Dear All,

I attach the weekly update to keep you in touch with school. Well done for supporting the Lockdown. Bury seems to making good progress with vaccinations and so we can all hope that the lockdown doesn't last too long.

FSM children at home - Voucher info by Monday. £15 per week backdated.

There are too many people at school for a real lockdown and so we must be strict in insisting that only one adult brings and meets children. If using the "school run" for exercise, extra adults should wait outside gates.

Wishing everybody a good weekend,

CJA

Dear Children, Parent and Carers,

Rewarding our Hard Workers

Well done to all of our children for working so hard despite being at home again and thankyou to grown-ups for juggling time to support them. From Monday, we are rewarding hard workers by bringing back our Lockdown Bulldog Points to replace Pride Points. One Bulldog Point will be awarded for each Registration Lesson attended. An extra two Bulldog Points will be available for evidence of work the children are particularly proud of. This should be sent on Tapestry for Irwell and Thames and by Purple Mash for KS1 and KS2 classes (How to guide early next week).

20 Points = Pup Award – Certificate and “two from the top” of the Prize trolley.

40 Points = Bulldog Award – Certificate and “one from the bottom” of the Prize Trolley.

60 Points = Best in Show Award – Certificate and “two from the top” plus “one from the bottom”

We have some great new prizes including art sets, giant Batman pens, flying planes, water bombs and the horrible “Stretchy Poo” (ordered by mistake when I asked for “one from the bottom”).

Food

We have chosen to continue with vouchers for FSM children. These will be £15 per week. There is a delay but vouchers will reach families by next week.

Support

We have two organisations ready to help families in need: PORCH, led by our Mrs Rowlands and Bradley Fold through our governor, Trevor Holt. Please let us know in confidence if you need any kind of support. PORCH and Bradley Fold can arrange key item boxes and our Family Support Advisor, Tracey Beswick can speak to you to advise about benefits or “sign post” you to other forms of support.

Let us know in confidence of any safeguarding concerns for children or adults and of course, in emergency ring 999. We will help with domestic violence concerns as well as neglect and any issues around wellbeing.

Children in School

Thank you for the critical worker returns. The wider definition of critical workers means that we have too many children in school to meet the aim of realistically keeping the “R” number down and I will attach the letter sent home earlier this week on the issue. If children can be at home, they should be at home! New strains of the virus are highly contagious and are hitting Bury hard.

The high numbers of children in school mean high numbers of adults mixing on school grounds. We must be extra strict on our Risk Assessment rules and insist that only one adult brings and collects children. Please stick to this and remember masks.

The high numbers mean that sadly nursery is now moving to a rota system and parent/carers of Irwell children will be informed today whether they are in Group 1 for the start of the week or Group 2 for the end of the week.

Effort Awards

Our Effort Awards are listed below:

Children can collect their reward from the bottom shelves of the Prize Trolley whenever possible.

Wishing everybody a good weekend and hoping that all of our families stay safe.

Yours sincerely,

C. J. Ashley

Our numbers in nursery (Irwell Class) are dangerously high and puts the community at risk. We must reduce daily numbers.

Many maintained nurseries are only admitting children of critical workers and vulnerable children. However, we are trying to avoid this step. FROM MONDAY 18.1.21, we are moving to a rota system so that we do not exceed our maximum safe number of 14 children.

There will be 2 groups:
First half of week (Group 1) : Mon 08.55 to Wed 12.00
Second half of week (Group 2) : Wed 12.15 to Friday 14.55

Vulnerable children (LAC or designated social worker) and Critical Workers can attend all week. The critical worker group may depend on occupation and shift patterns. Hospital and care workers are guaranteed a place.

The groups will be allocated and you will be informed tomorrow (Friday). If you have a real, specific need for being in Group 1 or Group 2 please inform us by 10am tomorrow by email (fairfield@bury.gov.uk) or letter. We will try to meet your needs but as safety comes first, cannot guarantee it.

Regrets at the inconvenience but the pandemic situation has become critical.

The newsletter is attached.

Mississippi Critical Worker/Vulnerable (CW/V) children. New start and finish time: 10 to 9 arrive - 10 to 3 depart

Owl Club - Open to CW/V children - 10 to 8 am. Up to 4.30 pm. £3 per session.

New Registration meeting times from Monday:
Mississippi – 9am.
Severn – 9.30 am
Amazon – 9.30 am
Colorado – 9.30 am
Hudson – 9.30 am
Zambezi – 10 am
Nile – 10 am
Thames – 10.30 am

Have a good and safe weekend.

Dear Parent/Carer,

Like us all, I had hoped that 2021 would start on a brighter note. Thanks for your understanding response to the national school closure and acceptance that preventing the spread of the COVID virus is essential for us all to buy time whilst the vaccine is being rolled out. Thanks too, to my staff, all of whom have been willing to take risks with their own families’ health in order to support the vulnerable and critical worker children.

Remote Learning

We are gradually getting all children working with parents sensibly asking for help to ensure that their children are able to access the on line learning that is a legal requirement. Schools have found out that X-Boxes and PlayStations can be used for Microsoft Teams meetings and this may help some children further. Please contact school if you would like instructions for how to do this.

There are new times for Registration Sessions from Monday.

Mississippi – 9am. This means a change to the start time for Mississippi children working in school. The arrival time will now be 10 to 9 and home time will be 10 to 3.

Severn – 9.30 am

Amazon – 9.30 am

Colorado – 9.30 am

Hudson – 9.30 am

Zambezi – 10 am

Nile – 10 am

Thames – 10.30 am

Owl Club

Owl Club for vulnerable or essential worker children will open again from Monday (11.1.21).

Morning session = 7.50 am – 9 am (or class start time) - £3

Afternoon Session = 3 pm – 4.30 pm - £3

There will be a strict penalty charge of £1 per ten minutes for late collection after 4.30pm as we must cover staff costs and must clear the building early in order to allow for deep cleaning.

Children can collect their reward from the bottom shelves of the Prize Trolley whenever possible.

Wishing everybody a good weekend with the usual stay safe message,

C.J. Ashley

The test is negative and so Y6 can return today. It would help us if you could delay coming until 9.30am but we will receive children from 9.10am.

Thanks,
CJA

A member of staff in Y6 has fallen ill and is being tested for COVID. All Y6 children must stay at home today and should join the remote learning lesson this morning. I will update you as soon as we know more. My regrets and best wishes to the person concerned,

CJA

Remote Learning. Well done to children who attended the meetings today. However there were large numbers missing from some classes and we have to stress that it is a government requirement that all children must continue learning "remotely" during the lockdown. If you have problems accessing the learning we can help! Let us know. There is no capacity to provide paper packs for the new learning being provided except where the learning is completely different to the class online work.

Urgent Safeguarding issue. It is a serious breach of e-safety if any adult appears on line with other people's children. Parents can of course sit with children to support them as long as they are suitably clothed. However, they must not talk to the class or teacher. If you are talking to a teacher in the meeting there are 30+ other children listening and watching and finding out your child's personal business. If you have an issue you can ring school and the teacher will make time to help with your query.

Children still coming to school are asked to bring in basic ear phones or ear buds from mobile phones so that they can do their own work at their own pace. Our extra ear phones are on order and so we will let you know as soon as we no longer need children to bring their own.
I attach the letter sent home to children still attending. Key point = safety rules and the fact the hot meals are again provided from tomorrow.

Best wishes, especially to children at home!

C. J. Ashley

CHILDREN ATTENDING SCHOOL DURING THE CLOSURE PERIOD

Dear Parent/Carer,

We are glad to welcome your children into school and in doing so hope to support yourselves, your children and the wider community during this time of national crisis.

Here is some important information about the conditions for our limited opening of school with the key message being that at present, health and the protection of our children and staff from the spread of COVID-19 takes priority over all other considerations. A Home School Agreement will be sent out on Friday with any families using school expected to sign it to maintain the place.

ILLNESS

Children with illness of any kind (except physical injury aches and strains) should not attend. COVID symptoms are now wider than the original major three and often show differently (or not at all) in children. As usual, a child should not attend and isolate if any household or bubble member has symptoms of COVID-19. Anybody showing the major symptoms (high temperature; loss of taste/smell, cough) should get a test and the child can only attend once the test result has come back as negative and/or ten days have passed and all symptoms have gone. Test results should be reported to school immediately. If school is closed email fairfield@bury.gov.uk .

SCHOOL MEALS and FSM

Unlike the previous lockdown, the school dinner service will continue to provide hot and cold school meals. This will start from tomorrow (Thurs). Therefore, only children who normally bring a packed lunch should do so and children who have a school meal should pay the normal daily rate of £2.30. Those parents who do not wish to continue with the school meal must still give the expected 10 school days’ notice of cancellation as food has been ordered.

FSM. Families entitled to benefit based free school meals and not attending school will be applying for vouchers as in the summer. However, children attending school entitled to FSM will be expected to have the meal provided by the school meals service and will not be able to apply for vouchers. These children can bring their own packed lunches if they so wish but these would be paid for by their household.

BEHAVIOUR

Our behaviour policy is long established and is aimed at children without identified special behavioural needs. Those children follow their own system of rewards and sanctions. However, during the pandemic, any behaviour by any child which puts others at risk e.g. not complying with staff instructions relating to mixing of bubbles, social distancing, physical violence and especially spitting will result in the offer of the place being withdrawn. The withdrawal of the place is undertaken under Section 44 of the Employment/Safety at Work Act and will not count as an exclusion.  

PE

We will continue to provide professional sports coaching for children in school as we see physical activity and fitness as a vital health tool. Under the present strict safety rules this will only happen outside and if the playground is safe to use. We hope that this will start tomorrow and each Thursday and so children can come to school in warm PE kit under their school jumpers on that day each week.

OWL CLUB

We need to judge whether we can safely open Owl Club from next week. Please send in the form below if you would wish to use the before and after school care service under special lockdown times. (AM open 8am ) (PM close 4.30pm).

Yours sincerely,

 C.J. Ashley

NAME OF CHILD _______________________________

CLASS ________________________________

I WOULD USE OWL CLUB IN THE MORNING ……………………. Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs/Fri

I WOULD USE OWL CLUB AFTER SCHOOL ………………………. Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs/Fri

Signed _____________________________________   Parent/Carer

With great sadness at more lost time in school, I attach a letter confirming the school closure until at least the new half term commencing on 22.2.20.

Remote Learning info to be sent out today. Compulsory as it is new learning.
Information if you have problems accessing the learning urgently needed.

Key Worker and Vulnerable children can attend at usual times - Packed Lunch needed.
Please confirm a place by phone if possible.

No Owl Club this week. Reviewed when know if numbers allow us to open safely.

Nursery will open from Monday. New starters to refer to start date sent before Christmas.

Info re Free School meal vouchers to be sent as soon as we have it.

C. J. Ashley

School Closure

6.1.21 – 22.2.21

Dear Parent/Carer,

With regret I am confirming the news announced by the Prime Minister yesterday that the crisis caused by the new strain of the Corona Virus puts the ability of the NHS to cope with the number of infections at risk. As a result, schools are closed to all but the children of key workers who have no other childcare at home and children classed as vulnerable in terms of their needs.

“Those who absolutely need to attend or whose parents are critical to the COVID-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home.”

The list of key workers as defined by the government is:

Health and social care;

Education and childcare;

Key public services;

Local and national government;

Food and other necessary goods;

Public safety; Law and order; nat. security;

Transport;

Utilities;

Communication and financial services.

Children who qualify to be take up a place can attend from tomorrow at the start/finish times and entrances that we have been using since September. There will be no school dinner and so all children will need a packed lunch. An application form will be sent home with the children tomorrow but for today please ring to confirm a place.

Children at Home

School is providing childcare for those listed above but as this new shutdown will last for at least a half term, teaching must continue through “Remote Learning”. This is now more urgent than when class bubbles were asked to isolate for up to 14 days. 7 weeks away from school is a serious gap in a child’s education and many classes have already missed more than two weeks in school. This year’s lessons now involve new learning as opposed to the revision and consolidation that we provided on paper during the first lockdown. All children must therefore take part.

A message will be sent home today with the time of a “Registration Meeting” where the day’s lessons will be explained and discussed with the class teacher. If a child cannot take part, then it is classed as an absence and school will need to be informed just as in normal times. If there are technical difficulties with the internet or ICT equipment needed to join the lesson and do the work, please write down what the issues are and let us know so that we can try to solve the problem.

The information and serious safeguarding rules around learning online will again be sent tomorrow but can be found on the website.

Nursery

The government has made an exception for nursery children. Nursery will open as usual for all children on Monday. New January starters should stick to the start date they were sent before Christmas.

Free School Meals

I am awaiting news on this but fully expect the voucher system to go ahead in a similar way as over the summer months. You will be informed as soon as possible.

* *

This is a very sad letter to write and I hope that these urgent measures bring the crisis under control until the vaccine has been given to enough people that life can return to something like normal.

Yours sincerely,

C.J. Ashley

With regret at the U turn. School cannot now open on Wednesday. All children will need to access "Remote Learning" and will have a daily registration meeting with teachers.

As in the previous lockdown, school will open for:
Children who are Looked After;
Children with a named social worker;
Children with an EHC Plan;
Children of "Key Workers". For today these workers will be classed as the same as over spring and summer. Details will be sent out tomorrow (Tuesday).

It is not clear if school nurseries are to open. Ours will not open on Wednesday but I will update parents as soon as details are made clearer.

I greatly regret this further disruption to such vital years for your children but we must get through the present health emergency. Please look out for a more detailed update tomorrow.

C. J. Ashley
 

Dear Parents/Carers,

Although there is always the chance of a last second change of mind by the government, the information we have at present is that school will open as planned for pupils on Wednesday 6.1.21. We appreciate your concerns and will keep you informed if the situation changes.

Happy New Year,

C. J. Ashley

I attach a newsletter.

The main content is just a huge thanks to what must be the most supportive parent body in the land.

I am hugely grateful to you, your children and to my wonderful staff.

As the song goes:

"Have yourselves a merry little Christmas .. One day all our troubles will be out of sight"

CJA

We have struggled through to the end of a hard, hard year and a Christmas very different from what is usually the best time to be in school. However, we have made the best of it and I must say some huge thankyous.

Thanks for the hours that went into planning and shooting our KS1 Nativity and then the hours into the night that went into editing and piecing together a film that meant our infants will still have precious memories of Christmas traditions, despite the pandemic.

Thanks to EYFS. They only returned to school this week but still produced a magnificent production of “Our First Nativity” and the children and staff did it all in three days!!!! Amazing. The production has been made safely available to our nursery and reception families through Parent Hub.

Thanks to our admin staff who have calmly fielded very difficult questions since the first lockdown, helped us to keep you informed of the ever changing situation and completely changed their working times to ensure the office could keep running.

Thanks to our midday staff, Owl Club staff and cooks who have kept the children fed and safely playing together in the playground.

Thanks to Mr Seddon and his cleaning team. He has battled through a bad back and done an extra shift every day to keep every surface touched by children sanitised three times per day!

And of course huge thanks to our teaching teams. They have put into action our plan of looking after mental health and wellbeing first, then gradually steering children towards catch up learning in class and on line. They have done it with great care and complete disregard for their own safety.

Finally, my thanks to you as parents and carers. You have put up with last second isolations and followed our safety rules with only one or two grumblers. Your understanding of events beyond our control has meant a huge amount to us all and helped us to be one of the last schools standing until this month. I am still proud to say that so far none of your children contracted the virus in school and that even then, only 4 out 264 tested positive with no child seriously ill. Thanks also for kind donations to various causes – Grace’s mum even donated a Nintendo Switch for the needy.

THANKS TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let us hope that this is all soon history and that our children were history makers!

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Owl Club

Owl Club will continue to be closed for the first two weeks back (at least until Jan 15^th). We will then see if there is a COVID surge after Christmas and whether it is as safe as can be to re-open.

School Council Competitions

Thanks to all for excellent entries. The winners judged by local art lovers are:

Cards: Amelia; Matilda; Grace; Maryam; Caden; Ollie and Leon.

Decorations: Dominic; Naomi; Jack; Neve; Amalie; Junaid; George

All of the usual awards will be announced when we get back.

We open again on Wednesday 6^th January 2021.

On behalf of all at school, I wish you and your families a happy, safe Christmas and a much better 2021!

Our love to all members of the Fairfield Community who are ill at the moment!

With regret we have closed Severn Class as a precaution following a member of staff becoming ill with possible symptoms of Covid-19 overnight. The whole class is urged to be extremely careful in having contact with others. However, we have kept contact to a minimum in class and only 6 children will be sent the full isolation letter from Public Health England. They will be informed separately as soon as we have test results. My great sadness at this news. I wish you all a good Christmas and send very best wishes to the member of staff who is ill.
A REGISTRATION MEETING FOR TEAMS ACTIVITIES WILL BE AT 11.15AM TODAY (FRIDAY)

We have been informed this morning of a possible case of Covid-19 in Severn class.
Please do not send your child to school if they are in this class.
Further details to follow when more information has been received.

As you will know from the newsletter on 27.11.20, we will continue our tradition of allowing children to swap their school blue for a Christmas jumper (or any colourful top) on the last day. We will still be aiming for Christmas fun in our isolated bubbles.

In return we ask for a money donation for the PORCH project - any amount that you can afford during these difficult times, however small.... Please do not send the usual collectables in tomorrow as we are not taking things into the building before Christmas.

Thanks,
CJA

I have requested permission from the Chair of Governors to allow the following:

Parents of children in Nile, Colorado and Hudson can choose whether to continue isolating for the full 14 days or to opt for the new shorter 10 day isolation which becomes law on Monday.

Hudson children can either return on Monday or Wednesday.
Colorado and Nile children return on Monday or isolate for the full week.

Please note that those choosing to remain away from school for the longer period must isolate. Our usual strict absence system will be used if children are seen playing on the streets. With this choice, we hope to relieve anxiety for some families but also ensure that working parents can get back to work if they wish. Remote Learning must continue but we may not be able to manage a daily registration meeting. You will be informed.

Have a safe weekend,

C. J. Ashley

Please note that the deadline to send entries in to school for the Christmas Card/Decoration competition will be Tuesday 15/12/20.

Dear Parent or Carer,

You will be aware that we have hit a critical situation following 8 months of being able to keep the COVID virus out of school. I know that you will be alarmed.

There are 2 children who have tested positive in the last 14 days (4 since March) and investigation shows that the infection would not have come from school.

The reason for the class bubbles being asked to isolate recently, has been the chance of close contact with an adult who may have contracted the virus.
I am isolating, but will be working with governors and PHE in investigating how, when the virus did enter school, it could have spread outside of one room to the other adults affected. I sincerely regret this and the issues it has caused for working parents.

We must now ensure that we do not get any more outbreaks. If an isolation instruction goes out from Monday next week (14.12.20) it will mean families not mixing over Christmas. WE MUST AVOID THIS AND PROTECT OUR BELOVED OLDER GENERATION WHO DESERVE A CHRISTMAS BREAK FROM THE MISERY OF THIS YEAR.

1. Get a test for any cold/flu/feeling unwell symptoms. A new fact has become clear, in the cases reported this week: the people felt ill but assumed it was winter flu or an existing health condition and so did not get a test. The classic COVID symptoms developed later.

2. Sadly, isolating means children must stay indoors. If there is nobody else to bring or meet a sibling, then the sibling will have to stay indoors rather than the isolating child coming out of the house.

Finally, some good news. The isolation law is changing from Monday and so there are changes to the instructions for classes returning:

Reception and Nursery - Return to school on Monday 14.12.20
Zambezi- Return to school after holidays
Nile - Return to school Monday 14th December
Colorado - Return to school Monday 14th December
Hudson – Return to school Monday 14th December

Once again I send my best wishes to all who have been inconvenienced and especially to all who may be ill.

Yours sincerely,

C. J. Ashley
Headteacher

It is with great sadness that all news this week is COVID-19 related. I hope you are slightly reassured that children have not been affected - 2 cases, not caught in school. No adult or child has started an illness since our closure and chemical mist clean.

1. SAVE CHRISTMAS.

Any isolation instructions next week will mean no family mixing at Christmas. Prevent cases coming into school by keeping a child off who has any form of illness. Our recent cases did not show COVID symptoms for a few days after first falling ill, delaying their tests. If any household member feels "under the weather", get a test please! Do not come into school.

2. Change to Isolation law from 14.10.20.

Isolation will be 10 days not 14.

Returns:
Nursery and Reception: Monday 14.12.20
Zambezi: 6.1.21 (Wed of new term) (isolation ends Sat 19.12.20 - so sorry)
Nile: Monday 14.12.20
Colorado: Monday 14.12.20
Hudson: Monday 14.12.20

3. Isolation.

Please do not bring siblings to school who should be isolating. It is illegal.

Hoping for a better period ahead and wishing you all well,
C. J. Ashley

With regret due to a possible contact with a member of the midday team, Zambezi Class will need to isolate for 10 days until Saturday 19th December.

We greatly regret this.
C. J. Ashley

GOOD MORNING
TEAMS meeting times are as follows:

9.30 - Hudson
10.00 - Nile
10.30 - Thames
11.00 - Colorado

Thanks -
C. Ashley

A member of our lunchtime team who assists Colorado Class (Y5) and Nile class (Y2) has tested positive for COVID-19.

Chidren from these classes will need to isolate until:
Friday 18.12.20 - Return after Christmas - Tues 5.1.21

The symptoms appeared at the weekend, before the deep clean of this week but were not the classic covid symptoms of cough, high temp, loss of taste/smell. We advise getting a test for any cold like symptoms.
The teachers will be in touch with Remote Learning info early tomorrow.

My huge regrets at this and the problems it will cause to you - especially Colorado on their second period out.

C. J. Ashley

Yr6 Hudson class are currently in isolation. ​We deeply regret problems caused.

Please inform of us of any type of illness your child may be suffering and keep them off of school.

We urgently need to protect vulnerable family members and must prevent the virus hitting any bubbles after Friday. Any notifications sent from Monday mean the whole bubble being legally required to isolate over Christmas until 29.12.20!!

Attached is government confirmation of the need for Y6 class to isolate until Wed 16.12.20. Other family members do not need to isolate unless the child shows symptoms of COVID-19. A test should then be taken and school informed.
Registration for remote learning will take place at 9.30am tomorrow via TEAMS. A new English unit will begin and the class will continue work on Geography, Lesson 5, Slums.

Huge regrets for problems caused to your families and best wishes to any people who are ill.
 

We have just been informed that a member of Y6 has tested positive for COVID-19 and that the person was in the class on Monday and Tuesday of last week. The symptoms appeared on Tuesday evening (1.12.20).Track and Trace require all contacts for the previous 48 hours to isolate.

With regret, Y6 children will need to be collected from school and will need to isolate until the end of 15.12.20. They can return to school on Wed 16.12.20.

Please collect your Y6 child as soon as possible. Sincere apologies for the inconvenience. We have acted as soon as we knew.

School is open tomorrow (Wednesday) for all classes except Nursery and Reception.

The school has been isolated for 72 hours and today is receiving a deep chemical spray treatment.

We will be working on a skeleton staff this week. With regret, I have to give warning that if any behaviour puts safety at risk, the child causing the danger will be required to work at home until full staffing levels are restored.

Regrets again for the inconvenience caused during this crisis period,

C. J. Ashley

School is closed until Wednesday for deep cleaning and due to staff shortages.

The times for remote lessons are listed below. Please inform anybody else in case they miss parent hub messages. Thanks.

Regrets for issues caused.

Irwell (Nursery) No Meeting - Activities set

Thames (Reception) 10.30am

Zambezi (Y1) 9.30am

Nile (Y2) 11.30am

Mississippi (Y2/3) 10am

Severn (Y3/4) 10am

Amazon (Y4/5) 11am

Colorado (Y5) 11am

Hudson (Y6) 9.30am

With regret a member of staff with contact in all areas of school has shown symptoms of COVID-19.

SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY TO ALLOW 72 HOURS BEFORE A DEEP CLEAN ON TUESDAY.
We hope to open on WEDNESDAY 9th December.

We will keep you informed. My regrets for problems this will cause.

C. J. Ashley

Returns to school from isolation:
Hudson (Y6) – Monday 7.12.20
Mississippi (Y2/3) – Wednesday 9.12.20
Thames (Reception) – Monday 14.12.20
Irwell (Nursery) – Tuesday 15.12.20

Dear Parent/Carer,

This has been a difficult week. Four classes are isolating and because of close contact rules as well as seasonal illness, 26 staff members from our different teams are not in school. As our class bubbles are secure, we have avoided full closure because we are still able to maintain the numbers we need for supervision of children. 

Although the situation appears dire, there is only one child in the school with a positive test and as the class is already isolating, other children are not affected.

The suspected case in Y6 has come back as negative and so Hudson Class and the Y1, Y4 and Y5 children who use the teaching space in the “Chill Out Club” classroom will be welcomed back on Monday 7.12.20.

Due to a positive test in nursery, the return date for that class (Irwell) will now be Tuesday 15^th December (not Monday 14^th as we had first hoped).

Returns to school from isolation:

Hudson (Y6) – Monday 7.12.20

Mississippi (Y2/3) – Wednesday 9.12.20

Thames (Reception) – Monday 14.12.20

Irwell (Nursery) – Tuesday 15.12.20

Owl Club

With regret, Owl Club will remain closed for the rest of this term due to the knock on effect of any child or adult showing symptoms of COVID-19.

Isolation Safety Rules

Nearly all of the children who test positive for COVID-19 have not shown any symptoms. However, they are still spreading the virus. The notice to isolate letter comes from the government and is a legal requirement. Some children have been out and about which is illegal and could lead to very expensive fines (£300 - £10,000). If your child has been given notice to isolate and there is a brother and sister in school, you would need to try and find somebody else to bring them in. If there really is nobody, then the child would have to stay in the house and request an individual home learning pack. This is the law based on public safety.

Prevention

Thanks to our school community for following our mask wearing requirement. Pleasant requests have been made and those who cannot wear a mask or visor should ring school and we will deliver children to gates. As the requirement has been in place since September, I will now need to exercise my right to “withdraw licence to use school premises” to those who persistently disregard this rule. This sounds harsh but I must protect everybody as far as possible.

In addition, Head teachers have been informed that as schools cannot break up early to create a safe gap, until midnight on Christmas Eve, it will still be our duty to inform families if they need to isolate for 14 days and cannot see relatives over Christmas. This is a duty I do not relish and will re-watch “The Grinch” for training! People who break Tier 3 rules or our school prevention measures, should keep the effect on their own and other families in mind!!

Hoping for a better week next week and with best wishes to anybody is ill,

Yours sincerely,

C.J. Ashley

With regret Y6 (Hudson), Nurture and Chill Out Class children will still need to isolate tomorrow (Friday). News for Monday will be given as soon as test results are received.
Owl Club will remain closed until further notice.

Due to the isolation of 4 class bubbles there can be no Owl Club from tomorrow (Thursday 03.12.20) after school. Due to late notice the morning session can go ahead.

Owl Club is on in the morning (Thurs) but not after school. It is then closed for both morning and afternoon until further notice. 

Mississippi Class. I attach a new letter for information. Another member of the class has tested positive for COVID-19. There should have been no contact with any other members of the school community as the class were already isolating and so the return date for the class is still Wed 9.12.20 if no symptoms and well.

Any child with symptoms must get a test.

We have a possible case of COVID-19 reported overnight for Y6 (Hudson) and The Nurture Class ("Chill Out Club").
For safety reasons we must close both classes today and tomorrow. Y6 children and Chill Out Club users should isolate until a test result gives us further news.

Other family members do not need to isolate.

The time of the Y6 Virtual lesson will be sent out later. It is likely to be 11.00 am.

Regrets at the short notice but safety must come first.

I attach a letter to the parents in Irwell and Thames classes (Nursery and Reception) informing them that with regret our suspected case of COVID-19 has been confirmed and that their children must isolate for 14 days from Friday 27th November. ie until Saturday 12th December. The return to school for these children will be Monday 14th December.

On line Registration for Thames Class will be at 10.30am each day. Activities for Irwell will be set during the day but an online meeting will not be appropriate for this age group.

I also attach the Government letter informing the whole school. Regrets at the inconvenience to our early years children and staff and best wishes to those who are ill.

Due to a difficult staffing situation Irwell (Nursery Class) will be closed tomorrow with an update re Wednesday provided in the morning.

Colorado Class will return tomorrow. There will be no Ukulele Class for Y5.

There will be no "Catch Up Classes" tomorrow (Tuesday) for any class. School will finish at the usual times for each class bubble.

Thanks to all for patience and understanding of a rapidly changing situation.

C. J. Ashley

We have a strongly suspected case of Covid-19 and a shortage of staff in the foundation unit. Regrettably we have to close the Unit. Please do not send children in these classes into school today.

Here is our weekly newsletter and the formal government notice of Mississippi class isolating.

Dear Parent/Carer,

We have finally had to send class bubbles home to isolate. My thanks and well done to all children and families for trying to get on with the remote learning on line. My thanks and well done also to the staff who set up the system.

Isolation Safety Rules

The notice to isolate letter comes from the government and is a legal requirement. Some children have been out and about which is illegal and could lead to very expensive fines (£300 - £10,000). If your child has been given notice to isolate and there is a brother and sister in school, you would need to try and find somebody else to bring them in. If there really is nobody, then the child would have to stay in the house and request an individual home learning pack. I am sorry to give this news but it is the law based on public safety.

Teams Meetings

For E safety purposes, we have to have two adults present for the Registration Session. Please don’t let children join the meeting early as we are very short staffed (12 away on one day this week) and cannot spare adults outside of the meeting time to supervise on line behaviour.

Christmas

Christmas is going ahead as usual except that our Early Years and KS1 nativities will be filmed instead of families being invited in. We have paid for an ultra-safe place on the website so that you can enjoy seeing the children but knowing that it will be limited to our school. There will still be class parties and a virtual visit from “The Grand Old Gentleman” on his journey from the North Pole. There was some talk of schools closing early to protect Christmas day but I can confirm that this is not happening and we will break up on 18.12.20 at the usual time. That last day will be Christmas Jumper Day and we will ask for a voluntary donation of whatever you can spare to go to the Porch Project helping the many families in crisis in Bury. Your family may well be in difficulty due to lockdown and Tier Three, so don’t worry if you cannot contribute this time.

We have informed Mississippi class of the need to isolate for 14 days until 9th December. The DFE letter is attached. The DFE letter to the whole school is the same as the one sent on Sunday but I will re send it tomorrow.

The attached letter applies to Mississippi class only.

Thanks to all for cooperation and compliance with the law,

Yours,

Chris Ashley

I am sending a DFE/Public Health England letter to all of our families. Colorado Class (Y5) will be isolating until 1.12.20. School is open to all other classes unless a child or member of their household has COVID symptoms.

I am also attaching the letter sent to Colorado Class in case anybody has missed it.

Hoping that you all stay healthy and best wishes to the child concerned,

Yours,
C. J. Ashley

FSM vouchers will be sent to the home addresses of those eligible. The info from the council is as follows:

“Vouchers to be used during the October half term will be sent direct to the child’s home address in the next couple of days. We are working with EdenRed, as we have for previous holiday schemes, to provide you with an eCode that you can redeem online from a selection of supermarket ‘eGift cards’ to the value of £15 per child. All you will need to do is go to freeschoolmeals.co.uk and use the code we send to you to redeem the eGift card."

C. J. Ashley

Bury Council have decided to be become part of the movement to provide FSM for those entitled. The decision was made too late for school to distribute a £15 voucher but information will appear on the Bury Council website from later today or tomorrow. Phone 253 5858 for further info although there is no news at present.

I will try to keep you informed with any info I get.

Yours,

C. J. Ashley

I attach information which the authorities wish schools to pass on to our families.

Extra bits of news and the all important Effort Award winners attached.

Homework

Effort Awards

Behaviour Policy

Dear Parent/Carer,

Behaviour Policy

The draft behaviour Policy for your comments is too big for attachment on Parent Hub. It will therefore go onto the website on Monday for your light reading.

Homework

Spelling Shed, Times Table Rockstars and Active Learn homework assignments have now been set. Children will have been given their log in details so that they can get going on practising key skills in a fun way.

Effort Award Winners

Well done to the Effort Gold Tie Winners from the last two “virtual assemblies”.

The green badge awards will be worn from Monday. Well done to all who “stayed on green”!

Have a good weekend,

Yours sincerely,

 C.J. Ashley

This is the first of two newsletters this week.

Please get your child to ask if you need a new copy of the computer survey. This is vital for continuing work if a bubble needs to isolate at home.

Thankyou

Face Masks to continue to be worn by adults on school grounds

Homework

Dear Parent/Carer,

Home School Safety Agreement

Thankyou again for your continued support of our safety measures. There are now 45 schools in Bury with bubbles having to be sent home for 14 days. We are still lasting out thanks to everybody doing their best to keep to our risk assessment strategies.

Apologies for the delay in sending out the Home School Safety Agreement. There were no major changes for schools in this week’s announcement and so I am sending the document home. Parent/Carers and children are asked to sign it to show how we are working together to keep everybody as safe as possible.

Y6 – Arrivals and Departures

Most year groups are sticking to our arrangements for safely staggering our arrival and departure times. However, many children in Y6 (the only year group who do not have to be accompanied by an adult) are arriving too early. This is causing overcrowding before school and some poor behaviour in the dangerous car park area is causing problems. As we do not have the staffing levels to supervise Y6 before 9.10 am, I have warned the children that if the situation does not improve next week, they will have to be accompanied by an adult. We would like to avoid this as we know many parents have already made work arrangements.

Computer Survey

When/if a bubble has to isolate at home, we are aiming to continue teaching through the internet. We urgently need to know which homes could cope with this but we have only had 76 out of a possible 250 returns of our survey. Please send it in if you have not already done so.

Hoping that you all keep safe and well,

Yours sincerely,

 C.J. Ashley

I attach an extra newsletter to help with questions about normal winter snuffles and the more serious Covid-19 illness. I also attach a very useful chart from GM outlining the key information for when children fall ill.

Face Masks to be worn by adults from Monday

Illness Procedures

Dear Parents/Carers

Thanks for your support and compliance during a difficult week as the autumn corona virus spike hits early. Bury is back in the “red” danger zone with the latest weekly figures showing us at 59.4 cases per 100,000. This has doubled in a week and is double the national average. Keeping school open and protecting our community is therefore a challenge.

A reminder that adults now need to wear a face covering when bringing and collecting children and that only one person from each household should come to school. Thanks to most people who are arriving at the right time and are maintaining a safe distance from other households.

We have now got seasonal illnesses to confuse the Covid-19 situation and so I am setting out the procedures you should follow for different types of illness.

COLDS AND SNUFFLES

This is where the confusion arises. If your child has winter type snuffles or an upset stomach, ring school to tell us and keep them at home until the illness has gone and for a minimum of 48 hours (2 days).

POSSIBLE COVID-19

The well-known, Public Health England (PHE)advised symptoms are here in red:

• Persistent Cough
• High temperature
• Loss/change of taste or smell

If your child has symptoms in red: Inform school. Arrange a test immediately! 

Dial 119 or for more immediate local information about testing centres go to https://www.bury.gov.uk There are walk in centres at Chesham Fold and The Mosses.

Your child should remain at home. Even if the test comes back as negative, your child should still remain in the house until they have been symptom free for 48 hours. The whole house should isolate while you wait for the test result.

Children with the virus also often have the symptoms here in blue:

• Severe fatigue
• Rash
• Stomach upset
• Conjunctivitis

If your child had one of the other common symptoms in blue: Inform school. You would be wise to get a test. Your child must remain at home for at least 48 hours until the symptoms have cleared. Play close attention to see if any of the 3 red symptoms appear. If they do, or if the symptoms don’t disappear after a few days, get a test. Please check with school before sending the child back.

If the test is positive

If the test is positive, please inform school immediately. Your child must isolate for at least 10 days and the family must isolate for 14 days from when the symptoms started.  If the child is still displaying symptoms they should not return until all symptoms except the loss of taste or smell have gone. (Please contact school if the temperature is back to normal and the child is otherwise well but still has the cough. In some cases, a return can be agreed.) Please comply with Track and Trace requests.

Other children in school

If the ill child has one of the 3 red symptoms, brothers and sisters must stay at home. If the test is positive the whole class bubble, including the adults, has to isolate at home for 14 days from their last contact with the child. We will not name the child but will give a date for return. Other household members of the class bubble sent home will not need to isolate unless their own child shows symptoms or has a positive test result.

The school will arrange work.

I will send a very useful and more simple version chart of this information with this newsletter.

EFFORT AWARDS

On a much more cheerful note, the following children have done especially well and have won the effort award this week.

Thames – Thea B.

Zambezi – Cali C.

Nile – Clayton M.

Mississippi – Orin O.

Severn – Maison R.

Amazon – Morgan H.

Colorado – Jocelyn M.

Hudson – Emily B.

Well done. Gold ties can be worn but must be returned by Thursday for washing before the next virtual assembly.

LOST PROPERTY

We return any lost jumpers with clear names on as soon as we find them. If we cannot find who an item belongs to, we display them on the playground fences (when it is not raining) but have to throw them away on Friday for health reasons. Please put names clearly on everything. We have 280 blue jumpers in school.

Have a nice and safe weekend,

Yours sincerely,

 C.J. Ashley

The newsletter is below. Infection is rising at an alarming rate and colleagues in other schools have now had to start sending class bubbles home for 14 days due to positive tests.

The newsletter contains changes to our safety arrangements.

Sadly, from Monday, masks will need to be worn on school grounds. (please contact me if health issues prevent this and we will see what alternative arrangements we can make).

We will allow CLEAN lunchboxes into school.

School Lunches

Masks on School Grounds

Translation – Please press the globe icon (top right corner) – choose language.

We have to alter our risk assessment and arrangements daily with the aim of firstly keeping everybody safe as far as we can and secondly trying to avoid closure of class bubbles and/or the whole school. As you are aware this involves children isolating for 14 days causing enormous disruption for everybody. At present Greater Manchester (us) is a COVID hotspot and we are situated right next to Bolton, the worst in the UK, with new, strict measures in place.

Lunches - We have Listened - We need to limit the chances of the spread of the virus between home and school and so we have limited the bags allowed to come into the building. Up to now this included lunch boxes. Some parents have voiced their concerns over keeping food fresh in carrier bags and the issue for families (and the environment) of having to find 5 carrier bags per week. We have responded to these concerns and will allow lunch boxes to come in as long as they are deeply cleaned at home each night. We will immediately withdraw this for children who arrive with dirty lunchboxes.

School dinner choices have been reduced this week due to the time it has taken to get staggered clusters through the canteen. As children get used to the routines we are gradually widening the choice and there will be at least three options next week. I am grateful to staff who have given up their own lunchtime to serve lunches and supervise children.

Arrivals and Departures – Masks/Face Coverings to be worn - You will be aware of the new national crisis and restrictions due to the rise in infection rates. Our change of times and increasing use of the car park space improved things slightly but we have still got adults closely together.  With regret we have to stipulate that masks are worn on school grounds and that only one parent/carer brings or collects children.  This will be in place from Monday 14^th September. Please arrive at exactly the right time and please clear the steps or narrow spaces on the path. Mississippi class should wait inside the fence.

Book Bags - The only items to be brought in from home are now lunch boxes (if necessary) and book bags with reading books and planners. I am aware of concerns that this could be expensive as the Fairfield book bag with road safety high viz markings costs £5. However, you do not have to buy the Fairfield bag. Any slim book bag of any colour can be used. They cost £1.50 in some supermarkets. If you are struggling, please contact me and we will spread costs of the Fairfield bag. Reading books will start going home next week. When they come back they are washed and are in quarantine until the following Monday.

Thanks for your support and my regrets at the sad new measures we are having to take,

C.J. Ashley

I am grateful to parents who have expressed any concerns that they have in a reasonable and proper manner. I have listened to the issues and those I have spoken to understand that it is my duty to try and keep our school community and its family members as safe as is possible. I also want to avoid any class bubbles having to isolate for 14 days for as long as possible.

Our arrangements are strict but far more child friendly than stories I hear from some other schools.

The views that I have heard have gone into our daily review of the risk assessment and as a result I am delaying sending out the Home School Safety Agreement until tomorrow (Wednesday) whilst amendments are considered.

PE clothes can be worn under jumpers and coats tomorrow (Wednesday) in Thames, Mississippi and Hudson classes.

There is no PE this week, so full uniform can be worn all week. Next week (week commencing 07.09.20) the children come to school in PE kits under their jumpers and coats on their special PE day.

The children do not wear face masks in school.