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Reopening information for 8/3/21
Update from Mrs Headland
Dear Parents and Carers
Further to the Government announcement last night, we are looking forward to welcoming all of our children back to school from Monday 8th March. We will be updating our risk assessments in line with guidance from the Local Authority and Public Health and we will keep you updated with further details later this week. This will include information around start and finish times as well as wrap around care. The Government advice is still that children remain at home until the 8th March.
Many thanks
Karen Headland
Headteacher
Cotton End Forest School
Letter from Mrs Headland
12/02/2021
Dear Parents and Carers
As we come to the end of our first half term of 2021, one of the most unusual on record for everyone, I wanted to thank you all for your support and commitment. Together, we have completely changed the approach to teaching your children and we are pleased at how well they have adapted to this and embraced their learning. I have been overwhelmed with certificate nominations from the teachers, rewarding the children, both in school and at home, for their fantastic efforts. Having said this, I am sure that you, like all of the staff here, are looking forward to having all the children back in school as soon as we are allowed to do so.
This week, as part of our cultural calendar, has been a lovely celebration of Chinese New Year. All the classrooms and my office, are now adorned with Chinese lanterns and the aroma of spring rolls cooking in our market kitchen each day has been amazing.
I hope you all enjoy a restful half term and that you are able to take time to relax and unwind.
As soon as we get any further updates around reopening plans we will contact you. In the meantime, take care and stay safe.
Kind regards
Karen Headland
Letter from Mrs Headland
Dear Parents and Carers
It has been such an unusual start to this year but I would like to thank you for all your support with the remote learning that we are providing. We appreciate how difficult it is to juggle your work and support your children but we have been so impressed with the dedication and commitment that you have all given to this. We obviously would love to have all the children back in school but are not able to do this yet, we are all hoping that the vaccine will start to have a positive impact, infection rates decrease and things can return to some sort of ‘normal’. The announcement this week indicates that the earliest we can hope for is possibly after 8th March. I have reattached the information sent to you previously from Bedford Borough and Public Health which remains the most up to date guidance.
Along with our remote teaching and learning we are also very keen to continue to promote positive mental health and next week, 1st-7th February, is Children’s Mental Health Week with a theme of Express Yourself. The staff have planned lots of activities across the week but on Monday it will be ‘no screen day’ when the children will just be expected to log onto their morning and afternoon meet the teacher session and all the rest of the day will not be IT based.
We have been overwhelmed with the generosity of local companies, Morrisons and Community Larder who have supported us with donations of fantastic amounts of food which we have made into food parcels and distributed to families in school. If you would benefit from a food parcel at any point please contact Mrs Chesters-Lewis and we can arrange to make some available.
Thank you once again, take care and stay safe.
Kind regards
Karen Headland
Letter regarding opening in lockdown
5th January 2021
Dear Parents and Carers
Further to my message last night, it is with great sadness that we have been told to close the school except for the children of keyworkers and those classed as vulnerable children only. We anticipate that this will be the case until after February half term.
Please check your eligibility before requesting a place as, if at all possible, you should keep your children at home.
Remote learning will be available on the website/google classroom or purple mash by the class teachers and it is expected that all children will engage with this. If you have any technical issues being able to access this please contact the school. We have been able to access a limited amount of digital devices from DFE however these are only available for SEND or disadvantaged children.
Some further information for those attending school:
- Children should wear school uniform
- Children will access the same learning in school as that set for remote learning
- Children should be accompanied to their gate by one adult only wherever possible
- Gates 1 (Preschool, Reception and KS2) and Gate 2 (KS1) will be opened at 8.45am each morning and at 3.15pm each afternoon. Please collect your children at that time only.
- School closes for everyone, including Preschool, at 1.30pm on Friday
- Adults must adhere to 2m distance rule and wear a mask at the school gates
- Visitors to reception are limited to a maximum of 2, masks must be worn
- No book bags should be brought to school
- Forest School kit to be left in school
- Hot dinners will be available in school
- Before and after school care will not be available.
- Friday afternoon care club is not available.
- Fruit and milk is not available from the Government therefore please provide a fruit snack from home if you wish your child to have a mid- morning snack.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all kind messages and for your continued support in these challenging times.
Take care and stay safe.
Kind regards
Karen Headland
Headteacher
head@cottonendforestschool.co.uk
(01234) 740100