Dry Drayton Church of England (C) Primary School
Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Possible reopening of school after 1st June
Sun 24 May 202024th May 2020
Dear Parents,
I would like to share with you our plans for the possible reopening of school after 1st June.
At present, the Government’s advice is for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children to begin to return to school after 1st June alongside Keyworker children who have already been attending school. The remaining year groups, and any children whose parents choose to keep them at home, will continue to have tasks set by school to be completed at home.
We will only know if we can definitely return after the Government’s scientific advisors present their evidence on Thursday 28th May, and the Government announces that schools will reopen.
As defined in Government Guidelines, we have been using our best endeavours make the school environment as safe as possible for the children and staff to return.
We will send more details of the daily routines, how lessons will be taught and access or not to equipment after Thursday’s announcement. We are only able to offer part- time schooling. This is because some staff are clinically vulnerable and so have been advised to work at home, and the remaining staff only work part time. We have been advised to reduce the number of adults working within each ‘bubble’. With this model, should you change your mind and wish your child in Reception, Years 1 or 6 to return to school, we have the capacity to do this without disrupting bubbles. The Government advice is for no more than 15 children in a bubble, but this would require an enormous classroom. We have measured our spaces and know that we can, with reasonable endeavours, have up to 6/7 children safely in each bubble so can cater for our age groups. We do not need a Key Worker bubble as these children belong to the returning children age group.
With these considerations, our proposal at present is:
- The school will be closed every Monday and instead there will be a Zoom lesson for each class. These will resume Monday 1st June and continue every week thereafter
- School will commence on Wednesday 3rd June for RECEPTION and YEAR 1 only at 8.50am
- Year 6 will start on Thursday 4th June at 8.50am
- Friday afternoon we will be closed and we will have our Zoom assembly at 1.30pm
- Each bubble below will have their own entrance, classroom, toilets and sinks
- Bubbles will not mix as they share no common areas except the field, which will be divided into zones
- Frequent and appropriate handwashing will take place
- Each child will be given their own equipment which will not be shared with others
- When Year 1 and 6 children are completing school work, they will have their own table 2m away from their classmates
- Playtime will be staggered
We will have three bubbles at school:
Bubble 1
- Mrs Sweetnam with Reception
- 4 mornings and hopefully Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons until 2.30pm
Bubble 2
- Miss Hampton with Year 1
- 4 mornings and hopefully Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons until 2.30pm
- Mr Walker, the PE coach, and Mrs Hegan will be covering the afternoons all outdoors so 2m social distancing will be maintained through all reasonable endeavours
Bubble 3
- Mrs Scott with Year 6
- 4 mornings and hopefully Tuesday and Thursday afternoons until 3.00pm
- Mr Walker, the PE coach, and Mrs Hegan will be covering the afternoons all outdoors so 2m social distancing will be maintained through all reasonable endeavours
Bubble 2 and bubble 3 will not mix at any point as they will be using different sections of the field and forest school area. I am awaiting confirmation that we will be the only school in which Mr Walker will be working. If this is not guaranteed, the plan will be revised.
If your child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 6, I do not require you to say whether or not they definitely will be returning to school until we confirm that we are reopening. You will have the option to opt in, which will require you to commit to every day that we are open, or opt out and continue with schooling at home. You cannot mix the two options. Should you change your mind and wish to send your Reception, Year 1 or Year 6 child to school, there will be space for them to join us.
Please do not hesitate to contact me as naturally you may have many concerns about this next stage of our slow release from lockdown measures.
Thank you for all the support you have given to the school and educating your children at home. We do appreciate the work that this has involved.
We are all looking forward to seeing the children back at school when we are told that we are able to do so.
With best wishes,
Sonia Hegan
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Letter from Jonathan Lewis at the LA
Sun 24 May 2020Dear Parent / Carer,
Last week, the government announced plans for schools to gradually admit further pupils from the start of June. School leaders are getting ready for this. The Local Authority, the Diocese and Academy Trusts are providing advice and guidance to help them and as responsible bodies, we will ratify the final decisions schools make over their plans to open. This will only happen when we have scientific advice that suggests that this is safe to do so.
Our top priority remains the safety of pupils, their families and school staff. The government is unlikely to confirm whether more pupils will be able to attend school until late May so within the next two weeks, schools will let parents know their proposed plans for a phased return of pupils, whenever that can happen. It is very unlikely that all schools plans will be the same as every school’s context and circumstances are different. School Leaders will have to consider issues such as the size of classrooms and the availability of staff to work before agreeing their plans for reopening.
All schools will try to follow the government’s advice at the appropriate time. Some schools may not be able to take many additional pupils on 1 June. In certain cases, following all of the government’s guidelines would involve an unacceptable level of risk to pupils, staff and families. Where this is clear, I will support school leaders who need to take a different course. I know that schools will tell you about any such decisions, and the reasons for them, as quickly and clearly as they can.
Your child’s experience at school will not be the same as it was before COVID-19. It is likely that some staff will be absent, perhaps because they are unwell or have family members at home who are being shielded. This might limit the length of the school day, or mean that some children can only attend part time. Your child may not be taught by their usual teacher. The curriculum taught in the school is also likely to be limited compared to what was provided prior to closure. Some areas of the school site might not be used and routines will be different, in order to promote ‘social distancing.’ The ways in which teaching assistants and others support pupils with SEND (Special Educational Needs or Disabilities) may change. Some schools may not be able to offer school meals initially. There may be other changes too.
Schools will use their best endeavours to provide a safe environment for pupils and staff. However, no environment is, or can be, entirely without risk. I know that some parents will decide to keep their children at home on safety grounds. The government has made it clear that for the rest of this academic year, parents who do not send their children to school will not face fines or other sanctions. Education is however critical and high attendance helps pupils to learn, thrive and do well in later life.With schools opening more widely, larger numbers of staff will be needed to provide face-to-face teaching at school. This means that it may be more difficult to maintain the same level of remote education provision for pupils in the year groups who are not eligible to attend, or for those pupils in year groups who are eligible to attend but who themselves cannot.
I would strongly encourage you to read the latest Department for Education guidance which can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/reopening-schools-and-other-educational-settings-from-1-june.
Headteachers have some very challenging decisions to make in the coming few weeks and I am sure you will support me in thanking them and their staff for their magnificent efforts they have made in continuing to support Education since this crisis started. I hope that when the time comes, we welcome as many more pupils back to school as is possible.
Yours sincerely,
Jonathan Lewis
Service Director – Education
Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council -
Government reopening of schools - update
Fri 15 May 202015th May 2020
Government request for phased reopening of schools and what this means for
Dry Drayton C of E (C) Primary School.
Dear Parents,
With so much talk in the media about children returning to school, we would like to ask you how you feel about this proposal and whether you wish to send your children to school or not.
The Government has announced that Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children may be able to return to school from the week beginning Monday 1st June 2020. At this current time, we are unclear what this may look like for us and we will wait to receive more information from the Government to see how their request will impact us as a school.
Based on your responses, we will have to consider our staffing numbers, the staff able to work in school, room spaces and how we can best manage socially distancing the children.
Our first priority is that no-one is entering our school unless we feel that it is safe for our children, our staff and our families; this may mean the children do not attend full days, may not be taught in their classroom, may not be taught by their class teacher or may only be in school part time.
This survey is purely to help us with our planning, as we know so much can change over a short period of time (you will also be free to change your mind at any point after completing this survey).
We will ensure that we follow government guidance for effective infection control by:
- Minimising contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have Covid-19 symptoms (or within a household), do not attend school
- Cleaning hands more often than usual - 20 seconds with running water and soap and dry them thoroughly (we are installing paper hand towel dispensers)
- Ensuring good respiratory hygiene - promote the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach
- Cleaning frequently touched surfaces often using products such as detergents and bleach
- Minimising contact and mixing by altering, as much as possible, the environment (such as classroom layout) and timetables (such as staggered start, finish, break times).
In addition to this we will:
- Write a thorough Risk Assessment to be confident that we are safe to open
- Produce guidance to help you to prepare your children to come into school – maintaining social distance, washing hands, not touching your face, only using your own equipment
- Provide each child with their own equipment in a zippy bag – no pencil cases to come in from home
- Not use the cubby holes - the children will store their belongings under their table in the classroom.
The earliest date that Dry Drayton C of E (C) Primary School could open for a phased return is the week beginning Monday 1st June 2020.
Which children will return and what will this look like?
- Physical health, mental health and wellbeing will be at the forefront of our curriculum.
- Key Worker children will still be looked after at school
- Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 will return to school in a phased approach
- School will not be open to siblings in different year groups, except for the children of Key Workers
- The children will be in smaller groups of no more than 7 children determined by the school – this will be called the group bubble
- Each bubble will have one or two members of our staff; but these may not be your child’s current teacher, neither will it be a supply teacher
- For safety, each bubble will remain consistent – children will not swap or change bubbles
- The timings of the school day will change to accommodate social distancing with drop-off and pick-up times being staggered
- Classroom layouts will be changed to enable social distancing as best we can
- Learning will be different because we have to consider social distancing which poses challenges with usual good practice e.g. staff will not be able to work in close proximity to the children. Children will not be able to work or play within close proximity of each other or share toys and equipment in the way they are used to
- We will continue to provide those children at home with tasks set via Seesaw
- Movement around school will be limited and common areas will be restricted or divided
- Breaks and lunchtimes will be staggered for each bubble
- Children will not be allowed to mix across bubbles.
What will happen to ensure the school is a safe place to be?
- A thorough Risk Assessment will be undertaken. The plan will reflect any necessary changes to the school environment, its routines and procedures
- If a child or adult shows symptoms of Covid-19, they will be sent home and must self-isolate for 7 days. All fellow household members must also self-isolate for 14 days
- If a child or staff member shows symptoms and tests positive for Covid-19, all children and staff in the same bubble as them will be sent home and all of them, and all members of their households, must all self-isolate for 14 days
- If testing is available, staff who display symptoms will endeavour to be tested and likewise for members of their households
- School will continue to educate children about the importance of hand washing and the ‘Catch it, Kill it, Bin it’ principle
- There will be increased cleaning of frequently used objects, equipment and furniture (eg. door handles, desks and outdoor play equipment)
- Drop-off and pick-up times will be staggered for parents
- Only one parent can accompany the child onto the school grounds
- Parents will be unable to enter the building
If you have any concerns about whether or not your child should attend school for health reasons, we suggest you contact your GP or NHS 111.
You have all worked brilliantly in partnership with us in these strange and unprecedented times and we know that this will continue as we move into this next phase.
We are deeply thankful for your support.
Stay safe, keep well. With best wishes,
Sonia Hegan
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For useful websites for you and your family from CCC and the Early Help Team
Fri 01 May 2020Virtual Tours
Some of the best museum, zoo and art gallery tours for children are available online.
Many museums, art galleries and zoos across the world have set up virtual tours - ideal for all ages. Here are just a few ideas – there are many more:
Virtual Zoo Trips
You can visit some of the world’s best zoos, for free, right from your own home.
There are educational resources such as worksheets, tasks and craft ideas, perfect for keeping the kids busy. Whether you’ve got a budding zoologist at home, or simply want to have ‘Penguin Cam’ on in the background, discover three of the best virtual school trips to the zoo.
San Diego Zoo live cams
From the live Baboon Cam to Polar Bear Cams, the San Diego Zoo has something for everyone with a passion for wildlife.
Their dedicated educational site contains pre-recorded videos of the animals alongside extensive craft tutorials, downloadable colouring sheets and recipes. See the Live Cams here; pre-recorded videos here; and activities for younger kids here.
Chester Zoo Learning Resources
Bring Chester Zoo straight to your kitchen table thanks to these fun learning resources. Filterable by educational stage, subject and topic, there’s something for every age to be getting along with if you're all stuck inside.
Create and play with downloadable masks: For tiny tots aged three to five, there are downloadable animal masks, perfect for colouring in and wearing on a Facetime call to family and friends.
Read and write with animal fact files: For kids aged seven and over, take a look at these animal fact files. Ask them to pick out facts about each animal and write a paragraph to explain more about the specific species.
On top of lots of live videos already on Chester Zoo's Facebook page, they'll be hosting all-day live virtual tours featuring the kids' favourite animals, so they can enjoy a whole day of animal antics.
Check out the red pandas, Rothschild's giraffes, Asian elephants, and butterflies, before catching up with sun bears, the Sumatran tigers, the Humboldt penguins and the aquarium.
Feeding Time at Cincinnati Zoo
Visit the Cincinnati Zoo Facebook page for plenty of educational videos featuring the zookeepers, explaining all about the animals.
Home Safaris at 7pm: Each day at 7pm (UK time), the zoo will livestream a home safari to help make the time at home fun and educational.
The home safaris will be streamed on Facebook Live, but if you don’t have social media or would prefer to watch them at a different time, they are posted to the Cincinnati Zoo website the next day.
Not only do these home safaris feature videos, they also include craft ideas that can be completed indoors or in the garden.
The Fiona Show: With over 3.2million followers, baby hippo Fiona is one of Cincinnati Zoo’s most famous residents. Born six weeks premature, the Fiona Show follows her life over 12 episodes allowing the kids to see her remarkable story. And you can watch them all here on the zoo's Facebook page.
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Look Think Do: resources to help you stay creative and connected at home.
We are missing welcoming visitors of all ages to learn, create and enjoy themselves in the museum. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be sharing lots of different ways for you to connect with the collections, be inspired, create, respond and relax.
Look Think Do is a brand new set of activities designed as a starting point for looking, talking and doing together. They have been created with families learning together and teachers planning remote learning in mind, but we hope people of all ages with enjoy the opportunity to spend some time with some of our collection favourites – from ancient Egypt to Impressionist painting.
New entries are added on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays throughout April and May 2020, with extra activities and virtual stories for families with under 5s on the first Saturday of the month.
Contact education@fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk with questions and suggestions about how to stay connected with the Fitzwilliam Museum.
Thanks for these great ideas J
RSPB
Create a multi-storey hotel that's full of all sorts of natural materials, providing hidey-holes for creatures galore.
Safe hideaways can be hard for wildlife to find in some gardens, and what better use for all your garden waste and odds and ends?
Build your bug hotel (also known as a wildlife hotel or stack) well and it could shelter anything from hedgehogs to toads, solitary bees to bumblebees, and ladybirds to woodlice.
The Wildlife Trust
Build your own bug mansion and attract a multitude of creepy crawlies to your garden.
An average garden accommodates more than 2,000 different species of insect! Very few of these creatures cause significant damage to our prized plants, and there are many more insects that actually help us to control the ones that do! By providing the right habitats, we can greatly increase the number of ‘beneficial’ insects in the garden.
One way to increase the comfort of your patch for insects is to build them a bug mansion.
Woodland Trust
10 nature activities for kids. We hope these ideas help you enjoy your time together while your children are at home.
For more inspiration, take a look at our series of activity blogs to discover more crafts and ways to explore nature at home – details on the website.
You can also check out our Tree Tools for Schools website. It's home to all of our educational materials for schools - from wildlife ID sheets to interactive puzzles and quizzes. So you'll find plenty of ways to keep your children engaged and active.
Moving More while at Home
During this testing time, we remain committed to ensuring disabled people can be and stay active. Our team is here to support your organisation in whatever way we can.
There are many ways to continue enjoying an active lifestyle. This includes adapting activities so everyone in the household, disabled and non-disabled, can take part together.Looking after your Mental Health
This situation affects us all – some cope very well, while others find themselves feeling low, anxious or depressed. Looking after yourself and your family is important – please ask for help if you need it. I have attached a list of organisations you can contact for help and support. This is just a short list, there are many other organisations you can contact – if you would like more information about them please get in touch.
Parent Zone: Video Chatting: A Guide for Parents/Carers
Hands up if you’ve used Zoom, FaceTime, Houseparty, Skype or WhatsApp to stay in touch with family and friends since COVID-19 restrictions began? That’ll be most of us then, and the same is probably true of our children.
Video chat is a great way for young people to feel close to their friends during this unsettling time, so long as they’re having a positive experience when using it. Here’s how to help children of different ages get the most from their video chatting experiences.
Advice for parents of primary school-aged children
Advice for parents of secondary school-aged children
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