adminoffice@claypoleprimary.org 

   

  Finally, I have been amazed by the good humour, resilience and indefatigability of the Claypole team. In asking for willing volunteers to help me remain open next week, all have stepped up! To say I am proud of them is an understatement.

   

  I hope that, as we navigate uncertain times together, our mission and beliefs are coming across to you that we are so much more than a school. We will not let our community and its residents down and will fight tooth and nail to protect our own, strengthen our community and save lives.

  I will stay in touch with you as I have promised until such time as I also self-isolate. In the meantime, stay safe, stay in touch and go well.

   

  Very best wishes,

  Martyn Wells