Headteacher’s Blog

Our reception classes joined the rest of the school for their first celebration assembly, last Friday. They sat, listened and behaved beautifully and the rest of the school were very impressed with their assembly manners. We look forward to seeing them again in tomorrow’s celebration assembly.

Place2Be: Parenting Smart – a free, online resource for parents and carers of primary age children, to support wellbeing and behaviour. This resource focuses on a range of topics and issues, including friendship difficulties, anxiety, eating habits and boundaries, with tips and advice delivered through articles and videos.

Hertfordshire County Council is holding its first Eco-Fair this Saturday 27th November, at County Hall, Hertford. The event is family-friendly and an opportunity to learn more about what the county council is doing to fight climate change in Hertfordshire. Follow the link for more information and to book free tickets.

Please remember to provide healthy foods for your child’s packed lunch or break-time snack – no sweets or foods with a high refined sugar content.

During the last couple of weeks, Bowmansgreen has been visited by two baby hedgehogs. The hedgehogs seemed to enjoy their stay, before being collected by Esther from London Colney Hedgehog Rescue.

Congratulations to our new newly elected House Captains! Find out who has been elected to represent and lead our Bowmansgreen Houses.

Tomorrow, we will be holding a non-uniform day to Fundraise for Fiona. This event is to support the fundraising efforts of a local family as mum, Fiona, bravely battles an incurable cancer. Please send any donations into school tomorrow, with your child.

October is Black History Month in the UK. This year, the theme is Proud to be. During the last few weeks, classes across the school have been learning about and celebrating the contributions and accomplishments of black people, past and present, to British and Global History.

On Thursday, Mr Regan led a whole school assembly to help children understand their right to be safe, including what they could do if they feel worried or scared in a range of situations. Watch the NSPCC ‘Speak out Stay safe’ virtual assembly with your child to see what and how important information was delivered and to discuss and reinforce key messages. The NSPCC provides information, advice and resources to support families in a range of situations, covering some of the issues discussed in the assembly, including family separation, mental health, challenging behaviours and how to talk about difficult topics.

A second follow up report to the Mental Health of Children and Young People in England survey was published at the end of last month. It explores changes since the survey was first carried out in 2017 and the impact of the pandemic. It makes an interesting read and some of the main findings highlight the significant impact of the pandemic upon the lives and experiences of children and young people and factors that we must take into consideration, as we support our children to recover and repair.

It is likely that your child will spend some of this week on a digital device; viewing, gaming, browsing or contacting friends. It is an area of 21st century life that often causes parents and carers worry and frustration. There is always much discussion, information and research relating to children’s on-line behaviours, focusing on trends, safety and habits. thinkuknow is a good place to start, for families looking for advice and information to help keep their children safe online. Childline also offers resources and support as well as advice about how to report online bullying and abuse. Next half-term, all pupils will take part in workshops focusing on online safety, delivered by an external provider.

Currently, Squid Game is in the headlines, prompting concerns from some families, schools and local authorities, as some children act out scenes and games from the show.  We have had several incidences at Bowmansgreen, of pupils playing games inspired by the show and have reminded pupils involved about the nature of the games they play and that their behaviour should reflect our school rules and values at all times. Squid Game is rated 15 by Netflix and the British Board of Film Classification and we would recommend that parents and carers are aware of the themes and content of the show so that they can have informed discussions with their children about it’s suitability. Articles on the following sites may be useful sources of information as well as providing tips and guidance as to the show’s appropriateness for primary age pupils: Safer Schools, HertsLive and BBC News.

Stay healthy and safe this week.

Happy half-term!

Last Friday, Year 5 led our whole school harvest assembly. They read poems they had written, sang and explained what harvest is and why it is celebrated. Thank you to the Year 5 pupils and staff for all of their hard work, helping our school to celebrate harvest together.

Thank you also to everyone who generously donated items for our harvest celebration. This year, Year 6 pupils and staff took the donated items to the Churches Together Foodbank, where they will be put to very good use, supporting local families.

A message from Reverend Wood:
“An immense 403 items were given and it felt a little overwhelming to see such generosity. This total is also more than last year’s offering by the school, which is incredible.
Please could you pass on my gratitude to the whole school community and let everyone know that their kindness really does make a difference to people’s lives here in London Colney.”

Please note that we have an additional bank holiday to look forward to this summer, to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. As the official extra bank holiday (June 3rd, 2021) falls within the half term holiday, schools have been allowed to close on an alternative day, to mark this occasion. Our school community will therefore be off on June 24th, 2021.

Nicola McLachlan and Minesh Pamar held their final meeting as Chair and Treasurer of the FOBS (Friends of Bowmansgreen School) committee this week. I am sure that you will join me in thanking them for the hard work, time and energy that they have put into organising events and activities to help raise money for our school. In the last 4 years, FOBS have raised over £44,000 for the school, funding equipment, resources and experiences for your children. Regrettably, as nobody has yet come forward to take over these positions, for the first time in many years, FOBS will be without a Chair and Treasurer to lead the committee.  It would be a great shame if we no longer have this support, to help raise much needed and appreciated funds for Bowmansgreen pupils. If you are interested in supporting the school in either of these roles, or would like more information, please contact the school office.

School was much quieter than usual this week, as most of our Year 6 pupils enjoyed a week of fun on their residential trip in Norfolk. They had a great time taking part in activities including sailing, caving, rock climbing and fencing. They really did themselves proud, with staff commenting on what a fantastic, well-behaved group of children they were, to take away. I had the pleasure of visiting them during their week away and I was really impressed by their enthusiasm, behaviour and how supportive they were of each other. I also never realised that learning to fence could be so much fun! Thank you to Miss Allen, Miss Hancock, Miss Bliss and Mrs Enus-Rahman for supporting pupils during their week, enabling them to have such a fantastic time.

Please be reminded that next Friday, school is closed as it is an INSET day.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

This week, pupils in EYFS, Y1 and Y2 took part in drama workshops, taking them on a journey through outer space. Pupils had fun dancing, singing and improvising, undertaking some astronaut ‘training’ and learning about some of the planets in the solar system.

Assemblies this week have focused on two national eco-events: the Great Big Green Week  and Recycle Week. Pupils across the school learnt about and discussed what our school community can do better, to help look after our environment as well as what we can all do at home, to create less waste and recycle more.

Our extra-curricular provision is slowly growing, with several more after-school activities re-starting this week, including pet club and film club. Our new art club also started this week, which sounds like it is going to be great fun… and sometimes very messy!

Two Home Learning clubs will run from next week (Monday and Friday lunchtimes) to support your child to complete some of their home learning tasks.

As previously mentioned, we are currently taking the decision to keep the back gate restricted to a pupil only entrance/exit for independent travellers. We appreciate that it is not ideal for some families, especially those who live in the roads behind school and who would use the gate with younger children, as well as putting increasing pressure on traffic and parking at the front of the school. We have been closely monitoring the situation, taking into account the numbers and views of Y4-Y6 independent travellers; the volume of traffic and parking issues; as well as the views and opinions of staff, some local residents and members of the wider school community. Any decisions about the re-opening and use of the back gate will be made in the interests of the health and safety of the school and local community and taking into account the impact of our new neighbouring medical centre. We will update families with any changes and decisions.

Please be reminded to name all of your child’s school uniform. This week, 5 black bags full of unnamed, unclaimed clothing, including coats and shoes, have been collected from lost property. Please encourage your child to look for any lost items.

Our whole school attendance is currently 95% – just! It would be great if we could improve on this, to at least 96% before half-term and ensure that more pupils are attending school every day and maximising their learning opportunities.

Mrs Stanley’s coffee morning got Bowmansgreen off to a great start today. Tea, coffee, biscuits and cake were on sale to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support as part of their ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.’ Thank you to everyone who baked or bought to support the sale which raised a fantastic £205.36p! Thank you Mrs Stanley, for organising and hosting the event.

The live Meet the Teacher presentations took place yesterday and today – we hope that you found them useful. Recordings will be available to all parents next week.

Next Tuesday and Thursday,  family consultation meetings take place – please contact the school office if you have not yet booked an appointment. We look forward to seeing you all.

Enjoy your weekend.

Pupils have now completed two full weeks back at school. They have settled well into their new classes, year groups and an almost normal school routine. Daily, whole school assemblies have resumed – the first time that all pupils have been together, in the hall, for a very long time. School has felt like school during the last couple of weeks and it has been a pleasure.

I am sure that you will all join me in welcoming our new Reception pupils to Bowmansgreen. They have enjoyed a busy first two weeks, getting to know each other and their class staff, slowly building up their timetables and exploring their new learning environment. Staff have been impressed with how well they have taken to school life and they are already showing what keen learners they are.

Welcome also to some new members of staff who have joined our Bowmansgreen staff team, this term.

• Miss Choudhry – Class teacher, 2CH
• Miss McShane – sports coach and learning mentor
• Mr Regan – SENCO
• Miss Snell – teaching assistant, Year 6
• Mrs Thorneycroft – teaching assistant, inclusion team

Please ensure that your child has a PE kit at school everyday and that all uniform and shoes are clearly named.

We have seen a small number of Bowmansgreen pupils test positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of term. Although children are no longer required to self-isolate, if identified as a close contact, it is important that families are aware that the virus remains a risk to the health of members of our school community and that we will continue to take measures and action to reduce the risk of transmission.

Traffic and parking are currently significant issues facing Bowmansgreen families during the school run. Despite slightly longer drop-off and pick-up times, I know that the situation at the front gate has been particularly difficult for drivers and pedestrians. Local residents are understanding and patient about the volume of school traffic and parking. Please could drivers therefore ensure that they do not block driveways or stationary cars and that they park safely and with consideration. Pupils can arrive at school from 8.35 – 8.50am to allow drivers time to find parking and arrive at school before the registers close.

I appreciate that the situation has been further complicated by the current decision to keep the back gate an entrance and exit for pupils who are independent travellers only.  A letter will be sent to families next week, further explaining this decision and the factors affecting any future decisions.

Meet the Teacher and Family Consultation Meetings take place during the next two weeks – all meetings will be online. Details to follow.

This morning’s celebration assembly saw pupils recognised for their learning and sporting successes, amongst other achievements. David (Y2) wowed us with his super knowledge and understanding of astronomy. Thank you for teaching us about constellations, David! Congratulations to Harvey (Y1) for winning the summer sunflower competition, helping his sunflower grow to a fantastic 101cm! We hope that he has fun decorating his new birdbox.

Enjoy your weekend.

We are looking forward to welcoming your child back to school this Thursday, for the start of the new academic year. We hope that you have had a happy, restful summer.

As you might be aware, updated government guidance for schools has been issued during the last couple of weeks, referring to the actions that schools should continue to take, to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 within the community.

The key changes/updates include:

• children do not have to isolate if identified as a close contact. Instead, they will be advised to get a PCR test
• ‘bubbles’ are no longer recommended as necessary
• face coverings are no longer advised for pupils and staff in classrooms and communal areas
• control measures are to remain in place (good hygiene, appropriate cleaning routines, well ventilated spaces, follow public health advice)
• children with COVID-19 symptoms should not attend school
• staff should continue to test with LFDs twice a week
• pupils and staff with positive LFD test results should inform school, stay home and take a PCR test
• remote education expectations remain
• introduction of thresholds for COVID-19 cases that, if reached, can trigger extra actions for a school
• shielding is currently paused

In light of the updated guidance, we can now thankfully lift many of the measures that have affected and restricted our day to day operations as well as our curriculum for nearly two school years. It is an exciting prospect to look ahead to a school day and learning environment that starts to bring our pupils together again. We will, however, proceed with caution and respond to the needs and behaviours of our pupils. For some of our younger pupils, who have lived the majority of their school lives so far, as part of a group of 60, 30 or less, it might well be a daunting, overwhelming prospect to suddenly become one of a group of 350 or more! Some pupils will need slightly longer to adjust to the change back to a fully integrated, whole school community.

A few measures, however, will remain in place for at least the start of the school year and gently eased once the whole school community has returned but these are mostly operational matters, not affecting the curriculum.

Whilst it is now very unlikely that classes or whole year groups will have to isolate as close contacts, classes can only attend school for face-to-face teaching if sufficient numbers of class staff are available to teach them. Protecting staff from the risk of contracting coronavirus at school therefore remains a priority, to help keep them safe and well and also to ensure that your child is provided with the best quality teaching by the staff who know them best. We will therefore continue to restrict the numbers of visitors on site, for at least the first few weeks.

As confirmed before the end of term, we will now revert to pre-Lockdown school start and finish times:
8.35am – 3.00pm  EYFS & KS1 (Reception, Y1, Y2)
8.35 – 3.05pm  KS2 (Y3 – Y6)

As we have not experienced an unstaggered, whole school start and end of day for a while, we are slightly adjusting the drop-off and pick-up times and procedures, to allow for increased traffic, parking and congestion and as a continued protective measure.

Another factor affecting our drop-off and pick-up procedures, is the back gate. The new Summerfield Health Centre, situated next to the Caledon Community Centre, is now open to our local community. At the back gate, a new path provides a choice of direction when leaving the school site, around the health centre. As we do not yet know what impact a fully operational health centre and fully mobilised Bowmansgreen school community will have on each other, in terms of traffic, parking and footfall, we have decided to continue to restrict the use of this gate, to pupils in Y4, Y5 and Y6 who are independent travellers only. This will provide a chance to monitor the impact of school re-opening alongside the medical centre, the use of the new pathway, traffic and parking. If your child was an independent traveller last term, we will assume that they have continued consent. Our new Year 4 pupils will be provided with permission letters, on Thursday.

We will initially continue to maintain the one way system on the Key Stage 1 playground at the start and end of the school day, limiting access to the wider school site for parents and carers.

Gates will be open from 8.35 – 8.50am for all (adjusted from 8.45am). Doors will close at 8.50am and registers taken at 8.55am. Pupils arriving late, after 8.50am, must enter via the school office.
The front, main gate will be open from 2.55pm for KS1 pupils to be collected from the KS1 playground at 3pm.
The front gate will remain open and KS2 pupils can be collected until 3.10pm from the KS1 playground (unless they are independent travellers and leave via the back gate). Pupils collected late, after 3.10pm, must be collected from the school office.

All measures and procedures will be reviewed and amended as necessary and appropriate.

Please read this letter from Jim McManus, Director of Public Health.

Thank you for bearing with us whilst we despatched your child’s end of year report. It is not our preferred method of distributing reports and this year was particularly difficult, as it coincided with the updating of our school network to a cloud based environment which affected software, printing and photocopying. Hopefully, we will be fully up and running by Thursday….