News and reminders
Tuesday 22nd September 2020
Dear Parents/Carers,
Despite the clear differences in school life, we have had a very positive start to the term. The pupils are keen to learn and they are really adapting well to the new processes. Staff are busy assessing them to ensure any gaps are identified quickly. Thank you again for your support. If we continue working together, we can ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible.
Weather
So far we have been lucky with the weather but we know this will change. Rain is currently forecasted for most of the day tomorrow. Please ensure your child has a waterproof coat and please bring an umbrella so you and your child don’t get soaking wet whilst waiting in the queues.
Barriers
I was expecting the barriers to create much more of a queuing system than they have (they were not cheap!) but I still believe they have helped the parents using the middle and kitchen gates.
Pathways
You will notice there is now a sign where the path splits from New Houghton to school to direct Y1 and 2 parents one way and other parents the other way. This is to ensure Y1 and Y2 parents have enough space to queue without people needing to walk through them. Please help us to keep bubbles separate by following these signs.
If you walk down the path from school towards Pleasley, please be aware that on the grass just before the bus stop on the dual carriageway there is a drain which is uncovered. It looks like it had cones around it but these are now inside. It is a large hole and quite deep so please be careful if you are near there. It has been reported to the council.
Residential visits
The venues which we use for our residential visits are still all hoping to be open and fully running for visits next year which means we have to book our places now and pay our deposits. Normally, we would have Parent meetings to share a presentation about these but this is not possible at this time. However, the presentations for each visit are on the school website. Parents tab- Residential visits and select the relevant visit.
If you need to ask any questions before making your decision or you have any concerns you wish to discuss, please e-mail me (headteacher@anthonybek.derbyshire.sch.uk)
All payments need to be paid via School Money. If you have not yet set up your account or need any help using School Money, please contact our school office during school hours (01623 810355). Monies paid at each instalment date are non-refundable. However, the venues have all confirmed that if they have to cancel our booking due to COVID, all monies (like this year) would be refunded.
Y1 and Y2 to Lea Green
This one night/two day visit takes place on Weds 31st March to Thursday 1st April 2021. It costs £50 in total (food, activities, board, transport all included) which can be spread in payment instalments as per the presentation on the website. To secure your child’s place, a deposit of £10 is needed by Monday 5th October 2020.
Y3 and Y4 to Walesby
This two night/three day visit takes place on Weds 9th June to Friday 11th June 2021. It costs £85 in total (food, activities, board, transport all included) which can be spread in payment instalments as per the presentation on the website. To secure your child’s place, a deposit of £10 is needed by Monday 5th October 2020. Some parents carried over their funds from the cancelled trip this year so these should be visible when you log into School Money so you know when/if you need to make any further payments.
Y5 and Y6 to CMC Adventure Wales (Pensarn nr Harlech)
Brand new! See there website for full details (https://www.cmcadventure.org.uk/)
This four night/five day visit takes place on Monday 3rd May (please be aware this is a bank holiday) to Friday 7th May 2021. It costs £150 in total (food, activities, board, transport all included) which can be spread in payment instalments as per the presentation on the website. To secure your child’s place, a deposit of £25 is needed by Monday 12th October 2020. Some parents carried over their funds from the cancelled Whitehall trip this year so these should be visible when you log into School Money so you know when/if you need to make any further payments.
COVID - Back to School & Learning Grant
Families that are in financial crisis following COVID, e.g. through redundancy may be able to apply for a grant of up to £100 per child, to fund clothing or equipment for children 4 – 18 years old to return to school : e.g.
If you feel you are in financial crisis and feel you may benefit from this grant, please contact me via e-mail (headteacher@anthonybek.derbyshire.sch.uk). We would have to complete the form together so you would need to share with me an overview of your financial hardship. The authority would make their checks and confirm the decision. This is completely new so I am not aware of any criteria other than being in financial crisis and therefore not able to afford to provide the required equipment/clothing for school. It is only for school clothing and equipment though- not for anything else.
As always, please contact the school by telephone or e-mail if you need anything.
Kind regards,
Mrs Donna-Marie Johnson