Newsletter Autumn Term 1- 2021

Dear Parents,

A very warm welcome back to you all, for the start of a new academic year and hopefully a touch of normality!! (If only we could remember what that was like!!).

Fortunately, we are now in a position to be able to recommence some of the activities that COVID put on hold such as parent open mornings and assemblies. We do still need to be cautious as unfortunately COVID hasn’t gone away and we want to continue to stop the spread. In doing that, please can I remind you not to send your child to school if they show any of the 3 symptoms (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to sense of smell or taste). With symptoms, you must take your child for a PCR test and they must stay at home until you get the result, even if the symptoms are mild. LFD tests are really only suitable for asymptomatic testing.

Other household members do not have to isolate, if someone has symptoms or tests positive, if they are an adult and are double vaccinated or are a child under the age of 18. Any adult who has not been fully vaccinated would still have to isolate for 10 days.

We would appreciate it if you could let school know if anyone living in your house tests positive. Thank you for your continued support.

Breakfast Club and After School Care As you will know, the school runs a Breakfast Club each morning from 8.00am and all pupils are welcome. Healthy breakfasts are provided. The cost of the Breakfast Club is £1.00 per day, which includes a breakfast and activities for pupils to take part in until school starts. If you would like your child to attend Breakfast Club, please contact the school office. We are continuing to provide After School Care for children in Reception to Year 6, which runs Monday to Friday, during term time. Your child can attend on an ad hoc basis provided that you have made the appropriate payment up front and the emergency contact form has been completed. Payment can be made via the SIMs Pay app (now known as Pay360).

The options are:

Lunches

Just a reminder that school meals are free for all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. For children in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 the meals are £1.80 per meal, £9.00 per week. This is payable in advance every Monday via Pay360. Information regarding making payments has been sent out in a separate letter/email. Menus are displayed on the school website. If you think that you may be entitled to additional benefits, which includes free school meals (even if your child is in Reception or Key Stage 1), you should contact the One Stop Shop in Bolton Town Hall (telephone: 01204 333333) and your entitlement will be checked. Please can you bring the letter, you will receive from Bolton Council to confirm eligibility, to school as soon as possible.

School Uniform

Children must be sent to school in school uniform each day. They must wear a suitable, waterproof coat every day which should have their name in it. If children want to wear headscarves then they must be either black, white or red and they must be removed when taking part in P.E. (for health and safety reasons). Footwear must be black and suitable for wearing in school throughout the day (no high heels or high boots etc). The children must also have a P.E. kit in school, consisting of a plain white t-shirt, navy or black shorts for gymnastics and tracksuit pants for outside games. Black pumps must also be worn. This will need to be washed and returned to school after every PE Lesson. If your child has pierced ears, then small studs only are allowed. These will need to be removed for P.E. lessons. Please can I remind you to ensure all your child’s uniform is clearly labelled with their name.

PE Lessons

Throughout the year, as well as a weekly PE lesson, the children will have additional gymnastics lessons taught by a specialist coach from Beth Tweddle Gymnastics.

Online Safety

The internet is amazing! Children can play, learn, create and connect - opening up a whole world of exciting possibilities. But with the digital world changing all the time, and with a possible increased need to use computers for online learning, how can you make sure your child is staying safe? The online world is posing an ever-increasing risk to children and it is important that schools, parents and carers work together to take an active role in teaching children about online dangers and how to act safely when using the internet. As a parent you play a key role in helping your child to stay safe online. We continue with our commitment to protecting our pupils online and have worked with National Online Safety to provide useful tips/advice on our website as well as a link to an online safety course. This course highlights the most prevalent risks that children face in the online world, and provides you with strategies for prevention and protection - for keeping children safe while using websites, games and apps.

Please find below the URL (or click on the link on our website) you need to visit to register your account.

You will need to complete your details and select “I am a: Parent/Carer” from the dropdown: https://nationalonlinesafety.com/enrol/lever-edge-primary-academy

Once you have registered, you will be able to access the “Online Safety for Parents and Carers’ course and National Online Safety’s Resources.

Assessment Week – Monday 22nd November Assessments of all our pupils in reading, writing, maths and SPAG will be carried out during the week beginning Monday 22nd November. Please ensure that your child is in school for these assessments as they are very important.

Homework Diaries

Please may we remind you to sign your child’s Homework Diary every week. The diary details your child’s reading for the week and will include their homework. Parents reading and signing the diary is important as it helps support the work carried out in the school.

Sharing Information

Our school website contains a wealth of important information for parents which is regularly updated. It also has links to a number of resources for supporting children with their learning. Please make sure you visit us at: www.leveredgeprimaryacademy.co.uk

School also has a Twitter account where we frequently tweet updates about things happening in school. Please visit @LeverEdgePri or access via the link on the school website. Please can all parents make sure we have your most up to date mobile number to ensure you receive any texts.

We also need an up to date email address from you to help with correspondence. We will continue to share information on Class Dojo.

This ranges from your child’s behaviour rewards (Dojo Points) to direct personal messages, whole school information and sharing of work so please make sure you’re connected and regularly check your account!

Attendance

It is vital for all children to return to school to minimise, as much as possible, the long term impact of the pandemic on children’s education, wellbeing and wider development. Missing out on any more time in the classroom risks children falling further behind. It is therefore vitally important that every child comes to school every day. 1 day missed can be equivalent to 5 lessons – if your child misses a week, then they have missed out on 25 lessons that their class friends have completed.

It is important that school is notified when a child is absent, particularly if they are displaying symptoms of Coronavirus. This must be done on the first day of absence and can be done by telephone, letter or by calling into school. Failure to do so could result in your child’s absence being recorded as unauthorised. Parents who choose to take their children out of school without authorisation run the risk of having a Fixed Penalty Fine of £120.00 per parent/per child (reduced to £60.00 if paid within 21 days), imposed upon them. Furthermore, it is highly likely that the child could lose their place at school if absence exceeds ten school days. Lever Edge Primary Academy has a very long waiting list for places in each year group. If children are taken out of school without authorisation and other parents are waiting for a place for their child, then this place may have to be offered to a child on the waiting list. Please remember, parents have no legal right to take their children out of school for a holiday and that holidays in term time will NOT be authorised. It is also important to note, that in the current circumstances, with the potential of needing to quarantine when returning from any trip abroad, this could also lead to unauthorised absences and potential fines. Appointments must NOT be made during the school day - routine doctors or dentist appointments during the school day will not be authorised.

After School Clubs

This Term The following clubs will be taking place during this first half term. Further details about each club will be sent out separately to the appropriate Year Groups. Other clubs may be added as the term progresses.

Class Assemblies

Below is a list of class assembly dates for this term. All Parents are welcome to attend their child’s class assembly. We look forward to seeing you all at these happy events.

School Trips

Each class will have two trips or visitors each term. One of these trips will be funded by the school; for the second trip we will ask for a parental contribution.

If contributions are not made by all children then the trips may not be able to take place. Please contact the school office if you are finding it difficult to make the contributions.

Spanish Day!

We have taken the decision to change the language taught in school from French to Spanish. To start off this new and exciting venture, we will be having a Spanish Day to find out more about the people and the culture of Spain. It will take place on Friday 24^th September to tie in with National Languages Day on 26^th September. The children can come dressed in something in the colours of the Spanish flag!

Swimming

Year 5 will be starting their swimming lesson week beginning Monday 4^th October – further details will follow.

Year 4 will have their lesson in the Spring Term and Year 6 during the Summer Term.

Parent Workshops

We have a number of parent workshops planned for the Autumm Term and would love it if you could join us.

Further details will be sent in a separate letter.

Phonics and Reading for KS1 parents – 16.09.21

Phonics for Reception Parents – 30.09.21

Maths for Year 5 and Year 6 Parents – 22.09.21

Maths for Year 3 and Year 4 Parents – 23.09.21

Maths for Year 1 and Year 2 Parents – 01.10.21

Important Dates for Parents to Note