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

• School Admissions

  Mon 30 Nov 2020

  If your child, or a child you now, is due to start school for the first time in September 2021, now's the time to make an application. 

   

  When lockdown ends on Wednesday 2nd December we will be welcoming visits once more from prospective parents. Appointments can be booked by phoning the office on 01949860056

   

  The application round for reception and infant to junior/primary school is now open. Apply online and you can amend your application up to the closing date which is Friday 15 January 2021

   

  Apply for a school place | Nottinghamshire County Council

   

   

• Tier Restrictions

  Mon 30 Nov 2020

  As you are all aware, next week we are moving out of national lockdown and back into local tiers. Nottinghamshire falls under Tier 3 VERY HIGH risk level.

   

  It is extremely important that you read and understand how this change will impact on your daily life before it comes into effect.

   

  We are doing everything we can to follow current guidelines to minimise the risk of transmission in school and to keep our pupils, staff and families safe. This will only be effective if families are following the covid-rules at home and when they are out.

   

  Following the guidelines set out by the Government will help everyone stay safe. It will also help the NHS cope with the increased needs for hospital care and will protect the vulnerable. It will also save lives.

   

  Please help us to limit the impact of coronavirus this winter.

  

• Swimming Update

  Fri 27 Nov 2020

  Following the latest government announcement, we are pleased to be able to tell you that swimming will recommence for class 3 on Wednesday 9th December.

   

  As is usual, there is then no swimming in the final week of term but lessons resume the first Wednesday back after Christmas. 

• Hearts for Homes - Update

  Thu 19 Nov 2020

  We have seen some wonderful hearts that have been decorated by our children for this initiative.

   

  You were asked to find a care home to donate your decorated heart to. However, Steph Walker has very kindly offered to take the hearts to the care homes that her family run in Rutland - Oakhouse Care Home. The Walker boys normally go into the care home for the carol service and will be missed this year so your hearts will really add some cheer for them.

   

  If you wish to send your heart to Oakhouse, please hand it into the class teacher. The hearts will then be stored and quaratined before being taken by Steph. 

• School Day Timings - A Gentle Reminder

  Mon 16 Nov 2020

  School drop off is 8.40am (surnames A to J), 8.45am (surnames K to P) and 8.50am (surnames R to W). The gate is locked at 8.55am.

   

  School collection is 3.10pm (surnames A to J), 3.15pm (surnames K to P) and 3.20pm (surnames R to W).

   

  Good time keeping is imperative at the moment as we cannot have children loitering in communal areas after school to prevent children from multiple bubbles coming into contact.

   

  If you need a later collection time, then you must arrange childcare.  Parents who collect children more than 10 minutes after school ends may be charged for childcare as this is beyond class teachers' duties.

• School Jobs

  Mon 16 Nov 2020

  Normally, by this point of the year, we have established routines, with children playing a huge part in the day to day running of the school. For many years now children have taken on jobs and duties through our application process and contribute to our community through the roles they undertake. 

   

  These jobs are something else that Covid-19 has put an end to with children unable to mix across bubbles. 

   

  We have considered the jobs and roles though that are able to continue and would like children to apply for them. Unfortunately the jobs that younger children took on have had to be stopped though I know they are playing important roles in their own classrooms.

   

  Please have a look at the four jobs we have available and talk to your children about the role they would like to apply for and the one their skills would suit best. They will be sent home with an application form today which needs to be returned by Friday this week in order for them to be considered. 

   

  Job Title	Job Description	Skills Required	Age Range	Frequency of duties
  School Ambassadors	To plan, make and distribute  promotional material, including a video tour	Have good understanding of how our school works. Good communicator.	Key Stage 2	Half termly meetings and as necessary
  School Council Reps	To liaise between their peers and the rest of the school. Drive school improvement	Approachable Good listener Organised Assertive Efficient Fair Good communicator	Key Stage 2	Half termly meetings and as necessary
  House Captains	Lead houses on sports day and during other whole school events. Run playground activities.	Model the values. Have excellent learning to learn skills. Strong leader.	Year 6	Daily
  Inspire Plus Bronze Sports Ambassadors	Promote the positive values of sport Be a role model and champion for PE and school sport Increase participation opportunities and healthy lifestyles for everyone	Well organised Be passionate about sport Reliable A good role model Demonstrate the school values through sport	Year 5 and 6	Weekly

   

   

• Hearts for Homes

  Fri 13 Nov 2020

  Picture News are organising a lovely initiative that sits well with our school values. I will send home the heart template for you to return to school and we will send them out to local care homes.  

   

  This Christmas time, we'd like to help share some joy following what has been a very difficult year for many. Inspired by Katrina Cole and the Year 1 children at Gee Cross Holy Trinity School who organised a special surprise for residents at their local care home, we're launching our #heartsforhomes campaign.

   

  To take part: 

  Read through the story written by Year 1 teacher Mrs Cole to find out more - this has been uploaded to the Picture News section of the website

   

  Research where the care homes are in your local area and call or send an email to see if they'd like to receive some hearts from you!

   

  Use your template heart to write or draw a joyful message for a resident.

   

  Send or arrange a (socially distanced) delivery of the hearts.

   

  Share your photos, stories and hearts with us! Using the hashtag #heartsforhomes on Facebook and Twitter and emailing us help@picture-news.co.uk.

   

  The campaign will run between the 1st and 11th December

   

   

• Entry and Exit Point in School

  Fri 06 Nov 2020

  It has been wonderful to welcome you into school on the gate this week and I am so thankful for your co-operation with social distancing and the wearing of face coverings. As I outlined yesterday, the plans we have in place are constantly reviewed and amended in light of feedback and observation.

   

  Although our one way system has worked well at the front of school, keeping foot traffic moving and free from congestion, it has been noted that round the back of school especially at home time, this has been harder to ensure. I have two solutions to this:

   

  1. Class 1 and 2 parents must make a swift exit off site once children have been dropped off or collected. We understand that in the early days of your child's education you want to get to know the staff and talk to them about your children, however in the current circumstances this amount of face to face contact is not acceptable. If you need to talk to the staff, please phone the office to make a request for a phone call appointment.  

   

  2. Class 3 and 4 parents will continue to use a one way system but walking in the front gate, dropping children off and out through the side gate next to class 4 and onto the car park. This will lessen the amount of people passing round the back of school. 

   

  I do hope this solves this problem and look forward to starting this new system on Monday. 

   

   

   

• Drumming Lessons

  Thu 05 Nov 2020

  Whilst some clubs and activities have had to cease, music lessons will continue. Would your child like to start drum lessons? 

   

  Lessons take place weekly! (Monday Afternoon) in small groups during school time. The aim of our lessons is to create regular weekly education, in order for our pupils to develop competency on the instrument. Children may start playing the drums from year 1 upwards. Feedback is available to parents on demand, (contact us above or via our website). Drummers have the opportunity to perform at least once per year at a music showcase evening or a dedicated drumming concert arranged by the school and ourselves. All equipment is provided. We offer a variety of resources from full acoustic drum sets, electric volume controlled drum sets, practise pad silent drums, head phones, PA and percussive instruments. All charts, sheet music, backing tracks and homework set for practise outside of our lessons are available online. All pupils play and practise together throughout the lesson and rotate from one station to the next. Initially it is not essential to have drums at home to get started, we can however provide information and advise on purchasing equipment as and when required.

   

  The price per half term is £48.00 Inc VAT. Most half terms are 6 weeks but every so often shorter or longer half term will arise, Rockley Music Ltd we carry out a minimum of 36 lessons per academic year. All bookings are made directly with Rockley Music Ltd. Timetabling and student applications are then communicated with the school. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions, or if you wish to enrol please visit: rockleymusic.co.uk

   

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiz6rIDzt2E&feature=youtu.be 

   

   

  

• National Lockdown - Updated Guidance

  Thu 05 Nov 2020

  As you will all be aware, the national lockdown was voted through Parliament yesterday. This reflects the severity of the pandemic and the continued risks of viral spread. 

   

  The exemption of schools, childcare settings, colleges and universities from the wide spread closures has been a controversial move from the government and you will have a personal view on this. It is their belief that the strict and well-considered protective measures we have in place are good enough to keep communities safe. 

   

  I will summarise some of the main points of the updated guidance that was published last night:

   

  Childcare

  • early years settings and childminders remain open, and parents of under-5s can continue to use these settings as normal
  • parents will be able to access other childcare activities (including wraparound care) where reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, seek work, attend education or training, or for the purposes of respite care for carers
  • nannies will be able to continue to provide services in the home
  • parents are able to form a childcare bubble with another household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under
  • some households will also be able to benefit from being in a support bubble, which allows single adult households to join another household

   

  Face Coverings

  It is not mandatory for staff and visitors to wear face coverings. In situations where social distancing between adults in settings is not possible (for example when moving around in corridors and communal areas), settings have the discretion to recommend the use of face coverings for adults on site, for both staff and visitors.

   

  Visitors

  Settings should restrict all visits to the setting to those that are absolutely necessary. This means suspending parent and carer visits for new admissions, settling-in children new to the setting and attending organised performances.

   

  Clinically Extremely Vulnerable Children 

  More evidence has emerged that shows there is a very low risk of children becoming very unwell from coronavirus (COVID-19), even for children with existing health conditions. Most children originally identified as clinically extremely vulnerable no longer need to follow original shielding advice. Parents should be advised to speak to their child’s GP or specialist clinician if they have not already done so, to understand whether their child should still be classed as clinically extremely vulnerable.

   

  Those children whose doctors have confirmed they are still clinically extremely vulnerable are advised not to attend childcare or nursery during the period this advice is in place.

   

  Children who live with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, but who are not clinically extremely vulnerable themselves, should still attend education or childcare.

   

  Parents of clinically extremely vulnerable children will be receiving a letter shortly confirming this advice.

   

  Out of School Activities and Warp Around Care 

  Out-of-school activities (including wraparound care) may continue to operate if their primary purpose is providing registered childcare, or where they are offering other childcare activities, where this is reasonably necessary to enable parents to:

  • work or search for work
  • undertake training or education

   

  PE and Sport 

  It is important that children continue to remain fit and active and, wherever possible, have the 60 active minutes of daily physical activity recommended by the Chief Medical Officers.

  Schools have the flexibility to decide how physical education, sport and physical activity will be provided whilst following the measures in their system of controls.

   

  Pupils should be kept in consistent groups and sports equipment thoroughly cleaned between each use by different individual groups. Outdoor sports should be prioritised where possible, and large indoor spaces used where it is not, maximising natural ventilation flows (through opening windows and doors or using air conditioning systems wherever possible), distancing between pupils and paying scrupulous attention to cleaning and hygiene.

   

  Schools are able to work with external coaches, clubs and organisations for curricular activities where they are satisfied that it is safe to do so. Where schools are offering extra-curricular activities (that is, before and after school clubs) they should only do so where it is reasonably necessary to support parents to work, search for work, or undertake training or education, or where the provision is being used for the purposes of respite care.

   

  As you can imagine, I am in a constant state of reflection and action at the moment coupled with a sense of impending change. The constant balance between ensuring the physical health of all stakeholders whilst retaining a sense of normality to ensure the mental wellbeing of staff and children is a challenge. Your co-operation, patience and understanding has been a source of strength and for that I, along with staff, are grateful. 

   

  Please continue to abide strictly by the measures we have put in place and continue to demonstrate the positivity and flexibility that makes Langar Church of England Primary School such a special place to be.