Settling into School

Dear Parents / Guardians,

Sharing Key Information

We are really enjoying having all children back in school. The systems of control we are operating are helping us all to stay safe and well and the children have adjusted to new routines with positivity.

Typically we would invite you into school at this time of year to share with you how well your child has settled in their new class. It would also be an opportunity for you to meet your child’s new teacher.

Unfortunately, owing to Government guidance, we are not able to meet you in person. Hampshire County Council’s Public Health Team has clarified that events in which people would gather should not occur. On 14 September 2020, Government established the ‘rule of six’, this involves:

• Meeting no more than six people unless you all live together (or are in the same support bubble)
• Avoiding social interaction with anyone outside the group you are with, even if you see other people you know

Additionally, the sentiment of the new rules being issued by Government and expected to be forthcoming are to restrict people gathering and exposure to COVID19.

With this guidance in mind, we would still like to update you and communicate with you through ClassDojo. Your child’s class teacher will message you with a brief summary as to how well they have settled in class. The teacher will summarise in relation to work ethic and social interactions. Some examples of your child’s independent work will also be uploaded to their ClassDojo profile. Naturally, your child will also be able to share with you how they are feeling about school.

Please check ClassDojo from week beginning Monday 5 October to read the comments from the teacher. You are very welcome to respond via ClassDojo or should you prefer, request a phone consultation.

We are supporting the children to settle back into school and become accustomed to sitting in rows, facing the front (following Government guidance). We are adapting how we plan and teach in order to ensure the children are challenged and supported to complete independent work to the standard they are capable of.

Following sharing how well your child has settled in class, we will post key homework activities you can do at home to support your child and school – this will be in the form of regular reading, spellings and maths homework. The whole school will adopt the same approach for all year groups but naturally differentiate for age and ability. We hope this committed partnership work will help children to rebuild their stamina for learning and enable you to establish a routine at home which supports your child and the school.

As we live in uncertain times, guidance changes to reflect new working conditions. Our aim is to remain in close contact with you, advising you of key information using ClassDojo as the main communication platform. As soon as we are safely able to invite you into school, we will plan opportunities.

As always, thank you for your continued support.