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School will close for the summer holidays on Friday 17th July.
We will return to school on Wednesday 2nd September.
What will school look like?
We are just finalising arrangements for this based on the government guidance we received. We plan to share this with you all at the beginning of next week.
What I can say is, based on the government guidance in order to be COVID secure, there will be some form of staggered starts and finishes, parents/carers will not be permitted into the building (at least for the first half term) and we will do five full days in school (unless your child is in Nursery or Reception and you will already have information about their staggered starts/start date).
Further details will follow next week once we are certain they will work for everyone involved, both from a safety and a practicality point of view.
Breakfast Club and Afterschool Club
Government guidance is clear that we need to keep children in consistent groups and not mix them as much as possible to prevent potential spread of the virus. This means that running our Breakfast Club in the hall will not be possible, at least for the first half term, and running our Afterschool Club as we have done will also be very tricky.
We do want to support families and find a way to make this work for everyone.
Breakfast Club - we anticipate being able to allow all children to start to come into school, into their classes, from 8:30. However, should you need your child to come to school between 8-8:15 for work purposes only, you will need to request a place.
Afterschool Club - for at least the first half term this will only be available for working parents/carers as numbers will need to be kept at a minimum. Again you would need to request a place.
Requesting a place at 8-8:15 Breakfast Club or Afterschool Club (or both) - please email school office@fordleyprimary.org.uk to request days and times. This must be done by Monday 13th July. If we do not have a request by that date, we will not allocate you a place.
If you have accessed Afterschool Provision before, we will be emailing you directly too.
Please note there is a charge for Afterschool Club as normal.
Final Information about September
This will be shared at the beginning of next week and should hopefully answer all your questions.
Thank you all for your support throughout this challenging time, and as we enter a 'new normal' in September. School will eventually return to normal but we have to make the changes needed to keep your children and your family, and my school team and their families as safe as we possibly can.
Tomorrow is delivery day! All reports will be hand delivered (keep an eye out for our team and give us a wave) or sent home with your child if they are in school. In the envelope you should find:
Please return questionnaires and feedback forms in the stamped addressed envelope provided. Your child’s new class teacher will be in contact next week (date is on your letter) to answer any of your questions.
Although we are currently still waiting for final guidance from the government as to what September should look like in schools, there is one thing that is coming across loud and clear - all children will be returning to school! We cannot wait!!
We know you will have lots of questions around how it might look but until we receive the official guidance from the government (hopefully this week) we aren't able to share any finer details with you. Rest assured, we have been working on plans as we fully understand how unsettling it is for everyone not knowing.
If you have a specific question you would like to ask linked to your own circumstances, please email office@fordleyprimary.org.uk and someone will be in touch as soon as possible.
If you have applied for a Nursery place, Mrs McArdle will be in touch with you directly. We are just sorting out the final details.
I thank you for your patience throughout this. It is not ideal for any school to have to wait until the last minute for government guidance but these are unusual and challenging times and, as always, we will make it work for our Fordley Family.
Kind regards
Mrs C.L. Withers
Headteacher
School Reports
We are currently packing up your child's school report ready for delivery. We will be delivering them by hand to your home address (where possible) or giving them to your child to bring home if they are in school. This will take us a few days but all children should have their school report by next Wednesday (8th July) at the latest.
In the envelope you will find:
New Class Information
At this time of year we are normally planning for your child to spend three transition days with their new class teacher, starting their new topic and getting to know their new classroom and class mates.
However, COVID-19 has made this impossible. At Fordley we like to take a problem and turn it into a positive so we have changed our plans and found a different way of helping to prepare your child for their new class and year group.
As mentioned above, included with the school report is something for your child to complete (with your help if needed) and return to us (in the stamped addressed envelope). There is also a brief questionnaire for you too (please also put this in the envelope). We would be very grateful if you could complete these and return to us by Friday 10th July as they will help your child’s new class teacher to be prepared when they give you a ring the following week.
Will the teaching staff move year groups in September?
For this upcoming year there is no change in the teachers and their allocated year groups. This is to ensure the smoothest transition possible for your child when they return, as they will be joining a teacher who is extremely knowledgeable about their year group.
How will school know what to teach my child next?
Your child’s previous class teacher knew exactly where your child was in their education when lock down began, and this information has been shared with their new class teacher. However, we are very aware that some children may need to go back over previous learning before moving on and some children may be more than ready to take their next steps. We will be restructuring our school day to allow for shorter, sharper learning opportunities initially and time to identify the gaps in children’s learning so that we can provide them with the support they need to regain their confidence in their learning and build secure knowledge and skills (we do not like the term ‘catch up’ as learning is not a race).
My child would like to say goodbye to their current class teacher, how do we do this?
There is someone at the front door of the school every day between 11am and 12:30pm. We can release your child’s current teacher from their bubble to come and say hi, any day from 6th July. If that time isn’t suitable, please send us an email to office@fordleyprimary.org.uk and we will try to arrange something different for you.
Please do not feel there is an expectation to come along to school if you are not able to, nor is there an expectation to bring a present for any member of staff. We are just always happy to see the lovely faces of our Fordley children and families, and have a chat.
Who will be my child’s new class teacher?
This information will be included with your child's report letter.
Instead of the normal meetings in September (as we will not be able to hold these in school), your child’s new class teacher/s will be ringing you on the date stated on the letter included with their school report.
This phone call will be an opportunity for you and your child to ask any questions and for your child’s new teacher to say a little about the autumn term and the upcoming topic.
If you have changed your number recently, please email the school address office@fordleyprimary.org.uk with your new number as we do not want to miss any child and family out.
As always, if you have any concerns or queries please give us a shout.
Yours sincerely
Mrs C.L. Withers
Headteacher