Dear Year 6 Parents,

Firstly I would like to apologise to you for not being there tonight at the Year 6 party; I can’t tell you how upset I was – this is the first one I have ever missed!

It is always such an emotional occasion for me to see how much our children have achieved and how grown up they are! I know that they will have demonstrated this to you all tonight in the songs and dance that they performed for you.

This year has been unprecedented and our Year 6 have been amazing. They have impressed me with their resilience and positive attitude throughout- even when times have been tough! They have pulled together as a team to make sure their last year at primary has been one to remember.

I know that they are all heading off in different directions but I hope that the friendships that they have built will remain strong and true for years to come. I also hope that in years to come they will look back fondly on their primary years and Escomb will always have a place in their hearts.

Had I been there tonight, I would also have thanked Mrs Collings for her expert teaching and guidance throughout the year and also the fabulous support and care that Miss Cox has given the children – an absolutely cracking team! I know that you will all agree with me on that!

Please will you share all of this email with your children – I have shared my thoughts with them today in a Teams meeting but this will just drive it home for them.

I know that we are saying goodbye to some families who have had long connections with Escomb and that we will still see some of you as you have younger siblings in school. Whichever bracket you fall in, I would also like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to you as parents for your continued support over the years – you have been amazing too! #TeamEscomb is definitely our motto – children, parents and staff!

Once again – thank you all for allowing Escomb Primary School to ‘borrow’ your children for seven years!

Wishing the children and you all the very best; have a fabulous summer and take care!

Yours faithfully

Wendy Gill

Dear Parents and Carers,

This is a letter to inform you about staffing and class organisation for September 2021.

Miss Maddocks will be in school in September but will be going on maternity leave towards the end of the month. Mrs Susie Johnson will be covering the maternity leave and will work with Miss Maddocks from the start in September to ensure a smooth handover. Mrs Johnson has already been working in school to get to know us.

Miss Clifford is currently on maternity leave and her leave is being covered by Miss Richardson.

After careful and considered discussion with the Governing Body and Senior Leaders in school, class organisation for September is as follows:

As we all know all restrictions will have been removed by the time we return to school in September.

As a school we feel that some of the systems and procedures we have introduced because of COVID have had a positive impact on how school operates and so some will remain in place when we return in September.

Below are the things that we will continue with and some things we will re-introduce back into our school to hopefully give us back our ‘whole school family feel’.

• Continue with the start times and finish times to the school day and use of three different entry/exit points as this has helped with traffic congestion. (There will just be a slight change to the collection time for Year 4)
• Having lunchtimes in the hall in key stages.
• Having key stage assemblies in the hall. We will still do Whole School Celebration and Behaviour assemblies with all classes via Teams.
• Children can bring packed lunches in packed lunches boxes. They do not need to be in disposable bags.

We will not operate a Breakfast club as we would have very limited capacity and it would be unfair for us to prioritise/refuse parents. We are hopeful that Breakfast club will be back in operation again in by the end of September.

Reminder about School Start times

School will officially start for all children at 8.55a.m. Ideally children should arrive no earlier than 8.45a.m. which was our ‘normal’ practice.

However, if you need to drop your child off earlier than 8.45a.m. due to work commitments and you would normally use Breakfast Club, then you can do so from 8.30a.m. onwards. Teachers will be on duty from 8.30a.m. (no earlier) and will greet children at the point of entry to school. We do not have the space for parents to come into the yard so please hand over your child to the teacher at the gate. Children will go to their designated space on their respective playgrounds to play with their class bubbles until the bell goes at 8.55a.m.

By allowing a ‘drop off’ from 8.30a.m. for those of you who need it; we are hopeful that this will help with parking and traffic outside school and help maintain a steady flow rather than traffic becoming bottle-necked.

START OF THE DAY

COLLECTING AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY

Obviously, we will continue to review our systems. Any constructive feedback from your perspective as parents would also be appreciated. We will also take account of any local outbreaks of COVID and respond accordingly or as directed by the government.

I hope that you like the leaflet that we have sent home as a celebration of all the whole school activities we have managed to do this year despite the pandemic! It is such a privilege to be Headteacher of school that has such amazing children and a staff team that always want to do their very best for the children in their care. And – of course – we couldn’t do it without your wonderful support! Thank you!

May I take the opportunity to wish you all a restful and enjoyable summer holiday.

We look forward to welcoming our children back on Thursday 2^nd September.

Wendy Gill

Headteacher

Dear Parents,

We have been so lucky as a school to only have 3 bubbles isolate since return to school in September 2020. However, since restrictions have started to ease we have had an increase in the number of children and families having to self isolate because they have been identified as a close contact.

Yesterday saw the highest absence we have had due to self isolation. This tells us how rife the virus still is and how quickly it is spreading still.

As we approach the summer holidays, I am sure that none of us want to be isolating as I know many of you will have plans.

We are asking that you remain extra vigilant over the next few days as we approach the end of the school year. I have copied the link below which gives Durham County Council’s latest advice and guidance especially around the full lifting of restrictions on Monday 19th July. However if you have been a close contact of a positive case, you still have to self isolate – this restriction does not get lifted until 16th August.

Today we have staff who are self isolating because they have been a close contact. We will try our very best to cover classes as best as we possibly can without compromising the integrity of our class bubbles.

Thank you for your support in helping to keep our school community as safe as we possibly can in such difficult times.

Wendy Gill

Headteacher

This is the link to Durham County Council’s advice. http://ow.ly/uWTd50Fv798

Dear Parents and Carers,

As the government are gradually easing restrictions, it has given us the opportunity to review the systems and procedures we have implemented in school. Although infection rates are dropping, it does not mean that we can become complacent however, it does allow us to begin to think about returning to some ‘normality’ gradually over the next half term so that we are well-prepared for September.

Below are the things that we are going to re-introduce back into our school to hopefully give us back our ‘whole school family feel’.

• Having lunchtimes in the hall (only 2 classes at a time with social distancing between the bubbles maintained and good ventilation.)
• Having small assemblies in the hall with the two classes that are paired together for lunch. (We will still do Whole School Celebration and Behaviour assemblies with all classes via Teams)
• A more unified approach to school start and finish times.
• Children can bring packed lunches in Packed lunches boxes. They do not need to be in disposable bags.

We will continue with the Rob Proud after-school club and will operate this on the same basis of a class per session. There will be no charge for this as it is to support our children’s physical well-being.

We will not operate a Breakfast club as we would have very limited capacity and it would be unfair for us to prioritise/refuse parents. We are hopeful that Breakfast club will be back in operation again in September.

School Start times from 7^th June 2021

School will officially start for all children at 8.55a.m. Ideally children should arrive no earlier than 8.45a.m. which was our ‘normal’ practice.

However, if you need to drop your child off earlier than 8.45a.m. due to work commitments and you would normally use Breakfast Club, then you can do so from 8.30a.m. onwards. Teachers will be on duty from 8.30a.m. (no earlier) and will greet children at the point of entry to school. We do not have the space for parents to come into the yard so please hand over your child to the teacher at the gate. Children will go to their designated space on their respective playgrounds to play with their class bubbles until the bell goes at 8.55a.m.

By allowing a ‘drop off’ from 8.30a.m. for those of you who need it; we are hopeful that this will help with parking and traffic outside school and help maintain a steady flow rather than traffic becoming bottle-necked.

To maintain the integrity of our class bubbles as best as we possibly can, this is how children will enter school and leave at the end of the day.

START OF THE DAY

COLLECTING AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY

Obviously, we will need to see how this plan works in reality and, if we need to make tweaks to it, then we will. Any constructive feedback from your perspective as parents would also be appreciated.

Time table for Rob Proud after school club:

Rob Proud will continue to provide 2 after school sessions per week. This is part of our ‘Health & Well-Being’ offer for our children and there will be no charge. We are offering most classes 2 sessions each across the 6 week half term except for Year 3 and 4. This is because there aren’t enough weeks and both classes do have a session in school every week with Rob. Sessions are open to all children in each class. They will run from 3.30-4.30p.m. School staff will be joining in/supervising all sessions too!

The sessions for each class are:

School Trips

There will be no trips/visits this summer term. The most recent risk assessment indicates that we would be unable to take volunteers and staff from other class bubbles or even ask for parental support, this means that we would have insufficient adults to accompany as well as all the other COVID associated risks when visiting places. Therefore, to keep things simple, we will be arranging some enrichment activities in school as well as organising events such as a whole school ‘Beach Day’ and a ‘Teddy Bear’s picnic.’ We will keep you posted with dates and details.

Sports Day

We will have a sports day but, unfortunately, we will not be able to invite parents due to restrictions.

Staffing information:

Congratulations to Miss Roe who has started her journey to become a teacher. She is doing her teacher training on-site with us as well as some university days.

Congratulations to Miss Maddocks too who is expecting a baby in Autumn. Mrs Susie Johnson will cover Miss Maddock’s maternity leave in the autumn term but she is joining us after half term on a part-time basis to acquaint herself with our school and to cover some classes where needed.

Social Media

Social media is a wonderful tool and has been a lifeline during the pandemic in helping people to stay connected. I know that lots of our children kept in touch during lockdown on social media chat groups and facetime etc. However, please make sure that you monitor your child’s social media activity as some disagreements that children are having on these forums are spilling into school.

I know that there are parent chat groups for various classes and this is a really positive way of staying connected but, please can I ask that if you have any concerns about anything that happens in school, can you contact school to discuss so we are aware and can deal with things in the appropriate way.

I am sure you aware of the recent changes to WhatsApp. If you use WhatsApp, from a safeguarding perspective, you need to reset your privacy settings as they have been opened up to ‘everyone’!

Reports and Parents Evenings

Reports will go out to you on Friday 2^nd July. Parents evenings will be telephone appointments except for Year 6 where we will operate face to face appointments spaced out over two nights and hopefully held outside. For some of our families this is their last connection with our school and we feel it is only fitting that we try our very best to have face to face contact at the end of their primary schooling and wish them well for the future. Further information will be sent to you in due course.

News and information:

We are trying to keep you as up-to-date as we possibly can with activities that are going on in school and are using the school website and Facebook page to share and celebrate all the positives that are happening in school. Please find attached to this letter a calendar outlining some of the events that we have planned for next half term.

Being able to go into classrooms is the best part of my job and as restrictions have eased I have been able to get into classrooms more regularly.  Seeing our children working hard and enjoying their learning has been an absolute delight. I think they are generally feeling happier and being able to see friends and family is certainly helping. They have all been wonderful this half term and I know that all staff are very proud of the children in their classes.

May I take the opportunity to wish you all a restful half term holiday and hope that we have some long- awaited sunshine!

We look forward to welcoming our children back on Monday 7^th June!

Wendy Gill & Staff

Our children have all taken part in ‘Mindfulness’ workshops, Tennis coaching sessions and after school activities with Rob Proud as well as all the amazing things they are doing in their own classrooms with their own teachers and support staff. We also had a visit from Alex Dewar, an Invictus game Champion, who really inspired our children with his own personal story of how he has overcome his challenges and succeeded. He was amazing to listen to – ask your children about him! It makes me very proud as a headteacher to see how adaptable, strong and resilient our children are despite the last year being a really tricky one for all of us. At Escomb we definitely work best as a whole school team – and that includes your support as parents too!

Free LFD testing and home testing kits are now available in Woodhouse Close Library. Find out more and book appointments http://www.durham.gov.uk/CovidLFT

It has been wonderful having everyone back in school these last three weeks; it has felt like some kind of ‘normality’ and there has been a real ‘buzz’ around school! Our children have enjoyed being with their friends; learning and having fun and we can’t wait for more of this after the holidays!!

As we break up for Easter it is important to remind you of some of our routines and systems and let you know of some of the changes we will be making to them to ensure the health and safety of our whole school community.

Staggered start times will remain the same for the time being. Siblings can still be dropped off with the earliest start and picked up with the latest. Finish times have changed and are outlined in the table below.

It is really important that you stick to the timings so that we avoid congestion around the gates at these busy times. I know that it is lovely to see other parents but please can you avoid chatting outside the school gates as parents have reported that the paths are often blocked and they struggle to get past. We need to be mindful of social distancing at all times and continue to wear face masks until the government lift these restrictions – Thank you!

After Easter Changes:

• the children in Years 2 & 3 will wait in the quiet yard for the 10 minutes drop off time and then the teacher will line the children up to come into school together as a class.
• Children in Years 4, 5 & 6 will come onto the main playground for the 10 minutes drop off time into their designated class space and then they will be lined up to come into school together as a class.
• Children who are dropped off with siblings will be on the yard until their class is collected.
• For Reception and Year 1 – children will just enter in the same way as they are now.

N.B.Classes will still have staggered playtimes and lunchtimes and be working within their own class bubbles to minimise the risk of any spread of COIVID in the event of any positive cases.

Breakfast Club:

We are hoping to re-start Breakfast Club at the start of May once we know that infection rates are continuing to drop and more restrictions are lifted. Access to breakfast club will be offered on a ‘needs’ basis so that we can limit contact to avoid cross-contamination.

After School Clubs;

After Easter I have booked Rob proud for 2 after school sessions per week. This is part of our ‘Health & Well-Being’ offer for our children and there will be no charge. We are offering each class 2 sessions each across the 7 week half term and all children in the class can access both of these sessions. They will run from 3.30-4.30p.m. Doing it this way means that we are not crossing class bubbles and there is an equity in the offer for all classes and all children. School staff will be joining in/supervising all sessions too!

The sessions for each class are:

P.E. days

There may be some changes to the days – I am just waiting to here back from the companies who support our P.E. offer in school. I will let you know the P.E. days for your child’s class after the holidays.

Easter Homework

We are very aware that children have only been back in school for three weeks however, we do not want to put too much pressure on them (or you!) to do too much ‘schooling! There is a minimum requirement for homework which is based on reading and some maths basic skills as we feel it is very important to keep the momentum of this going.

Once again can I thank you all for the tremendous support you have shown over the last few months – it is very much appreciated especially when times have been so tricky for all of us. Hopefully we are on the way out of this pandemic now and, slowly but surely, we can start to do ‘normal’ again and reintroduce some of the things back into school life that we have all been so desperately missing and that help to support our ‘whole school team’ ethos that we are so proud of!

I hope that all of you manage to get some rest over the Easter break – everyone I think needs to recharge their batteries! Let’s look forward to all the positives that the new term will bring for us all as we head into summer!

Take care and stay safe

Wendy Gill & Staff

We celebrated Red Nose Day by coming into school dressed in red.  We made funny faces with huge red noses and designed superhero masks. Some classes completed puzzles and quizzes before sharing jokes. There was lots of smiles and laughter throughout the day.