Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Update re school opening to further pupils
Sun 31 May 2020As expected, the Government have asked schools to begin reopening to priority year groups from Monday 1st June. As you know, we have remained open throughout this pandemic for key worker/vulnerable pupils and from the 1st June, we will remain open for these pupils only.
As described in detail in the previous communication, we are continuing to modify our school, classrooms and outside areas this week to ensure we can begin to open the school to more year groups. At the very earliest, this could be Monday 8th June for the first group but the safety of our pupils, staff and the wider families of all remains our first priority so we will not begin opening to wider groups until we feel we can do this in the safest way possible.
We continue to work with the Unions, Department for Education and local authority for guidance to ensure we can minimise the risk to all as much as possible.
We appreciate your support, understanding and patience at this time as we take a careful and cautious approach to opening the school to the priority year groups. (Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6).
Under the current requirements for 2m social distancing, pupils in the none priority year groups would not be able to return to school this term as we would not have the classroom space or staffing to achieve this. The Government continue to ease restrictions so this could change but I just wanted you to be aware of the situation in case the 2m distancing remains in place until the end of term.
I will update you regarding the starting date for the first year group once we are in a position to confirm this. Please be aware that all schools will begin this process differently due to their own school context (buildings and staffing) and the guidance from unions and local authorities.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Johnson
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Home Learning Examples- week 7
Wed 20 May 2020Mrs Braithwaite has been sending out the Get Active challenges each week based on a sport. This weeks is Orienteering. This is a great sport for all the family.
Huge thank you and well done to Tiana from Reception, William Y6 and Seth Y4. You can see the photos below of the A-Z scavenger hunt, den building and Big Art!
If anyone else is taking part in these activities, please email any photos to jobraithwaite@anthonybek.derbyshire.sch.uk.
In other areas of home learning this week, Esme has written a biography of Walt Disney and drawn a beautiful picture of Bambi.
Lavenia has created an excellent PowerPoint presentation all about Emmeline Pankhurst.
Billie has learnt to peg out the washing and make a cup of tea for Mrs B!
Annie and Tommy have been supporting their community and have been litter picking, which supported their recycling project. They have also learnt more about road safety and completed some work on Bees which tied in with World Bee day this week.
It's been lovely to see lots of work and life skills still being learnt while learning from home. Keep sending us your photos!
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Overview of potential school reopening
Mon 18 May 2020Dear Parents/ Carers,
Thank you for your patience in waiting for further information regarding the Government’s aims to begin the phased reopening of schools. When I spoke to parents on the last Friday before the school closure began when it was all so uncertain how long this would happen for, I remember saying that I expected/hoped/prayed it would be sometime in the Summer term. Never once did I consider it would be in the way we are now proposing to work. School will not be school as you know it and this is saddening and concerning for us all.
I apologise in advance for the length of this letter: I have tried to keep it as brief as possible but it is crucial you have a full understanding of what school will be like and the measures we are putting into place to minimise the risks as much as possible so you can make an informed decision when considering whether you want your child (if eligible) to return to school as when this is agreed.
To make reading easier, I have added headings so you can skip to the parts relevant to you/your child. I have also included a key question and answer section and finally a quick summary section for key points which again might help give you a good understanding without reading every word! If there is anything that is not clear, please do not hesitate to get in touch via the e-mail address below.
Once you have read this letter and made your decision about your child/ren, please e-mail me (headteacher@anthonybek.derbyshire.sch.uk) with the name/s and year group/s of your child/ren and Yes or No in answer to the question, ‘Will your child be attending this term if a date to return for your child is given?’ Please answer this questions for all children regardless of their year group as we do not yet know if the Government advice on the use of rotas or on the inclusion of other year groups will change. I do not want to rush your decision as I appreciate there’s a lot to consider, but would appreciate your response as soon as possible but no later than Thursday 21st May so I start to work out what is/isn’t possible and arrange timetables and staffing.
YOUR CHOICE
I must stress again that the choice will be yours. We will do everything we can to minimise the risks, as you will see in this letter, but no-one can fully eradicate them so it will be your choice whether your child attends and you will not be penalised for non-attendance if you decide you want your child to remain at home and continue home learning. We will, of course, continue to support your child with home learning in the same way that has been so far, albeit it may be with different staff members in some cases.
UPDATE
Since I sent the last message, you will have no doubt seen a wealth of information presented in the media about the different thoughts about the reopening of schools and I am sure, like us, you have been overwhelmed and confused by some of the messages and of course it will have raised lots of concerns. You will also be aware that unions are now involved and we don’t know how/if this will change the Government guidance. What is clear though, is that we need to plan for the phased reopening so we are ready to open the doors to an increased number of pupils when it is safe to do so.
Our stance has not changed in that we know that regardless of whether the Government meets the 5 key indicator targets by the 1st June, we WILL NOT be opening to any additional pupils (other than those in the key worker/vulnerable group that already attend the school) on this date as there is a significant amount of work to be completed in school to ensure it is safe for an increased number of staff and pupils. We need to re-organise the building to include one way systems, add signage, set up EYFS individual stations, remove all soft-furnishings, re-organise classrooms to set out tables 2m apart, remove excess furniture, remove excess resources, set up individual resource packs, source personal protective equipment for staff when having to have contact with pupils, e.g. through first aid or personal hygiene etc. So I can confirm that the very earliest time we could possibly begin a phased reopening would be Mon 8th June and I do stress this is just the earliest date possible- not a given date. It may be that all of the above takes more time to put in place. We would not begin the reopening until all measures were in place to ensure we are operating as safely as possible.
Once we have everything in place to begin the phased reopening, this would be done gradually. All eligible pupils would not start on the same day. We would invite one additional group at a time. We might add a new group each day or we may wait a two or more days before adding a new group. This would depend on the evaluation of each day. It may be that we have to make further changes so it is crucial that we reopen slowly and carefully to ensure we can keep everyone as safe as possible. Parents would receive messages the day before to confirm we are ready for the next group to begin.
How COVID 19 transmits
The Government guidance states:
‘Transmission of coronavirus mainly occurs via respiratory droplets generated during breathing, talking, coughing and sneezing. These droplets can directly infect the respiratory tracts of other people if there is close contact. They also infect others indirectly. This happens when the droplets get onto and contaminate surfaces which are then touched and introduced into the mouth or eyes of an uninfected person.
In all education, childcare and children’s social care settings, preventing the spread of coronavirus involves preventing:
- direct transmission, for instance, when in close contact with those sneezing and coughing
- indirect transmission, for instance, touching contaminated surfaces
To reduce the risk of transmission of infection we will:
1.Minimise contact with individuals who are unwell. Parents will be asked not to send any child to school who is displaying any symptoms of COVID 19 and to keep them at home for a period of 7 days or until a negative test result is received. If a child or staff member becomes ill at school with suspected symptoms, they will need to leave as soon as possible. Whilst waiting for adults to collect pupils, they will be placed in isolation.
Isolation
Our disabled toilet/ medical room will be the isolation room. This room has been chosen as any child who is displaying symptoms needs to be isolated and sat in a room with a window. This room also has a medical bed if they are feeling significantly unwell. Pupils who are isolated also need access to a toilet that no-one else needs to use so this room is ideal as the child will not need to go anywhere else and risk infection to others if positive. Once the child leaves school, the isolation room will not be used by anyone until it is fully cleaned.
A staff member will sit on a chair outside of the room (with the door slightly open unless the child is using the toilet) so the staff member can monitor the child but maintain a safe distance. If a staff member has to be in contact with a child displaying symptoms, they will wear a full personal protective equipment.
2. Clean hands often. Staff and children will be expected to wash their hands for 20 seconds with water and soap (as per the guidance) when arriving to school, after break, before dinner, after dinner, before leaving school and anytime they cough/sneeze. Hand sanitisers will also be available for use.
3. Respiratory hygiene (catch it, bin it, kill it). Children in Y1-Y6 will be given individual packets of tissues on their tables and encouraged to use tissues if they are going to cough or sneeze and immediately throw the tissue in the lidded bin in each room before washing their hands in the classroom sink. Tissues will also be available in EYFS although not in individual packets and these can be quite fiddly for young pupils.
4. Clean surfaces that are touched frequently. All surfaces will be cleaned before pupils arrive. Each classroom will also have a bucket, cloth and disinfectant spray to use by teaching staff throughout the day. Surfaces will be wiped again at lunchtime and then cleaned after school. Deep cleaning will also take place mid-week every week in all areas where groups are working. Each time a group visits the toilet, the handles of toilet flushes, taps and door handles will be wiped by the supervising staff member. In Early Years, the resources/ toys on each station will be cleaned before the next child moves to that station. Staff will ensure all I PADS and laptops are wiped after use, using appropriate wipes for the equipment so they are clean for the next group.
5. Minimise contact and mixing. Pupils will be put into a groups of between 10 and 15 pupils. They will remain in this same group throughout the day. Tables will be set out 2m apart with one child per table in KS1/2. Stations will be set up in EYFS to promote social distancing. Staff will be allocated a group to work with and will remain with this same group to minimise mixing. All groups will have two staff members each day- for the majority of groups, these staff members will be consistent all week. However, with job share/ part-time staff, there will be some groups that see more than two staff members. Collection and drop off times and points will be staggered to minimise group sizes. Break times, lunchtimes and use of outdoor learning spaces will be staggered/timetabled to minimise contact. Staff will use the Amazon speaker system to let other classes know when they have returned to their classrooms to ensure paths don’t cross. Staff will have time slots for group toilet visits. Only one child will be permitted in the toilet at one time. Individual pupils will be accompanied by an adult from their group to the toilet between group visits if needed to ensure cleaning of handles etc is complete.
6. Use Personal protective equipment (PPE)
We will provide full face screens, aprons and disposable gloves to:
- Staff in Nursery or Reception, if pupils need to be changed
- Staff giving first aid treatment to children
- Staff supervising pupils who are exhibiting signs of COVID 19 even when a 2 metre distance is being observed.
- Cleaning staff who are responsible for cleaning the isolation room and any area where a child or staff member exhibiting symptoms has been.
7. Remove excess furniture to reduce the number of surfaces that could harbour the virus All excess furniture will be removed from classrooms to give maximum space and to ensure all surfaces can be wiped more frequently.
8. Limit the sharing of them Each child in KS1/2 will have their own set of resources, e.g. pencil, ruler, glue stick, rubber, pencil crayons etc to avoid the need for pupils to cross contaminate resources. EYFS will have set resources on each table but these will be cleaned before pupils rotate to the next station.
9. Limit resources generally Staff will use the least amount of resources necessary to prevent contact with lots of resources which then need cleaning.
10. Prevent cross contamination between home and school Children will not be asked to bring organisers and books to school. Parents will therefore not need to sign organisers. However, we would hope that reading at home would still continue where the family situation permits this. However, we do not want to promote pupils changing books in school so would ask pupils to read books they have at home. PE kits should be left in school for as long as possible. We appreciate, from time to time, they will need to go home to be washed.
11. Parents and visitors will not be permitted onto the school grounds (with the exception of Parents visiting the reception office if enquiries cannot be made by telephone). Such visits will need to be outside of the school collecting times, e.g. between 9am and 2:50pm.
12. Contractors only permitted if really necessary to enable safe working All non-essential work will be delayed to reduce the number of possible contractors working in school. Where contractors have to work, social distancing will be adhered to. This may include moving groups of pupils and re-cleaning or if another suitable space cannot be located and the work is urgent, it may be that certain group/s do not attend of certain days.
13. Expect that families of children attending the school will adhere to social distancing rules Whilst we do not have a legal right to police the behaviour of the community, we do have a right to be safe in our workplace as do the pupils that attend. If we feel that the behaviour of some families is putting staff and pupils at a genuinely increased risk (and we have firm evidence of this from reliable sources-not hearsay), we will contact the family/families and ask them to keep their child at home for self-isolation period of 14 days and remind them of the expectations set by the Government for the safety of everyone.
We have completed risk assessments of the whole school and identified the safe number of pupils each classroom could hold and used this to inform the offer below.
Places in school
Each group will have a set time for dropping off and collecting. These times will be staggered so we don’t have groups mixing or too many parents in one place at the same time. We ask that only ONE parent drops off and collects their child to reduce the number of people present. Each group will have a drop off and collection gate. Parents will not enter the school premise to reduce contamination. 2m distancing markings will be painted on pavements. Collecting parents will be asked to use these markings to maintain social distancing.
Each group would attend every day except Wednesday. School would be closed to all pupils except the key worker group and the Nursery group from 12:30pm on Wednesday each week. This is to enable staff planning and deep cleaning to take place. Usually, we have staff members that rotate to cover each teacher’s planning time but this is not possible as staff need to stay in the same ‘bubble’ group. This will be under review- it may be that we find a solution where this is not needed. Equally, it may be that we have to increase this to school being closed for the full day on Wednesdays.
We will offer places in the following order of priority in relation to classroom and staffing availability.
- Key worker group
This is the group of pupils currently attending the school. They are currently taught as one or two mixed aged groups (depending on the number of pupils each day). If these pupils are in the other eligible groups, ideally they should be moved to be taught with their year group. This is particularly important for EYFS pupils as they would be able to have further access to the limited EYFS resources in use, that will not be available in the key worker group classrooms.
We will only offering breakfast club and after school club (until 5:15pm) from the 1st day of increased groups in school, to children in the Key worker group, so if your child needs to attend either of these services or if your child needs a place in school on Wednesday afternoons, they will remain taught in the Key worker group rather than in their own year group (if their year group is one of the eligible groups). Please indicate this when you send your e-mail.
Once we begin the phased reopening to more groups of pupils, the key worker group of pupils will be supported in the Y3 and Y4 classrooms. Each of these spaces can take between 8 and 10 pupils. If the group is larger than this, they will move into the Y5 and Y6 classrooms as well. This could then impact our ability to offer places to Y6 pupils as they are the last priority set by the Government for the classes named so far.
Provision will continue in the same way- pupils working on separate desks with their own resources. However, they will now follow timetables for use of playgrounds, toilets etc to ensure the groups don’t mix.
2. Nursery
Following our risk assessment and measuring of the available space, we can offer 10 places in a morning and 10 places in an afternoon. There are no other classrooms in the school suitable for Nursery due to which have toilets and sinks which are the appropriate size, changing facilities and an enclosed outside area. This means we do not have enough places for all Nursery pupils to attend. The Government ask that we don’t operate a rota system where some children attend one week and some attend another.
We do not feel, at this time, that we can safely offer places to pupils who are in the first year of Nursery (N1-those not going to Reception in September). At this age, most pupils are still very dependent on adults, with changing, helping to dress/undress, fastening coats, wiping noses, toileting etc. They are also the age group who will understand social distancing the least and regularly put things in their mouths. They will not be able to understand the way that we propose to operate Nursery and those pupils who have yet to start our Nursery, will need a lot of reassurance when separated from parents and which would require close contact and this would put staff at increased risk. We therefore do not feel we can offer what these pupils need.
Therefore we have decided to offer places to Nursery pupils who are starting Reception in September 2020 only. This may change further down the line so I would still appreciate all parents, including those of pupils not going into Reception in September to send an e-mail stating whether they would/ would not take a place if offered under the same circumstances.
We cannot offer 30 hour places as we need time in between the two different groups attending to deep clean Nursery so these eligible pupils would just be offered a morning or afternoon session along with the other pupils. If your child is currently in N2 and receiving 30 hours provision, and you want a place, please indicate on your reply slip whether you would prefer am or pm.
The most significant changes will be felt by our pupils in the Early Years. To try to maintain social distancing wherever possible, we will have to operate in a very different way and all staff are concerned about this. It goes against the whole ethos of the Early Years Curriculum so staff are worried about the impact these changes would have on pupils. At present, children learn through play, socialising freely with other pupils. They complete tasks freely, moving from area to area, choosing activities that they are interested in at the time, working with different pupils and working in groups. Resources are available for them to select independently out of the range of drawers and shelves within each area.
To try to maintain social distancing and limit the possible spread of the virus, our Nursery classroom and outdoor area will be set up with 10 stations spaced 2m apart. All excess furniture and resources would be stored elsewhere (not in the Nursery building) to minimise the number of surfaces that children can touch and therefore that need to be cleaned. There would be set resources out on each station and it is only these resources that pupils will be able to use. Group times, where pupils sit in a circle to enjoy a story would not happen in the same way. We may be able to use part of the dining room with spots spaced out every 2m on the floor for children to take part in such activities but this would be dependent on how the children cope with that and the availability of the space.
One child will play/complete activities at each station for an agreed length of time. Some kind of signal will be used to show the end of this activity. Children will complete some form of dance/ rhyme/song etc whilst stood near their stations led by one staff member whilst the other staff member cleans the resources used at each station. Children then rotate to the next station and repeat this process. They will have time indoors and outdoors to take part in activities.
Each group will have two staff members. We will do our best to ensure at least one of these is from the current Nursery staffing so the pupils are familiar with them but this may not always be possible due to staff availability and splitting the groups into smaller groups so children may be working with unfamiliar staff (they will all be our staff, however- we will not be using supply staff or staff from any other school.)
3. Reception
Following our risk assessment and measuring of the available space, we can offer 10-12 places in our Reception classroom and 10-12 places in our dining room (with both groups sharing the Reception outdoor space and toilets on a rota basis- each cleaned before use by the other group).
The most significant changes will be felt by our pupils in the Early Years. To try to maintain social distancing wherever possible, we will have to operate in a very different way and all staff are concerned about this. It goes against the whole ethos of the Early Years Curriculum so staff are worried about the impact these changes would have on pupils. At present, children learn through play, socialising freely with other pupils. They complete tasks freely, moving from area to area, choosing activities that they are interested in at the time, working with different pupils and working in groups. Resources are available for them to select independently out of the range of drawers and shelves within each area.
To try to maintain social distancing and limit the possible spread of the virus, our Reception classroom, dining room -if needed- and outdoor area will be set up 10-12 stations spaced 2m apart. All excess furniture and resources would be stored elsewhere (not in the Reception class) to minimise the number of surfaces that children can touch and therefore that need to be cleaned. There would be set resources out on each station and it is only these resources that pupils will be able to use. Group times, where pupils sit closely together would not happen in the same way. We may be able to use part of the dining room with spots spaced out on every 2m the floor for children to take part in such activities but this would be dependent on how the children cope with that way of working and the availability of the space.
One child will play/complete activities at each station for an agreed length of time. Some kind of signal will be used to show the end of this activity. Staff will clean each station before the pupils move onto the next one. The children would probably do some kind of dance, chant, rhyme etc led by one staff member while the other staff member cleans the stations. Children then rotate to the next station and repeat this process. They will have time indoors and outdoors to take part in activities.
Each group will have two staff members. We will do our best to ensure at least one of these is from the current Reception staffing so the pupils are familiar with them but this may not always be possible due to staff availability and splitting the groups into smaller groups so children may be working with unfamiliar staff (they will all be our staff, however- we will not be using supply staff or staff from any other school.)
Pupils will be able to order school dinners or bring their own sandwiches. They will collect these on a rota basis and eat in the classroom so the pupils are not mixing with other groups.
4. Year 1
Following our risk assessment and measuring of the available space, we can offer 12 places in our Year 1 classroom and 12 places in Year 2 classroom for our Y1 pupils.
Rather than a carpet area for all children to sit together on and tables in groups of 6 or 8, the tables will be spaced out throughout the room individually spaced 2m apart with one child at each table. (It would look like exam class set up if you can recall from your own education). All excess furniture and resources would be stored elsewhere to minimise the number of surfaces that children can touch and therefore the number that need to be cleaned and also to ensure they have the most amount of space in the classroom.
Children will each have a named desk and their own set of resources on their table so only they are touching them. Teaching will be led from the front of the class rather than sitting at the tables with pupils. Staff, will of course, support pupils but will be trying to maintain as much social distance as is possible. They will wash their hands when touching one child’s book before touching another.
Quite rightly, staff are concerned about how children in Y1 will cope with this style of teaching/ learning. It goes against the whole ethos of the KS1 curriculum so staff are worried about the impact these changes would have on pupils. Children in Year 1 are used to be taught as a whole class on the carpet and working very closely together in small groups at tables so this will be a very different way of working for them. Much of the learning in Year 1 is very practical with some play based learning like the Early Years. Delivering the Y1 curriculum would usually reqires the use of a wide range of resources to do it effectively but staff will need to minimise the resources used to ensure everything can be kept clean.
Staff will do their best to ensure lots of learning can take place outside to give the pupils different experiences and to break up the day. Outside areas will be zoned and timetabled so pupils in different groups do not come into contact with each other.
Each group will have two staff members. We will do our best to ensure at least one of these is from the current Year 1 staffing so the pupils are familiar with them but this may not always be possible due to staff availability and splitting the groups into smaller groups so children may be working with unfamiliar staff (they will all be our staff, however- we will not be using supply staff or staff from any other school.)
Pupils will be able to order school dinners or bring their own sandwiches. They will collect these on a rota basis and eat in the classroom so the pupils are not mixing with other groups.
5. Year 6
Following our risk assessment and measuring of the available space, we can offer 12 places in our Year 6 classroom and 12 places in Year 5 classroom for our Y6 pupils. This could be increased to a maximum of 15 in each space but this would compromise the pupils view of teaching.
Rather than tables being in groups of 6 or 8, the tables will be spaced out throughout the room individually spaced 2m apart with one child at each table. (It would look like exam class set up if you can recall from your own education). All excess furniture and resources would be stored elsewhere to minimise the number of surfaces that children can touch and therefore that need to be cleaned and to ensure they have the most amount of space in the classroom.
Children will each have a named desk and their own set of resources on their table so only they are touching them. Teaching will be led from the front of the class rather than sitting at the tables with pupils. Staff, will of course, support pupils but will be trying to maintain as much social distance as is possible. They will wash their hands when touching one child’s book before touching another.
Resources used would be kept to a minimum to ensure everything can be kept clean.
Staff will do their best to ensure lots of learning can take place outside to give the pupils different experiences and to break up the day. Outside areas will be zoned and timetabled so pupils in different groups do not come into contact with each other.
Each group will have two staff members. We will do our best to ensure at least one of these is from the current Year 6 staffing so the pupils are familiar with them but this may not always be possible due to staff availability and splitting the groups into smaller groups so children may be working with unfamiliar staff (they will all be our staff, however- we will not be using supply staff or staff from any other school.)
Please be aware that all the usual activities associated with Y6, e.g. Leavers’ assembly, Alton Towers visit, Leavers Disco, Transition to secondary school days etc will NOT go ahead this year.
Pupils will be able to order school dinners or bring their own sandwiches. They will collect these on a rota basis and eat in the classroom so the pupils are not mixing with other groups.
Year 2, 3, 4 and 5
At present, apart from the aim that all primary school pupils return for 1 month before the summer, there has been no guidance about the pupils in Y2-5. We will, of course, continue to support your child at home and keep in regular contact. Please be aware though that the staff doing this may change due to being needed to teach the increasing groups in school.
Clearly, splitting classes in two or even three means that we have used the classrooms that these pupils would normally for other year groups so unless a significant number of pupils didn’t attend, we would not have the capacity to include any of these year groups. Many schools thought a rota approach might work but this hasn’t been supported by the Government so at this time, we are not able to offer any places or indicate when places might be available. We do not yet know if the Government has a priority order for these groups either. We have our own ideas about this but I feel it is pointless sharing them as it may not be the same as the Governments ideas if/ when these are published.
Even though there’s currently no plans to offer places for these year groups, I would appreciate a response by e-mail to indicate whether you would/ wouldn’t want a place for your child under these circumstances if the opportunity arose. Please read the Y1/Y6 section as these are the same provisions that would be in place for your child’s year.
Playtimes/lunchtimes
Each group (EYFS not included) will have staggered playtime to ensure groups don’t meet.
Rules and activities on the playground will promote social distancing which means some games will not be permitted, e.g. Tag and team games. However, games which can be played safely by two people will be encouraged:
- Goal shooting (one child scoring- one child saving)
- Tables tennis
- Basket ball (each child scoring into their own hoop)
- Skipping (using the zones on the playground)
Other areas will have set number of pupils permitted, e.g. one person on each part of the trim trail on both playgrounds, one child in each bay on KS1, only 3 scooters permitted on the track etc.
If the weather is fine, pupils will be able to play on the field in zoned areas for their group to ensure the groups don’t mix. Each group will have a box of resources they can use which will include games which support social distancing, e.g. skipping ropes, bats and balls.
Free School Meals
If eligible, pupils who attend school will receive free school meals at lunchtime each day if they choose this option. Those who are not attending school either by their own choice or because places aren’t available will continue to be offered the food hamper each fortnight if they are eligible and they request it. The next food hamper will be ready for collection on Wednesday 3rd June.
Extended services (breakfast club and after school club)
To ensure staff and pupils have minimum interactions with other pupils, extended services will only offered to the parents of key worker pupils (as it is currently). It is also proposed that this is only offered until 5:15pm each day to ensure the room used by the key worker children can be cleaned before the following day during the cleaning and caretaking hours. There is be a limit of 10 pupils to ensure staff are able to maintain social distancing with the group. It is possible that the after school provision may have to be cancelled if we have staff absence concerns.
Vulnerable pupils
Children who have been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable due to pre-existing medical conditions should not attend school but continue with home education. We will not be offering places to such pupils.
Children who are clinically vulnerable (but not extremely) would be considered a higher risk of severe illness from COVID 19 and parents should therefore follow medical advice about their child’s attendance.
Children who live with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable should only attend school if the setting can provide and they can adhere to and understand stringent social distancing, otherwise they should not attend school. We would not recommend these pupils attend school as we can’t control the actions of other pupils and they may be less able to maintain a social distance.
Key Questions
- Will I be penalised for non-attendance if I choose to keep my child at home?
No. It is your decision to make and no penalties will be given by school, the local authority or the Education Welfare Officer. Schools will still maintain contact to ensure the child is still completing educational tasks in their home setting.
2. My child is classed as medically extremely vulnerable due to their medical needs. Should they attend?
No. Any child who has any health condition that puts them at significant risk if they were to get COVID 19 should stay at home and continue with home learning. We will not be offering any places to pupils in this category.
Children who are classed as medically vulnerable (e.g. at risk of being more ill than the average person if they were to contract COVID19), but not extremely vulnerable should seek medical advice about a return to school but even if medical professionals say the child can attend, every parent has the right to keep them at home.
3. If my child doesn’t attend school, will they still be supported with home learning?
Yes. All children will continue to have tasks set for them through all the current means being used. Staff will still maintain contact with pupils although this might not be your child’s teacher or teaching assistant due to staff working in school. They will be liaising with them though so your child’s teachers will still be kept informed.
4. Will my child miss out on activities, e.g. Sports Day, Awards ceremonies, Rewards days, Disco, Y6 Leavers’ trip etc if they don’t attend school?
It is not possible to hold any of these events whilst maintaining social distancing so all of these events have been cancelled for all pupils. We have not yet decided if/when awards will be given out for attendance up to the point of closure or for stars of the year etc. Many businesses supplying these goods remain closed so at present, such discussions are not a priority but we will be having these discussions at some point later in the term. It may be that we decide to hold an Awards ceremony in the Autumn term when I am hopeful we are returning to normality.
5. I have children in the eligible year groups and those not eligible, e.g. Y6 and Y2. Can siblings that are not eligible attend?
Only children in the key worker group that is currently attending, Nursery (only those going to Reception in September), Year 1 and Year 6 can attend at this time. This may change when the Government releases new guidance and if the space/ staffing in school permits but for now it is only those groups mentioned.
6. My child is in year 6 and usually travels to school and home without an adult. Is this still allowed?
We would prefer all pupils to be dropped off and collected by an adult living in the same household so the adult can ensure the child is socially distant from others on the journeys. However, if this is not possible and you trust that your child will manage this, they can come alone.
7. What happens if a child or staff member shows symptoms in school?
If any child that is attending school now or in the future exhibits any of the symptoms related to COVID, they will be isolated until a Parent can collect them. We would ask that you immediately book a test for the child, which you can do online and inform us of the decision as soon as you receive it. You will be asked to keep your child at home for 7 days (even if the symptoms go away) or until a negative test result is achieved, whichever is sooner. Any siblings that attend the school will also be sent home at the same time. The whole household needs to self-isolate for 14 days (or until you have a confirmed negative test result). We realise that many illnesses may have similar symptoms but we will need to take every precaution to ensure the safety of all so we appreciate your cooperation and understanding regarding this.
8. What happens if a staff or child that attends school tests positive?
If a positive test result is given, every child and adult in the same ‘bubble’ group will be sent home and told to self-isolate for 14 days. Testing in this scenario is not required as it takes different lengths of time for the virus to present in different people so all pupils and staff in this group only would need to self-isolate. E.g. If Ben is in group 1 and he tests positive, all staff and pupils in group 1 stay at home for 14 days. Ben also has a brother in group 2. His brother also stays home for 14 days but the rest of group 2 and the staff continue attending school unless someone develops symptoms and tests positive, then the same procedure would occur. This is why the groups need to maintain distance from each other and why staff supporting the groups need to remain consistent so it is easy to trace possible contacts. Everywhere that the person who has tested positive has been will be deep cleaned before being used by anyone else. This is why it is crucial that shared spaces, are limited and are cleaned thoroughly after each use.
9. Will my child be able to attend breakfast club and after school club?
Breakfast club and afterschool club will only be open to those pupils in the key worker group to ensure we prevent groups mixing. Numbers will be limited to 10 however to ensure social distancing can be managed. The after school club will finish at the earlier time of 5:15pm to enable time for a thorough clean.
10. What happens if I say I don’t want a place but then change my mind?
If your child is eligible for a place and we still have space, we will offer your child a place if you later change your mind. However, if we have already offered the place to another child and have no further spaces left, we will not take a place from another child to give your child a place even if your child is a higher priority as this would be unfair to the other child.
Summary of key points
- All parents (even those of pupils not currently eligible for a place) are asked to send e-mail to headteacher indication whether they would/ would not want a place for their child/ren under these circumstances.
- The earliest school COULD begin a phased reopening is Mon 8th June.
- Priority will be for Key worker pupils, then Nursery pupils who start Reception in September, then pupils in Y1, then pupils in Y6. There is currently no set plan for pupils in Y2-5.
- Nursery- Only pupils that are moving to Reception in September will be offered a place in Nursery. 30 hour places will not be available and places for pupils not starting Reception in September
- All groups would not start on the first day. We would add a new group, evaluate and make any changes then add another etc. Texts will be sent to parents the night before if a new group is ready to start.
- School will be closed from 12:30pm on Weds each week (to all pupils except Key worker and Nursery pm group) for planning and cleaning to take place. This may have to increase to school being closed for the full day on Wednesday following review.
- Pupils will be taught in ‘bubble’ groups (10-12 pupils) with consistent staff and will not mix with any other pupils at any time of the school day.
- Staff will use the outside areas on a rota basis and try to plan for increased outdoor learning where possible.
- Each group will have a different start time and end time and a gate nominated to drop and collect from.
- Markings will be included on the pavement to ensure social distancing.
- Only one parent will be allowed to collect or drop off children.
- No parents/visitors will allowed into the school building.
- Break-times will be staggered to ensure no mixing of groups. Games that require pupils to be within 2 metres of each other or require touching such as tag, will not be permitted.
- Pupils will eat dinner in the same classroom with the same pupils and collect school dinners via a staggered approach to ensure no mixing of groups.
- There will be increased hand-washing throughout the day.
- Events such as Sports day, Leavers assembly, Rewards days, Awards ceremonies will not go ahead this year. (Awards may be presented in the Autumn term- this is still to be confirmed)
- Gatherings such as assemblies, etc will not take place.
- Certain games and PE activities will not go ahead due to not enabling social distancing.
I know reading this makes it sound almost like an army boot camp and as a school we would prefer not to open in this way but we will do what is asked of us when it is safe to do so, in the safest way possible. Equally, we will of course, do our best to ensure pupils enjoy the school day but it will not be like the school day they are used to for the safety of all and we want you to be fully aware of this to be able to make informed choices. You know what your circumstances are and whether you feel the provision we can offer would be the right choice for your child. Please remember we will support whatever decision you feel is right for your child and we are always here to help if needed.
Please keep safe,
Mrs Johnson
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Important updates-please read
Thu 14 May 2020Keeping safe
The Government has now started the slow process of lifting some of the restrictions of lock down but it is now more important than ever that the rules are adhered to.
Sadly, I have been informed by several people in the wider community that some of our families are not taking this seriously and are visiting each other or other family members in their homes as well as allowing children that do not live together to play together on parks, in each other's houses and on each other's gardens and not with social distancing either.
I know how difficult not spending time with friends and family is but we really need to follow this guidance especially with the idea that schools will begin a phased reopening in the near future.
We will be putting every safety measure we can in at school but we need to know that you are doing the same at home otherwise pupils will not be safe. With this in mind, we expect every child that is attending school now or in the future and their families to be fully adhering to all the rules set by the government otherwise their place at school will be withdrawn as we have to consider the safety of all pupils.
Symptoms
If any child that is attending school now or in the future exhibits any of the symptoms related to COVID, they will be isolated until a Parent can collect them and asked to stay home for 7 days or until a negative test result is achieved, whichever is sooner. We realise that many illnesses may have similar symptoms but we will need to take every precaution to ensure the safety of all so we appreciate your cooperation and understanding regarding this.
Phased reopening of schools
You will, I'm sure, have seen all the coverage about the reopening of schools in the media and may well have concerns about this. You may also be aware that all teaching unions are asking the Government to review their statement about the possibility of a return as early as 1st June for the safety of pupils, staff and their wider families and to reconsider their idea that all pupils could be back in school for 1 month. These are simply not possible to achieve safely.
Schools do need to reopen, of course, but this has to be done slowly and carefully to ensure everyone is kept safe. Our staff and governors along with advice from the local authority and unions are creating a plan of how this may work in our school. As I said previously, I expect to have this plan to share with you by the middle of next week. There will be no firm dates on the plan however, as there have been no decisions made regarding dates at this time but it will give you an overview of how we hope to begin the phased return for some pupils when the time is safe to do so. If your child is one of the year groups mentioned, you will then be able to let us know whether you would like your child to have a place once the phased re-opening begins.
I must stress that the choice will be yours. We will do everything we can to minimise the risks as you will see in the plan, but no-one can fully eradicate them so it will be your choice whether your child attends and you will not be penalised for non-attendance if you decide you want your child to remain at home and continue home learning.
I can confirm that any phased return to school would definitely not be able to begin 1st June as once the plan is confirmed and agreed, we need to re-organise the building to include one way systems, add signage, set up cleaning stations, remove all soft-furnishings, re-organise classrooms, remove excess resources etc. This would mean the very earliest time we could possibly begin a phased reopening would be Mon 8th June and I do stress this is just the earliest date possible- not a given date.
I can also confirm that all of the year groups mentioned by the Government ( Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 and now possibly some Nursery pupils) would definitely not all begin the phased return on the same day. This would be a gradual increase with priority given to Early Years as is the current recommendation by the Government. (This is all subject to change of course with the conversations taking place between the Government, experts and Teaching Unions).
School will be an extremely different place for pupils to ensure social distancing and the safety of all. See below for some of the differences- the full plan will give a comprehensive overview.
- Pupils will be in year group classes of approximately 10-12 (depending on the size of the classroom) with a teacher and or teaching assistant to ensure social distancing can be observed at all times. With smaller classes, this means that many children will be taught by other staff not their own teacher/teaching assistant.
- Pupils will have their own table (e.g. Y1/Y6) not sharing or moving around to different tables and will have their own resources that are not shared with others.
- Pupils in Early years will be directed to 'stations' (indoor and outdoor- one child per station) for a given time and moved between stations throughout the session/day with cleaning in between each move. They will not have the free choice of resources and activities as they do now or we would not be able to maintain social distancing. Resources will be limited as these will need to be cleaned before the next child uses them.
- Pupils will remain with the same group of 10-12 pupils throughout the day- not mixing with other groups from other classes.
- Pupils will be given different time slots to arrive and leave at the beginning and end of the day to prevent mass gatherings.
- Only one parent will be allowed to collect or drop off children.
- No parents/visitors will allowed into the school building.
- Break-times will be staggered to ensure no mixing of groups. Games that require pupils to be within 2 metres of each other or require touching such as tag, will not be permitted.
- Pupils will eat dinner in the same classroom with the same pupils and collect school dinners via a staggered approach to ensure no mixing of groups.
- There will be increased cleaning of tables, surfaces, handles etc throughout the day.
- There will be increased hand-washing throughout the day.
- Gatherings such as assemblies, etc will not take place.
We will of course, do our best to ensure pupils enjoy the school day but it will not be like the school day they are used to for the safety of all and we want you to be fully aware of this to be able to make informed choices.
Children currently attending
The group of pupils currently attending will still be able to attend in the same way throughout. Timetables will be sent every 2 weeks as previously.
INSET Day changes
Friday 22nd May is no longer an INSET day.
Mon 20th July and Tues 21st July will now be INSET days- school will be closed to all pupils on these days.
PUPIL WORK
Please remember to send evidence of your child's work to your child's teacher via the e-mail addresses shared previously. There are still a few children that have not shared ANY learning yet. We do not want them to have fallen so far behind when they return to school that they struggle unnecessarily. If you have any problems about your child's work, please contact your child's teacher or teaching assistant.
HALF-TERM HOLIDAY
School will be completely closed to all pupils during this week so please do not try to contact anyone. Please try to treat this as a holiday for your child so they can have a break from school work.
Thank you for taking the time to read this whole e-mail.
Please look out for the full plan of phased re-opening next week and send any questions/ concerns to me (headteacher@anthonybek.derbyshire.sch.uk) once you have read it. Please also remember to let me know of your intentions regarding your child's place (if your child is on one of the groups mentioned) once you have received the plan.
Be safe and take care,
Mrs Johnson.
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Amazing videos
Wed 13 May 2020As you know we have a One Drive account which you can use to share videos of your child and watch the videos made by staff. It is an open drive so you can watch all videos. Please take a few minutes to watch the videos below. I'm sure you'll be as impressed as I was!
Jessica-Y6:
Let her entertain you with her song accompanied by her own playing! It's fantastic!
Seth- Y4:
As well as the photographs on the VE day challenge slide show, Seth produced this amazing video which really showcases products from the time. It is extremely informative and could definitely be used as a teaching tool for others. This must have taken so long to set up and although I didn't include this in the VE day challenge results, Seth will receive a special prize for this entry as it is outstanding. Watch and see for yourself!
Rhys-Y5 and Sophie Y1:
Rhys and Sophie have been raising money and their efforts have been recognised on the NEWS! Hopefully you saw this live, but if not, click on the link below to see for yourself.
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Brief update following PM announcement
Mon 11 May 2020Following yesterday's announcement, please be aware that nothing has changed in school at this time. School remains closed except to the few already in attendance. The Prime Minister has mapped out possible dates for the return to school but please be aware that NO date has yet been confirmed- they have mentioned 1st June as the EARLIEST POSSIBLE date that MAY be the start for SOME pupils but STRESSED this is NOT DEFINITE.
I realise you will have lots of questions related to this in just the same way that we do but details are not yet available. Once we know the full details, we will share these with you. In the mean-time, we need to continue with the current arrangements of supporting you and your child at home.
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Home Learning examples - week 6
Sun 10 May 2020We are starting this week with lots of amazing home learning again!
We love to see our pupils learning key life skills and Jessie has gone above and beyond. With the supervision of her adults, she has used tools to create a 5* bug hotel. Well done Jessie. We know who to call on should we need some DIY doing!
Samantha has made an awesome start on the Viking topic for her class. She has made a light up shield, viking long boats and researched about Gods and Goddesses. She is certainly going above and beyond.
Sarah has decorated a cuddly seal in support of the NHS.
Charleigh has been getting crafty this week and has made some excellent pencil toppers!
Well done to all of you for your amazing efforts. Keep up the hard work and keep sending us your photos!
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Home learning examples- week 5
Wed 06 May 2020We'd like to share some excellent home learning examples again with you this week.
Each week Tommy walks past his local cenotaph and when doing so, he has picked up litter and kept the area tidy. Well done Tommy excellent community spirit and looking after the environment.
Sarah and Lucy Lawton and Tiana from reception have both had a visit from a local Police officer this week. They took part in a window decorating competition and won. They all had their prizes hand delivered by an officer. Well done!
You know that we all love team work and remember cooperation is part of our Crusader Code. Noah and Grace have been supporting each other in their learning this week.
We also have a special mention for a staff member this week. Mrs Hyde has been creating rainbow keyrings. Seth is very pleased with his.
There was a local keyworker scarecrow competition in the village this week so Luzia and Jacob took part by creating a truck driver and a shop keeper. They look brilliant.
Harrison and Evie have been learning Maths, using an exciting game that they have made.
We love it when we see our children learning some key life skills. Below is a picture of Jessie learning to do the ironing. Well done Jessie, it's not easy and we always recommend this is completed under adult supervision.
Keep sending us your excellent home learning photos!
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Mrs Johnson's challenge 5- VE Day Celebrations
Tue 05 May 2020With VE day almost upon us (Friday 8th May) and lots of celebrations planned (all maintaining social distancing measures I truly hope) what better theme is there to use to set this week's challenge?
I have been impressed with the number of children taking part in these challenges but it would be amazing if we could make this number even bigger- it would be INCREDIBLE if everyone joined in this one so I've tried to make this was as open as possible so it appeals to every child and family.
Your challenge is to create something to celebrate/mark this occasion and send a photograph of you with whatever you have created or send a video if it is not something you can show in one photograph. It can be anything you want but here are some ideas to get you thinking:
- Use your new cooking/ baking/ food skills to make a VE day cake, afternoon tea spread, special buns- anything food related with a VE day theme
- Perform a VE day song or dance (this can be one you've made yourself or one you've learned)
- Make a poster about VE day
- Make flags and or bunting in VE day theme
- Decorate your house or garden in VE day theme
- Dress up or make an outfit to wear with a VE day theme
- Make an information booklet about VE day
- Write (and perform if you can) a VE day poem
- OR ANY OTHER FABULOUS IDEA YOU HAVE TO MARK THIS OCCASION!
Please send a photograph of your entry (with you in the photograph as always!) to headteacher@anthonybek.derbyshire.sch.uk. For entries that need to be sent by video, please upload the video to the headteacher video folder by following the link below. https://anthonybekderbyshire-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/anthonybek_anthonybek_derbyshire_sch_uk/EkReZb9HEONMn8d7crw9MDUBNUPLr1GWbMT881tbqYp2hg?e=oQGMCa
All entries need to be received by 12 noon on Monday 11th May. I may group the entries into different themes to make judging easier!
Good look everyone and enjoy this momentous occasion safely!
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Anthony Bek Bake off/ Master Chef results
Tue 05 May 2020Wow! What a fabulous challenge this has been. The number of families taking part has been amazing and every single entry has been incredible. It has been an absolute pleasure seeing the children learning new skills, working together with siblings, looking proud of their achievements and even washing up!
Thank you so much to everyone who took part. You made the job of judging pretty impossible but I set it as a competition so results have been decided. Please remember though that you are all winners. You just need to look at what you've achieved to see that!
Due to the number of entries, I split the competition into half- KS2 and KS1/FS. See below for results.
The staff also took part in this competition. You may not realise it (i know i didn't) but the staff of Anthony Bek are not just talented educators- they are truly brilliant cooks/chefs too! Their competition was also incredibly hard to judge!
Please take time to go to the Children's tab- Mrs. Johnson's competition to see the full range of photographs from all the children and staff.
For those that took part, I hope you enjoyed your entries. They certainly looked delicious!
Well done to our WINNERS!!
KS2 Competition
1st place- Jessie and Samantha Y4 (Full lockdown rainbow menu!)
2nd place- William Y6 (Mickey Mouse cake)
3rd place- Sarah Y6 and Lucy Y4 (Selection of cheesecakes and scones)
KS1/FS Competition
1st place- Olivia D Y2 (Rainbow/ unicorn cake)
2nd place- Lavenia Y2 and Dhruv Y1 (Sweet coconut Idli and Mickey Mouse chocolate crispy cakes)
3rd place- Logan FS2 (Omelette)
