Dovecote Primary School

And so I come to write my last update.

After 37 years working in schools in Nottingham, and 15 years at Dovecote, this is not the end that I, or anyone, anticipated. No long speeches or list of memories or thanks, just immense pride in what we have achieved as a school over the years, and especially in how we have dealt with the current situation.

We have provided online learning for every year group every week, and have provided provision for key workers and vulnerable pupils for 86 days. Again, a massive thank you to Emma and Michaela for running this.

We have welcomed back year 1 and year 6 and all pupils have had the opportunity to return to school and reacquaint themselves with friends and staff. A final reminder that all pupils will return to the class, the classroom, and the teacher they left in March.

Obviously, the appointment of the next headteacher was put on hold and so Mrs. Guy-Clark will take over as acting headteacher in September. I wish her, and all the staff and pupils all the best in the coming weeks and months. We know this will be a challenging time but I am confident that by making sure everyone follows the new ‘rules’ (please make sure you have all read the information that was sent last week), and by looking out for, and looking after each other, the school will continue to flourish – even in challenging circumstances.

I am hoping that when this is all over, and it will be, I will be allowed back to do the final assembly I never got to do, and to say a proper goodbye and thank you to everyone.

Thank you to the staff, the governors, all our families, and most of all the pupils for making my time as headteacher so rewarding. I leave with a sense of pride in our achievements, and excitement at seeing what the school can achieve in the future.

Adios

Andy Jenkins

17/07/2020

Dear Parents/Carers,

We are really looking forward to welcoming all of our pupils back to school in September. We have made sure that we have followed government guidelines and put lots of things in place to ensure that we make the environment as safe as we possibly can. This of course means some new procedures, which must be followed. All up to date information will be on the school website, which you must check regularly.

As you know the children are returning to the class and room that they left in March. We will change classes after October half term. The two classes in each Year Group will form a Year Group ‘bubble’. The children in each year group bubble won’t mix with any other children in school. Each Year Group has 5 or 6 staff.  Attendance in school will again become statutory for all school-aged children from September.

Pupils will return to school on Thursday 3^rd September. Walking or cycling to school is encouraged rather than public transport. Year groups will have slightly different start and finish times and will only be able to enter and leave the school grounds by one particular gate. Adults must follow social distancing guidelines, 2m where possible, when they are waiting at the gates and walking through the grounds.  If you have children in more than one-year group, you will need to leave the site by the correct gate and then re-enter by the correct gate at the correct time for the other children. Parents won’t be able to go across/through the site.  Only one adult will be able to accompany each pupil but won’t be able to enter the building. If you need to speak to staff this will need to be by phone. Children will be greeted by staff at the door or outside area.

(Remember that the Year group is the one that they were in when lockdown started.)

A major change is that school will close to pupils on Friday lunchtime.  

Pupils will be expected to wear school uniform, and this will not need to be cleaned any more often than usual. Please make sure that any essential medication is returned to school and that an agreement has been signed.

 The Year 1- 6 pupils will not have to socially distance from each other but will be required to socially distance from adults. The youngest pupils are not expected to socially distance. The classrooms in Years 1 – 6 will be set out with all the desks facing one way and each pupil will have their own resources with nothing needing to be shared. In Nursery and Reception there will be smaller numbers for group times with rules for how the children are positioned. Pupils will be learning through play and all resources will be cleaned daily. There will be other systems in place to ensure safety while still meeting learning needs. Windows and doors will be kept open so pupils will need warm clothes on a chilly day. Pupils in Yr. 1- 6 will need to sit at their seats in the classroom and won’t be able to walk around. Children won’t need to bring anything from home apart from a packed lunch, if they have one, a coat and a named bottle with water. These will be kept in the classroom. School meals will be available as normal and will be served to the pupils at their classrooms. Lunches will be eaten in the classrooms with the possibility of two bubbles using the dining hall.

We will ensure that handwashing and hand sanitising is done on arrival and at regular intervals during the day and we will stress how important it is to minimising the risk of infection. There are detailed protocols to follow if anyone has coronavirus symptoms. These are in the parent agreement. Parents must ensure that school have at least two up to date contact numbers and inform school immediately of any changes.

If pupils wear face coverings, they will need to remove them when they arrive in school. They should not touch the front of their face covering. They will need to put the face covering in a plastic bag to take home and clean their hands before and after removing them. Staff will not be wearing face coverings in school.

Our school rules and behaviour policy remain the same with the exception that sanctions will be carried out by Year group staff. As always, we will support and encourage pupils to make positive behaviour choices and to follow the new rules specific to the Covid situation.  Deliberate behaviour choices that increases the risk of infection will be seen as a serious incident.

We know and understand that this time continues to be very worrying for many adults and children. When we return to school we will be focussing on the children’s wellbeing; making them feel welcome, connected and safe. This has to happen before they can learn. If you or your child feels exceptionally anxious about the return to return to school and/or you feel that we need to know about anything that has happened during lockdown, please contact school to discuss it.       

Please read the Parent/School Agreement carefully. We will assume that in reading it you have agreed to it.

Yours Sincerely,

Ruth Guy-Clark
Deputy Headteacher

 Parent/School Agreement

 September 2020

• I will adhere to all social distancing requirements put in place by the school. These apply at school and in the community. 
• I will ensure my child is at school for the agreed start time and collected at the agreed finish time. 
• I will only enter and leave the school grounds via the specified gate  

• Only one adult, if any, will accompany my child. 
• I will walk to school and avoid public transport if possible 
• I understand that I cannot enter the school building and will call or email if I need to contact a member of staff
• I will provide my child with a named water bottle

• I understand that if anyone (pupil or adult) in the ‘Year group bubble’ has tested positive for the virus, everyone in that bubble will need to self-isolate for 14 days. 
• I understand that if my child displays symptoms, currently defined as new persistent cough, high temperature or loss of sense of taste or smell, they will be isolated in the school library, with an adult and I will be required to collect them immediately. 
• If my child has symptoms, I will request a test from www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or call 119, and inform the test and trace service.  
• If my child displays symptoms, they will not be able to return to school until they have a negative test result or after 14 days. 
• If I am contacted by the test and trace service, to say that I or my child has been in contact with someone who has tested positive, I will ensure that we self-isolate for 14 days
• I understand that my child will spend all day in their ‘Year group bubble’ and will not mix with any other Year groups during the school day. 

• I understand that the children will spend a significant amount of time outside  

• I understand that the guiding principle of any first aid administered will be ‘safety first’ and I may be contacted for an injury that would usually be dealt with in school. 
• I understand that no ‘contact’ first aid will be administered except in an emergency. 
• I will make sure that school have at least two contact numbers and I will let school know immediately of any changes 

• I will follow the school’s procedures around attendance  

Just a quick update from me today.

It has been great to see so many of the pupils this week and we are looking forward to welcoming them all back in September and we are busy getting the school ready – more about that later.

As you know, next week is my last week as headteacher of Dovecote. I will technically be in post until 31st August, and will be in school to make sure everything is ready and as safe as we can make it, but obviously there will be no pupils so it will feel a bit strange.

When you come back, Mrs Guy-Clark will be acting headteacher and the governors are hoping to appoint the new permanent headteacher in the autumn term, although they will not be able to start straight away. This was not the plan, but then everyone’s plans have had to change over the last few months.

I will say more about my time as headteacher in my last update next week.

Later today, you will receive the parent agreement from Mrs Guy-Clark. This explains the changes we have made to comply with the government guidelines, and to make the school as safe as we can for the pupil, the staff, and families. Please read it very carefully, especially the information about the start and finish times every day, and the gates and doors being used by different year groups. As this is all about the health and safety of everyone, there are no exceptions to these new arrangements.

You will also find the whole school risk assessment on the website so you can see for yourselves the things we have done (in green) or will be doing (in red) before the pupils return. This is very much a working document and will change over the summer holiday. The final version will be put on the website just before the pupil's return.

I am sure you have all seen by now that the government intends all pupils to return to school full time in September. We are planning for this and we will get the details to you well before the end of the term.

Remember that all Dovecote pupils will return to the class, the classroom, and in most cases the teacher that they left in March. This will be for the first half term as we all settle back into school life and get used to the new routines.

Mrs. McCarron and Mrs. Harris will be on maternity leave and Ms. Searle will have moved on from Dovecote, so there will be some changes of teacher there – we will give details to each class.

We are also planning to meet all the pupils before the end of term. We are inviting them to come in and meet their classmates and teacher.

Mrs. Harris will contact nursery, reception and year 1 families but the arrangements for the other years are;

2LM, Monday 13^th July 1 – 2

2LA, Monday 13^th July 2 – 3

3AY, Tuesday 14^th July 1 – 2

3TS, Tuesday 14^th July 2 – 3

4BH, Wednesday 15^th July 1 – 2

4NB, Wednesday 15^th July 2 – 3

5FE, Thursday 16^th July 1 - 2

5AN, Thursday 16^th July 2 – 3

There is no need to book a place, just turn up. Pupils in school for key worker provision will be brought over at the appropriate time.

Please arrive at the main pedestrian gate, walk in through the side gate onto the grass outside the year 4,5,6 rooms (where we have had the end of year assembly in happier times), leave your child and leave through the gate near Andy Bowen’s house. At the end of the session, do the same but remember to collect your child and take them with you!

There will be no access to the school building and no toilet facilities so please remember that before leaving home.

Reports will be given out and PE kits, jumpers, etc can be collected.

YEAR 6 WE HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN YOU!

ALL year 6 pupils are invited to an end of year picnic on the grass outside your room (if you have already returned to school, just stay after) between 1 and 2 o’clock on Friday 24^th July.

You will receive your report, your leavers’ certificate, and be able to have shirts signed. You CANNOT wear the one you want signing. Bring it with you and we will put them on tables for people to do. You can then collect them at the end.

Dear families,

I am sure you will have seen the recent government announcements about funding for catch up, and that all pupils will return to school in September.

There are still a lot of details to work out, and we are not sure exactly what ‘all pupils will return’ will actually look like. We do, however, want to give you some certainty in these very uncertain times.

After much discussion, it has been agreed with governors that;

When the pupils return in September, whatever that might look like, they will return to the room, the class, and the teacher that they left in March.

We will use the first half term to make sure we cover the main areas of the curriculum that have been missed. We will also use those seven weeks to make sure we cover all the usual transition activities including class swap days, meet the teacher, and class handover. We will work on the class lists and hope to fit in many of the traditional summer term activities that we missed – House Winner's trip, sports day. We might even manage the end of year assembly (in September) and a year 6 disco.

Please Note, that Year 6 children, will not return to Dovecote, in September, but will instead start at their chosen secondary school. (The year 6 disco, will be arranged so that as many year 6's could return and take part one last time).

We hope that this will give the pupils confidence in returning and enable everyone to have a proper finish to the year. After October half term. Everyone will move to their new class with their new teacher. That year will have 5 half terms by when we will be back on track.

We have welcomed some year 6 pupils back this week and they have responded very well to all the new rules and regulations. We are looking forward to welcoming back some year 1 pupils on Monday 29^th June.

Our colleagues at NST (Nottingham Schools Trust), have provided a wonderful link, to explain what COVID 19 is, and what steps we should all take to avoid spreading this disease.

This information has been translated into English, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Dari, Farsi, French, Hindi, Kurdish Sorani, Malayalam, Mandarin, Pashto, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese.

https://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/coronavirus-information/

We are so proud of our library space that we have access to. Inspired by the Harry Potter books, and the descriptions of the Hogwarts library within, our library is like a portal to a new world. Stocked with books provided by the ELS, children always have a relaxing and exciting environment to enjoy their reading. We host Reading Cafes, have lessons and enjoy lunchtimes in the library; so it is used nearly all day long.