Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Autumn-term update
Thu 20 Aug 202020.8.20
Dear Parents/Carers,
I am writing to you to outline the changes that we have put in place in order to welcome all children back on Tuesday 1st September 2020. As a school we have reviewed all the Government guidance and adapted our systems, procedures and risk assessment in line with this.
In order to safely welcome all the children back we have made some changes to the way we worked previously in school. All staff will be receiving training on this prior to the children coming back to school. One of the biggest changes that will affect you as parents and carers is the staggered drop-off and pick-up times that will start on Tuesday 1st September. These are outlined below, and further details can be found in this letter:
Group
Drop off time
Pick up time
Pick up location
Surnames A-G
8:30-8:40
2:50
Classes 1,2,3,4,5 and 7 will be dismissed through their classroom doors
Classes 6,8,9,10 and 11 to be collected from the school field where parents will wait
Surnames H-R
8:40-8:50
3:00
Surnames S-Z
8:50-9:00
3:10
We are aware that there are a number of families in the school who have children in different year groups which is why we have adopted this system. Children in the same family but with different surnames should come with the eldest sibling. Parents are to collect youngest sibling first and then collect others.
The above times will ensure that not all children are entering and exiting the school site at the same time and will allow for less congestion around the school grounds. Safety is paramount and this will allow for a calmer, safer start and finish with a controlled traffic flow. There are also social distancing markers outside the school grounds to ensure parents and children can keep a safe distance.
All children and parents will enter through the Glebelands Road gate and then follow the one way system around the school. Staff will be on hand to offer assistance. Please be aware that this system will be reviewed throughout the first week of term and may be subject to change.
In keeping with the Government guidance, it is encouraged that only one parent or carer drop-off and pick-up their children.
Hot Dinners: All of Foundation Stage, Year 1 and 2 are entitled to Universal Free School Meals Service. We encourage all the children in these year groups to have this hot meal each day.
If you have a child in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 and are in receipt of income based Free School Meals, your child will continue to have a hot meal each day.
If your child will receive the Universal Free School Meal remember to still apply for Free School Meals as this releases a Pupil Premium allowance to the school, which can support you in other ways. Please talk to Mrs Knighton in the school office next term for advice and paperwork.
Please Note - At this time, we are unable to offer hot meals to Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 and therefore all children will need to bring a packed lunch to school, unless of course, as already stated, your child/children are in receipt of Free School Meals, then these children will receive a daily hot dinner if requested.
Uniform: Children will be expected to wear their normal school uniform from Tuesday 1st September. On days when children have PE they will be expected to arrive at school in their PE kit (white t-shirt, dark shorts or joggers and school fleece, jumper or cardigan. We will be maximizing the school grounds for PE lessons and where at all possible PE will be outdoors.
School Day and Classroom: The school day and the children’s classrooms will be a little different to what the children were used to prior to lockdown in March. The main changes will be that we will not be having ‘whole school’ assemblies in the hall from September.
Class teachers will share and discuss our themes daily in their classrooms with any follow up activities - which may include home activities. Singing will not be introduced until we have Government directives to do this safely.
The layout of most classrooms will be different as Government guidance suggests that tables and chairs will need to face the front of the classroom. Given the limited space in some of our smaller classrooms, this has not always been possible however alternative measures have been put in place to minimise the amount of time children are face to face.
FCS will offer after school sports clubs from the 1st September. Please check the FCS website for further details. https://fcscoaching.co.uk
We understand that the above changes will affect all of the children and families of Glebelands in some way. During the first term there will be numerous staff on site in the morning and in the afternoon to fully support you all on these new procedures and systems. We operated the staggered day informally when we partially re-opened for some classes on 1st June and this was very successful.
If you have any questions or queries regarding the above changes please feel free to contact the office via email: office@glebelands.leicester.sch.uk or call on 0116 234 0010. Emails will be picked up but not responded to until at least 24th August. Once we understand your queries it may be just a simpler, shorter letter to everyone in response to your questions rather than an individual response. There will be someone to answer calls on the above number from 24th August.
I recognise that this is a lengthy letter, but I wanted to give you as much detail around the changes to allay any worries you have about sending your child/children back in September. Our full Re-opening Plan and Risk Assessment can be found on the school website in the KEY INFORMATION tab from Monday 24th August.
We are all very much looking forward to the new academic year and seeing all your children again together in school.
Yours sincerely
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Mid-Summer Update
Mon 10 Aug 2020Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope this finds you all safe and well having enjoyed a warm and sunny weekend? As we slowly approach the start of the new term, I thought I would take this opportunity to update you on a number of things which have been taking place at school over recent weeks, as well as provide you with some information in readiness for the new term.
The school has been a hive of activity since the start of the holidays. A new fire alarm system and emergency lighting has been installed, new touch-screens have been mounted in every classroom and the school hall will be decorated this week. The Key Stage 1 playground has also received some freshening up and the new nursery area in Reception has been decorated.
The senior leadership team met last week to update the risk assessment and finalise the reopening plan for the school. These will be posted onto the school website as soon as staff and unions have had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the documents and make any adjustments. I envisage being able to share the information on the website from Monday 24th August.
At present schools are not considered to be a high-risk setting and therefore attendance will be compulsory. I can confirm however, that when the children return on the 1st of September a staggered start and end of the school day will be in place for the first week of the new term. This will provide staff, children and parents with the opportunity to familiarise themselves with new measures which have been put in place, whilst making for a calmer experience. Children will be asked to arrive in groups according to their surname which will allow children with siblings to arrive together. Details of timings will be posted on the website from Monday 24th August.
A one way system around the school will be in place. All parents and children should enter through the Glebelands Road entrance and then take their child to the appropriate classroom door. Signposting will be in place and staff will be on hand to guide children to their new classrooms.
In order to assist with social distancing, I would ask that those children who are able to walk, cycle or scoot to school consider doing so. This will ease congestion at peak times and allow for safer movement around the school.
Children will be expected to wear their school uniform apart from days when they have PE. School jumpers and cardigans etc. will continue to be worn on these days. Children will only need bring their book bag, water bottle and lunchbox to school. Large rucksacks, toys and personal equipment should not be brought to school. Children in Year 5 &6 are permitted to bring their own pencil case but this must be able to fit into their classroom drawers. (No huge Smiggle pencil cases please as they are to large!)
Only children in Foundation, KS1 and those entitled to an income-based free school in KS2 will be able have a hot dinner. I realise that this will be an inconvenience to some parents who would prefer their child to have a hot dinner, however we will be keeping this under review and will endeavour to widen the opportunity for children to have a hot meal as soon as this becomes practicable.
After-school sports provision with FCS will commence from the 1st September. Given that these groups will be small, separated and consistent in size, we feel that these sessions can be run safely.
All staff will be in school from Monday 24th September and should be available to respond to any questions which you may have. We are all very much looking forward to seeing the children return to school and can’t wait for the start of the new term.
Yours sincerely
L. Lee
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