30.6.20

Dear Parents/Carers,

Further to last night’s announcement by the Heath Secretary to place lockdown restrictions on Leicester and its surrounding areas, it has been necessary to put the following measures in place.

 

From Thursday 2^nd July the school will be open only to children of Key Workers and those who have an EHCP.  We will continue to provide a school place for those pupils who have been in attendance throughout the period of partial closure.

 

Unfortunately the new restrictions will mean that pupils in Year 1 and Year 6 who are currently attending school on a rota basis will no longer be able to do so.   Given that the latest measures are set to be in place for a minimum of two weeks, it means that we will not see these pupils again before the end of term.

 

It is therefore with much sadness that I will be saying a final farewell in person to those Year 6 pupils who are in school today.   Regrettably we will no longer be able to welcome the Y6 children back to school for their leavers’ event which was due to take place on the 8^th July.  The Year 6 staff team will be in touch with parents to inform them of revised plans for next week. 

 

The new restrictions will also mean that the arrangements put in place for other year groups to collect their personal items and see their teacher next week can no longer go ahead.  We will ensure that any items remain safely stored away until such a time as we can safely allow families back onto the school premises to collect them. 

 

For parents who are Key Workers and are sending their children to school, the usual arrangements will remain in place.  Children should continue to arrive at school for an 8:45am start and be collected from the large playground at 3:05pm.

 

I would also request that if your child has been in school, please let us know as soon as possible if they have been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19. This will allow us to monitor our own situation more closely and put additional measures in place where necessary.

 

Finally, your child’s end of year reports were posted yesterday.  Accompanying this will be details of your child’s teacher for the new academic year.

 

I will ensure that we remain in regular contact with parents over the coming days and weeks and will keep you informed of any updates as we receive them.

 

Yours sincerely

 

L. Lee

Further to this evening's announcement by the Health Secretary, schools in Leicester City will be required to close from Thursday 2nd July to all pupils apart from those of Key Workers and children who have an EHCP.   I will update parents with further details as soon as possible.

 

Mr. Lee

Dear Parents/Carers

As we approach the end of the summer term, I think it would be appropriate to look back on a year which, without a doubt, will be reflected upon for many years to come. True to form, the year started incredibly well with African Dance and Drumming for our Year 3/4 children, a wonderful Harvest assembly, our residential to Castleton and who could forget our fabulous Christmas performances?

 

It wasn’t until later in the spring term, having celebrated winning our football league (and almost making it to the King Power Stadium) that our world changed unrecognisably. Despite the dark times, Glebelands continued to play its part by remaining open for children of our front-line workers, as well as providing support for our most vulnerable pupils. 

 

As we move forwards and begin to think about the new academic year, there remains a wealth of conflicting opinion as to whether or not it should go ahead, and if so, how will it will work. As things currently stand, we are planning for a full opening of the school with a view to welcoming all pupils back. The DfE are in the process of publishing new guidelines for all schools in England, which are expected to be adopted from 1^st September.  As a result, the Local Authority have notified schools that they should delay the start of the autumn term until this date.  I can therefore confirm that Glebelands will be reopening after the summer break on Tuesday 1^st September.

 

Looking ahead to the new academic year, the leadership team is already planning for the implementation of a range of ‘catch-up’ measures.  It will however be important to balance a catch-up curriculum with one that allows children to settle back into school having spent so much time away from the classroom.  I want to reassure parents that the wellbeing of the children will be our primary concern when they eventually return in the autumn term.

 

Parents will receive a letter before the end of the week to inform you of proposed changes to our afterschool clubs provision for next year.  We are currently liaising with FCS who have been providing some of our after-school clubs and activities over the last two years.  From the start of the autumn term, FCS will be providing all afterschool activities and childcare - this will however come with a nominal charge to parents. I would ask that you familiarise yourselves with the letter which will explain in detail how the proposed plan for the autumn term will work.

 

I have also been asked by Mr. Maw, our external music teacher, to let you know that he intends to recommence his private tutoring lessons from the autumn term.  If you would like your child to learn how to play and read music, please look out for information which will be sent out to parents at the beginning of the new term.

I am looking forward to seeing some familiar faces next week when the children are given the opportunity to collect their personal items and say farewell to their teachers.  You may have seen my Dojo message last week, but to those who may have missed it, this is only intended to be a brief drop-in as opposed to a full hour-long visit. 

 

Finally, please ensure you check your in-box regularly for any updates from us.  I have no doubt that you will continue to receive these throughout the summer holidays, as the DfE releases their own guidance to schools.  The more we remain informed, the easier it will be for everyone to hit the ground running when we return.

Yours sincerely

9.6.20

Dear Parents/Carers

I hope this finds you all safe and well as we make tentative steps towards a wider easing of lockdown restrictions and a move towards a ‘new normal’ way of life. You may have seen on the news today that the Government no longer plans for children in all primary school years in England to return to school before the end of term.  This will come as disappointing news for many families, however given the increase in space required for returning year groups and children of Key Workers, it is not physically possible to safely accommodate all year groups.

 

Last week we welcomed back the majority of our Year 6 pupils.  I am pleased to report that their return to school went very smoothly, with the children settling quickly into their new routines. 

I am also able to announce that after careful consideration, which included a review of staffing and the steadying of Key Worker numbers, we are now in a position to open the school to Year 1 pupils on a part-time basis from Monday 15^th June. Parents have been contacted and we are anticipating a positive response for places.

 

Unfortunately due to restrictions on space, coupled with the high number of Key Worker children who are currently attending in our Early Years,we are unable to extend provision to our children in Reception. Those of you who are familiar with the layout of our Foundation unit will know that it does not allow for the safe separation of groups or ‘bubbles’ of children.  Whilst this is not a decision which has been taken lightly, it is in the best interests of maintaining the health and safety of our pupils and staff.

 

A number of teachers have been piloting a programme of meeting with small groups of children through the Zoom platform. Whilst these have not been formal structured lessons, the short 10-15 minute sessions have allowed children to share their news and updates on their home learning with their class teachers.  Initial feedback from staff and children has been very positive and we hopefully look forward to expanding this further in the coming weeks. 

 

We are in the process of gathering children’s belongings with the intention that children and parents can come to school for their collection before the end of term.  We anticipate scheduling a morning or an afternoon during the last week of term for each class to collect their personal items and to say farewell to their teacher. It is highly likely that this will take place outdoors in order to maintain social distancing, so fingers crossed for some good weather.

 

A number of parents have been in touch recently to enquire about summer catch-up sessions. At the moment we have no plans to open the school over the summer holidays however, should there be any formal announcement from either the DfE or the Local Authority, I will of course pass this on to parents.

Finally, I would like to thank you all for your continued support for the school and for your commitment to your child’s home learning. I fully appreciate that as time progresses, and as the weather improves, momentum can be difficult to maintain.  I would just ask you to keep doing your best and do whatever you can to keep your child’s learning ticking over. 

 

In the meantime I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Yours sincerely

L. Lee

Dear Parents/Carers,

I wrote to you on Wednesday explaining our plan for a wider opening of our school. This included a return date of Monday 1^st   June for children in Year 6 followed by a start date of Monday  8^th June for children in Reception, Year 1.  Yesterday, Leicester City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsbury told schools he could not mandate their opening and stated that any wider opening must take into account the safety of the children, staff and parents.  The leadership team and I had already put together an extensive risk assessment and reopening plan in line with these recommendations. 

 

 As always, my primary aim is to reduce transmission to all school users. However, over the past 48 hours, there have been a number of significant developments within school which has required us to  review and amend our plan.

 

After careful consideration it is with regret that I must now inform parents of children in Reception and Year 1 that we will be unable to  open the school to these children. This will come as a disappointment to many, however due to a significant increase in demand for school places from children of Key Workers, we are unable to accommodate both groups of children while maintaining safe distancing practices.  These children now need to work in smaller groups and require the use of additional classrooms around the school.

 

As a teacher I want to open the school more widely but I can only do this when I am satisfied that this can be achieved safely.

 

Children in Year 6 will be welcomed into school, with the first group arriving on Monday 1^st June

I have shared my plan with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Board, who have both agreed this strategy.

Should the situation arise that we are able to open the school to children in Year 1 and Reception, we will endeavour to inform parents as soon as is practicable.

Glebelands is committed to the education and safeguarding of all its pupils, staff and parents and as such, teachers will continue to provide learning materials for children to access at home.

 

Yours sincerely

L. Lee

20.5.20

Dear Parents/Carers,

Further to my previous correspondence, I am now in a position to share the school’s reopening plan for parents of children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6.  I would like to thank those of you who completed the online survey and added your comments; this was most helpful in allowing me to gauge expected numbers, as well as parental attitudes towards a phased reopening of the school.

 

As I am sure you are aware, schools face a number of challenges in preparing for a gradual increase in pupil numbers.  At Glebelands some of the hurdles have included a reduced level of teaching and support staff, very limited teaching space, maintaining provision for children of Key Workers, and while at all times ensuring that the health and safety of our children and staff is preserved.

 

The plan for reopening has been shared with Governors and they have agreed to its implementation. The complete plan with full details of timetables and safety measures has been posted on the school website and can be found at www.glebelands.leicester.sch.uk. Follow in the Key Information tab.

Given that the reopening plan is a sizeable document, I have summarised the main points below.  However, it is imperative that parents who intend to send their children to school familiarise themselves with the entire document.

• Pupils in Year 6 only will return to school on Monday 1^st June.  Pupils in Reception and Year 1 will return to school from Monday 8^th June. This will allow for a phased return of pupils to be implemented safely, whilst providing time for our school to prepare for an increase in pupil numbers. 
  Due to space restrictions within our Foundation base, we are unable at present to reinstate Nursery provision for our part-time children.
  Children of Key Workers and those with an EHCP will continue to attend school from 1^st June.
   
• Pupils in Year 6 will be separated into two groups (three classes).  One group will attend on Mondays and Tuesdays only.  The second group will attend only on Thursday and Fridays.  The same attendance rota will be implemented from June 8th for children in Reception and Year 1.  Many schools across the city are following this model of 2 days per week which is based on Local Authority and national risk assessed guidance. 
   
• Children whose parents are Key Workers or have an EHCP will continue to be allocated a school place. Children who are in Reception, Y1 and Y6 will not however be able to split their time between their key-worker group and their year group.  This is to prevent any potential cross-contamination between ‘bubbles’.  
   
  It is important that these parents only send their child to school when necessary, and continue to inform us by the Thursday prior to the next working week which days they will require a school place.
   
   
   
  We will be contacting parents of children in Year 6 over the coming days to confirm their child(ren)’s attendance at school.  We will then be in touch with parents of children in Reception and Year 1 soon after.    In accordance with government policy, those parents who decide not to send their child to school will not receive a penalty. 
   
  I realise of course that our strategy for a phased reopening of Glebelands may inconvenience some parents, and for others perhaps too soon to even consider. I would however point out that our approach reflects the importance of ensuring the health and safety of our children and staff, whilst utilising all resources available to us at present.
   
  Finally, I would again press upon you to read the full plan for reopening in order to familiarise yourself with our timetables and expectations for children and parents.
   
  Yours sincerely
   
  L. Lee

 

Dear Parent/Carers,

I hope you all had an enjoyable bank holiday weekend and were able to make the most of the pleasant weather.  Thank you to all those families who sent in photos of the children engaged in fun activities. It was great to see them taking part in making bunting, singing karaoke, colouring their hair and enjoying lots of cake.  The photos will certainly make for an interesting display outside of my office.

 

I am sure like me, many of you will have watched the Prime Minister’s address to the nation last evening. You will have heard him indicating that the government believes it may be in a position to implement a phased re-opening of schools from 1^st June, starting with pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6.  This is part of the government’s conditional plan which it says will remain under regular review.

 

I have no doubt that many of you will have a number of questions about what this will mean for your child, in particular for those of you with children in these year groups. At this stage, like you, the information is still very new to us, and we are waiting for further clarification from the government and the Local Authority as to how any increase in pupil numbers can be implemented safely.

 

In the meantime, there are no changes to the measures which have been in place since Glebelands partially closed. Only those children of Key Workers or children with an Education Health Care Plan are currently permitted to attend school. I would also remind these parents to contact Mr. Kitchener to make him aware of your childcare needs; preferably by the Thursday prior to the new working week. This will allow him to ensure we have adequate staff on site to ensure the safety of both children and staff. 

 

I want to reassure you that all of us at Glebelands want to get more children back to school as soon as possible, and we do not want to see the classrooms empty for a day longer than they need to be. I will continue to keep you updated as and when further information becomes available and I look forward to providing you all with some good news as soon as possible.

 

Yours sincerely,

L. Lee

Dear Parents/Carers,

I would like to begin by thanking you all for your continued patience while the school is partially closed, your dedication to your child’s home learning and most of all for your ongoing support for the school.  This unprecedented, and what I am sure will be a considered momentous period in our lives, has been very demanding but hopefully there will soon be some light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Schools, like yourselves, are eagerly anticipating the Prime Minister’s briefing this coming Sunday which should provide us all with a clearer direction of travel for the coming weeks and months. Education settings across the country are already beginning to consider potential strategies for a gradual increase in pupil numbers, while maintaining the safety of pupils and staff.  Unfortunately we will not be able to proceed with any firm plans until we have additional information and guidance from the Government.  I want to reassure parents that as soon as we know more about how we reopen the school safely, you will be one of the first to know.

 

We have been receiving an increasing number of requests from parents who are Key Workers to provide a place at school for their child(ren).  Throughout the partial closure of Glebelands, we have always ensured that a place has been made available for children of Key Workers and those with an Education Health Care Plan.  As numbers steadily increase, I am requesting that parents let school know a week in advance if your child will be attending school and on which days.  This is most important as it will allow us to ensure that an appropriate number of staff is on site, while ensuring that there is safe social distancing between our staff and pupils. Please contact Mr. Kitchener with your requests.  His email address is mkitchener@glebelands.leicester.sch.uk

 

I would also like to ask all parents to make contact with your child’s teacher if you have not recently done so. It is important for parents and children to continue to communicate with their class teacher so that news can be shared and any questions answered.   All families of the school should by now have received either an email, telephone call or Class Dojo from a member of staff. If you have not been in contact, can I request that you email your child’s teacher by the end of this week. Email addresses can be found on the school website.

 

This coming Friday is a national bank holiday and will celebrate the 75^th anniversary of VE Day. Given the significant reduction in demand for school places, Glebelands will therefore be closing for the day.  I would request that families who are doing anything special at home to celebrate the occasion send me or their class teacher a photo or two.  Under normal circumstances the whole school would have been decked in bunting with a ‘street party’ in the school grounds, children wearing 1940’s costumes and traditional games being enjoyed.  I would like to create a display at school showing what the children have been doing to commemorate the event, and which they can enjoy when they return.  You can email your photos to me directly at llee@glebelands.leicester.sch.uk or Dojo them to your child’s teacher.

 

In the meantime, I wish the whole Glebelands community a safe passage to the easing of the lock-down, when hopefully we too can look back at this difficult time and smile with a sense of victory.

 

Yours sincerely

L. Lee

Please see below should you require support for your child's emotional wellbeing.  Please pass this on if you know anyone who is struggling during these very difficult and trying times.

 

Thank you.

 

 

Psychology Service: Supporting Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing

The Psychology Service have produced advice and guidance for for parents/carers and education staff to help them support children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and resilience during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  Teacher and parents/carers are also able to book 30 minute telephone consultations if needed for support. The guidance can be viewed at https://schools.leicester.gov.uk/supportingemotionalwellbeing. Please could schools share via their websites/newsletter and social media.

Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope that you have all seen the message from staff which has been sent to you on Class Dojo. I would like to thank Mr. Kitchener and Miss Pancholi for putting the whole thing together and for bringing a 
little lump to my throat while watching it.  We are all missing the children, from their excited reports 
about home life, to the daft things which they get up  to in the playground. I for one am looking 
forward to the time when we can all get back into our usual routines.

You will have read a great deal recently about potential dates for a return to school.  Some articles 
have cited September while others have hoped for a return date of 1stJune. At present no indication
has been made to head teachers or the Local Authority about an anticipated reopening of schools.  It 
may also be worthwhile pointing out that parents, and indeed the rest of the nation, receive the same 
information as schools  –  that  which comes from  Government’s daily briefings. It is therefore highly 
likely that we will all be made aware at the same time when school doors will reopen. 

 

I  have  received  an  increasing  number  of  calls  and  emails  this  week  from  parents  regarding  the possibility of sending their child(ren) into school. I very much sympathise with the stresses and strains 
of keeping the children engaged with their learning, while also trying to source activities which will 
keep them active and entertained in the afternoons. I  also realise that many of you are trying to do 
this while fulfilling your work responsibilities.    Schools must, however, continue to follow the  same 
instruction  for  children’s attendance which was communicated to us  when we closed. Only  those 
children of  Key Workers or those with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) are entitled to a school 
place. For children of Key Workers, if there is another adult at home who can supervise the children, 
then the expectation is for the children to stay at home. 

If you find that your situation has changed or  that your professional role now comes under Key Worker 
status,  and you have no alternative childcare,  please contact me on llee@glebelands.leicester.sch.uk.

I am sure that everyone is ‘doing their bit’ to try and prevent the spread of the Corona virus and I have 
no doubt that following government guidelines will enable us to get back to school as soon as possible. 
In the meantime, I would ask that the children continue to work hard, play hard and keep doing their 
best while they are away from Glebelands. 

I hope you all get the opportunity to enjoy the good weather this weekend. 

Yours sincerely,