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

• Guitar and Ukulele Lessons

  Tue 29 Jun 2021

  Mr Paul Martin teaches guitar and ukulele through Rattle and Roll in school every Tuesday. In September he will have space to take on new pupils from year 1 and above. 

   

  On Tuesday 6th and 13th he will stay behind after teaching to allow children who want to have a taster / look / trial of guitar or ukulele to come and meet him.  Teachers will ask children in the morning and take them through to the session. 

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Thank You

  Mon 28 Jun 2021

  Back in April I outlined our summer term plans. At that time, with progress along the government's road map looking positive, many schools were considering running their usual summer events after 21st June. I took a more measured approach that ensured the children would not miss out on any of the educational experiences they would normally have and that would create certainty and stability for you, your children and the staff. 

   

  Having seen and heard so much negativity from other head teachers and throughout the media this week about schools' decisions to cancel plans they made, it has made me feel incredibly grateful to you - our wonderfully supportive parents - for your understanding. I can only hope it shows that you know that we never make decisions lightly or easily and do so with the very best interests of your children at the heart. 

   

  The partnership we enjoy with you is reflected in the progress the children have made this year - despite having 55 out of 190 school days at home. We look forward to maintaining and developing this partnership across the next academic year and watching your children flourish.

   

  I am currently planning and plotting next year's calendar and including more opportunities than ever for you to be involved in your children's schooling. I know you will be as excited as I am when you see the adjustments and improvements we have made to future events. 

   

  Thank you again. Your kindness and understanding means more than you will ever know. 

  

• Year 6 Trip to PGL with Inspire+

  Fri 25 Jun 2021

  Although so many things have been postponed or cancelled this year, either due to Covid-19 restrictions or the uncertainly that this has brought, Inspire+ have kept their commitment to our year 6s and are hosting a day at PGL for them. Although this was initially intended to be a residential weekend when they first communicated it back in October, they have adapted the plan are are holding an extended day trip instead. 

   

  Our year 5 children have already benefitted from our Inspire+ membership, having been for a morning of activities at PGL on 14th June, accompanied by Mr Owen-Jones and Mr Hall. They had a wonderful time on the King Swing and doing archery.

   

  We do hope year 6 have a wonderful time and that we will hear all about their adventure on their return.  

   

• Water Safety Week

  Tue 22 Jun 2021

  WATER SAFETY AT HOME

  The summer is  great time to enjoy the garden and as the temperature rises people will inevitably spend more time in their homes and gardens, enjoying paddling pools, hot tubs and residential swimming pools.

   

  Did you know that a child can drown in as little as 2cm of water?

   

  Around 402 people drown in the UK and Ireland every year and many more suffer injury, some life-changing, through non-fatal experiences. More people die from drowning in the UK and Ireland than from domestic fires or cycling accidents.

  Drownings around the home are easily preventable so we’ve created these easy-to-follow tips to make sure that you and your loved ones can enjoy water safely, at home.

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  Guide to water safety at home

   

  In the garden

  • Never leave your child unattended around water. Children can drown in as little as 2cm of water
  • Watch kids when they are in or around water, without being distracted 
  • Keep young children within arm’s reach of an adult 
  • Securely cover all water storage tanks and drains
  • Empty paddling pools, containers, buckets and watering cans, as soon as they have been used
  • Always turn paddling pools and containers upside down once empty, so they do not collect water
  • Securely cover all hot tubs and home spas as soon as possible after use
  • Make sure older children are accompanied every time when they swim or use hot tubs
  • Always install self-closing and self-latching gates, fences of at least four feet tall surrounding all sides of any pool, and locks to prevent children from gaining access to home pools or pools of water
  • Install secure fencing around garden ponds (at least four feet high) to act as a barrier or add mesh or a grill on top of the pond (strong enough to support a child’s weight without dropping below the surface of the pond water)
  • Always turn hosepipes off at the tap, so children cannot fill vessels themselves

   

  Indoors

  • Always supervise bath time (never leave children unattended) 
  • Empty the bath as soon as possible after use
  • Close toilet lids and use toilet seat locks to prevent drowning
  • Keep doors to bathrooms and utility rooms closed
  • Vulnerable adults and people who suffer from sudden seizures should consider using showers rather than baths

   

  In residential swimming pools 

  • Children and weak swimmers should always be closely supervised by an adult
  • Weak swimmers should stay within the pool’s recommended safety depths
  • Never swim alone
  • Take time to check the depth, water flow and layout of pools
  • Control access to the pool by using suitable fencing, secure doors and gates, and pool or gate alarms, to monitor access to swimming pools where possible
  • Never supervise children or enter the water yourself after drinking alcohol
  • Have easy access to suitable rescue aids such as a torpedo buoy, rope or reach pole (all available from RLSS Direct)
  • Know what to do in an emergency: learn first aid and CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation), take the Lifesaver • Lifechanger Toolkit
  • Always follow pool manufacturers advice for maintenance and safety checks

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  

• Medicines in School

  Thu 17 Jun 2021

  We have had a particularly high number of requests for the administration of non-prescription medicines this week as many children are struggling with hayfever. In the past we have been unable to accept responsibility for these. However, we have recently updated our medicines policy. The policy now reflects the fact that for many common illnesses, parents are directed to get over the counter medicines by doctors as opposed to getting prescribed medication.

   

  You can read the full policy here: 

  Microsoft Word - schools-medicine-policy (primarysite-prod-sorted.s3.amazonaws.com)

   

  A few points to note from the policy:

   

  Over the Counter Medicine (e.g. Hayfever Remedies)

   

  These should be accepted only in exceptional circumstances, and be treated in the same way as prescribed medication. The parent / carer must clearly label the container with child’s name, dose and time of administration and complete a consent form. 

   

  The parent / carer needs to ensure there is sufficient medication and that the medication is in date. The parent / carer must replace the supply of medication at the request of relevant school/health professional. Medication should be provided in the original container with the following, clearly shown on the label:

   Name and strength of medication

   Dose

   Expiry dates whenever possible

   

  Self-Management

  Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own medicine from an early age. A good example of this is children keeping their own asthma reliever.

   

   

• Reminders

  Mon 07 Jun 2021

  It was lovely to welcome your children back to school today. And to see your smiling faces without masks!!

   

  I just need to highlight a couple of reminders.

   

  PE Uniform 

  We are continuing to ask children to come in PE kits on PE days. Some children have arrived today in PE kit that is not uniform and we will not accept this. PE clothing does not need to be branded items. 

  Indoor PE— A plain white (or yellow if you have purchased one with a logo) t-shirt

  Shorts with plain black or navy blue tracksuit bottoms (if cold) and their school jumper over the top.

  Trainers should be worn to school.

  Plimsolls can be left in school in their PE bag to change in to.

  Outdoor PE—as above but it is not necessary to wear shorts underneath.

   

  Footwear

  We are aware that there are only seven weeks of school left before summer, and that you may be reluctant therefore to buy new school shoes or trainers. However, some of the footwear we have seen today is unsafe for your children, especially during PE or when active at playtime. Please ensure all footwear is fit for purpose and smart enough to be classed as uniform. 

   

  Personal Items

  As we are still in a pandemic, our risk assessments and plan are still in place. This includes the suspension of children bringing unnecessary items from home - this includes toys and sweets or food for birthdays.  This is for the safety and wellbeing of your children and the whole community.

   

  As always, we thank you so much for your understanding, co-operation and support.