Dear Parents and Carers
The end of term is fast approaching, with plenty of events for the children to make it special.
Thank you for your understanding over our need to be flexible with the arrangements for these events. You may have heard the Government announcement this week announcing the proposed relaxation of rules in schools; I have, however, taken the decision that we will not be changing any of our arrangements for the rest of this term. This means that the limited numbers at a staggered Sports Day will remain (more details below), social distancing and other protective measures, including the wearing of masks in the building and for any face to face discussions with members of staff or other families will be expected, and our ‘bubble’ arrangements in school continue up to and including the last day of term.
Staffing Update
I am delighted to let you know that we have reappointed Mrs Deborah Batten to our teaching staff team. Mrs Batten has worked with us in the past, most often leading our Forest School provision. She brings with her a wealth of classroom and leadership experience and will be another excellent addition to our increasing staff numbers. Mrs Batten will initially be working with us across the school on Thursdays and Fridays.
We currently have an advertisement on the Dorset jobs website for a new teaching assistant/midday supervisory assistant. If you, or anyone you know is interested in taking on this interesting and varied role and would like more details of the post/s, please let me know.
We are also looking for someone to take on a few of the lighter maintenance jobs around the school. This salaried position would be for just a few hours a month and would suit someone methodical (we have a number of weekly/monthly and termly checks that have to be carried out and recorded), reasonably practical (putting up display boards and re-fixing cistern handles etc.) and very varied (gutters and drains, swimming pool, shed roofs, courtyard weeds etc.). Again, more details can be provided via the school office.
Volunteers Update
We are hoping to be able to welcome visitors into school again in September subject to DBS clearance and, most likely, negative LFD testing before arrival. If you would like to volunteer to come into school to hear children read, to help with small group activities or to support or run a club at the end of the school day, we would love to hear from you. All posts in school, paid or voluntary, are subject to satisfactory clearances: please contact the office for a link to the DBS forms.
Swimming Pool
It has been wonderful for the children to have gained so much use from the school swimming pool this half term and the improvement in their water confidence has been lovely to see. We are currently considering the possibility of keeping the pool ticking over during the summer holiday to enable us to start swimming again at the beginning of September for a few weeks while it is still generally fine and warm weather. In order to do this, I would need to set up a rota of volunteers to come in regularly to check the pool chlorine levels and occasionally do some pool cleaning. The checks can be completed in around 15 minutes and the cleaning in around an hour. If you would be willing to be part of a team in order to make September swimming a possibility, please let me know.
Sports Day
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, we are planning to hold a Sports Day with a difference. Each class is organising a series of events to be run on Tuesday, 20th July. Timings for the day are Hazel Class: 9:30 – 10:00, Chestnut Class: 11:00 – 12:00, Oak Class: 2:00 – 3:00. In order to limit the number of additional people on the school site, we can offer only one adult place per child in each class, i.e. if you have two children in the same class, we can accommodate one adult each in the same way as if they were in different classes. Due to numbers we can offer two places to each Year 6 child. If you think you will not be able to use your seat, please let me know in plenty of time so I can reallocate to another family.
With best wishes
James Stanford