Dear Parents/Carers
We are aware that some of the children did not receive the letter regarding our plans for closure and home learning – please find this below.
Nursery, Year 1 and Year 2 will receive their home learning books tomorrow. If your child is currently absent please come to the school tomorrow to collect their book.
Following the announcement of full school closures due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic, we are writing to you to inform you of the school’s plan to deliver a ‘continuous education’ now All Souls will be closed. During this time it is imperative that you very regularly visit the school website/check for school emails.
We have made the decision to use the school website as our primary means of communication and providing home learning work and guidance. It is important therefore that you ensure that you have access to the school website (ideally through a laptop or computer) and are able to view the content on it. If you are unable to do so, please make us aware of this.
We have created a new section of the school website titled ‘Home Learning’. It is accessible both from the menu bar on the website homepage as well as through a link from the first article on the front page. From the ‘Home Learning’ page, you will be able to navigate to year group specific pages which contain direct access to ‘GoogleDrive’ areas that our staff are able to upload files. A specific ‘dated’ folder will be created for each week of the closure in which a main document called ‘Weekly Instructions’ will give learning tasks and guidance of what children are expected to do for each area of the curriculum during that week. Any additional files or resources that are referred to within the weekly instructions will also be available within the folder.
So that we can continue to deliver a personalised education, we will be issuing each child with an exercise book to take home, for them to complete all of their written work in during any closure. The label on the front of the exercise book contains a code in the form of a letter and a two digit number. This code has been issued so that within the ‘Weekly Instructions’ document, staff can set specific curriculum tasks for individuals or groups of children whilst ensuring that data protection and GDPR remains robust. Teachers will therefore, within their weekly instructions guide children to complete particular activities through use of these individual pupil codes.
In addition to the tasks set by staff, we will be posting a document on the main ‘Home Learning’ page of the website with links to a range of online activities, games and learning opportunities that children could access to support a range of curriculum areas. This would be regularly updated by staff as additional sites are found.
It is very important that, during the school closure, children maintain in a routine and stimulated. We would therefore suggest working with them to create and keep a timetable, such as this example below, for their daily routine:
8:00-8:30am – Breakfast
8:30-8:55am – Exercise – using online dance/fitness/yoga routines etc. or fitness equipment at home / playing in the garden
8:55-9:00am – Prayer time
9:00-10:15am – Curriculum work & activities – Academic subjects: Maths (including times tables practice), English (including reading, handwriting practice & spelling practice), RE, Science, Geography, History
10:15-10:45am – Break
10:45-12:00pm – Curriculum work & activities continued – Academic subjects: Maths (including times tables practice), English (including reading, handwriting practice & spelling practice), RE, Science, Geography, History
12:00-1:00pm – Lunch
1:00-2:30pm – Curriculum work and activities – Creative subjects: Art, Design Technology, Music, Computing
2:30-2:55pm – Exercise
2:55-3:00pm – Prayer time
The above is only an example, however, and would need to be modified accordingly depending on home arrangements, access to technology, age of child and also the work that has been set by the teachers. A structure such as the one above is also only really suitable for KS1 and KS2 children. Early Years children need a more immersive, experiential curriculum. Parents should look at the Nursery and Reception class blogs over the weekend where further guidance will be posted. It does, though, give an idea of the kind of structure that should be aimed for – particularly for children in KS2. It would be hugely detrimental to their overall development for them not to establish a clear routine and maintain a learning-centred approach to life. It would be expected that children wouldn’t be allowed to use an Xbox, PlayStation or other consoles and devices during the hours of a usual school day.
On each year group page of the ‘Home Learning’ section the email addresses of staff in the year group will be listed. This is the means by which you should make contact with the school should you have queries regarding work set. Teachers, if they are not unwell themselves, will aim to respond to any emails within 24 hours. Please do be aware though that they may be receiving high volumes of messages and so only make contact if it is necessary. Please also copy in Mrs Quinn or Mr Cooke to any correspondence so that, should a member of staff be unwell and unable to reply, we can do so on their behalf. Our email addresses are at the end of this letter.
In addition to the curriculum activities that teachers will post on the website, learning from home provides the opportunity to develop a number of age appropriate life skills. We would therefore like you to consider building into their routine tasks which allow your child to increase in independence and maturity such as:
- Food preparation – from sandwich making to preparing a meal; baking
- Dressing – tying shoelaces; increasing speed in getting dressed; putting clothes away in an organised manner
- Communication skills – holding conversations with friends and relatives on the telephone; writing letters
- Learning a new skill/developing an existing one – art, craft, sewing, practising musical instruments, making things
- Following instructions – using a manual to construct something; following a recipe
- Playing games such as card games, chess, board games etc.
With regards to providing free school meals to those who currently receive them, during the instance of school closure, we are currently in discussions with our catering company, AiP, as to how this could be achieved and will inform those whom this affects in due course.
To be honest as a staff community we are devastated to be closing but understand the Government has grave concerns and we have to do what is thought best. We cannot stress that although we may not see your children or yourselves on a daily basis you will all very much be in our thoughts; we are only an email away and please continue to see us as the first port of call should you experience any difficulty at all.
So it is with great sadness, we have to say goodbye for now, we’re sending virtual hugs and best wishes and really hope we see you all very soon.
Caroline Quinn Andy Cooke Shirley Langford
Headteacher Deputy Headteacher Chair of Governors
