Parents – What you need to know

Dear Parents/Carers,

 

From 19 July (step 4): no more bubbles

• We’re no longer required to keep pupils in bubbles. This applies to provision over summer (e.g. summer schools) and school in term-time from autumn 2021.
• We can resume assemblies and no longer need to make alternative arrangements to avoid mixing at lunch

From 19 July: NHS Test and Trace takes over contact tracing

• We’ll no longer be expected to carry out contact tracing – close contacts will now be identified via NHS Test and Trace
• From 16 August 2021, children under the age of 18 years old will no longer need to self-isolate if they’re contacted by NHS Test and Trace as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case. Instead, they’ll be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and advised to take a PCR test
• There may still be instances where public health might advise you to temporarily reintroduce some control measures

From 19 July: face coverings no longer advised

• This applies:
  • To pupils, staff and visitors either in classrooms or in communal areas
  • On dedicated transport to school or college
• Face masks are also no longer legally required on public transport

We have an outbreak management plan on how we’d operate during an outbreak in our school or local area.

Coronavirus Outbreak Management Plan

• Our plan covers the possibility that we may need to temporarily reintroduce control measures like bubbles and face coverings
• We should only:
  • Consider measures as a last resort
  • Keep them to the minimum number of groups possible
  • Keep them for the shortest amount of time possible
• If we have several confirmed cases within 14 days, we may have an outbreak. We will call the dedicated advice service who will escalate the issue to our local health protection team where necessary, and advise if we need to take any additional action, such as implementing elements of our outbreak management plan. We can reach them by calling the DfE helpline on 0800 046 8687 and selecting option 1 for advice on the action to take in response to a positive case

 

Spring/Summer Menu 2021    This menu will begin after half term- June 7th 2021

Present lunch menu after Easter Holidays

Interim Menu after Lockdown Autumn First Half Term 2020

 

 

Dear Parents/Carers,

 

Re: Full School Opening on Monday 8^th March 2021

 

 

 

As you’re likely aware, the government has announced that schools will reopen to all pupils on 8 March. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming back more of our pupils to face-to-face education then.

The staff and I at Nettlesworth Primary School are delighted to be planning for a return for all our children in March. I am again sorry for those families and children who have found it so tough being at home for such a long period of time. I would just like to thank you all again for your amazing support during these last few months. Your communication with us via email, socially distance visits and telephone calls has been amazing and you have all supported your children so well with their home-learning. Especially getting to know our new virtual platforms of learning-DB Primary an TEAMS at such a short time. It has been an absolute pleasure in seeing how many children have accessed these for their daily learning.

 

Attendance

From 8 March, school attendance will be mandatory and our usual rules on attendance will apply.

As a reminder, your child should self-isolate and not come to school if they:

• Have coronavirus symptoms or have tested positive
• Live with someone who has symptoms or have tested positive
• Are a close contact of someone who has tested positive

In line with the latest government guidance, pupils who are clinically extremely vulnerable should not attend school. If your child is in this group, they should continue to learn from home until further notice.

 

For pupils who are self-isolating or shielding, we’ll:

• Continue to provide our remote learning offer via DB Primary and TEAMS daily sessions. Please see link below for information on our school website about our remote learning offer.

https://www.nettlesworth.durham.sch.uk/parents/remote-learning/

 

 

Our safety measures

When the school does open on Monday 8^th March 2021, staff again will endeavour to keep all children safe and all adults and pupils will be expected to adhere to the measures detailed in the school’s COVID-19 risk assessment which will be expanded upon below. However, our school will continue to look very different. Safety and protective measures will significantly change our school operations, in order to reduce the risk for children and staff. The government guidance directs us to:

 

• stagger the times of any movement around the school as well as start and finish times
• keep class groups in their own bubbles
• keep children in these bubbles for the whole time they are in school
• not allow bubbles of children to mix with each other at all
• continue to encourage children to maintain social distancing where possible.

 

We cannot guarantee that children will socially distance and government guidance states this issue very clearly. However, there is a huge amount of work taking place behind the scenes to help minimise the risk to both pupils and staff.

 

We have continued to work closely with Durham County Council to establish what is right for our school. They have provided a risk assessment, which is designed to put the health and safety of children first and ensure each school mitigates, to the best of their ability, risks associated with a full school return. Working with the Council, we have decided that the approach we followed in the Autumn Term continues best to suit the needs of children and families at Nettlesworth Primary School.

 

Following on from the guidance issued by the Government on Monday 22^nd February 2021, we have met and discussed arrangements for March. To make school and the surrounding area as safe as possible for children, staff and parents/carers, we will continue to make the necessary changes to school timings and its organisation.

 

 

 

The times of arrival and departure for the different year groups will be:

 

Class 1 Children (Reception) – 8.45am-3.00pm

 

Class 2 children (Years 1/2) – 9.00am-3.15pm

 

Class 3 children (Years 3/4) – 8.30am-2.45pm

 

Class 4 children (Years 5/6) – 9.15am-3.30pm

 

 

SIBLINGS MAY CONTINUE TO ARRIVE AT THE EARLIEST TIME AND LEAVE AT THE LATEST TIME.

 

Arrival and Departure

 

At these allocated times parents/carers will need to be waiting outside main school gate at main entrance, alongside the green fence, adhering to social distance requirements at all times. Only 1 adult should drop off/pick, up to reduce the number of people around school. Please walk, or cycle, to school whenever possible – to ease traffic congestion. Please disperse as soon as you have dropped off / collected your child – to avoid unnecessary larger gatherings.

Parents/Carers will not be allowed to enter the school building/school site or have the daily contact or conversations they are used to having with staff but we will try our best. Contact will continue to be mostly electronic via email and telephone and prior arranged appointments.  Please adhere to strict social distancing at drop off points and only arrive at school in time to drop off and collect your child.  Arriving or staying close to school outside of this time could put other staff, parents/carers and pupils at risk. Please ensure you are aware of your child’s pick up and drop off times and stick rigidly to these times to help the day run smoothly – Your child’s class teacher will collect children from the gate and they will be escorted into school to wash hands immediately.  Children and parents must wait alongside school fence and not come to the door and ring buzzer. If you are late you must ring the office to arrange an alternative drop off/pick up.

If you need to pass any medication into school please contact the office in the first instance- 0191 3710444 and we will arrange to meet you in the main entrance.

 

School will continue to feel strange and I am constantly following guidance and assessing every risk to keep everyone safe. Some of the safeguarding measures school we will continue to implement are as follows:

 

• Children who display coronavirus type symptoms or children who live with someone who has coronavirus will not be able to attend school. Isolation and self-isolation rules will be followed.
• To maintain social distancing and appropriate levels of cleanliness, the start and finish times of the school day will be staggered.
• Public Health England has advised schools to ensure that children under 12 do not wear face coverings in school. Please do not send your child into school with a facemask. If staff need to come into close contact with a child e.g. when administering First Aid or if a child shows symptoms of Covid-19 they will wear the appropriate PPE.

• Lessons will involve more independent learning as the teacher and support assistant will need to try and maintain social distance where possible to children to give them targeted support.
• Classrooms will have all unnecessary furniture, equipment and all soft furnishings removed.
• Staff workstations are positioned at the front of the classroom, socially distanced from pupils.
• Children’s desks are placed in rows facing the front of the classroom.
• Pupils kept in consistent groups/bubbles.
• Pupils are supported to maintain distance and not touch staff and their peers where possible.
• Pupils taught in identified classrooms, lesson subject movement is limited throughout the school day.
• Classroom based resources, such as books and games, are used and shared within the bubble /group and not to be shared with the other bubble/groups.
• Each class will have their own activity bag for break/playtimes
• Movement limited where possible to key times-Break times/Lunch times
• Whole school assemblies and concerts etc are not allowed to take place
• Strict hygiene rules will continue to be implemented. Children will frequently wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and dry thoroughly. They will clean their hands on arrival at the setting, before and after eating, and after sneezing or coughing. Hand sanitiser is provided at school. If your child needs to use hand cream due to regular handwashing, please contact the school office and let us know.
• The children will be given individually allocated stationery
• Children will be given regular drinks of water using disposable cups rather than their water bottles
• Children should not bring anything from home into school except for a sun hat on days where it is forecast to be warm and sunny. Please ensure that you have put sun cream on your child at the start of the school day as they will be going outside wherever possible and this will protect them.
• School Reading books, homework books etc may be taken between school and home as it contributes to pupil education and development. These will be kept in individual trays and reading books will be stored for 72 hours before sent home to another family.
• The classes of children will have to remain in their groups (bubbles) at all times – school will ensure that lunch and play times are separate.
• If your child receives a free school meal or you pay for school meals, the meal will be served to your child in their class base.
• Children may bring packed lunch but their box must be wiped down outside with anti -bacterial on arrival
• Staff will not wear any PPE – unless for intimate care, first aid, if 2m distance cannot be maintained or if a child/adult develops symptoms.
• Parents will not be allowed to gather on the playground or enter the school building. You will have to communicate with staff by telephone and call the office to make an appointment. Please do not come to the door and ring buzzer. Only one parent or carer is permitted to bring their child to school and collect them at the allocated time.
• Movement in corridors will be different and as far as possible, there will be continue to be a one-way system with 2m distance markings.
• If a child or an adult in their group is confirmed as having the virus, the whole group including the staff working with that group, will be sent home immediately to self-isolate for 14 days.

 

 

School Meals  

 

From September, School Meals for pupils in Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 increased in price to £2.10 per day, which means a week’s dinners will now cost £10.50. Meals for those in Reception, Year 1 & 2 will still be free.

*Pupils moving from Year 2 into Year 3 will need to pay for their dinners in September via ParentPay unless they are entitled to Free School Meals.

* If you think you may be entitled to Free School Meals and haven’t applied, or your circumstances have changed, please email the School Office for a form for us to do a check with Durham County Council.

 

 

Interim Menu after Lockdown..

 

PLEASE NOTE SOMETIMES DUE TO THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES, DELIVERIES MAY BE AFFECTED AND THE COOK MAY HAVE TO CHANGE THE MENU SLIGHTLY.

New expectations for our curriculum

We will continue to modify our curriculum substantially, like we did at the start of the academic year, but aim to return to our normal curriculum for all pupils by autumn term 2021.

We will continue to assess pupils’ staring points and address gaps in their knowledge and skills, and use this to inform changes to our curriculum.

 

Primary schools

For pupils in early years:

• For children in nursery: focus on the prime areas of learning, including communication and language; personal, social and emotional development (PSED); and physical development
• For children in reception: focus on the above, but also assess and address gaps in language, early reading and maths, particularly ensuring children’s acquisition of phonic knowledge and extending their vocabulary
• For all children: follow updates to the disapplication guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage and consider how all groups of children can be given equal opportunities for outdoor learning

 

For pupils in KS1 and KS2, prioritise:

• Identifying gaps and re-establishing good progress in the ‘essentials’ (phonics and reading, increasing vocabulary, writing and maths)
• Identifying opportunities across the curriculum so they read widely
• Developing their knowledge and vocabulary

 

We will keep the curriculum broad, so that the majority of pupils are taught a full range of subjects over the year (e.g. sciences, humanities, the arts, PE, RE).

 

Statutory KS1 and KS2 assessments planned for summer 2021 won’t go ahead but school will still do teacher assessments. We will administer the optional Year 4  multiplication tables check within the 3-week period from 7 June 2021

The DfE has added temporary disapplications to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) – as such, it won’t be mandatory to complete the EYFS profile assessment in 2021.

Breakfast and After school clubs

We have had to think carefully about how we can make this provision work alongside our wider protective measures, like keeping pupils in their ‘bubbles’ when possible. We also understand that a lot of parents/carers need access to wrap around care to help with work commitments.

Breakfast club will commence week beginning 8^th March. Children who attend will be served breakfast in their own classroom bubble to avoid class bubbles mixing. It will start at 8am and finish when their class bubble arrives. It will continue to cost £1 per day, which you can pay via parent pay. Parents/Carers will need to follow same arrival guidelines as attending school classes and supervisory assistants will meet at main entrance at 8am. Please could children arrive on time.

We will not be able to offer after school provision – we will review this at Easter and hopefully re-instate as soon as restrictions on mixing are further lifted and be able to offer again our tuition sessions in the Summer Term.

 

We will return to our usual school uniform

Uniforms won’t need to be cleaned any more than usual, or with methods different from normal.

 

PE Kits

 

Children in Class 1 and 2 will need to bring their full PE kit into school on the first day back in a PE bag or carrier bag. Please ensure that this is labelled with their name and class. The PE kits will be stored in the cloakrooms on a labelled peg in school and sent home weekly to be washed. Class 3 and 4 will come into school with their PE kits on allocated PE days to avoid moving around.

Class 3- PE days for the rest of this term are TUE and WED

Class 4- PE days for the rest of this term are TUE and WED

 

 

School Holidays and Term Dates 2020 – 2021

 

I am sure that many of you will have had holidays cancelled or postponed and will be considering when these can be re-booked for next year. It is really important to remember that holidays during term times can only be authorised in very exceptional circumstances. Very few holidays are ever authorised and this is likely to be even lower next year. It is going to be essential for ALL children to be in school as much as possible due to the extended closure of schools during the latter half of this year. Please also bear in mind that if you do decide to take a holiday during term time which has not been authorised, if your child is out of school for more than 7 consecutive days you can be fined – £60 per parent for each child.

Holiday	Closing Date	Date re-open for Teaching Purposes
Summer Holiday	Friday 17th July 2020	Wednesday 2nd September 2020
October Half Term	Friday 23rd October 2020	Monday 2nd November 2020
Christmas Holiday	Friday 18th December 2020	Tuesday 5th January 2021
February Half Term	Friday 12th February 2021	Monday 22nd February 2021
Easter Holiday	Friday 26th March 2021	Tuesday 13th April 2021
May Day	Friday 30th April 2021	Tuesday 4th May 2021
Summer Half Term	Friday 28th May 2021	Monday 7th June 2021
Summer Holiday	Friday 16th July 2021	Thursday 2nd September 2021

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions, queries or are worried about your child starting or returning, please do not hesitate to contact the school via email or call us on 0191 3710444 and someone will get back to you.

 

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart to you all for your support during these very strange times. I can’t thank enough our wonderful staff again for their positive attitudes and commitment to always make sure we do the best we can for our children. We can’t wait to see all of our children again in March.

 

 

Many Thanks and Take Care

Donna Lee

Head Teacher

 

• Looking After Yourself – Looking after your children (help and advice)
• Parents Guide to Cyber Safety Book (leaflet)
• Durham County Council Coronavirus Updates

Interim Menu after Lockdown.. Present menu for Key Worker/Vulnerable children during lockdown Jan 21

 

Loan of Devices (Laptops) to Support Remote Learning

As you may be aware the government has a scheme to provide laptops to children who do not have devices/internet access at home.

At the time of writing, Government guidance states that children who are eligible for this are those in Years 3-6 where any of the following are applicable:

• There are no digital devices in your household
• The only available device is a smartphone
• There is only one device in your household which is being shared with more than one other family member
• Your child is clinically extremely vulnerable and having to shield

If your child falls into any of the above categories, the school has been allocated a limited number of devices to loan to children in order for them to continue with their learning remotely from home. These should be available shortly.

The scheme is a loan system. A laptop would be loaned to any eligible pupil for the duration of school closure. There will be a loan agreement to be signed and the laptop will have to be returned once school is re-opened.

If you believe that your child is eligible for a home device, please contact school office on 01913710444 or email d.lee103@durhamlearning.net

 

Increased data allowances
The Government working in partnership with mobile network operators to help schools support children in years 3 to 6 who rely on a mobile internet connection to do their school work. Families could benefit from free increases to their mobile data if they’re a customer of either:

• EE
• Three
• Sky Mobile
• SMARTY
• Tesco Mobile
• Virgin Mobile

More providers may join the scheme soon. Please contact the school on 0191 3710444 if your child is relying on an mobile internet connection to do their work and you have not completed recent remote learning survey. We will need details of your network and whether you are on a monthly contract or a Pay-as-you-go deal.

 

 

4^th January 2021

 

 

 

Dear Parents/Carers,

 

As you may have seen in the news, the government have instructed our school to close from tomorrow and provide remote learning to all our pupils. We are absolutely devastated for our children and families to go through this again but we will be again with you every step of the way.

We’ll only be able to stay open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will need to continue their learning from home until the restrictions are lifted.

You can find details of our plans for remote learning here:

Reminder-Home Learning Support Information

 

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll continue to receive these while at home by offering a pick up packed lunch meal again. Please could you contact the office before 10am then we can prepare it for you ready to collect at 11.45pm.

 

A reminder of the definitions of ‘vulnerable children’ and ‘critical workers’

Vulnerable children are those who:

• Have a child in need plan or child protection plan
• Are looked after by the local authority
• Have an education, health and care (EHC) plan and have been determined, following risk assessment, that their needs can be as safely or more safely met at school
• Have been assessed as otherwise vulnerable by the school or LA, including children who are:
  • On the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services
  • Adopted
  • At risk of becoming NEET (‘not in employment, education or training’)
  • Living in temporary accommodation
  • Young carers

 

Critical workers are those who work in:

• Health and social care
• Education and childcare
• Key public services (including the justice system, religious staff, charities delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting)
• Local and national government who are involved in delivering the coronavirus response or essential public services
• Food and other necessary goods
• Public safety and national security
• Transport
• Utilities, communication and financial services

 

 

If your child attended during last lockdown, the school will open from 8am-3.30pm tomorrow and will have a place. Please can you contact me if your child is coming to school so that we can prepare for numbers. We will still provide breakfast club and can provide a cooked school dinner.

 

If your circumstances have changed and you believe you are now a front-line critical worker, please email: d.lee103@durhamlearning.net outlining what your role is as soon as possible. Please note that priority will be given to those families where both parents are front-line critical workers.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me by email on d.lee103@durhamlearning.net.

Thankyou again from the bottom of my heart to you all for persevering and continuing to work with our different ways of operation. I would also like to thank our wonderful staff again for their positive attitudes and readiness to respond to requests and go above and beyond to make sure we do the best we can for the children. Also a huge thank you to our wonderful children, who have been fantastic during these difficult times. I am so proud to be Head Teacher of our amazing little school- it’s a huge team effort with you fantastic parents/carers, children, staff and governors all working together.

 

 

Thank you again for your continued support.

Donna Lee

Head Teacher

 

Welcome Back

The outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) led to the closure of schools in England from 20 March 2020. As we reopen our school there are a number of new measures in place to keep the children, parents, staff and wider community as safe as possible.

Following the recent government announcement that it would like schools to re-open for all pupils from September, we have been working on the arrangements to allow all of Nettlesworth Primary’s pupils to return safely.  We have followed the government’s guidance very closely and feel we are now able to share the arrangements below to help you understand what school will be like in September.

Therefore, unless advised otherwise by the government, DfE or Durham Local Authority, from Wednesday 2^nd September we will be fully open to all year groups.

Remote Learning:

Remote Education Provision Statement

Remote Learning Policy Updated Jan 2021

Remote Learning Policy Sep 2020

TEAMS Live Sessions for children

TEAMS Live Sessions_Risk_Assessment_Feb_2021

DB Primary Letters and Leaflets

DB Primary Login Guide-69293

DB Primary Parent Guide-58095

DB-Home-School-Agreement (1)

DB-Parent-Leaflet (1)

Developing-Online-Safety-in-the-Primary-School-through-DB-Primary-A-guide-for-parents-and-carers

supporting learning at home

DCC Online Safety advice for parents and carers during Covid 19

Parents and carers will want to make sure that their children are as safe as possible.
Parental Controls
Almost all devices allow parental controls to be set. These can be adjusted
depending on the ages of the children. They can:-
• Stop children putting new apps on a device until the parents approve them
• Reduce the chance of a child accidentally spending money on virtual goods
• Limit the time that children use a device without having a break

 

A good starting point is the internet matters website

https://www.internetmatters.org/ , go to the SETTING CONTROLS section at
the top!

Talking
Probably the best thing you can do to help your son or daughter is to talk to them
regularly about how they use technology, which apps and sites they use and who
their online friends are. Some children struggle with online relationships perhaps
either sending or receiving hurtful messages. Parents and carers will be able to help
guide youngsters through this difficult area. If children receive unpleasant messages
these can usually be reported and each app or site will have a different way of doing
this.

Apps and Sites
The list of apps and websites children are using grows by the minute so printed
advice is likely to be out of date. In the UK the NSPCC have a site called Net-Aware
https://www.net-aware.org.uk/ which explains many current apps, the risks and the
benefits of their use. More apps are listed on the American site Common Sense
Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

Activities for Children
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/ is the website aimed at children and their parents
from the National Crime Agency. It has lots of useful suggestions and advice on how
to report issues. It also has games and activities including Jessie and Friends for the
younger children and Band Runner for the older ones.
For the youngest children being tricked into sharing pictures can be an issue. LGfL
have produced a lovely free video https://undressed.lgfl.net/ which has some great
advice and a very catchy song!

More Help?
Children can call Childline on 0800 1111 for advice on anything that is worrying
them.
Finally since 2015 is has been a criminal offence for an adult to send a message with
sexual content to a child (This is Section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015). If
you are concerned that this might have happened please contact The Police without
further using the device. This will help ensure that evidence can be preserved. The
Police can be contacted by phone or from the Thinkuknow website.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

When can my child go to school?

Can my child go to school today

HEALTH and education experts are offering help and advice to parents on when they can safely send their child to school.

County Durham Care Partnership, which brings together NHS organisations, Durham County Council and other providers to deliver improved, joined up health and social care services, has created an easy-read chart to help parents who are unsure if their child should stay at home or go to class.

The information follows Government guidelines on spotting the signs of Covid-19.

Sarah Burns, head of integrated strategic commissioning for Durham County Council and NHS County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “Since pupils returned to schools earlier this month we have become very aware of the increased demand on NHS111 and GP practices from worried parents.

“We know that when it can be difficult for parents to decide if they should send their child to school during the ongoing pandemic. This infographic has been designed by our local GPs to help inform parents what to do if they worry that their child may be unwell.

“If children are showing signs of Covid-19, a high temperature, a continuous cough or loss of smell or taste then we would recommend that the whole household self-isolate and book a test.  All members of the household must stay at home until the test results are known.

“Similarly if children have diarrhoea and vomiting then we would recommend that they remain off school for at least 48 hours or until they feel well enough to return, as tummy bugs can also be very contagious.

“But as long as your child is feeling well, has not otherwise been told to self-isolate and there are no other household members with COVID symptoms, then it is ok to send them to school.”

Parents should continue to seek help from their GP if needed or contact NHS111 if their surgery is closed.”

For further guidance visit:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

 

Government Parent Leaflet:

BackToSchool Parent Leaflet 2020

Frequently Asked Questions 2020:

FAQs

Attendance Information Leaflet:

Attendance Information for Parents 2020

 

A copy of our risk assessment is available here:

May School Update COVID 19 Risk Assessment

First Aid COVID 19 April 2021

Summer Term 2021 COVID 19 Risk Assessment

March 2021 Full risk assessment update

Primary and Nursery Testing Risk Assessment

January 21 Whole School Update.final

School Risk Assessment December 20 update COVID-19 (1)

School Risk Assessment Update COVID-19 Nov 20

September School COVID 19 Risk Assessment

Re-opening of School Sep Action Plan

Final July School COVID 19 Risk Assessment

COVID 19 School First Aid Risk Assessment

Re-opening of School Sep

An addemdum to our health and safety policy can be found here:

Additional Safeguarding Guidance – A response to COVID 19 jan 21 update

Updated COVID 19 Policy Jan 2021

Covid Policy

Copies of our risk assessments in delivery of PE are available here:

September 2020 Updated SSP Covid -19 Risk Assessment

SSP Covid -19 RA

County PESSPA COVID-19 Guidance May 27th

Durham and CLS SSP Covid-19 Risk Management Procedures March 21

 

Resources to help children return to school

Growth Mindset

Class dojo Growth Mindset is good for explaining to kids. https://ideas.classdojo.com/b/growth-mindset

These are good clips for you / adults to watch for explaining what Growth Mindset is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv2ar6AKvGc – Fixed v Growth Mind-set

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElVUqv0v1EE – Growth & Steve Jobs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ – Dweck at Stanford

Example of parent leaflet

https://www.beachborough.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Beachborough-Parents-Guide-to-Mindset-Booklet.pdf

Relaxation:

The Stop, Breathe, Think Kids App / Online page is my favourite to use with kids, as it has emotion faces they usually like to choose from and then has animations to accompany the mindfulness activities. So even for kids who are reluctant, they often like to still watch it or if they see you doing the actions, they often eventually join in.

https://kidsapp.stopbreathethink.com/parent – you can access it for free on any computer, just need to create a password with email address, or there is an Apple App. A few of the videos are on youtube. Or “Virtual Toolbox” is an App for slightly older children.

Kids often also like GoNoodle (milkshake song often a hit) or Cosmic Kids on Youtube too.

Visual Timetables / Pictures for Routines:

 

Templates for social stories that you could use

https://www.widgit.com/resources/ has some good picture symbols for back to school which could be helpful.

This has lots of good info in it including picture support and activities for at home (designed for children with autism):

http://www.cardiffandvaleuhb.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/1143/Supporting%20Children%20with%20LD%20&%20ASD%20with%20COVID%20Isolation.pdf

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/sen-autism-spectrum-disorders/sen-autism-spectrum-disorders-visual-resources/visual-timetables-visual-resources-autism-spectrum-disorders-communication-and-interaction-sen

Covid-19 Kid’s Books

The first book might be particularly helpful:

 

Matilda and Theo, Looking after our Lost and Found things in the time of Coronavirus:

https://www.childhood.org.au/app/uploads/2020/04/MatildaTheoLR.pdf

Everybody Worries:

https://en.calameo.com/read/000777721945cfe5bb9cc?authid=Xu9pcOzU3TQx

Lots of links to resources here:

http://www.durham.gov.uk/article/23253/Resources-for-children-and-young-people-parents-and-carers-and-professionals

Helpful Books and websites for worries or anger

(in rough age ascending order)

· Feelings by Pat-a-Cake

· How Are You Feeling Today? Molly Potter

· What Are Feelings? Katie Daynes

· Worries Are Like Clouds, or Anger is Like Armour; by Shona Innes

· Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents); by Eline Snel – includes CD

· The Panicosaurus; by Kay Al-Ghani · The Invisible String; by Patrice Karst (good for separation anxiety)

· I Can Handle It: Volume 1 (Mindful Mantras); by Ms Laurie Wright

· The Huge Bag of Worries; by Virginia Ironside

· Little Meerkat’s Big Panic; by Jane Evans

· All the “Scaredy Squirrel” books; by Melanie Watt (LAC)

· Series by Julia Cook – e.g. “I Don’t Like the Sound of No” · Hey Warrior : A Book for Kids about Anxiety; by Karen Young

· Wilma Jean and the Worry Machine; by Julia Cook – also a separate ideas and activity book

· The Worry Troopers (Kids Hero series); by Susan Hunt

· What to Do When You Worry Too Much; by Dawn Huebner

· Help! I’ve got an alarm bell going off in my head; by K L Aspden

· Starving the Anxiety or Anger Gremlin for Children Aged 5-9 (also a version for 10+); by Kate Collins-Donnelly · https://www.relaxkids.com/free-downloads free resources when you sign up your email · https://madmimi.com/signups/245349/join free resources when you sign up your email

· Websites such as Young Minds is a good resource.

· How do Dinosaurs….[play with friends, stay friends] – series by Jane Yolan

Book recommended to me by a parent: Survival Guide – kids with ASD and their parents · https://www.amazon.co.uk/Survival-Guide-Autism-Spectrum-Disorders/dp/1575423855/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1533814343&sr=8-1

emotions colouring book

13^th July 2020

 

 

Dear Parents/Carers,

 

Re: Full School Opening on Wednesday 2^nd September 2020

 

The staff and I at Nettlesworth Primary School are delighted to be planning for a return for all our children in September. I am disappointed that we have not been able to welcome all year groups back before the summer break and I am sorry for those families and children who have found it so tough being at home for such a long period of time. I would just like to thank you all again for your amazing support during these last few months. Your communication with us via email, socially distance visits and telephone calls has been amazing and you have all supported your children so well with their home-learning. I know many of you have found it incredibly tough, especially as the novelty wears off but please don’t worry, many of our staff have had the same issues with their own children. Hopefully this unexpected time away from school has also created many special memories and our children have learnt many new skills, which they would have not been taught at school.

 

When the school does open on Wednesday 2^nd September 2020, staff will endeavour to keep all children safe and all adults and pupils will be expected to adhere to the measures detailed in the school’s COVID-19 risk assessment which will be expanded upon below.. However, our school will look very different. Safety and protective measures will significantly change our school operations, in order to reduce the risk for children and staff. The government guidance directs us to:

 

• stagger the times of any movement around the school as well as start and finish times
• keep class groups in their own bubbles
• keep children in these bubbles for the whole time they are in school
• not allow bubbles of children to mix with each other at all
• continue to encourage children to maintain social distancing where possible.

We cannot guarantee that children will socially distance and government guidance states this issue very clearly. However, there is a huge amount of work taking place behind the scenes to help minimise the risk to both pupils and staff.

 

We have continued to work closely with Durham County Council to establish what is right for our school. They have provided a risk assessment, which is designed to put the health and safety of children first and ensure each school mitigates, to the best of their ability, risks associated with a full school return. Working with the Council, we have decided that the following approach best suits the needs of children and families at Nettlesworth Primary School.

 

Following on from the guidance issued by the Government last Thursday 2^nd July, we have met and discussed arrangements for September. To make school and the surrounding area as safe as possible for children, staff and parents/carers, we have made some necessary changes to school timings and its organisation.

 

 

 

The times of arrival and departure for the different year groups will be:

 

Class 1 Children (Reception) – 8.45am-3.00pm

 

Class 2 children (Years 1/2) – 9.00am-3.15pm

 

Class 3 children (Years 3/4) – 8.30am-2.45pm

 

Class 4 children (Years 5/6) – 9.15am-3.30pm

 

 

Arrival and Departure

 

At these allocated times parents/carers will need to be waiting outside main school gate at main entrance, alongside the green fence, adhering to social distance requirements at all times. Parents/Carers will not be allowed to enter the school building/school site or have the daily contact or conversations they are used to having with staff but we will try our best. Contact will continue to be mostly electronic via email and telephone and prior arranged appointments. Please adhere to strict social distancing at drop off points and only arrive at school in time to drop off and collect your child. Arriving or staying close to school outside of this time could put other staff, parents/carers and pupils at risk. Please ensure you are aware of your child’s pick up and drop off times and stick rigidly to these times to help the day run smoothly – Your child’s class teacher will collect children from the gate and they will be escorted into school to wash hands immediately.

Children and parents must wait alongside school fence and not come to the door and ring buzzer. If you are late you must ring the office to arrange an alternative drop off/pick up.

If you need to pass any medication into school please contact the office in the first instance- 0191 3710444 and we will arrange to meet you in the main entrance.

 

School will feel strange at first and I am constantly following guidance and assessing every risk to keep everyone safe. Some of the safeguarding measures school we will implement are as follows:

 

• Children who display coronavirus type symptoms or children who live with someone who has coronavirus will not be able to attend school. Isolation and self-isolation rules will be followed.
• To maintain social distancing and appropriate levels of cleanliness, the start and finish times of the school day will be staggered.

• Lessons will involve more independent learning as the teacher and support assistant will need to try and maintain social distance where possible to children to give them targeted support.
• Classrooms will have all unnecessary furniture, equipment and all soft furnishings removed.
• Staff workstations are positioned at the front of the classroom, socially distanced from pupils.
• Children’s desks are placed in rows facing the front of the classroom.
• Pupils kept in consistent groups/bubbles.
• Pupils are supported to maintain distance and not touch staff and their peers where possible.
• Pupils taught in identified classrooms, lesson subject movement is limited throughout the school day.
• Classroom based resources, such as books and games, are used and shared within the bubble /group and not to be shared with the other bubble/groups.
• Each class will have their own activity bag for break/playtimes
• Movement limited where possible to key times-Break times/Lunch times
• Whole school assemblies and concerts etc are not allowed to take place

• Strict hygiene rules will continue to be implemented. Children will frequently wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and dry thoroughly. They will clean their hands on arrival at the setting, before and after eating, and after sneezing or coughing. Hand sanitiser is provided at school. If your child needs to use hand cream due to regular handwashing, please contact the school office and let us know.
• The children will be given individually allocated stationery
• Children will be given regular drinks of water using disposable cups rather than their water bottles

• Children should not bring anything from home into school except for a sun hat on days where it is forecast to be warm and sunny. Please ensure that you have put sun cream on your child at the start of the school day as they will be going outside wherever possible and this will protect them.
• School Reading books, homework books etc may be taken between school and home as it contributes to pupil education and development. These will be kept in individual trays and reading books will be stored for 72 hours before sent home to another family.
• The classes of children will have to remain in their groups (bubbles) at all times – school will ensure that lunch and play times are separate.

• If your child receives a free school meal or you pay for school meals, the meal will be served to your child in their class base.
• Children may bring packed lunch but their box must be wiped down outside with anti -bacterial on arrival
• Staff will not wear any PPE – unless for intimate care, first aid or if a child/adult develops symptoms.
• Parents will not be allowed to gather on the playground or enter the school building. You will have to communicate with staff by telephone and call the office to make an appointment. Please do not come to the door and ring buzzer. Only one parent or carer is permitted to bring their child to school and collect them at the allocated time.
• Movement in corridors will be different and as far as possible, there will be continue to be a one-way system with 2m distance markings.
• If a child or an adult in their group is confirmed as having the virus, the whole group including the staff working with that group, will be sent home immediately to self-isolate for 14 days.

 

 

School Meals from September

 

From September, School Meals for pupils in Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 will be increasing in price to £2.10 per day, which means a week’s dinners will now cost £10.50. Meals for those in Reception, Year 1 & 2 will still be free.

*Pupils moving from Year 2 into Year 3 will need to pay for their dinners in September via ParentPay unless they are entitled to Free School Meals.

* If you think you may be entitled to Free School Meals and haven’t applied, or your circumstances have changed, please email the School Office for a form for us to do a check with Durham County Council.

School Lunch Menu Winter 2019

 

New expectations for our curriculum

We will need to modify our curriculum substantially at the start of the academic year, but aim to return to our normal curriculum for all pupils by summer term 2021.

We will assess pupils’ staring points and address gaps in their knowledge and skills, and use this to inform changes to our curriculum. .

 

Primary schools

For pupils in early years:

• For children in nursery: focus on the prime areas of learning, including communication and language; personal, social and emotional development (PSED); and physical development
• For children in reception: focus on the above, but also assess and address gaps in language, early reading and maths, particularly ensuring children’s acquisition of phonic knowledge and extending their vocabulary
• For all children: follow updates to the disapplication guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage and consider how all groups of children can be given equal opportunities for outdoor learning

 

For pupils in KS1 and KS2, prioritise:

• Identifying gaps and re-establishing good progress in the ‘essentials’ (phonics and reading, increasing vocabulary, writing and maths)
• Identifying opportunities across the curriculum so they read widely
• Developing their knowledge and vocabulary

 

We will keep the curriculum broad, so that the majority of pupils are taught a full range of subjects over the year (e.g. sciences, humanities, the arts, PE, RE).

The Department for Education is planning on the basis that statutory primary assessments will take place in summer 2021, although it has delayed the introduction of the new reception baseline assessment until September 2021.

 

Some trips can start again

We can resume non-overnight domestic educational visits. We must make sure any trips are in line with protective measures, such as keeping pupils in their ‘bubble’.

Breakfast and After school clubs

We have had to think carefully about how we can make this provision work alongside our wider protective measures, like keeping pupils in their ‘bubbles’ when possible. We also understand that a lot of parents/carers need access to wrap around care to help with work commitments.

Class 2, 3 and 4 Teachers are going to offer their class bubble one hour after school tuition three times per week . We can then keep our bubbles together and offer extra tuition to try and help close any gaps of learning for all of our Year 1-6 children. There will be no after school care for our Reception children as always in the Autumn Term. These tuition sessions will be of no cost and will last one hour immediately after the class bubble finishes for the school day. This after school provision will start week beginning 7^th September 2020 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

 

 

 

 

Class 2– 3.15pm-4.15pm -Tue, Wed, Thur

 

Class 3– 2.45pm-3.45pm-Tue, Wed, Thur

 

Class 4– 3.30pm-4.30pm- Tue, Wed, Thur

 

 

Class Teachers will send out letters on Wednesday 2nd September so that we know which pupils will be attending these sessions.

 

Breakfast club will commence week beginning 7^th September. Children who attend will be served breakfast in their own classroom bubble to avoid class bubbles mixing. It will start at 8am and finish when their class bubble arrives. It will continue to cost £1 per day, which you can pay via parent pay. Parents/Carers will need to follow same arrival guidelines as attending school classes and supervisory assistants will meet at main entrance at 8am. Please could children arrive on time.

We will return to our usual school uniform

Uniforms won’t need to be cleaned any more than usual, or with methods different from normal.

 

PE Kits

 

Children in Class 1 and 2 will need to bring their full PE kit into school on the first day back in a PE bag or carrier bag. Please ensure that this is labelled with their name and class. The PE kits will be stored in the cloakrooms on a labelled peg in school and sent home weekly to be washed. Class 3 and 4 will come into school with their PE kits on allocated PE days to avoid moving around. Class teachers will notify

 

 

School Holidays and Term Dates 2020 – 2021

 

I am sure that many of you will have had holidays cancelled or postponed and will be considering when these can be re-booked for next year. It is really important to remember that holidays during term times can only be authorised in very exceptional circumstances. Very few holidays are ever authorised and this is likely to be even lower next year. It is going to be essential for ALL children to be in school as much as possible due to the extended closure of schools during the latter half of this year. Please also bear in mind that if you do decide to take a holiday during term time which has not been authorised, if your child is out of school for more than 7 consecutive days you can be fined – £60 per parent for each child.

Holiday	Closing Date	Date re-open for Teaching Purposes
Summer Holiday	Friday 17th July 2020	Wednesday 2nd September 2020
October Half Term	Friday 23rd October 2020	Monday 2nd November 2020
Christmas Holiday	Friday 18th December 2020	Tuesday 5th January 2021
February Half Term	Friday 12th February 2021	Monday 22nd February 2021
Easter Holiday	Friday 26th March 2021	Tuesday 13th April 2021
May Day	Friday 30th April 2021	Tuesday 4th May 2021
Summer Half Term	Friday 28th May 2021	Monday 7th June 2021
Summer Holiday	Friday 16th July 2021	Thursday 2nd September 2021

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions, queries or are worried about your child starting or returning, please do not hesitate to contact the school via email or call us on 0191 3710444 and someone will get back to you.

 

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart to you all for your support during these very strange times. I can’t thank enough our wonderful staff again for their positive attitudes and commitment to always make sure we do the best we can for our children. We can’t wait to see all of our children again in September.

 

 

Many Thanks and Take Care

 

Donna Lee

Head Teacher

 

 

 

 

Virtual Class Swap Day

 

 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbfo1J3zvLs&w=560&h=315]

 

 

Covid Policy July 2020

Summer holiday

Returning to School in September

Head Teacher Update 29th June 2020

Classes next year letter

LA Response to Increased Number of Parental Queries

Cancellation of Robinwood

DPH Letter Schools Returning

new reception

Durham County Council Press Release

Re-opening of School 2 May 2020

Re-opening of School 1 May 2020

Preparing your child to return to school NEW (1)

Update on possible re-opening of schools May 2020

Possible reopening of schools to more pupils in June and KS2 SATS

Supporting your child’s wellbeing

Thank you for your patience while we have given considerable thought as to how we can reopen school for these year groups and other year groups who may return during the summer term. We have been working hard to create detailed plans to make sure we can safely welcome Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 groups back if it is safe for us to start the phased reopening of the school. It was lovely and heart-warming to talk to parents/carers from these key groups over the past week to find out about your personal circumstances and feelings at this difficult time. I hope that you feel reassured about your decisions and want to remind you again that you know what’s best for your child’s health and wellbeing and we won’t be pressuring you to send your child/Children to school. We appreciate that this is a significant decision for you to make. The government has also said it will be up to parents/carers whether they send their child or not.

We are looking forward to welcome our children and staff back to school but just to remind you that if your child is clinically extremely vulnerable, or living with someone in this group, they should not come back to school and should continue home learning. If your child is clinically vulnerable but not clinically extremely vulnerable, you should follow medical advice to determine if they should come back to school.

When the school does open on the 15th June, staff will endeavour to keep all children safe and all adults and pupils will be expected to adhere to the measures detailed in the school’s COVID-19 risk assessment which will be expanded upon below..  However, our school will look very different. Safety and protective measures will significantly change our school operations, in order to reduce the risk for children and staff.

Thankyou from the bottom of my heart to you all for persevering and continuing to work with our different ways of operation. I would also like to thank our wonderful staff again for their positive attitudes and readiness to respond to requests and go above and beyond to make sure we do the best we can for the children. Also a huge thank you to our wonderful children, who have been fantastic during these difficult times. I am so proud to be Head Teacher of our amazing little school- it’s a huge team effort with you fantastic parents/carers, children, staff and governors all working together.

Many Thanks

Donna Lee (Head Teacher)

The outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) led to the closure of schools in England from 20 March 2020. As we reopen our school there are a number of new measures in place to keep the children, parents, staff and wider community as safe as possible. Initially, we will be opening for the children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 as well as continuing to be open for the children of Key Workers.

What safety measures are in place to protect my child?

The DfE guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings recognises that for children of primary age they ‘cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and staff’. We will be discouraging contact between children. However, for 1^st aid or for some children with intimate care needs close contact will be necessary.

However, we will ensure that:

• Children and staff avoid contact with anyone with symptoms
• Promote frequent handwashing and good hygiene e.g. blowing nose into a tissue
• Regular cleaning of rooms and equipment
• Minimising contact and mixing between groups of children.

A copy of our risk assessment and action plan is available here:

COVID 19 Risk Assessment May 2020
School reopening Phase 1

Arrival at School

On arrival, please follow the signs and take notice of the social distancing signage as you drop your child or children off each day. It is very important that only one adult accompanies a child/siblings to and from school, regardless of their age, so that social distancing can be maintained. We will also be operating a staggered drop off and pick up system.

What should my child wear?

We are asking parents not to dress their children in uniform but to wear casual clothes that are clean on every day. This is following current guidance. Children are not permitted to bring pencil cases or bags to school, apart from packed lunch boxes if required. They should also bring a sun hat and sun cream applied before school as we anticipate spending a lot of time outside taking part in a range of activities.

Where will my child be in school and who will teach them?

One of the advantages of being a small school is that we can, in the main, keep children with their usual teacher or a member of staff who is very familiar to them.

Reception Children- 8.45am-3.00pm

Reception children will be supervised by Miss Grant, Miss Milburn and Mrs Hindmarch in Class 3

Year 1 children- 9.00am-3.15pm

Year 1 children will be supervised by Mrs Aspinall and Mrs Moore in Class 2

Year 6 children- 9.15am-3.30pm

Year 6 children will be supervised by Mr Graham and Mrs Shaw in Class 4

Vulnerable pupils and children of critical workers will continue to access school provision between 8.00am-3.30pm. Please could parents/carers tell us exact drop off and pick up times along with days of care a week in advance so that adults in charge of this bubble can be at the door for exit and arrival of these children. These children will be supervised by Mrs Hill and Mrs Gallacher in class 1.

The children will remain in their classroom and allocated outdoor space. All surfaces will be wiped down regularly at the end of the day, including door handles, switches, toilet handles, taps etc. We will do all we can to maintain a safe and clean school site and building.

For the children in we have distanced the desks to help promote social distancing. You will notice from the photographs that equipment and soft furnishings including rugs have been removed from classrooms. This is to aid with cleaning rooms each day. As well as surfaces and equipment being cleaned daily, each week, classrooms will be deep cleaned. This increased amount of cleaning we feel is necessary to ensure that we are doing all we can to keep children and adults safe.

We have additional space available in the hall and ICT suite if necessary. All groups will also be spending a significant amount of time outside, making full use of our extensive grounds, they will be kept in their own groups.

First Aid / Illness

The government guidelines do not require school staff to wear PPE as a matter of course, however staff have been given the choice to wear whatever level of PPE they are comfortable with for them to successfully carry out their duties in school. In circumstances where a child requires First Aid, is unwell or appears to be displaying symptoms of COVID-19, staff will wear gloves, aprons, face masks and visors as appropriate to protect themselves and your child when social distancing is not an option. If your child has an accident, becomes ill or requires First Aid you may be called to take your child home.

We ask that your child does not come to school if they are ill or if they or anyone in your house is displaying symptoms of COVID 19.  The symptoms of COVID 19 are:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back;
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours;
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.

If your child becomes unwell at school, with suspected COVID symptoms your child will be isolated near the Headteachers Office and you will be asked to take them home, adhere to government self-solation guidance and seek a test to ascertain a diagnosis.

If we receive notice of a confirmed case of COVID 19 the school may need to close, at short notice for deep cleaning and staff and families may be asked to follow government guidance regarding self-isolation.

What will be the focus of lessons and home learning?

The main focus on return to school will be on wellbeing, ensuring pupils feel safe, happy and comfortable back in school. Learning, while still important, will take on secondary importance in the early stages. The planning and work prepared for the children who are in school will be the same as that which is available for parents to access if their children remain at home. Resources for home learning will continue to be accessed via our school website.

I know that many of you have had regular contact with staff through email and telephone, however, staff will not be available to communicate as frequently with parents as they may currently have been doing because they will be teaching throughout the week. However, if there are any issues requiring a prompt response, please contact school and we will do our best to respond quickly. As a school we have always encouraged face-to-face communication. However, at this time, we are asking parents and carers to communicate via email or phone whenever possible to minimise the need for physical interactions unless this is necessary. We do not want you to feel that we are trying to distance ourselves, we just want to minimise risk where this is possible. We ask for your understanding at this time.

What will lunchtimes be like?

Groups will not mix at lunchtime and for the children in Early Years, Y1, Y6 and Key Worker children lunch will be served in their classroom. Our school cook will be opening our kitchen so a hot meal will be available each day. Hot meals will be cooked in our school kitchen and then collected by children.

Temp-Menu

Children can choose to bring a packed lunch if they wish. We will need to wipe these down on arrival in school. We are very fortunate and have extensive grounds. The children will have a zoned area in which to play throughout the day.

Outdoor space

We are very fortunate and have extensive grounds. The children will have a zoned area in which to play throughout the day. For children in EYFS they will have access to the school field on their own.

We hope we have covered the main issues here, but please get in touch if you have a specific concern that I can help you with. We will work hard to do the very best we can to support both you and your families through this challenging time.

Department of Education answers questions about re-opening of schools

We’ve answered some of the key questions we know parents and carers have about plans for some pupils to return to schools, nurseries and colleges.

We are clear this will only happen when the five key tests are met and protective measures are in place.

https://www.gov.uk/…/closure-of-educational-settings-inform…

Are children expected to social distance?

Looking after our Mental Wellbeing