Headteacher’s Blog

You may be aware that on Friday, the government u-turned on the re-opening of schools in London, extending the partial closures to primary schools in all London boroughs. There have been many questions and concerns raised by the local community about a similar situation in Hertfordshire, involving St Albans primary schools, including from Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans. Currently, all Hertfordshire schools are in Tier 4. However, primary schools in the neighbouring ‘contingency areas’ of Three Rivers, Hertsmere, and Watford are to remain partially closed for face-to-face teaching but St Albans primary schools are expected to open to all pupils from tomorrow (Please be reminded that Bowmansgreen is closed for an INSET day tomorrow, re-opening on Tuesday 5th January).

COVID-19 Snapshot of Hertfordshire

There has been no new guidance from the DfE to suggest – at this stage – that the expectation to fully open schools in St Albans will change before tomorrow.

Decisions to open or close schools are complex. It is a very complicated situation with no best outcome that I can see, that will please or benefit all members of a school community, at once. There are many factors to consider and decisions to make, some of which are out of the control of the school leadership team and governors. The health and safety of all pupils and all staff is however, very much my responsibility and one that I do not take lightly.

A range of factors could affect how Bowmansgreen will open to pupils on Tuesday. They include a change in the law; a change in government policy or HCC guidance; staffing levels; and if our own school risk-assessment highlights any serious health and safety concerns that we cannot remove or mitigate. During our INSET day tomorrow, we will be reviewing our school risk-assessment, taking into account the local situation regarding cases of coronavirus and the health and safety concerns of the whole school community.

I have been contacted by families who have been worrying about sending their children into school whilst the number of cases are high and the new variant of COVID-19 is so virulent in the local area. I understand your concerns and the dilemmas that you face and would want to support your decisions to do what you feel is best for the health and safety of your family.

Whilst wanting to remain positive and optimistic, I also want to be honest and realistic and warn parents that we may face a scenario where the health and safety concerns of individual staff members mean that we cannot open fully, to all pupils. A situation where face-to-face teaching is not available for some classes is a likely possibility, from Tuesday. I will have a definitive picture tomorrow morning and will update families accordingly.

It is likely that for some classes, most pupils will need be taught via remote learning, which will continue to be published weekly, on our website. If this becomes the situation for your child, you will be notified as soon as is practicably possible. As was the case during the national Lockdown, school would continue to provide face-to-face teaching for a limited number of pupils.

I appreciate that this will immediately cause concern and worry relating to childcare, your children missing out on more time in the classroom and with their peers and the prospect of more home schooling. I am very sorry that this might be the situation but I cannot currently see an alternative solution that does not compromise the health and safety of members of our school community.

I will update families as early as possible tomorrow, once a review of our risk-assessment has been completed and the reality of the situation is known.

Yesterday, the government issued new and updated guidance about the opening of schools next week. A new Contingency Framework has been published, setting out guidance for schools in specific geographical areas of the country where:
-there is extremely high prevalence of coronavirus (COVID-19)
-other measures have already been implemented

Watford, Hertsmere and Three Rivers are all listed as ‘contingency areas’ but not St Albans. This guidance does not therefore apply to Bowmansgreen (as a St Albans school) or other primary schools in London Colney or the wider district of St Albans.

Bowmansgreen will therefore be open to all pupils, on Tuesday 5th January 2021 (Monday 4th is an INSET day).

We will update families if the situation changes, following further local or national advice or restrictions.

We know that some families will be worried about a return to school next week given the local and national picture, especially if you have vulnerable family members who are shielding. We also appreciate that some families live in or have other children educated within the local ‘contingency areas’ which makes life even more complicated. The times that we live in continue to be problematic, unsettling and anxious for us all.

The updated information and guidance from the Department of Education (DfE) has been issued to local authorities, schools and the public at the same time. So far, a brief statement has been published from Hertfordshire County Council (see below) but we expect further information and guidance, to follow.

We will be reviewing our COVID-19 risk assessment in light of these updates and the changing local and national picture and will update families with any changes and amendments accordingly.

We will continue to provide remote learning, via our school website, on a weekly basis, for any pupil who is unable to attend school due to COVID-19, including self-isolation.

Mass testing for secondary aged pupils: the Government expects a programme of mass testing in secondary schools to be fully operational by January 18th, 2021. There are currently no plans for testing to take place in primary schools.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the Bowmansgreen school community.

Wishing you a healthy and happy New Year.

HCC statement on schools returning for the spring term

Hertfordshire COVID-19 Public Dashboard

Schools and childcare settings: return in January 2021

Contingency Framework (Currently not applicable to Bowmansgreen)

Guidance on Shielding and Protecting People who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19

Thank you for continuing to send your children into school every day this term, despite your concerns about the continuing pandemic and balancing challenging family, school and work situations. Our school community has been amazing! Your continued support and confidence in the measures we have put in to place to keep your children healthy and safe have ensured that our whole school attendance is currently 95%. This is a very positive situation for Bowmansgreen pupils that we hope to at least continue, if not improve, next term.

This week, school has begun to feel a lot like Christmas…..

Year 6 held their Christingle service, on Thursday. Reverend Pat Jones led the service at Bowmansgreen and despite not being in the usual setting or having the presence of the whole school community, Year 6 sang and read beautifully and really did themselves proud. This Christingle service might have been very different to those in previous years but it was no less special or enjoyable. Thank you and well done, Year 6!

EYFS and Year 1 have also been busy practising and performing their Nativity plays. It has been lovely to hear the singing around school and pupils have all been busy learning their lines, stage directions and songs for their presentation of The Christmas story.

We hope to have filmed versions of the performances sent to the parents of pupils in EYFS, Year 1 and Year 6, by Friday.

Pupils across the school have enjoyed a pantomime experience from Panto Online. They have laughed and sung along to a performance of Jack and the Beanstalk which has also helped to get them into the festive spirit. A few classes have yet to watch the show and can look forward to the performance next week.

Please be aware that the government has updated their guidance on the self-isolation period for COVID-19 close contacts – it will be reduced from 14 days to 10 days. This takes effect from Monday 14th December and is applicable to anyone who is currently self-isolating.

You will be aware that in the news this week, the government issued guidance about end of term arrangements and stated that schools could take the last day of term as an INSET day. We feel that this is too short notice, and with little advantage for families or staff, to make such a change and we will therefore finish on Friday 18th December, as planned. Year 1, Year 5 and Year 6 will finish at 1.15pm and EYFS, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 will finish at 1.30pm.

It is always a good time to discuss online safety with pupils. It is a regular cause of concern amongst parents and staff and a frequent theme of circle time conversations and PSHE lessons. With less for families to do outside of their homes due to National Restrictions, many children are currently spending more time online. Please take a look at the slides from last year’s on-line safety parent workshop so that you can help support your child navigate and stay safe in the online world.

Lots of organisations and websites also provide useful information and resources for parents about online safety, including Parent Zone, the NSPCC and the UK Safer Internet Centre.

We have introduced a new Behaviour Policy at Bowmansgreen. The policy has been shared with and explained to pupils during the last couple of weeks and we will be discussing and revisiting the key expectations throughout the course of the year.

The government introduced new guidelines for Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education, compulsory from September 2020. Although, due to the pandemic, schools now have until the start of the summer term 2021 to implement this policy, we are keen to get the Bowmansgreen policies and curriculum in place.

Families are key in their children’s sex education as they are the starting point for safeguarding, improving mental health and strengthening the parent/carer – child relationship. It is also incredibly awkward for many parents and carers, to broach or discuss the subject, even when the time seems right. It is therefore essential that school and home work closely together to support our children so that they receive accurate, age-appropriate information and the opportunities to raise questions and discuss issues relating to relationships, sex and health, in a safe and supportive environment.

Please read the initial version of our new Relationships and Health Education Policy – it includes our Sex Education Policy as an appendix. We would like to seek your views and opinions as part of a consultation process and would welcome any feedback. A survey will be sent out to parents next week, as part of the consultation.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published guides for parents, providing information about the changes to Relationships, Health and Sex Education and the consultation process. DfE FAQs: Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education.

Bowmansgreen uses the Jigsaw scheme of work as the main resource to teach our Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) curriculum across the school, including RSE. Please also read their guide for parents and carers.

Our Year 6 House Captains have been elected to represent our school houses of Morpurgo, Kenny, Whitlock and Wiggs. Congratulations goes to Alex, Amelie, Harry D, Heidi, Kaia, Lennon, Ruby E and Tyler who have already set to work effectively representing their houses with pride and as role models for all pupils across the school. I look forward to working closely with them this year, to support the school’s leadership team and school community.

It was great to see everyone wearing their Christmas jumpers yesterday – thank you for helping to raise money for Save the Children as well as bringing some extra festive cheer to our school community.

Enjoy your weekend.

Welcome back after the half-term break.

On 31st October 2020, the Prime Minister announced New National Restrictions, which came into force on Thursday. In light of these restrictions and updated Department for Education guidance, we have made changes to our drop-off and pick-up arrangements. Please read this letter for details. 

Independent travellers from Y4 – Y6 often walk to and from school with their friends, some meeting in the local park before or after school. In line with the New National Restrictions, pupils cannot currently meet as a group outside of the school gates and we will be reminding them of this, so that they do not break the law. Please reinforce these expectations with your children.

Word of the Week is back! Each class has a weekly focus word that links to a text, lesson, topic or discussion. Pupils investigate the word, to give them a deeper understanding of its meaning, use, spelling, sound and origin. Word of the Week is published on the website where you can see all current and past words, from across the school.

School attendance has been mandatory from the beginning of the autumn term with the usual rules on school attendance applying. Families are doing a fantastic job of keeping their children safe and healthy and getting them to school everyday. I’m not drawing any links between the joyful experience of home schooling and our current, near normal levels of attendance but…. we appreciate the fantastic effort that families are making at this difficult and stressful time. October attendance average:  Hertfordshire – 92%   Bowmansgreen – 95%.

Thank you to all of the families who contributed to our Harvest collection, organised by Year 5. Your generosity helped collect 390 items for the Churches Together Foodbank, to support local families at this particularly pressurised time. Reverend Wood, from the London Colney Baptist Church, has sent a letter of thanks to the school which I will share with families on Monday, highlighting what a kind and generous school community we are. Thank you.

Staff are busy planning and preparing lessons, topics and activities for the next six weeks. Although we will have to do lots differently, we intend to ensure that pupils enjoy a busy, fun half-term, as in previous years. There is lots to look forward to in the run up to the end of term, including a non-uniform day to support Children in Need, Odd Socks Day, Nativity plays, Christmas lunch, Christingle and carols. We will keep families updated with news of how and when these events will take place within current restrictions and guidelines.

Enjoy your weekend.

Find out about our new remote learning provision and expectations, in accordance with updated government guidance.

Hertfordshire County Council is running a consultation on the proposed admissions arrangements for the school year 2022/23 and is seeking responses from parents, carers, schools and community groups. The consultation period runs until 6 December 2020. Please visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/admissions2022 for more information and to respond online.

The Families First Portal provides information, advice and resources for Hertfordshire families, including signposts to local services and agencies.

Pupils enjoyed their special spooky lunch on the last day of the half-term. Have fun and stay safe this Halloween!