Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
-
Update
Fri 22 May 2020Dear Parents,
We hope you are all continuing to keep safe and well.
After finalising our planning and preparation for the school to reopen for EYFS, year 6 and year 1 groups from the 1st June we have been informed that Derbyshire Schools are delaying their opening till at least the 8th June.
As a school we felt ready to welcome our children back however our Trust has rightly determined that we cannot open without consensus at least across the county schools so we will abide by this decision.
We know this is disheartening and confusing but we are only able to react to the guidance as it happens-this was communicated to us this morning.
We will keep our plans for further groups to reopen and implement this when we are told to do so. Until that point we will continue to open for our allocated key workers.
As the Government has suggested it will give more information on the 28th May as to school's reopening, I ask that parents are patient with our planning process as we are responding as quickly and efficiently as we can at this time.
I have placed a letter from our CEO under the parent's tab.
Other news.
Next week is Whit week and therefore there will be no home learning set or zoom meetings taking place. If you have an enquiry please email me on headteacher@dovedale.derbyshire.sch.uk as I will check these throughout each day. Any urgent safeguarding issues should be done through dojo for an immediate response, the teachers are not required to respond to other dojos throughout this week.
Free School Meal vouchers
If you have been in receipt of these vouchers you will receive vouchers next week but these are for the week commencing the 1st June and not the half term holiday. We have been advised that the Government are no longer funding FSM vouchers over holiday periods.
Thank you for your continued support, take care.
-
Some questions answered
Wed 20 May 2020Good Morning,
Thank you for your patience as we develop our plans for opening. At the present time we are working with the guidelines. If however there is any change in these guidelines or timescales we will keep you informed. At all times we are working to make this a positive return but know that some parents do not feel it is appropriate at the current time to send their children in to school. There is no judgement on this as you need to do what is best for your child and your family circumstances at this time. We recognise that you are being asked to make decisions in circumstances which are unprecedented and so are we, but I do believe that by working together as a community we will make the right choices for our children.
Please find below some answers to the questions we received on the year EYFS, Year 6 and year 1 survey for your information. We are sharing this with the whole school community so that you all have some information even though this may not apply to your child just yet.
If you have a child in one of these year groups and have not completed the survey please do so in the next hour or we will assume you are not sending your child back at this time. Please ring the school if you have any further questions which need to be answered to support your decision.
- We will be operating a 1 way system around school and have markers on the floor to show distances required.
- Play times will be split with bubbles playing in set areas supervised by their teachers. Games will support social distancing.
- Teachers will allocate children to their bubbles in mixed groups (as usual). We will endeavour to keep siblings in the same weeks and accommodate friendship groupings as much as possible.
- Your child will stay in one bubble. Key worker children will remain in their own group and not in their class group unless you have chosen for them to attend on a 2 weekly basis instead.
- Children will be allowed to join their class group bubble at a later date. However we do not know what changes we may be required to make moving forward so cannot assume it will be the same rota or system that they will return to. This plan is for these year groups only.
- Your child's teacher will tell you which week your child is in and the drop off and pick up times.
- Drop off and pick up will be staggered between 8.30 and 3.30. Your allocated slot must be strictly adhered to and parents must socially distance at all times.
- Children will be expected to socially distance within their bubbles at all times as much as possible.
- Children will be sat at their own table throughout the week when in their classroom space with appropriate spacing.
- PPE will not be worn except for first aid. This is following guidance (See below).
- We will keep this rota the same regardless of numbers for the time being to support parent's decisions and reduce confusion as we believe it will need to change again at some point anyway.
- Twins will be in the same class bubble.
- Children will wear uniform but should wear trainers ( If any year 6 children have out grown their uniform please contact me).
- Children should bring their own named water bottle which will stay on their table all week.
- Packed lunches / snacks should be bought in a disposable bag.
- Staff will abide by social distance guidelines with adults and children.
- If at any time we receive evidence that a family is not adhering to the social distance guidance outside of school we may withdraw their child's place within school for the safety of all concerned.
This will be a very different space that the children are required to work within and you are best placed to decide if this is right for your child's well being. However it will not be a 'stark' environment and we will, as always make your child's time in school as happy and reassuring as possible.
Keep safe.
-
Checking in
Sun 17 May 2020Good afternoon all,
As always, we hope that you are keeping safe and well.
I am sure that after all the recent briefings and updates about potential school openings you have many questions as to how this will work.
We have worked this week to determine a strategy for the initial year groups to return to school following official guidance. Whist considering this guidance our main priority has been to keep the children and staff safe.
I hope as parents that you know we will do everything possible to make the return to school appropriate for our setting and recognise that the plans put in place will differ from school to school.
I must emphasise that following guidance we have created an initial plan for the phased return of reception, year 1 and year 6. As a school we have been informed that changes to the expectations of school's reopening may be announced by the government with up to 48 hours’ notice and as new guidance is released, we may make adaptations where needed.
I have placed a letter for reception, year 1 and year 6 groups under the 'Parents' tab on the website. This letter details our initial plan and further information will be given to these parents moving forward. We will also be asking parents for their initial response as to whether they will be sending their children back into school under these conditions.
We know that this is a difficult and confusing process and we will try to make it as straightforward as possible for you and your children.
Thank you for your continued support and positivity during this time.
Some official guidance for your information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/opening-schools-for-more-children-and-young-people-initial-planning-framework-for-schools-in-england -
Checking in
Tue 12 May 2020Good afternoon,
I hope you are all continuing to keep safe and well. We have been amazed by your continuing engagement and support for the school during this difficult time. I would just like to say again that we do not have an expectation on you to have become teachers in your own home. The teachers here are well aware through trying to teach their own children at home just how difficult this is! Do not hold yourself up to anyone else's expectations-we all have our own challenges to manage at this time. Yes we love sharing the children's pictures but we are just as happy to see them being kind as to completing their maths! Just seeing their faces makes our day!
I am sure their are lots of questions after Sunday's announcement with regard to the return to school. Rest assured that we are working to ensure that we can get the children back in to school as safely and sensibly as possible. The transition for this may look a little different with staggered start and finish times, different lunch arrangements and utilising different classroom spaces, but we will inform you of all this before the expected deadline. Your children's wellbeing is our primary concern and this is what we will base all our decisions on. I am sorry I cannot give you a clearer plan as of yet but hope you can appreciate that we need time now that we have been given a little direction with regard to timescale and year groups.
We realise that more people will be returning to work over the next few weeks but will continue to follow the guidance with regard to those children we have in school.
I will be sending out a questionnaire to get a little feedback with regard to how people are feeling about the proposed timescale for return to school as through this we can further inform our decisions. I know that some of you may be anxious or confused and we will of course take all of these factors into consideration. I will send a text once this is live.
If any families are struggling financially we can refer you to the food bank for support. Please email me at headteacher@dovedale.derbyshire.sch.uk - we know that many families have been impacted upon financially and would like to help wherever possible.
We are hopeful that we will soon have something resembling normality back in the not too distant future and I feel that as a community we are in a strong position to be able to make this work positively for our children.
Keep safe.
-
Checking in
Fri 01 May 2020Good Morning all,
I hope that you are continuing to keep well and manage your time in this difficult process. I must reiterate here that although we want the children's learning journeys to continue as best as can be expected we do know this can be very stressful whilst juggling all other pressures at this particular time. Be kind to yourselves.
As there are some movements towards a change in lockdown conditions I must make it very clear that the school will only be accepting the children of identified key workers until otherwise directed.
Although some of you may start to go back to work we will continue to follow guidance on the provision we are required to give and so alternative child care provision will need to be made unless we have previously identified you as a key worker and agreed to provide provision. Children must only be in school when absolutely necessary and this applies to key worker children also.
These measures are to keep the children-their key worker families and our staff safe whilst social distancing is still a requirement.
Starting next Friday I will be uploading a REACH assembly for the children. In this assembly I shall read out the certificates of nominated children.Children will be nominated by the Teachers or support staff for a range of things including work they have completed, activities they have engaged in or demonstrating our REACH values.
Next Friday is Bank holiday and there will therefore only be 4 days of work uploaded for the children.
Keep safe and well.