Dear Parents/Carers,

We are delighted to welcome all children back to school. They have settled into class really well and are already enjoying lesson times.

It was lovely to speak to so many parents today.

The staggered start proved tricky for many parents, so as a result we have reviewed our entry and exit system and made the  following changes with immediate effect.

We will be operating a strict one way system for ‘pick up’ and ‘drop off’ times around the outside of school. This will be clearly marked and staffed. As you follow the one way system, please drop off children in the order as you walk around.

Where possible, please can only one parent/carer accompany children onto site. We hope that many children in Years 4, 5 and 6 will walk onto site independently.

Nursery will open at the normal time of 8.30 am and all other classes will be open from 8.40 am.  Classroom doors will open at 8.40 am and close at 9 am at which point the register will be taken.

We are trying to reduce the volume of parents on site at any one time – please do not arrive at school too early as this puts strain on our capacity.  If you are waiting at any point, please use the space available on the playground and socially distance.

We will continue to review our entry / exit systems on a daily basis.

Thank you for all of your support and understanding during these testing times.

Miss Cook

Headteacher

We are delighted to be able to offer Breakfast Club provision for our working parents.

Children will be grouped according to year groups with Covid 19 prevention  routines and procedures all in place.

Timings:

7.30 a.m- 7.45 a.m drop off-  £2.50

7.45 a.m- 8.40 a.m drop off-  £2.00

Drop off:

The children will enter through the main school entrance. Parents are not permitted in school. Please exercise social distancing at all times. Please do not arrive early and where it is safe to do so, let your child/children come up to school independently.

Food offer:

We will not be serving ‘wet’ food eg cereal or beans on toast. Instead we will be serving items such as brioche, toast and shop bought pancakes.

We will be using disposable plates and cups to begin with.

Booking:

You need to be registered for our Breakfast Club but at this time we are not requiring a booking system, so you can use it as and when you need it. This may change over time.

We have worked very hard to be able to keep this invaluable provision operational (many schools have been unable to do this) as we appreciate how important it is for our working parents.

We hope this gives you some reassurance as we move into the Summer holidays.

Miss Cook

Headteacher

Dear Parents/ Carers

This is a message for parents about school attendance from September 2020.

Telford & Wrekin Council are working in partnership with all schools across the Borough to welcome all children back to school in September following several very difficult months for parents, children and schools. We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to parents for the work you have done in ensuring your child/ren have received education during this period.  We have heard of many cases of parents often in very difficult circumstances who have done their very best to support their child’s learning whilst schools have been closed to most pupils.

Some children have been fortunate to have attended school during the lockdown. This may have been because they are the children of critical workers or are vulnerable children, or because they are in the year groups which began a phased return from 1^st June.

We are sure parents are delighted that schools are re-opening to all pupils in September 2020 and children can return to their usual routines and benefit from and enjoy all that is on offer to them at school.

The government have pledged significant financial support following this unprecedented closure of schools, to allow schools to begin to address any gaps in learning for children. All children will benefit from this focused approach to teaching, particularly during the first term from September.

In March when the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was increasing, the government made it clear that no parent would be penalised or sanctioned for their child’s non-attendance at school as schools were then closed to all but those specific groups of pupils.

Now the circumstances have changed and the measures taken by the government have meant that children can safely return to school. It is vital for all children to return to school to minimise as far as possible the longer-term impact of the pandemic on their education, wellbeing and wider development.  We know that children have not only missed out on learning but also missed being with their friends and the wider social aspects of school.

Missing out on more time in the classroom risks pupils falling further behind. Those with higher levels of absence tend to achieve less well in both primary and secondary school. Therefore, the Department for Education have confirmed that school attendance is compulsory again from the beginning of September 2020 when schools re-open after the summer break.

This means from 1^st September 2020, the usual rules on school attendance apply, including:

• It is a parents’ duty to send their child to school regularly if they are of compulsory school age;
• It is schools’ responsibility to record attendance and follow up absence
• the local authority is able to resume the use of legal sanctions, including penalty notices and processes that may lead to prosecution in court for persistent absence.

If you have any concerns about your child returning to school when they re-open in September you should discuss your concerns with the school directly.  The school will be able to offer reassurance about the protective measures they have in place, and all schools work closely with health and other agencies who may also be able to help if needed.

In addition, the local authorities view is that it would not be advisable to take your child out of school for a family holiday or other term time leave once schools re-open, as your child could miss out on the focussed additional support for pupils to close the gap in learning missed during the period of lockdown. If any parents are considering taking their child out of school they must request the leave by following the schools ‘request for leave of absence’ procedure, allowing ample time for the Headteacher to consider if there are exceptional circumstances. The more regularly your child attends school, the more they will be able to benefit from teaching and catch up.  Any leave that is unauthorised by the school may lead to Penalty Notices being issued.

After so much disruption to your child/ren’s education over recent months, the most important thing is that schools and parents work together to get children back into school. The school is ready to listen so please contact them if you have any worries and they will try to help you.

We wish you and your child all the best for the coming academic year.

Telford & Wrekin Attendance Support Team