Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• You ARE all doing amazingly well!

  Tue 26 Jan 2021 Anna Martin

  Morning all,

   

  From chatting to a few families at home yesterday I am definitely getting the feeling that lots of you are really struggling and that last week and this week have been even harder than before. 

   

  This is just a little note to remind you that you are ALL doing amazingly whatever your circumstances.

   

  You are keeping your children safe and as happy as they can be and please feel so incredibly proud of that. 

  None of you signed up for this but you are getting through each day somehow even though they may feel like very long days at times.

   

   Some days you’ll get more home learning done than others - some days you’ll feel invincible and some days as though you’ll crumble. This rollercoaster is so hard but some days will be better than others.

   

  However you are feeling know that as a school we are completely in awe of you. You are doing incredibly. 

   

  As a mum I can see how hard my own children and their dad are finding it at home so sympathise with every single one of you. I can also see how guilty others feel if their children are in school and they have no choice but to send them to school as are on the frontline. 

   

  This isn’t easy for anyone but know that we are here. If you feel you are going to crumble just call us or pop up and we will tell you how well you are doing just to survive this. 

   

  We are in this together and will come out the other side soon enough wondering how on earth we survived it but we will have. We’ll be stronger for it somehow although many days it’s hard to see how it won’t break us.

   

  Hang in there lovely people - remember happiness in your homes in more important than anything so be kind to yourselves and judge what your children need without putting pressure on yourselves.

   

  Sending you lots of love.

  Anna Martin

   

• Home Learning

  Mon 25 Jan 2021

  So that pupils and their parents know what to expect from their school if they need to self-isolate, or where national or local restrictions require them to remain at home, we are asking schools to publish information about their remote education provision on their websites by 25 January 2021.

  To support school leaders in setting out that information on their websites, the department has worked with schools to design this template. It is aligned to the expectations for remote education, to which schools must have regard under the temporary continuity direction given by the Secretary of State for Education.

  The template is not mandatory, and schools should feel free to adapt it to suit their context. For example, while it has been designed to be used at the whole-school level, some schools might find it helpful to provide different information for different key stages or subjects.

  Schools can find further help and support on how to meet the expectations for remote education via the remote education good practice guide and school-led webinars.

• Heads Update

  Fri 22 Jan 2021

  This week we have seen even more of our families adjust to coping with remote learning and juggling having children at home with everything else. This has felt impossible for so many of you but it really has meant that our numbers in school have fallen, making it feel safer for everyone and hopefully having an impact on transmission rates. Thank you to you all for helping us navigate through this challenging time whether your children are in school or at home - your support makes it possible.

  I am so amazed by what you are managing to help your children with at home despite how hard this is and lots of you are having to cram either school work or your work into impossible hours. Even if you aren’t working or looking after little ones it is still so hard to take on the role of teacher with your own children - it’s just not the same as the children learning in school and so much harder to get them to focus at home. 

   

  At school the pace is different and the children have such different motivations - you cannot recreate this so please don’t worry if your child is not learning too well at home. I know my own sons are really struggling to learn at home and what should take 20 minutes can take hours....and their dad used to be a teacher so give yourselves a break!

   

  Thank you to our incredible Teaching Assistants

  We have been thanking our teachers a great deal recently as the work they have done to pull off such quality remote learning whilst teaching in school has been outstanding.  This week I’d like to give a massive shout out to our TAs who have adjusted seamlessly to teaching the children in school when the teachers have needed to record lessons, email and phone families and hold zoom calls.  Not one of them has complained that their role has changed completely and they are now in very different roles.  Thank you to our amazing team of Teaching Assistants!

   

  Collective Worship

  This week we have been learning about showing courage when facing a challenge.  These words are from the Bible - ‘Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go’ and are the words that God spoke to Joshua when he asked him to become the leader of his people. We also learnt about Sir Ernest Shackleton and the courage he showed as he navigated his crew to safety after his voyage to travel across Antarctica went horribly wrong when his ship ‘Endurance’ got stuck in the ice. Then we shared a beautiful book donated by Peggy in Panda class about Sir Captain Tom Moore and how he took 100 steps to say thank you to the NHS for showing incredible courage at such a hard time. 

   

  Living the Values - Courage

  This week the children’s awards go to Eva and Kavell in Y1. Eva has been finding it tricky to join the Crocodile zoom calls since she has been at home but found this week she found the courage to join in and talk so confidently despite feeling worried. Kavell was finding it really tricky to say goodbye to his Daddy and this week and has been so brave and done this in such a grown-up way. The staff awards go to Mrs Marsh and Mrs Dickinson. Mrs Marsh has been amazing at just stepping in for Mr Jones this week with the Penguins in school and, despite being new to Y2 this year, she has not faltered once. Mrs Dickinson has been going above and beyond this week for the families she supports and one family in particular, and it has taken courage to do this in an unfamiliar situation. She has also supported the staff brilliantly so that they can also offer support. 

   

  Thank you for donations

  We have received some lovely books this week from Peggy, some delicious staff treats from Alice and several devices to share with our families.  Your generosity is always so appreciated, thank you.

   

  Lateral Flow Testing for staff

  You may have heard that staff and regular visitors to school will all be offered Lateral Flow Tests from Monday 25th January.  We have not yet received our testing kits but believe we will receive them on Tuesday 26th January.  The purpose of these tests is to 'detect asymptomatic cases and break chains of transmission'.  

  Staff and regular visitors will be asked to take a test twice a week on a Sunday and Wednesday evening at home at approximately 5pm. They have then been asked to let me know if the result is positive immediately.  If that person has been working with children in school I will then contact you to close that class or to tell you that your child needs to isolate due to having been a close contact.  I will do this as soon as I can as it is likely to affect your critical work.

  All staff who receive a positive test result are then required to book a PCR test as soon as possible - this will hopefully be quick as school staff get priority testing.  If this result is also positive then that person and any close contacts will have to continue to isolate.  If it is negative then everyone can return to school.

  If you have any questions about this please contact Mrs Martin.

   

  Overall school attendance

  Nationally there were 13.9% of children attending school, up until the 14^th January 2021.  Last week, on average we had 40.8% of our children attending school.  This week we have averaged at 36% of our children attending school.

  Thank you to everyone who has been able to keep their children at home, it really helps.

   

  Hot Chocolate Awards

  Each week one child from every class is being recognized by their teacher for being brilliant in some way. Well done to all the children that have been chosen for this week’s Hot Chocolate Awards. These awards will either be given to the children in school or delivered to your home address, so nobody will miss out.

  • Panda: Charlie – for the great re-telling of the Three Little Pigs.
  • Lion: Mara – fantastic drawing of the Three Little Pigs story map.
  • Tiger: Aoife – for always trying her very best.
  • Giraffe: Alfie – for being such a kind friend.
  • Crocodile: Lexi – for always being such a considerate friend.
  • Cheetah: Elora – for working so hard at home
  • Penguin: Zach – for returning to school well and giving 100% in all lessons
  • Zebra: Lucas – for excellent effort, behavior and enthusiasm in everything

   

   

   

   

• Heads Update

  Fri 15 Jan 2021

  This week has definitely felt like a challenging one at CCI as we have been forced to put pressure on families to keep children at home when we are hearing how hard you are all finding it.  It goes against our nature to have to make such harsh decisions that we know directly impact on you and your children and we are so sad to be in this position.  Please know that we would give anything to have your children in school but have to do everything we can to reduce numbers in school to try reduce rates of transmission in this area.

  I want to reiterate what I posted on Facebook this week – you must do what you can to stay healthy and happy and if that means not completing all the remote learning that we are sending home then that is absolutely fine.  Many of you have more than one child at home and new babies, have limited devices, are having to work full-time and you just cannot do it all. Last time we found ourselves in this position we caught up so much of what was missed Term 1 and 2 this year and I know our brilliant staff will help your children to do the same again this time.   

   

  Your mental health and well-being and your children’s happiness is more important than getting the school work done that we set. That is the reality. We are required to set 3 hours of learning per day and in an ideal world we’d like children to do it but if they don’t nothing terrible will happen - we’ll help them to catch up when they come back.

   

  Even if they just watch the video inputs over breakfast and read to you at bed time some days - that will do.  Join the daily class calls if you can so your children see their friends, but if you can’t get them to face time a friend at the weekend. Make sure you get time to go out for some exercise together. You have to stay mentally and physically healthy for your own well-being and in turn your children will feel safe and happy.  A parent said to me this week that they are thinking of this as ‘emergency schooling’ rather than ‘home schooling’ and I thought that was a very good description.

   

  Whilst we might not know when things return to something more like normality in schools, we do know we’re now another week closer to it. Well done - you got through another week!

   

  Living the Values

  This week the children’s awards go to Tillie-Mai for coming into school without her friends, despite not wanting to.  Sophie in Tiger Class has also shown courage since the lockdown began and has coped so well with the changes in staff and children. The staff award goes to Miss Robbins for having the courage to overcome problems with technology and becoming a lesson recording whizz when your team needed you.

   

  Collective Worship

  This week we have been thinking about how we can show courage when we are feeling nervous or scared.  We talked about having the courage to do the right thing and not the easy thing. We also learnt about Paralympian Steph Reid who lost her foot in a boating accident when she was younger and went on to compete in the Paralympics.  She talks about being able to live without winning but not being able to live without doing her best.

   

  Thank you

  I wanted to say a big thank you to Luca in Cheetah Class and his family for spending Sunday clearing the weeds by the back entrance to the school.  One of our neighbours told me they had done this and I wanted to say a very big thank you to them for being so community minded. Also a big thank you to Kennedy Publishing care of Cheryl Rudman for the children’s magazines that have been shared out around all the classes and to Mkhai’s dad for giving cheetah class a much needed outdoor storage box.

   

  Hear us cry, ‘Fish Finger Friday on a Thursday!’ - 21^st January 2021

  During a usual school year, our school census is one of the biggest days on our school calendar, (from behind the scenes point of view) this is because it is where we get the school funding from for the next academic year.  Based on the number of children on roll and the amount of school meals that are taken.  This is because, as an infant school Universal Free school meals are provided for all children who are in school, the higher the take up, the higher the funding grant for meals.    In a normal school day we have around 80% meal take up, which is fantastic and with your help, during a census day, the more meals taken helps ups pay for the meals, from our grant, without it coming from the schools main budget. 

   

  This year will be different, as a school we are ‘closed’ and there is no decision made as yet as to how our funding is calculated, fingers crossed it comes from last year’s figures!

   

  Can we ask for your support, if your child is in school on the 21^st January that they take a school meal, just in case this year’s numbers are used!

   

  Thank you.

   

  PLEA:

  Laptops/Devices Donations

  If any of you have a devices that you no longer use and would like to donate to one of our families that don’t have access to one we are starting a collection. This could be an old laptop or tablet, or even an old smart phone. If you would like to donate your old device please ‘restore the factory settings’ and make sure that none of your personal information still remains on it before bringing into the school office where we will allocate them to families in need.

   

  ACCESS HOME LEARBING THROUGH YOUR PS4 OR XBOX

  Anyone without a laptop or tablet may well be able to use their games console to access the home learning.

  Here’s how to repurpose your Xbox or Playstation into an educational machine.

  Step 1: Get connected

  Both consoles are simple. For the Xbox, press the Xbox button on the controller to open the guide, and then select “My games & apps”. Here, you need to find Microsoft’s internet browser Microsoft Edge.

  The PS4’s access is similar. From the PS4 home screen, scroll to the library. Then, click on applications. If you scroll down the apps you’ll see a “www” sign circled by small dots. Click on that, and you're online.

  Both consoles can use a low-cost keyboard and mouse for web browsing – connect these through wireless bluetooth or USB.

  Step 2: Search out your online learning platform

  Your school will likely already have put work and lessons online, as they did last lockdown, and anything you can access through the browser on a computer you can now access through your console.

  Step 3: Set parental controls

  If you’re redeploying your console as a learning hub, it might also be good to revisit how to set up parental controls, maybe to limit any games your child has trouble prying themselves away from.

  On the Xbox One you do this through your child’s account. First, go into settings and find the family page. Now select your child’s account (if you don’t see their account, click “add a family member” and create or add an account for them.) You’ll now have access to a whole host of controls you can tailor to your kid’s needs, from privacy and online safety to web filtering.

  For the PS4, use the web browser to visit account.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com and sign in with the email address you used to set up your account. Select your account in the navigation bar at the top of the screen, then select family management. Once you’ve added a child’s account, you will get a similar suite of options, from spending limits to restricting certain apps or games to daily screen tim

   

   

• ....please don’t worry....

  Thu 14 Jan 2021 Anna Martin

  I’m sure there are lots of you out there this morning who are now worrying as you can no longer use the school place you had - this change comes in from Monday 18th (rest of this week as it has been).

   

  I want to try and reassure you that we caught up so much of what was missed last March-July in Term 1 and 2 this year and I know our brilliant staff will do the same again this time. 

   

  Your mental health and well-being and your children’s happiness is more important than getting the school work done that we set and you need to keep your jobs and look after other children.

   

  That is the reality. 

   

  We are required to set 3 hours of learning and in an ideal world we’d like children to do it but if they don’t nothing terrible will happen - we’ll help them to catch up when they come back. 

   

  The priority above all is that we keep as many people safe as possible by keeping more children at home. 

  If we reduce transmission because of this school ‘closure’ then hopefully all children come back to school sooner. 

   

  We know this will be so much harder than last time but be kind to yourselves and just do what you can. 

  Even if they just watch the video inputs over breakfast and read to you at bed time some days - that will do. Join the daily class calls if you can so your children see their friends, but if you can’t get them to face time a friend at the weekend.

   

  Make sure you get time to go out for some exercise together. You have to stay mentally and physically healthy for your own well-being and in turn your children will feel safe and happy. 

   

  We’ll get through this 💪🏻❤️

• First week. Done!

  Sat 09 Jan 2021

  https://images.app.goo.gl/C8XfJjcLPkz7K7878

   

  Well, we have all made it to the end of an unimaginable week somehow. You probably can’t believe we are in this position again and feel there is so little to look forward to but try and remember that it will pass and we will come through it.

   

  The staff at CCI have so much respect for you and your children. You’ve had to quickly revert to either suddenly becoming teachers again whilst you either work from home and/or look after siblings too or felt guilt because you’ve been someone who has to send your children in. Some of you have even felt guilty because we have asked for your children to be in for various reasons.

   

  Everyone’s circumstances are hard right now so just always remember to be kind and not question why others are doing what they are doing.

   

  All round the guilt needs to stop and you must stop putting pressure on yourselves. This is unprecedented and so hard, especially because many of you have done it once already.

   

  All you can do is your best. Make time for you and your amazing children to have some down time and forget that your homes are schools or that your workplace is highly stressful. Go out, despite the weather, once a day just for a change and to re-energise yourselves but please stay safe and follow guidance to try and help this terribly hard period pass.

   

  Our staff are here for you all the way. We will get through this together like we did last time and just remember that your children came bouncing back last time schools re-opened despite our concerns. As long as they feel loved and safe your little people can cope with just about anything.

   

  You made it to Saturday you wonderful people, stay strong.

• Heads Update

  Fri 08 Jan 2021

  I really did not want or expect to be starting off the first newsletter of 2021 by talking about the school no longer being open to all of you and am very sad that is the reality of our situation.  I know that our staff are devastated that we can’t have all of the children in school and really do wish this situation was different.  Thank you for being so understanding while we have had to close for a day to sort out a rapid plan of how to manage home and school learning.  We do have more children in school this time than we did in the last lockdown but have followed Government Guidance and done our best to support those who most need it.  Obviously we want to keep numbers of children as low as possible in school to reduce the rates of transmission and this is our priority, whilst making sure that our most vulnerable children are protected. This may not seem fair to you and this isn’t a fair situation but it’s one we are faced with and one we have to make the best of for the children in our care.

   

  This week has potentially been one of the most challenging in my 12 years as a Head but is probably the one where I will look back and feel the most proud.  Not in my own achievements but that of the staff.  On Monday, every single one of them turned up genuinely wanting to be here despite media reports and union advice and pressure.  On Tuesday they rapidly planned for a day of home learning whilst also preparing to teach remotely and be in school full time to teach those in school from Wednesday.  The office team and Mrs Dickinson were frantically sorting our school places while supporting any families who were feeling really anxious.  However the thing I am proud of is the fact that they have done all this with a positive attitude and a smile.  I haven’t heard a single one grumble and rather than feel resentful that they are here they actually kept saying that they wish all of their children were in.

   

  I have also felt incredibly proud (in a totally non-patronising way) of all of you and of your amazingly resilient children.  As parents you have had to change your plans at the drop of a hat, have started home schooling whilst working and never have taken this pressure and stress out on us. Many of you have had to quickly become ‘teachers’ again and are doing an incredible job of this. Your positive feedback is always so incredibly well-received and means that little bit more in an emotional week.   Your children have adapted so well to another change in their little lives that they shouldn’t have to cope with. They constantly amaze me but they couldn’t do it without you.

   

  Children learning at home full-time

  From next week children and parents at home will be receiving the following support if they aren’t already;

  • A phone call from either your child’s class teacher or teaching assistant once a week. You can share any concerns or ask any questions during this call. 
  • Daily responses to your emails.  Teachers will be released during the day to respond to your emails and answer any questions you have.  They can also feedback to your children about any learning you send us photos of.
  • Daily zoom session with your child’s class teachers at an allocated times. Children who are attending part-time can also access the class zoom sessions if they’d like to see their friends.
  • Collective Worships will be shared 3 times per week.
  • We will be asking you to help your Y1 and 2 children to complete a short quiz each Friday in Y1 and 2 so that we can see what learning they have enjoyed and what they have found easy/tricky.  This needs completing electronically.
  • EYFS can upload their home learning onto Evidence Me as well as emailing the teachers – details to follow.
  • So that we can give feedback to the children please can you send us photos of their learning to their teachers on a daily basis so they can stay on top of this.
  • 3 video links and lesson plans you will already be receiving.
  • Any children who are in school part-time will also be able to access all of the home learning sent home and we’d also love you to stay on top of this so that they can easily slot into the work we are doing in school.

  Remember that we are here for you whether you are at home or your child is in school.  It feels imaginable that we are in another strict lockdown but we will get through this together.

   

  Living the Values

  This week the staff award for courage goes to Mrs Poole in Giraffe Class.  Mrs Poole just cracks on and steps up when we need her to, showing great courage in times of such adversity.  The children’s award goes to Isabella in Cheetah Class who showed great courage when she was the only girl in Y2 to return in her class and coped really well with it.

   

  Admissions 2021

  Just a little reminder that if your child is due to start school in September 2021, you must apply for a school place by the 15th January 2021.  This can be done via the South Glos admissions pages: Admission 2021 

   

  School Photos Mop Up Session

  We were planning to have a mop up session next Wednesday for those children who missed out on their individual photos back in November. We will now have these photos taken when we have our class photos taken on 10^th June.

   

  Christchurch Family Medical Centre

  The medical centre behind the school is a designated Covid-19 Vaccination Centre. Can we remind you all NOT to park in their car park when dropping off or collecting? Please allow more time to get to school and park further away if necessary. This should not be too much of a problem with the drop in numbers in school but please be mindful of this.

   

  Lockdown School Place updates

  Thank you all for taking the time to complete the various surveys that we have been sending out over the last couple of days.  This does help us massively with the planning etc. of the school spaces.

  Unfortunately, we do have too high numbers on some days and as such will be introducing a ‘tier system’ based on the government guidelines on what is considered to be ‘Critical Workers’ (communicated earlier today via email).

  We will have sent out confirmation of school places during the course of today.

  I am sure that you can understand our need for careful management for the number of children we have in school.  Despite the government guidance not specifically stating how many you can have in a class, like last time, South Glos do state the ‘need for careful management of numbers’.  Whilst the government states, a place can be provided even if it is one parent working from home, as long as evidence has been provided, it also states if a parent or carer of a critical worker is at home, should keep their child at home with them if they can.  So as you can see, not specifically clear, but the sections of who is a critical worker is quite clear so that is what we are working with (this information was shared with all parents on Monday)

  These are the categories:

  1. Vulnerable children and young people

  2. Health care and social care professional

  3. Education and childcare

  4. Key Public services

  5. Local and National Government

  6. Food and other necessary goods

  7. Public Safety and National Security

  8. Transport and border

  9. Utilities, communication and financial services

   

  Office Students

  As part of supporting young people in the workplace, we have office apprentices who have started this week.  Both are completing business administration at City College.  Naturally their placements were confirmed before we entered another national lockdown, the role they were to play in school was to complete the front of house admin post so that we could work on introducing a new Management information system.  So if you do meet Miss Chloe Olds (Thursday) or Miss Hannah Haskins (Friday) they may be a bit nervous, but we are working to build their confidence.

   

  Y2 Leavers Hoodies

  If any of our year 2 children would like to order another leavers hoodie or t-shirt you can do so by calling Initially Your on 0117 956 0909. This needs to be by the end of today and we will expect them to be delivered on the week commencing 2^nd of February.