Stifford Clays Primary School Newsletter: Issue 1 11th September 2020

Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow: Receptive Respectful Positive Honest Determined

Dear Parents and Carers, The only afterschool time change is to year 5, who As the new Head of School, I have been highly with effect from Monday 14th September will need impressed with the excellent start to this new to be collected from the gate adjacent to the bike academic year, with truly excellent attitudes to sheds at the front of the school. learning and impeccable behaviour from all children. I This change has been introduced to firstly reduce the have been visiting all classrooms regularly and trying number of parents on the KS2 playground, but also to get to know as many of our children as possible this allow those children who come to school on bikes, week, as well as learn the new routines! We have access to the bike shed after school. Please ensure many true ambassadors of the school all of whom that you do not arrive early for collection times, but have helped make my job easier by explaining all the on time to allow for social distancing. systems and processes! Thank you children I have Thank you for your patience with us whilst we review thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you all! arrangements and try to minimise further changes. Thank you for your efforts, in unusual times, with your help to see children quickly and calmly into Below are the updated times and venues for safe drop school with a ‘kiss and drop’ approach, which has seen off and collection. We appreciate that where families all children now settled well into their new classes and have more than one child, there may be a little wait routines. for the next child but we cannot avoid this and thank Classrooms are looking vibrant and are you for your understanding. exciting, welcoming places to learn. We have worked Arrival Drop off Home Collection Point hard as a team to redesign our recovery curriculum to gate/entrance Time cover as best we can the crucial curriculum time Year 8.35 KS1 gate 3.10 KS1 playground children have missed due to lockdown. The children 1 will be learning a wide range of subjects in very Year 8.30 KS1 gate 3.20 KS1 playground exciting and active ways as well as focusing on core 2 skills in English, maths and science to address any Year 8.35 Main gate 3.20 KS2 playground 3 learning gaps. We are focusing on intent (what we Year 8.30 Main gate 3.25 KS2 playground intend children to learn), implementation (how we are 4 teaching) and impact (what we expect our children to Year 8.35 Year 6 gate 3.30 Year 6 gate know and be able to do as a result). 5 I very much look forward to getting to know Year 8.30 Year 6 gate 3.30 Year 6 gate you all in the days and weeks ahead. Have a lovely 6 weekend. Mrs Martin Only one adult to collect a child from a household please.

School Day Arrangements

We have been pleased to see that children are coming Arriving to School - Punctuality in to school far more quickly this week, therefore we Please ensure your child arrives at the are revising entry times. As such, from week designated gate on time. As we are commencing Monday 14th September start times legally required to stagger arrival times will be as follows: to minimise close contact with others and to keep year  Year 6: 8.30 am, Year 6 Gate (unchanged) groups separate, it is vital that children arrive on time.  Year 5: 8.35 am Year 6 Gate We would also like to remind you that the  Year 4: 8.30 am, Main Gate (unchanged) Government have announced that all children must  Year 3: 8.35am Main Gate return to school.  Year 2: 8.30 am, KS1 Gate (unchanged)  Year 1: 8.35am KS1 Gate

Head of School Mrs S Martin Stifford Clays Primary School Whitmore Avenue, Grays, Essex RM16 2ST 01375 373866

Learning Celebration Event As previously advised, we would like Next week’s Reception Workshop Sessions: to provide an opportunity to formally Monday 14th September – Helping your child with acknowledge and celebrate early maths children’s learning during the recent lockdown period. Tuesday 15th September – Working in Partnership to For this reason, we intend to hold a Learning Secure Outcomes for your Child Celebration Event in class on Friday 18th These sessions will run while the children are September, where children will have the opportunity staying and playing. Tea and coffee is to share, reflect upon and celebrate work they provided. completed during this period with their teacher, We hope this information is helpful and once support staff and senior staff. again we are looking forward to welcoming Please could we ask that parents and carers you to our school. We are trying to make sure support children to identify and select 1 or 2 key that our new parents feel welcome and pieces of work that they are either: supported, so your patience is much a) Most proud of appreciated. b) Learnt the most about As always, your feedback is most welcome. c) Found the most exciting To share with their peers and staff next Friday. Attendance Please can work be photographed and/ or emailed to It is great to see everyone back to school. We are [email protected] with your child’s name and proud to announce that this week’s class stated for staff to print out at school on Friday attendance winner are: 18th. Please do not send hard copies of the work to KS1 1st – 1DW minimise the risk of infection. 2nd – 2D If in the event that work completed during this 3rd – 1M period is no longer available, an alternative would be KS2 1st – 5B to send in a memo/ note or email to outline your 2nd – 3S child’s efforts during this period so that their hard 3rd – 5M work can still be acknowledged. Please can we ask that work is submitted by email by Thursday 16th September at the very latest. Hand Sanitisers We look forward to sharing and celebrating your Please do not send your child in with their own child’s work! mini hand gels. Our site staff have worked really hard throughout the summer and have installed our school with 30 hand sanitiser New Children stations with one outside every classroom. Individual Our EYFS staff have been busy squeezable hand gels present a danger if squirted into getting to know some of our eyes and mouths. new children who have begun their settling and starting Health and Safety sessions in Reception this A plea to all parents, please can week. It can be quite daunting going to ‘Big School’ for we ask for your support in the very first time, but I have been delighted to see ensuring that all children arrive how well they have approached their new start with safely in school, on time. Key to smiles on their faces. Thank you boys and girls! this, is ensuring that the yellow The new start was made even more appealing by the marked lines outside the school gates are kept clear extensive work that the EYFS team have put into and that parents running late do not stop on the lines rejuvenating the outdoor provision area in EYFS to and allow children to get out of cars. Please park make learning so exciting for our new Reception where you can safely and encourage your child to walk starters! safely across the road instead. For children coming to Over the next few weeks we will be welcoming school on bikes, whether this is their own bike or on a more new children and their parents to Nursery and parent’s, please can you ensure that all children wear we are looking forward to getting to know you! a safety helmet. Thank you to all the parents for being patient at our As a school we have put systems in place at busy times of coming in and going home and for those the start and end of the day to allow parents to who have attended the workshops designed to support maintain social distancing, therefore can we please you with the transition into EYFS. Workshops run each ask that parents use the full length of the playground time your child attends a stay and play session next where possible to collect your child and that you do week, so that parents do not have to return 60 not arrive early for collection times, but on time. We minutes later to collect. We do offer refreshments are continuously monitoring and reviewing during this time. arrangements and your feedback is always welcome.

Head of School Mrs S Martin Stifford Clays Primary School Whitmore Avenue, Grays, Essex RM16 2ST 01375 373866

Social Media Warning Some parents may already be aware that Clubs there is a viral video circulating the country For the first half term, we will not via TikTok which shows a man committing be running clubs for two reasons: suicide. TikTok have written a press release firstly, as most children will have been out of school to state they are trying to remove the video. for five months, we wish to focus on settling them As a school, we will be teaching children the dangers back into school for the main part of the day and feel of social media and how important it is to stay safe that the added dimension of additional provision is not when they are online. sensible for anyone. Also, we are hoping that the R- May we remind all parents that the age limit for TikTok number falls further thus making the mixing of is 13 years old so therefore there shouldn’t be any of different year groups safer as clubs cannot operate for our pupils accessing this platform. single year groups only. We will keep this under If you have any serious concerns regarding your child review in the early part of the autumn term and hope and e-safety, please speak a member of staff in to offer sports clubs after that. school. Darling Buds Childcare Thurrock Music Education On Line Lessons Darling Buds is an OFSTED In these uncertain times TMS is registered out of hours child care developing new ways of provider rated “Good” https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50120339. They working. During the Summer are based on the school site and provide breakfast Term they successfully trialled the from 7.30am and after school care for children in our delivery of online music school until 6.30pm. If you would like to book a place lessons. Where schools cannot accommodate music or find out more, please call 07915 059506 services staff this term, this is a safe and successful https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Child- alternative to enable your young musicians to Care-Service/Darlin-Buds-after-school-club- progress. As a valued partner of the school, we are 445515888895602/ keen to help promote this offer and assist to inform parents of the online provision. Please contact [email protected] to Important Dates for find out more or see daily updates on the Thurrock Music Education Hub Facebook page. your diary…

September Sharing Assemblies 14th September Reception Short Session 3 For the autumn term, there will 15th September Reception Short Session 4 not be any sharing assemblies 18th September Learning Celebration Event because we want to try and 21st September Reception morning session minimise the risk of transmission of the virus until the for group A, B, C Government indicates that we do not need to reduce 22nd September Reception morning session contact between visitors and our school community. for group D, E, F Our calendar has scheduled sharing assemblies W/C 28th September Reception are in every from January as we hope we will be able to invite you morning with lunch on the in from then on, but this will be kept under review and Friday it may be necessary to postpone them for longer – but 28th September Road Safety Walks for Year 3 we hope not! and 5

29th September Road Safety Walks for Year 3 Parental Queries and Concerns and 5 We are asking that you do not come into the main reception unless absolutely necessary in October order to keep families and staff safe. 5th October Reception classes start full If you have any queries or concerns, please email time the admin email address ([email protected]) or 23rd October Last day of term call us on 01375 373866 in the first instance. This will then be followed up by a senior member of staff who HALF TERM will help to resolve the issue. Teachers will not 24TH OCTOBER 2020 – 8TH NOVEMBER 2020 respond directly to any emails from parents. This is in place for two reasons: to ensure that the issue or November query is dealt with speedily as the admin email is 9th November Pupils return to school checked regularly several times a day and also to 13th November Children in Need ensure that our teachers do not receive upsetting (w/c) 16th November Anti-Bullying Week emails which have been sent on occasion in the past.

Head of School Mrs S Martin Stifford Clays Primary School Whitmore Avenue, Grays, Essex RM16 2ST 01375 373866

December 3rd December International Day of People HALF TERM with Disabilities 30TH MAY 2021 – 6TH JUNE 2021 4th December Artyfact Theatre in school (provisional date) June (w/c) 14th December Carol Concerts at St Cedds 7th June Pupils return to school TBC 30th June Sports Day (w/c) 14th December KS1 Carol Concerts TBC 18th December Last day of term July 7th July Open evening HALF TERM 15th July Year 6 end of year 19TH DECEMBER 2020 – 4TH JANUARY 2021 performance 16th July Last day of term January 5th January Pupils return to school 14th January 6J & 2M Sharing Assemblies 20th January Individual Photos 21st January 5H & 3H Sharing Assemblies 28th January 4A &1DW Sharing Assemblies 29th January Young Carers’ Awareness Day TBC

February 4th February 6S & 2D Sharing Assemblies (w/c) 8th February Children’s Mental Health Week TBC 9th February Safer Internet Day 11th February 6B & 2S Sharing Assemblies 12th February Last day of term

HALF TERM 13TH FEBRUARY 2021 – 21ST FEBRUARY 2021

February 22nd February Pupils return to school

March 4th March 4F & 1P Sharing Assemblies 4th March World Book Day and Bedtime Stories 11th March 5M & 3S Sharing Assemblies 12th March Red Nose Day 17th March Parents evening 18th March Parents evening 18th March 5B & 3F Sharing Assemblies 19th March World Down Syndrome Day 25th March 4M & 1M Sharing Assemblies 26th March Last day of term

HALF TERM 27TH MARCH 2021 – 11TH APRIL 2021

April 12th April Pupils return to school

May MAY BANK HOLIDAY - 3RD MAY 5th-7th May Year 4 Residential (provisional date) 28th May Last day of term

Head of School Mrs S Martin Stifford Clays Primary School Whitmore Avenue, Grays, Essex RM16 2ST 01375 373866

Head of School Mrs S Martin Stifford Clays Primary School Whitmore Avenue, Grays, Essex RM16 2ST 01375 373866