Covid-19 Information

 

 

 

We have now returned to school post lockdown.  We are sure many parents will have questions and concerns about how schools are operating now that we are back, so below we have tried to answer questions based on the latest government guidelines and how Woodford Valley CE Primary is operating within these.  These are accurate on the date of publishing (7^th September 2020) but are subject to change as the government updates its guidance.

 

Returning to school in September

 

School is going to look and feel a little different for the children.  Classrooms will be set out so that children are in rows, facing their teachers. Teachers will be maintaining distance from pupils and other staff as much as possible. Children will now be in class bubbles so that we can minimise the contact between the children across the school. We will be asking them to clean their hands thoroughly, more often than usual, and we will be promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach for used tissues to ensure that we prevent the transmission of the virus.

 

Each class will have their own playtime area and playtimes and lunchtimes will be staggered. Children who have packed lunches will eat in their own classroom and children having hot dinners will be eat in the hall, but again they will stay in their own class bubble. PE sessions will take place outside so please ensure that your child has suitable PE kit for outdoor PE from the start of the term.

 

Please can children not bring in their own stationery from home. We are going to give each pupil their own stationery packs so that they will have everything they need to work in their classes.

 

We will send reading books home but it might be that the children do not get as many sent home as they would previously, as the books will have to be ‘isolated’ on return.   If you are able to support the staff in this and read other books that you have at home if your child finishes their school book, that would be great.

 

We will continue to have worship in school via school radio and other technology.

 

Some children may feel anxious when returning to school, and staff will work through focused activities to support their classes in settling back in.

 

For your information, here is a link to government guidance with respect to children returning to school:  What parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges in the autumn term

 

Catching up with missed learning

 

The government has promised schools some money to help pupils catch up with any learning they have missed out on during the pandemic.  We have no specific details about this yet but will update you when we do.

 

When children return to school in September, their teachers will assess their learning and design the class curriculum to support any areas in which the children need extra support.

 

Drop off

 

We will continue with the drop off system that we have been using since the return to school on 1^st June. This has worked well and we thank you for all your support with this. We have now allocated time slots from September for drop offs so that the carpark does not become too congested with cars. Please keep to your slot so that we can keep a steady flow of traffic through the carpark in the mornings. Staff will be waiting for the children as they arrive and we ask that you do not get out of cars, but that the children have all their bags, coats etc with them ready so that they can jump out of the car when you arrive. The children will be guided straight to their classrooms where their teacher will be waiting for them.

 

Drop off times, based on surnames

A-G: 8.25 – 8.35am

H-O: 8.35 – 8.45am

P-Z:  8.45 – 8.55am

 

Lake Class (new reception pupils and siblings) drop off at 9am for the first two weeks and then please join the 8.45am group.

 

If you need to speak to your child’s class teacher, please send an email to Admin or Office and they will let the class teacher know that they need contact you.

 

The school bus will continue to run for those children who normally travel by bus.  Children are not expected to wear masks. When arriving at school, they will be met by a member of staff and sent to their classes like everyone else. A member of staff will also take them to the bus at the end of the day.

 

Children can wear a mask if they want to, but we are not recommending the wearing of masks in school for this age group, following government guidelines.

 

Pick-up

 

To maintain the class bubbles separation, we will dismiss the children from the top field. Key Stage 1 pupils will finish at 3pm:  Lake Class will exit from the first gate, Lower Woodford from the middle gate and Netton from the far end gate. Once you have collected your child, unless you are waiting for a sibling in KS2, we ask if you can leave promptly so that parents in KS2 can park. KS2 pupils will be dismissed at 3.15pm: Wilsford will exit from the first gate, Durnford from the middle gate and Upper Woodford and Salterton from the far end gate.

 

Any questions?

 

If you have any questions, please email the school office, and we will try to keep this webpage regularly updated with answers.

Woodpeckers After School Club

 

Woodford Woodpeckers After school club

Welcome and Thank you for your interest in our after-school club.

 

Woodpeckers is an independent business within the school. We offer childcare for all children at Woodford Valley exclusively. It is run from 3-5pm every weekday.  This is broken up into two sessions where children can join us for the whole two hours, just come 3-4 or can come to us 4-5pm if they are in another school club. We pick up direct from the classroom for KS1. The cost of the club is £5 an hour. This includes a healthy snack. Our preferred method of payment is bank transfer, but we can take cash.

The club is run in Durnford class, with pick up from the outside entrance opposite the wooden gazebo.

 

So, who are we?

Both of us work as Teaching Assistants within the school. Dawn works in Durnford (year 4) and Helen works in Netton (year 2). With us both in school all the time it really helps us get to know the children and them to get to know us. So, we are not a strange face!

 

What happens at Woodpeckers?

We start by having a snack and relax after our day at school. Snack is provided but it is up to the individual child if they would like it. We always have a few different things on offer: Cheese, ham, peppers, carrots, crackers, fruit, and toast. We can cater for any dietary requirements. We then have some free time to play lots of different toys such as Lego, cars, dolls, beads, playdoh, and board games. There is also a quiet place to sit and relax as well. We then provide some sort of craft; this is again completely up to the child if they want to join in. It could be painting, drawing, modeling our list is endless! When the weather allows, we also try to go outside for some fresh air, we are lucky to have use of all the schools outside facilities.

 

Our biggest wish at Woodpeckers is for the children to be safe, relaxed and have a lovely time.

We have had some wonderful feedback from parents “you are like a little Woodpecker family” “he asks everyday is it a Woodpecker day!” “they love coming to you”

We are not just for working parents we are here for anyone who would like to use us.

 

Booking

We send out a termly booking form if you know the dates you need. There is also a weekly one. It is also possible to have late booking for those unexpected emergencies. All you must make sure is your child is registered with us. As we are separate from the school, we must keep our own records. If you register and never use us that is fine at least you know you have that back up. For legal reasons if we do not have a registration form, we are unable to accept your child. The registration forms are never shared anywhere else.

 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us woodfordwoodpeckers@gmail.com we are always happy to help.

 

We look forward to meeting you all,

Helen Evison and Dawn Sims

 

EYFS

 

 

At Woodford Valley we believe that children learn best and thrive in a play based environment.  We celebrate how children are all unique and we work hard to ensure that children can follow their own interests in an environment that supports them to make progress and imbed new skills.  This means that children are engaged and motivated.  We use a mix of adult led and independent child led activities which are facilitated by our continuous provision.  Our provision offers children a constant environment allowing them to explore their interests and new experiences, whilst challenging their learning.  It allows children to become independent in making choices, supporting children in becoming active learners and enabling them to imbed new skills, enhancements and challenges are regularly added to complement children’s interests, next steps or Topic.  We support children’s learning and development across all seven areas of the Early Years Curriculum whilst celebrating the importance of the Characteristics of Effective Learning.

 

Planning

We have a new Topic for each full term (see below), the Topic Web acts as a general guide, although the Topic remains the same the objectives taken from the Development Matters Document and activities may change depending on the skill development and interests of the children at the time.  So when we start a new Topic we use a child initiated planner to record children’s interests that we have identified through observations, we then link this with assessment of the children’s primary needs and skill development and generate possible activities to address these needs.

Topic Autumn

Topic Spring

Topic Summer

Objective Led Planning

Focuses on one specific area of need, differentiated into levels with next steps, suggested activities or areas of provision that could be enhanced, one or more adult will use to observe, enhance or develop a skill.  It will also include an adult led input.  We introduce a new focus for literacy and maths each week but sometimes they will continue for more than a week depending on children’s progress.

Objective Led Planning Example

Lake timetable

10 things to do in Lake

EYFS Policy

Intimate Care Policy

New Entry Presentation 2020 (COVID)

Letters and Sounds Phonics Parents Presentation

Writing – Parent Workshop