8th June

Dear families,

This is our second week with a new approach to schooling here at Shacklewell. It has been excellent to welcome back the Year 6 and Year 1 children as we begin the gradual process of reopening. It has also been great to have the key worker provision return to Shacklewell after a fantastic few months at our partner school Grazebrook.

We have had lots of telephone calls over the past week about when children in other year groups will be able to return to school. Our current plans are for the children in Reception to join us from next week and then for the nursery children to follow soon after. A letter will be sent later in the week to Reception families outlining the plans. The government have announced that children in Year 2, 3, 4 and 5 are not expected to return to school this academic year. However as a school we are going to think creatively about how we can possible accommodate some of these learners before the end of term. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding with this- I know it isn't easy balancing everything at home.

In order to support you at home, this week some of the teachers and leaders are trialling short video messages to the children. If these are successful we will roll them out to the whole school. We know that the home school link is even more important than ever so we appreciate your patience as we trial this new approach.

You will have seen that our home learning booklets have had a minor tweak this week. Each activity is listed as new learning or revision. This is designed to support you to know which activities the children may be able to work more independently on and those which you may need to spend more time introducing. In order for us to support children most appropriately we have replaced the curriculum maker mats. This change is to accommodate a third curriculum lesson. This will help children really embed key skills in science and geography as we head towards the end of the academic year. In Key Stage 2 the children have also been given a Spanish Maker Mat, which will last the whole half term.

One final note, if you have been receiving food vouchers we understand that there has been a further delay in them being sent to you. Please contact us if you have not received them by Thursday morning.

Have an enjoyable week,

Rory