Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• School closed on Monday 1st June for staff training

  Sun 31 May 2020 Miss Bilton

  Following the Government’s announcement that all school must plan for reopening to some directed year groups we have made extensive risk assessments and plans. School will have to run very differently so that we can make it as safe as possible for all pupils, staff and our local community.

  For this reason, school will have to be closed to all pupils on Monday 1st June for staff training. This will focus on how we can teach Reception, Y1 and Y6 effectively and safely while providing safe childcare for children of key workers in other year groups. Staff training is necessary so we can examine the guidance provided by the DfE and see how it can safely be applied in our school.

  Key worker children and those who are vulnerable can come back into school for childcare as usual from Tuesday 2nd June. 

  I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but I hope that you appreciate that it is essential that school is ready for safe reopening to more pupils from 8th June. 

• Plans for reopening

  Wed 27 May 2020 Miss Bilton

  Dear Parents and Carers, 

   

  Following the announcement from the Government that schools will begin reopening for directed year groups we have been very busy risk assessing what we can safely offer. Unfortunately, this means that many of our usual things will have to change for a while so that we can keep all pupils and staff safe. We will continue to review our plans and risk assessment and make sure that we follow the guidance from government departments, the Local Authority and Public Health England. We cannot promise that there will be no risks at all as this just isn’t possible, but our thorough risk assessment has been written to reduce as many risks as possible. 

   

  The Government has recommended some controls which all must follow. These include: 

  • Not attending school if you feel unwell 

  • cleaning hands more often than usual - wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water and soap and dry them thoroughly or use alcohol hand sanitiser 

  • using tissues when sneezing to ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’  

  • cleaning frequently touched surfaces often  

  • creating social bubbles who do not mix with other bubbles 

   

  The arrangements we are putting in place will make sure that we are following these controls. This will all be done in a kind and warm manner so that your child feels comfortable in school. 

   

  Staff will continue to put work on the class pages of our website. Please also look at Oak Academy and BBC Bitesize for lessons and resources for each year group. 

   

   

  Breakfast club and after-school clubs 

  We will not be able to run breakfast club from Monday 1st June until the summer holidays or any after-school clubs as we must keep children in their social bubbles. 

   

   

  Groups/Social Bubbles 

  As we know, young children will struggle to understand social distancing, therefore we are not able to open school to nursery children at this time. 

   

  Pupils in Reception, Y1 and Y6 have been identified by the Government as the first year groups to return to school so we will open only to those year groups first. They will be placed in groups of less than 12. Most groups will have only 8 children and 2 staff in them. Tables and chairs have been spaced apart in the classrooms so we can maintain 2m social distancing. 

             

  These social bubbles will not mix with other groups and will remain together with the same staff at all times. Staggered breaktimes and outdoor activities will be planned so social bubbles do not mix. They will still enjoy time outside in their social bubbles. 

   

  To keep the group sizes small and safe, your child will not necessarily be with their normal teacher or in their normal classroom. Any child arriving late will not be able to come into school that day as they need to mix with only their social bubble at all times. 

   

  We have ordered a pencil case full of stationery for every child so they are not sharing equipment. Children will be taken to wash their hands often throughout the school day. 

   

  Drop-off and pick-up arrangements 

  The following arrangements cannot be confirmed until the Government confirms that the science says schools should definitely begin to open for face to face provision and our risk assessments prove that it is safe to open our school.  If this is safe, then the proposed dates are below.  But these are subject to change and continual review.  

   

  Safety is our absolute priority. All pupils must be brought to school and collected by only one adult each day, including Y6, so that nobody is mixing with people from another social bubble. We ask you to be respectful and not congregate on our school yard or at our gates at all. Any parents found doing this may be refused further entry as we must be able to keep all our school community as safe as possible. Entry and exit for Y1 and Y6 will be through a one-way system in the KS2 yard. Please see the accompanying photographs.  

       

  If you would like to bring your child to see how this will work we will open the gates every morning on Tuesday 2nd, Wednesday 3rd, Thursday 4th and Friday 5th June between 10am and 11am so you can come to have a look before your child returns to school the following week. 

   

  Children will only be able to attend school until Friday lunchtime each week. Friday afternoons school will be closed to all pupils in Reception, Y1 and Y6 so deep cleaning can take place. They will not be able to join the key worker group as we cannot mix social bubbles. Children of critical workers who have only been in the key worker group can stay until collected at 3:30pm. 

   

  Parents and carers cannot come beyond the school entrance. We will not be allowing access to the school building for any adult other than school staff. If you need to speak with staff they are happy to do this via telephone, email or post. Our office staff will not take bags or packed lunches in for children. They must be sent with your child. Please do not expect to pop in to school or the office to ask anything as unfortunately we cannot offer this until further notice. 

   

  Reception - 9.15am drop-off and 3:00pm collection every day. Fridays they must be collected at 12:15pm. Monday 8th June start date 

  The Reception children will be in school from Monday 8th June. They will arrive and leave by the Reception or Nursery doors depending on which group they are via the walkway at the front of the building. They will be with a team of staff from the EYFS, who will be familiar faces to our youngest children returning. They will be taught in the Reception and Nursery classrooms and use the Early Years outdoor area at different times. 

   

  The staff working with these groups are Mrs Phillips, Mrs Carr, Miss McFarlane and Mrs Young. 

   

   

  Year 1 - 9:30am drop-off and 3:15pm collection every day. Fridays they must be collected at 12:30pm. Tuesday 9th June start date 

  The first Year 1 children will be in school from Tuesday 9th June. They will enter through the KS2 gate and be welcomed by staff leading their bubbles. Parents will drop off their child at the gap in the barrier and continue walking out of the side gate. They will be split into three groups of 8 pupils and will stay within this social bubble. These groups will be taught in the Y1, Y2 and Y3 classrooms. Each bubble will have their own set of toys to take outside for breaks and lunchtime. Collection will be from the walkway on the KS2 yard. Please wait in a line 2m apart and the staff will release your child to you when you get to the gap in the barriers. 

   

  The staff working with these groups are Miss Smith, Mrs Roberts, Mr Piper and Miss Ainsley. 

   

  Year 6 - 9:00am drop-off and 2:45pm collection every day. Fridays they must be collected at 12:00pm. Wednesday 10th June start date 

  The first Y6 children will be in school from Wednesday 10th June. They will enter through the KS2 gate and be welcomed by staff leading their bubbles. Parents will drop off their child at the gap in the barrier and continue walking out of the side gate. Each bubble will have their own set of games and equipment to take outside for breaks and lunchtime. Collection will be from the walkway on the KS2 yard. Please wait in a line 2m apart and the staff will release your child to you when you get to the gap in the barriers. They will be split into a group of 10 taught in the Y6 classroom, 10 in the Y5 classroom and 10 in the Y4 classroom.  They will be doing things related to the end of their primary school journey, sports and mindfulness activities. They will have the best end of Y6 that we can manage in the current circumstances. 

   

  The staff working with these groups are Mr Chapman, Mrs McGinley, Miss Edokpayi and Mrs McMeekin. 

   

  Key Worker children – 9:00am drop-off and 3:30pm collection every day. Tuesday 2nd June start date 
  Children of key workers in Nursery, Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 will have childcare in the school hall provided by staff not involved in returning classes. They will enter and leave through the main door at the front of the building. This childcare must be booked in advance so we can split this group as numbers increase. You will be asked to provide proof of your key worker status if you have not already done so. 

  The staff supervising the childcare will be Miss Hancock, Mrs Jasper and Mrs Kendall. 

   

   

  First-aid and illness 

  If your child is ill during the school day you will be informed immediately and your child must be collected as soon as possible. This will remain our right to send them home, so we can avoid others catching the illness.  

   

  Anyone over the age of 5 showing symptoms are entitled to have a Covid-19 test. This must be done as soon as possible so that others in the group can be informed if it is safe to return to school. 

  Any child who shows symptoms while in school would be moved to a separate room (KS2 support room) whilst awaiting collection. Parents will have to ensure their child has had a test for corona virus before they could return to school and school must have sight of the outcomes. 

   

  The Government guidance on actions to take if there is a confirmed case is also very clear: 

  • When a child, young person or staff member develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus, they should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 7 days. Their fellow household members should self-isolate for 14 days. All staff and students who are attending an education or childcare setting will have access to a test if they display symptoms of coronavirus, and are encouraged to get tested in this scenario. 
  • Where the child, young person or staff member tests negative, they can return to their setting and the fellow household members can end their self-isolation. 
  • Where the child, young person or staff member tests positive, the rest of their class or group within their childcare or education setting should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days. The other household members of that wider class or group do not need to self-isolate unless the child, young person or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms. 

   

  We will continue to administer first aid using our usual procedures and protection as per school policy. Staff will wear PPE during this time if social distancing cannot be maintained. 

   

  Uniform and things from home 

  Your child may wear their own clothes for the rest of this term, but may wear uniform if they wish to. Public Health England have recommended that clothes worn for school must be washed at the end of every day and clean clothes worn next time they are in school. No bags, reading books, mobile phones or equipment should be brought to school other than a water bottle which should be filled at home and returned clean each day.   

   

  Lunches  

  Packed lunches will be provided for all pupils attending school. These are in fully disposable packages and none of it will be taken home. If your child wishes to bring a packed lunch from home it must be in a fully disposable container and will not be brought home.  

   

  Outdoor equipment 

  The climbing frames and outdoor equipment will not be used by any children as we cannot guarantee that they could be cleaned to a high enough standard to make sure that they are safe to use until further notice. 

   

   

  Handwashing and cleaning 

  Each group will use a different sink to wash their hands. Soap and paper towels will be provided and children will be taken throughout the school day to wash their hands with soap for 20 seconds. We will make this as fun as possible too. Hand sanitisers and antibacterial wipes are also available in every classroom and at entrances and exits. Our cleaners will be on site throughout the day and will clean all frequently touched areas and toilets regularly, with deep cleaning once the children have left for the day. Deep cleaning will take place every Friday afternoon, when school will be closed to all pupils except those of critical workers. 

   

   We will also do the following: 

  •  encourage children to not touch their mouth, eyes and nose 

  •  use a tissue or elbow to cough or sneeze and use bins for tissue waste (‘catch it, bin it, kill it’) 

  •  ensure that bins for tissues are emptied throughout the day 

   

  We have bought new lidded bins for all classrooms which are pedal-operated so that pupils do not need to touch them with their hands. 

   

  Windows in classrooms will remain open during the day and where possible doors also to assist ventilation.  

   

  Shielded and clinically vulnerable young people 

  Children and young people (0 to 18 years of age) who have been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable due to pre-existing medical conditions have been advised to shield. We do not expect these children to be attending school. 

   

  Curriculum 

  Government guidance states: 

  • Schools and colleges continue to be best placed to make decisions about how to support and educate their pupils during this period.  
  • Schools and colleges should use their best endeavours to support pupils attending as well as those remaining at home, making use of the available remote education support. 

   

  When school re-opens, the curriculum offered in school will mirror the guidance being offered to parents for home learning. We may also follow the content of the BBC Bitesize primary curriculum for Years 1-6. This is so that children working at home would not be at a disadvantage to those working in school. Focus in the first few weeks will be very much about nurture and friendship activities while being socially distant. 

   

  Attendance  

  We will be keeping attendance registers in order to monitor intake of numbers and ratios in school and to feedback to the Local Authority and DFE on capacity and uptake.  

   

  Parents will not be fined for non-attendance during this period until further notice and we will respect the decision that you make. 

   

  We will continue to make wellbeing checks and calls to some families as usual.  

   

  Due to the nature of the grouping system, children would not be permitted to change their mind and become part of an existing bubble after the start date for their year group. 

   

  Personal belongings 

  In order to make it as easy as possible for cleaners to be able to clean all areas of school children will not be permitted to bring anything to school other than a water bottle. This includes bags, books, toys and mobile phones. If the weather is nice it would be better for your child to not bring their coat. If they bring a coat it will be kept on the back of their chair. 

   

   

  This document has been compiled using DfE guidance. 

   

  I hope that you understand the need for us to make these changes in our school but safety is our absolute priority. We will continue to review guidance and the risk assessment moving forward and will update you if as things change. I am happy to discuss any of these arrangements with you via telephone or email if you have any questions. 

   

  Many thanks for your continued support and kind words which are always appreciated by staff. 

   

  Take care and stay safe 

  Miss Bilton 

  

• No breakfast club or after school clubs

  Tue 26 May 2020 Miss Bilton

  Until the summer holidays we will not be able to have breakfast club or after-school clubs. This is so that we can keep pupils and staff in social bubbles without mixing them. 
  The children of critical workers can come to school from 9am to 3:30pm each day.

  I will share our plans for other year groups returning later this week.

  Thank you for your continuing support.

• No breakfast club or after school clubs

  Tue 26 May 2020 Miss Bilton

  Until the summer holidays we will not be able to have breakfast club or after-school clubs. This is so that we can keep pupils and staff in social bubbles without mixing them. 
  The children of critical workers can come to school from 9am to 3:30pm each day.

  I will share our plans for other year groups returning later this week.

  Thank you for your continuing support.

• School open during half term

  Fri 22 May 2020 Miss Bilton

  School will remain open over the half term holiday for children of critical workers who cannot be safely cared for at home.

  Please email our school office or call/text us on 07783871710 out of hours if your child needs to attend so that we can make sure that we have enough staff in school for the number of children attending. Thank you.

• Letter to parents from the Local Authority 21.5.2020

  Thu 21 May 2020 Miss Bilton
  Please read the letter which has been shared by the Local Authority. It is posted on our newsletters page and the coronavirus page . Thank you

• Update, including breakfast club

  Thu 21 May 2020 Miss Bilton

  Once I have final confirmation from the Governing Body I will be able to share our plans with you all. This will hopefully be early next week.

  I just want to reassure you all that school will only reopen to pupils when the scientific evidence says that it is safe to do so and everything on our risk assessment can be safely managed. We will post updates on this website and will text all parents of pupils in Reception, Y1 and Y6 to let you know when it is safe for your children to return to school.

  Please note that from 1st June we will not be able to have breakfast club or after-school clubs because all pupils will be placed into groups called 'social bubbles'. Those social bubbles will not mix with other bubbles so we can minimise the risk of spreading the virus. The details of this will be in the plans I will share next week.

  As always, please be in touch with us if you have any questions and we will hopefully be able to help you.

  Take care and stay safe

• Important information about partial reopening of school

  Sun 17 May 2020 Miss Bilton

  I hope that you and your family are safe and well and are managing during this challenging time.

   

  Since the announcement was made last Sunday that schools are reopening to pupils in Reception, Y1 and Y6 we have received extensive information from the Government that we must implement. We have been holding meetings with the senior leadership team, The Local Authority, the Diocese, the Chair of Governors & Vice Chair, as well as receiving union advice. These are continuing so that we can make plans that will keep everyone as safe as possible.

   

  As you know the health, safety and well-being of all children and staff is paramount in every decision that we make and in order for us to even start considering opening school to more children, we have to be confident that it is absolutely safe for all.

   

  What St Peter's will look like until the summer holidays:

  The plan that we are creating has been incredibly well thought out and every decision that is being made has had health and safety at its very heart. We aim to meet the needs of all of our school community here at Wallsend St Peter's. Please be reassured that we will ensure that these things will be implemented in a warm way that doesn't make your child feel frightened. Our staff are excellent at nurturing children and will make sure that things are fun and make your child feel comfortable in school.

   

  Some of the things that we are considering based upon Government guidance are as follows:

  • Staggered entry and exit times to and from school

  • No admittance of parents into the school building, including the office.

  • Classes split into groups because of our classroom sizes. This means that some children will not be taught in their usual classroom or by their usual teacher

  • Staggered breaktimes

  • Staggered lunchtimes

  • Soft furnishings and cuddly toys removed from classrooms with tables split to seat children at separate tables to encourage social distancing 

  • Classrooms and frequently-touched areas will be cleaned throughout the day

  • Resources such as pencils, rulers and sports equipment not to be shared outside of groups without being disinfected. School equipment will be provided for all individuals

  • Very limited movement around school

  • No dinner hall for lunchtimes (no mixing of children outside of their group). Packed lunches in disposable packaging only

  • Frequent hand-washing

  • Children will not be able to bring any bags or equipment from home other than their water bottle

  • Toilets will be managed by cleaning them as often as possible throughout the school day

   

  Children must wear clothes which can be washed every day. This could be their own clothes or school uniform if they wish, but by wearing clean clothes every day we can reduce the risk of the virus spreading. Hopefully the weather will remain warm and dry over the summer term so coats don’t need to be worn. Coats brought into school will be put on the back of their chair or in their lockers.

   

  If you choose not to send your child into school, online learning and work packs will still be available. It is entirely your choice and no fines will be sent for non-attendance. We will respect whatever decision you make based on what is best for your family.

   

  Other Year Groups:

  If your child is not in the year groups that we are opening to, then online learning and work packs will continue as normal.

   

  Key Workers:

  Our key worker childcare will still run as normal but must be booked a week in advance so we can ensure that we have enough staff available. If you would like further information, please just contact school.

   

  Staff have been working incredibly hard behind the scenes ensuring that online learning is available to you all as well as work packs on a regular basis. They have always answered telephone calls and email requests promptly and have really worked so hard to support your children- often even having children of their own to look after. Many are also shielding so I am taking their risks into consideration too. It has been really lovely to share all of your positive comments with them so thank you.

   

  Teachers require PPE training and need to have a full understanding of how we will keep everyone safe, so Monday 1st June will be a teacher training day.

   

  Please let us know as soon as possible if your child will be attending school in June so I can share final plans with you all. This can be done when I have approximate numbers of pupils.

   

  Take care and stay safe.

• Survey

  Wed 13 May 2020 Miss Bilton

  Please head to the coronavirus section under the Parents tab to find a few questions that we would like you to answer about the possibility of some year groups being back in school from 1st June. We are interested in your views of the suggestion by the government that Nursery, Reception, Y1 and Y6 pupils could return from 1st June while other primary pupils would come back by the end of June. 

   

  Safety is our number 1 priority and school will not be returning as it used to because we will encourage social distancing and more frequent hand washing. For this reason, we expect that children would only be able to return in very small groups. Please also be aware that there will be fewer toys and equipment available for children to use because everything that is touched will be cleaned daily. More details will be sent out soon about this.

  Thank you for completing the survey so we can take your views into account too as we make our plans.

• Prospectus 2020-21

  Wed 13 May 2020 Miss Bilton

  Please read our new prospectus for 2020-21 which gives you lots of information about our lovely school.

  This can be found on the Parents page of our website or in the Key Information section.

  If you would like a paper copy of this prospectus, please ask at our school office who will be happy to give you a copy for free.