Newsletters

PRESCOT PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2020

A warm welcome back!

We are now at a point where we have Reception through to Y6 children back in school. The last piece of our school jigsaw will be the return of our Nursery in a couple of weeks.

All of the staff agree that the children have been simply amazing. We couldn't have asked for more smiles and enthusiasm. This has given us the confidence to get back into a 'normal' September routine as soon as possible and the children seem to be enjoying every minute.

We'd like to thank parents and carers once again for your positivity, patience and strength, especially when you have left your little ones in our care at the front gates. We can appreciate how hard this has been for some of you. Thanks also for adhering to the routes and staggered times and for continuing to socially distance. This is now more important than ever.

If you feel that a route into school is congested, please wait for it to clear. Do not worry about your child waiting for you; the teachers understand that timings may differ. We will always keep your child safe until you arrive.

In come the Zebras!

We love to promote wildlife with every group of children that start our school. This year's Reception classes are collectively known as the PCPZebras and they have made a brilliant start this week. Well done.

Nursery starters and returning pupils

The Nursery staff have been working hard to deep clean and organise the Nursery ready for our returning little learners to come back on Thurs 17th September.

New-to-Nursery families will attend at their individual time slots and we have already had some fantastic comments about our littlest learners being excited to start their journey with us.

In Nursery, we will be excited to teach PCP Pandas and our newest additions ... PCP Swans!

Back to school reminders.

Remember that we celebrate birthdays by wearing an outfit of your choice. We do not bring in cakes or sweets as there is an added risk to children with allergies. We love to see you in your special outfits! If your child missed their birthday at school during Lockdown , they can choose a day this half term to come into school in their choice of outfit. Please make sure that they wear sensible shoes.
As we have children in school with an allergy to peanuts, we would appreciate it if you could avoid nut-based products eg, peanut butter, in lunchboxes.
Please ensure that you have updated your contacts and that we have a valid email address for you.
Our KS2 children are happy to spend their lunch times on the field but some parents are worried about school shoes. You can send in additional trainers or wellies for your child to change into at lunchtime - and please don't forget coats.
Please do not approach the teaching staff at home time. Some year groups have yellow boxes indicating where you can stand. We would politely ask you to stay in your zones. We must do our best to keep each other safe.
If your child needs to self-isolate, please see the Home Learning pages within each class's section on the website. These pages will point you towards a range of tasks to work on at home. Reading, Spelling and XTables are basics that should be practised often.
If your child is unsure about lunch choices, our three weekly menus can be found here: http://www.prescotprimary.org.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=457&type=pdf
Recent months have proved difficult for us all but harder for some than others. If you feel that your child/children need some additional support with mental health issues, please contact us on 0151 432 7100. We will do our best to help or signpost you in the right direction.

The best Wolves in the world!

We can't believe that our Wolves are now the oldest children in school. They returned with a maturity and calmness that we totally expected of them.

It was lovely to hold our Y6 PSHE Conference as we would normally do this week. We explored life during and after lockdown and the highs and lows that our children experienced.

A highlight, however, was taking ownership of the much-anticipated Y6 Hoodies. This year, the hoodies have been sponsored by our Parent Governor, Sarah Benyon and her dental practice: Roby Road Dental Practice. We are extremely grateful for her generous support.

REMINDER: The national closing date for applications to secondary schools is 31st October 2020. Follow this link:

https://www.knowsley.gov.uk/residents/education-and-schools/apply-for-a-school-place/annual-school-admission-procedures

Important information:

Knowsley Applications for Reception or Y7 places for 2021. See below.

Key dates

Although we are doing our best to get back to some kind of normality, we know that our calendar of dates will look very different from that of a typical Autumn Term.

At this time of year, we look forward to inviting parents in to year group 'Welcome Meetings' when you can see your child's classroom and meet their teachers face-to-face. These meetings will not take place this year but please check out class Twitter feeds for glimpses of life in your child's class and email us on admin@prescotprimary.org.uk to book an appointment or phone call with a class teacher.

In the last week before October half term, we would usually be booking appointments for Family Consultation Evenings. These too now look increasingly unlikely. Instead, we will schedule phone calls with your teachers in order to discuss your child's academic progress and will email their current levels out to you.

We will not be able to hold our usual Open Evenings for new EYFS families. If you know of anyone who is looking for a nursery or school place for 2021, please ask them to ring the main office on 0151 432 7100 and we can offer as much information as possible.

We will keep a close eye on developments as always but would - unfortunately - like you to prepare yourselves for a different kind of school Christmas.

Changes to payments.

We wish to advise you that due to the current COVID situation, the school office cannot accept cash at the present time. All payments must be made by bank transfer to our account number 24606868 sort code 30-65-62. Please quote your child's name and a brief description of the payment, i.e. Dinners, BC (Breakfast Club) ASC (After School Club).

After half term, we will continue with our plan to launch a payments app for all parents and carers. In order for this to be activated, you must provide a valid email address. Please ensure that we have the correct contact details for you.

Managing sickness.

It can be extremely stressful at the best of times to cope with a child who feels unwell. In the current situation, we are being very cautious over those with possible symptoms but recognise that often pupils are unwell with a common cold and will soon recover.

We thought the flow chart below would help to clarify matters if your child or a member of your household falls ill with symptoms of COVID.

We would ask that you communicate any reason for absence to the school as soon as you can. Thank you.

Catch-up Phonics Screening

Cancellation of the phonics screening check in June 2020 means incoming year 2 pupils did not take the check in year 1. In the 2020/21 academic year only, it is statutory for schools to administer a past version of the phonics screening check to year 2 pupils during the second half of the 2020 autumn term and return results to the LA.

Year 2 pupils who meet the expected standard in phonics in the autumn check will not be required to complete any further statutory assessments in phonics. Year 2 pupils who do not meet the expected standard in the autumn check will be expected to take the statutory check in June 2021, alongside year 1 pupils.

Year 3 pupils, who were due to take the statutory check in June 2020 (when they were in year 2), are not formally required to take the autumn check. Schools are expected to maintain a programme of support for these pupils but do not need to return phonics data for year 3 pupils to the LA.

Taken from Government guidance, Sept 2020

Further information will follow.

Goodbye for now...

We would like to say a temporary goodbye to our Y5 Teacher, Miss Gemmell, as she officially begins her maternity leave this week. We know our Wolves especially would like to wish her all the best as she awaits the imminent arrival of her baby boy.

Good luck!

Shining stars!

We must shout about some of our amazing pupils who have continued to shine during lockdown.

Jessica Naylor in Y4, and her Y8 sister Rachel, became local celebrities when they created rainbow cards for key workers in their community. We are pleased to share that they have been included as part of a Lockdown COVID-19 Exhibition in the Museum of Liverpool about communities and how they dealt with lockdown. Their card is on display! Well done girls.

Lucas Vine in Y4 has also had success when he won a poetry competition with his poem that describes his feelings during lockdown. He has kindly donated his framed poem to our school library. We love it!

Congratulations to Kalli-Jo Stott, also in Y4, who set herself a target of reading another million words. She has done it and is now a double word millionaire! Just brilliant!

Accelerated Reader goals!

Our commitment to the Accelerated Reader programme from Renaissance is as strong as ever. During lockdown, we saw how supportive this reading programme was in motivating some children to 'carry on reading'.

On returning to school, we have asked our older children to get back to their reading and re-engage with their AR quizzes. In this way, we will be able to quickly identify gaps and set targets.

Y4, 5 and 6 children who reach their reading targets by the end of this half term in October, will be able to take part in an 'Own Clothes Day' celebration. Y3 will soon follow once their iPads are in use.

Let's get reading!

Technology update.

We have now been an Apple Distinguished School for 5 years and our dedication to teaching and learning using technology continues to grow.

During lockdown, we were easily able to communicate with our KS2 children via Google Classroom as they had their 1:1 iPads at home. They were also able to access all of the other learning tools that they use every day in school.

Now we are back in school, our 1:1 iPad provision continues to give us the flexibility to teach responsively - and safely - in the classroom.

We are happy to say that Y3 Kangaroos will soon receive their iPads but will keep them in school for now. Every year, we teach our new 'iPadders' the learning behaviours that support their use before sending home. We will be in touch with Y3 families in due course with more information.

A summary of our risk assessment that aims to keep our community safe:

Staggered start and end times.
Staggered break and lunch times.
Revised entrances and exits to improve social distancing.
Year group bubbles and limited mixing of bubbles.
Stringent monitoring of sickness & absence. We will engage with the NHS Track & Trace process.
Hand sanitiser dispensers at key points around school.
Rigorous hand-washing routines in each class.
Additional cleaning of touch-points throughout the day.
Social distancing between staff/children (where appropriate), staff/staff and staff/parents.
All adults to leave site as soon as possible.
Restrictions on items being brought in/out of school.
Hot food served in the canteen, one bubble at a time. Pre-ordering food choices where possible to avoid queuing. No Deli Bar.
Packed lunches to be eaten in zoned areas outside when possible or in classrooms if wet.
Y2 - Y6 have front-facing desks.
Quarantine on reading books and other resources in school.
Dedicated Isolation Rooms where pupils can await pick-up.
Thermometers on site to quickly check temperatures.
No assemblies or mixed group gatherings.
No after school sports clubs.
No unnecessary visitors into school.
Cashless payments only.
Limited visitors to the main office; families are encouraged to email or phone.

Our risk assessment is reviewed daily and we are pro-active in addressing issues that may occur. Please be responsible for staying socially distanced when you drop off and pick up. Thank you.

Once again, thank you for your continued support. More than ever, we must work together to help our children settle quickly and continue to learn with their friends.

Stay safe.

TEAM PCP