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New School Term

Digital Learning, Attendance, Health and Wellbeing, Free School Meals

06.01.21

Dear parents and carers of Stepney Park Primary School

Happy New year

Once again, a happy, prosperous, but most of all a healthy New Year to you all.

Digital Learning:

We are ready to start our digital learning, which is likely to last until at least half term.  Please let us know if you struggle with Broadband, we will do everything we can to support you and your children

Here are some reminders:

Attendance

  • Attendance in digital learning is compulsory. Please make sure your children are ready to learn by 9.30.

  • The expectation is that primary aged children will spend at least three hours a day on home learning. This may be a bit less for younger children and a bit more for older primary aged children.

  • Our registration times and MEETs for Year 1-6 are at 9.30 am and 1.30 pm. 

  • Our registration times for EYFS are at 10.00 am and 2.30 pm. We are working on sourcing more devices for Reception children

  • We have changed the time of the afternoon MEET to give more opportunities for learning. These and other MEETs are not optional; all pupils are expected to attend.

  • We have Attendance and Engagement trackers and may contact you, as we will be working in partnership with parents to ensure that children are learning as they should in spite of current restrictions.

  • If your child misses attendance at a MEET, the Admin team will call you.

  • Please phone us in the morning if your child is unwell and unable to learn, so we can record this in the register. 

Keeping children safe online:

  • We are arranging more digital ‘face-to-face’ teaching this term and will be recording these MEETs so please be aware of when your child is working with our staff.

  • The children managed the technology well over the holiday period and we are proud of their development as responsible "digital citizens".

  • Please continue to monitor their screen time outside of school hours and make sure they are not using their Chromebooks after 8pm so that they get a good night's sleep and are well rested for their learning.

  • Please also continue to monitor what your child is doing when they are online. Please check the school website for further advice on this.

Health and wellbeing:

  • We are including PE and yoga/ mindfulness in our online learning. Your child/ren should go out with you for daily short local walks so that they get enough fresh air and exercise to allow them to develop in a healthy way.

Key workers and vulnerable children who come into school

  • If your child is coming into school to learn please make sure they bring their chromebook, headphones, writing and maths exercise books in every day: 

  • Please call us in the morning if your child is unable to attend due to illness or self isolation, so we can update our registers.

  • The playground gate will open at 9.00 am.

  • The end of the school day is 3.30 pm.

  • Please come to the big gate in Smithy Street, in the South playground , when you pick up and drop off.

  • Teachers will wait for the children, including EYFS children by the big Smithy Street gate at the start of the day. 

  • Children will be in mixed age bubbles ( 2 year groups) with a maximum of around 15 children.

  • Each bubble will have separate areas in the playground and separate lunchtimes.

  • Each bubble will have a member of staff who will be there every day. In addition, we will have a rota of other staff who will come in and supervise each bubble .

  • At the end of day: 

    • EYFS children can be picked up from the Nursery class. 

    • Year 1 and 2 children can be picked up  from the Yr 1 place in the playground, 

    • Year 3 and 4 children can be picked up  from the Yr 4 place in the playground, 

    • Year 5 and 6 children can be picked up  from the Yr 5 place in the playground

    • Parents should wear a face mask and adhere to the one way system in the playground 

  • This is what the day will look like for most children in school :

    • First 30 mins: bubble registration, reading, PSHE activity 

    • 9.30 class registration and MEET

    • AM : digital class work and break in bubbles

    • Lunchtime in bubbles 

    • 1.30 pm registration and MEET

    • PM: digital class work  in bubbles 

    • Children will have a PSHE and PE session each day

    • Children will be supervised by a mixture of teachers and support staff

Staffing:

  • Some of our staff, including teachers, may not be able to take part in digital teaching at the moment, due to Covid related reasons. We will make sure that all children in every class will have a good offer of digital face to face time, as well as feedback and individual follow up support.

  • Teachers will be placed on a rota in order to take part in the support for children who are in school , so occasionally they may be less available to support children in their own class. Other staff will cover for them on those days.

Free School Meals:

  • All children who attend school will get a cooked school meal, there is no need for them to bring in packed lunches. 

  • Parents for children who are entitled to a statutory free school meal will be contacted soon with arrangements for this. They will continue to be entitled to a free school meal during this lockdown period.

And finally:

I know that having your children at home and supporting them with their home learning can be a very big challenge for parents, in particular if they are working at home or lacking support or child care. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you.

Kindest regards,

Edith Philipsen

Headteacher- Stepney Park Primary School.