Dear Parents/Carers,

The summer term has almost arrived! I hope you were able to enjoy the warmth and sunshine over the Easter break.  Good weather often allows us to put some of the stresses and strains to the back of our minds (at least for a brief moment) and helps to raise our spirits.  I don’t think it could have come at a better time.

 

I would like to thank all those parents who sent messages of support for our staff in recognition of good work which they have been doing over the Easter holidays.  I have passed on your emails and your kind words were very much appreciated. I would also like to echo these sentiments and offer my own thanks to our dedicated staff for all of their hard work over the Easter holidays. Whether working from home, in the office,  or coming in to school to work with the children, you are all super stars. 

 

As I am sure you are aware school closures will continue for at least another three weeks when the national lockdown will be reviewed again. As we approach a new term, I would like to think that the children are preparing to get themselves back into a learning mindset, with daily routines being put in place and class pages being used to source learning activities. Teachers will be reviewing and updating the work which is being set on a regular basis, with a mix of both academic and fun activities being posted. I would also like to remind you that children and families can visit offschool.org.uk, which is a Leicester based website -created by teachers in Leicester- to engage children in a broad range of meaningful learning activities.

 

I have been contacted by several parents who have been unable to access their (income based) free school meal vouchers.  You may have read on various news feeds that the organisation administering the vouchers on behalf of the government have been overwhelmed by the task. Unfortunately this has resulted in many families, both local and nationwide, being unable to access their vouchers.

 

The problem has also been compounded by emails containing voucher codes being classed as spam/junk and being found in these folders days later.  Some parents have also not updated us with their new email address and so vouchers have been sent to their old email address.  Fortunately the vast majority of vouchers now seem to be getting through. I would again like to thank Mrs. Pettinger for her hard work in helping to overcome some of the issues related to the voucher scheme over the Easter break.

 

A number of parents have also enquired about refunds for dinner money.  This is a particularly difficult and time consuming process which we are currently working on in conjunction Parent Pay. For those parents who have contacted us about refunds, we will keep you informed of our progress.

 

Finally, some of you may be interested to know that I was contacted recently by our previous Head teacher, Mr. Dix. He was keen to know how the school community has been coping with the current difficulties and wanted me to pass on his best wishes. Mr. Dix narrowly escaped a lock-down in Mauritius where he was holidaying with family.  (I suppose there are worse places he could have been stranded!)

 

In the meantime, I would like to wish you all the best for the coming weeks ahead and I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Yours sincerely

 

Dear Parents/Carers

Due to a significant reduction in demand for childcare on Friday 10th and Monday 13th April, I have taken the decision to close the school on both days.   We have contacted those parents whose children have been regularly attending and confirmed with them that childcare will not be required. 

 

I mentioned in my previous letter that we would be remaining open on Good Friday and Easter Monday, however, given that a number of parents have since let us know that they have changed their plans, a decision has been made to shut the school.

 

As always, we will continue to remain as flexible as possible for the children of our Key Workers.

 

Yours sincerely 

 

L. Lee

 

Dear All,

Thankfully we have got through the first full two weeks of partial closure and isolation. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at this very unprecedented time and the situation we find ourselves in.

Teachers have been amazing in the way they have calmly transitioned into virtual teaching and ensuring work has been available regularly and responding to you all. Thank you to all my fabulous staff.

 

The leadership team have been busy dealing with all of the government’s overwhelming correspondence and ensured that we have been following legislation and making the right decisions. Our office staff have been extremely busy with organising free school meal vouchers (incredibly difficult), reporting to the Local Authority and trying to wade through paperwork in preparation for the new financial year – again, you have been amazing!

 

Parents and carers, I know you have been fully supporting your child/children at home with their work, with teachers reporting that you have sent some very supportive comments on Class Dojo. I hope that some positives might come out of this and that you have time to really get involved with what your child does at school instead of the usual shrug at home-time when they say they haven't done anything!!

 

The school will continue to function over the Easter holiday period, including the bank holiday weekend, for key workers and children with an EHCP.  I would again like to thank my staff for volunteering to offer their time in order to support our parents who are on the front line.    During the Easter period, school will be run as a fun/holiday club and will not be educational as it is the holidays, and regular work will not be set by teachers over this time for any children. After the two-week Easter break we will resume with the virtual learning.

 

I hope that you are all able to find new routines over the holiday period. I realise that this is difficult as you are unable to take the children out and about. Hopefully the weather will be kind and allow you to get out into the garden and dust off the BBQ!

 

Finally, to all our pupils at Glebelands, we miss you all incredibly and we are looking forward to the time when your excited faces and chatter once again brighten our corridors. Until then, keep safe, work hard and try to be on your best behaviour.  Whatever happens, we will see you all again later this year – hopefully sooner rather than later.

 

Yours Sincerely

Lawrence Lee

Dear parents/Carers

I would like to thank you all for your patience and consideration while we put new measures in place.  I realise many of you were frustrated at not being able to get hold of learning packs for your children, however given the escalation in risk, coupled with instruction from the government to make only necessary outdoor trips, we made the decision to limit access to the school premises. 

 

Teachers have been working to develop structured lesson plans with clear links to online learning platforms.  Hopefully these will be fairly intuitive for you to use and provide your children with ample scope for them to explore subjects which they are keen to engage with and allow for more structured timetabling.  Please get in touch with your child's teacher through Class Dojo should you require additional guidance. 

 

I appreciate that home-schooling brings its own challenges. Please try not to worry about getting things right, the main focus is to occupy and stimulate the children and keep 'ticking over' so that they do not lose what they have already attained.  I realise that parents are juggling work and other responsibilities and have a lot to think about at present.  The work being made available for the children is meant to offer you a degree of support.

 

In the meantime, we are always here to help.

 

All the best and stay safe.

 

Mr. Lee

 

 

Dear Parents/Carers,

I would like to thank you for your patience and support while we transition into new ways of working. Your collective effort has helped to make the process as smooth as it can be.

In light of the of the Prime Minister’s latest address to the nation, from tomorrow (Tuesday 23rd) we would request that if one responsible adult is able to remain at home throughout the day, then you DO NOT send your child to school. This includes children of Key Workers and children with an EHCP. I realise that this may cause some inconvenience, however given the growing seriousness of the current situation, an increase in response is necessary.

Unfortunately, given the increased level of restriction, learning packs will no longer be available for collection from outside of the school. This is not a decision which has been taken lightly, but one which we hope will assist in keeping our community safe. We will however ensure that all resources continue to be placed on your child’s class page.

I would like to take this opportunity to offer my thanks and appreciation to all of our parents who are working in front line services and helping to keep the country going.

Yours sincerely
L.Lee

Dear  Parents/Carers,

Thank you for the information you have provided us about Key Worker Status.  We have reviewed all of the applications in line with government guidance. If you qualify as a key worker, as per government instructions, you should have been contacted today to confirm arrangements for the coming weeks.

If you have not yet received a phone call and feel that you are a key worker, and entitled to a school place as outlined in government guidance, please  email the school office at office@glebelands.leicester.sch.uk

For those children who will be attending school, the following will apply;

• The school day will commence at 8:45am and finish at 3:05pm.
• Please go to your child’s usual Key Stage door entrance in the mornings and collect from the same door at the end of the day.
• Parents will not be allowed inside the school building. Should you wish to speak with a member of staff, please contact the school office by phone or email.
• It will not be necessary to wear school uniform.
• We plan to keep each Key Stage separate from one another as much as possible.
• Please ensure your child brings a packed lunch and their own drinks bottle.  If your child is in receipt of INCOME BASED free school meals, a packed lunch will be provided.
• A timetable will be followed which will allow for a range of childcare activities.  Staff are currently preparing learning packs for all children whether at school or at home. Arrangements for collection of these packs will be advised on Monday.
   
  I would appreciate your patience, flexibility and understanding whilst we implement this new arrangement.  These are challenging times for all and we are all doing our best!

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.

Yours Sincerely

L. Lee

 

 

 

 

Mr L Lee

 

 

As a result of the Government Briefing on Wednesday 18th March, our school will be open from Monday 23 March to provide care for children of Key Workers and those who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). 

 

We are still awaiting guidance on what the definition or classification of a Key Worker will be.  As soon as we know more, instructions will be sent to parents on how to contact school to arrange for care.

 

Children who are in receipt of Free School Meals will be provided with a meal or a meal voucher.  Plans for the organisation of this are currently being discussed with our school meal provider.

 

FSM scammers

We are receiving reports that scammers are asking families who are in receipt of free school meals for their bank details in order to receive money.  You will not be contacted by any official agency or provider of FSM asking for your bank details so please be vigilant.

 

Further updates will follow as we know more.