As you will have seen in the media, the government are concerned about the gaps in learning the Covid-19 school closures have created. Initiatives designed for 'catch up' have received a lot of publicity though any firm plans or commitments to individual school funding have not been shared with schools yet. The staff here have discussed the approaches being publicised and have taken a stance and made some commitments to this.

I  would like to draw you back to our trinity model for learning. This model puts your child at the centre, fostering in them a strong set of learning skills, instilling Christian values and striving for academic excellence. Our innovative and immersive teaching methods of cross-curricular learning and a mastery approach is led by forward thinking teaching staff and supported by a highly-skilled teaching assistant team who, with in-depth knowledge of each child in their care,  design and deliver ambitious learning packages tailored to individual needs. This work will begin again from the appropriate starting points observed in September. Gaps created will be healed in this way. 

As a school we believe the firm foundations and fertile conditions for learning are only created when children have acquired the right set of learning skills and values. Mental 'unwellness' and issues around behaviour and attitudes are seen here as the biggest barriers to learning, over and above gaps in academic facts and understanding. In school, we offer packages of support and intervention to ensure these aspects are healed and caught up on as well as subject based misconceptions or misunderstandings being addressed. 

The children returning to school have impressed us by the way they have engaged in academic learning once more. After talking about their feelings, allowing them time to explore the new set up, rules and routines, providing outlets and tools for expressing their thoughts etc, they were keen to get a routine up and running and engage in lessons. Your wonderful support and guidance has shone through them as they have grasped concepts and objectives covered during home learning. Feedback from parents who are continuing got support children with home learning have shared that although they are still engaging, those children are being to run out of steam; craving normality, routine and the company of their friends and teachers.

We will not be setting work over the summer. However, we have bought every child a booked, called You're A Star, that has been written by Poppy O'Neill to promote children's mental well-being and build self-esteem. At the end of your child's time in school for the year they will bring this book home, or if your child is not coming into school a member of staff will bring it round to you. 

This book will support your child and prepare them for returning to school in September in a way that we believe is far more important than any academic work that we could set for you. We hope you find it useful and supportive and that it goes some way to telling you how much we care for your children and that we are thinking of you all.