Forefield Junior School - News & Events: News Round-Up

Latest School News and Guidance

On this page, we aim to provide you with the latest school news, along with guidance concerning our response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Please check this page regularly to ensure that you are familiar with any changes that have been made in our continuing efforts to keep everyone safe.

'Forefield Matters', our weekly newsletter, is also available to download here.

Please visit the Class Pages for information specific to your child's class, including start and finish times, and correct gates and entry points.

19th October - Class Closure Information

2nd October - Changes to Entrance 6 (3S - 8:30am, 3K - 8:45am, 4S - 9:00am)

From Monday, 5th October, there will be a designated waiting area within the school grounds to help alleviate the bottleneck on Forefield Lane. Gates will be marked with arrows to show ‘in’ and ‘out’ and painted red shields will show you where to wait.

It is vital that everyone plays their part in maintaining social distancing, wearing face coverings and arriving/leaving the school promptly. With cases on the rise throughout our region we all need to work together. Thank you.

REMEMBER: IF YOUR CHILD OR ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD IS DISPLAYING SYMPTOMS THEN YOU SHOULD NOT ATTEND SCHOOL.

24th September

22nd September - Letter to Parents & Carers: Class Closure

21st September - Director of Public Health Letter to Headteachers

17th September - Important Letter to Parents & Carers from Sefton Council

School Attendance and Absence Reporting

The government has clearly stated the aim to see all pupils back in school from September and, therefore, attendance is mandatory. We have seen the vast majority of our children in school this week. Obviously, children do become ill (especially during the winter months) so please continue to notify the school office if your child is absent. The Pupil Absence guide, below, outlines the procedures to follow should your child, or anyone in your household, displays Covid-19 symptoms.

What to do if...	Action needed	Return to school when …
My child has Covid-19 symptoms: HIGH TEMPERATURE – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back. A NEW CONTINUOUS COUGH – this means coughing a lot more than just an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24hrs. A LOSS OR CHANGE TO YOUR SENSE OF SMELL OR TASTE – this means you have noticed you cannot smell or taste anything.	DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL. Contact school to inform us. Self-isolate the whole household for 14 days. Get a test. INFORM SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY ABOUT TEST RESULT.	…the test comes back negative.
My child tests positive for Covid-19.	DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL. Contact school to inform us. Agree an earliest date for possible return – Minimum of 10 days. Self –isolate the whole household for 14 days. Bubble isolates/remote learning	...they feel better. They can return after 10 days even if they have a cough or loss of taste/smell. These symptoms can last for several weeks.
My child tests negative.	CONTACT THE SCHOOL. Discuss when your child can come back to school (same day/next day).	…the test comes back negative.
My child is ill with symptoms not linked to Covid-19.	FOLLOW USUAL SCHOOL ABSENCE POLICY PROCEDURE.	…after 48hrs following the last bout of sickness/diarrhoea, if this is the cause of absence.
Someone in my household has Covid-19 symptoms.	DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL. Contact school Self-isolate the whole household for 14 days. Household members to get tested. INFORM SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY ABOUT TEST RESULTS.	…the test comes back negative.
Someone in my household tests positive for Covid-19.	DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL. Contact school. Agree an earliest date for possible return – Minimum of 14 days.	…the child has completed 14 days of isolation.
NHS test & trace has identified my child has been in close contact of someone with symptoms of confirmed Covid-19.	DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL. CONTACT SCHOOL. Agree an earliest date for possible return - Minimum of 14 days.	…the child has completed 14 days of isolation.
We/my child has travelled and has to self-isolate as a period of quarantine.	Do not take unauthorised leave in term time. Consider quarantine requirements and FCO advice when booking travel. Returning from a destination where quarantine is needed – agree an earliest date for possible return - Minimum of 14 days from return date. Self-isolate the whole household.	…the quarantine period of 14 days has been completed.
We have received medical advice that my child must resume shielding.	DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL. CONTACT SCHOOL. Shield until you are informed that restrictions are lifted and shielding is paused again.	…school will inform you that restrictions have been lifted and your child can return to school.
My child’s bubble is closed due to a Covid-19 outbreak in school.	DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL. At home, support your child with remote education provided by school. Your child will need to isolate for 14 days.	…school will inform you when the bubble will be reopened.
My child’s class, from another school, has been sent home because a pupil or member of staff has tested positive for Covid-19.	Only the child who was sent home is required to self-isolate. Other members of the household do not need to self-isolate, unless any of them develop symptoms.	Any other children should attend school as usual.

What to bring to school

Please ensure that your child has their own (named) water bottle and packed lunch. Bags are allowed in school, but we are encouraging children to keep their use to a minimum. On ‘Games’ days, children should arrive in their kit and do not need to change into uniform. Uniform does not have to be washed daily.

Dropping off/collecting

We are very fortunate to have several access points to our school grounds and together with staggered start/finish times and classes using different entry points we have tried to minimise the potential for large groups gathering outside school. To aid us further, please:

Limit to 1 the number of adults accompanying a child to school.
Where possible, find a space to wait away from others (this is easier on the playground).
If waiting for Entry Points 1 or 6, stay close to the school railings so that other pedestrians can use the pavement on Forefield Lane.
Avoid standing in the road.
With 360 pupils, we don’t have much flexibility with timings – but please contact school if you have a problem that we can help you with.

Paperless Homework

As set out in our guidance back in July, we are introducing a ‘paperless’ system for homework.
Seesaw is a platform for empowering students to demonstrate and share their learning. Students will use the tools in the Seesaw app to create, reflect and demonstrate their learning.

Further details explaining how to access SeeSaw will be issued shortly. In the meantime, you should receive a text message asking you to give parental consent for the children to use SeeSaw. The text will direct you, via School Money, to an online page where you can give your consent. Many of you will have already used this to consent to school trips. We are not asking for a payment, simply that you give permission for your child to use SeeSaw.

If you do not receive a text it may be because you need to update your contact details or you are a new parent and haven’t yet returned your ‘Pink Form.’ Please contact the school office if unsure.

Whilst it may take a little while to get everybody ‘up and running’ this is a fantastic opportunity to reduce the amount of paper and avoid children losing or forgetting the homework!

Information from Sefton Council

Sefton Council has asked us to make the following information available to parents and carers.

Autumn Term at Forefield Junior School

Following government guidance, and after completing a risk assessment, we have set out changes to our provision from September 2020. Please be aware that we will be reviewing our procedures regularly in response to national/ local events and any updated government guidance.

Guidance	How this will look at FJS
Staggered start and finish times	Children will be allocated a start and finish time for their teaching group. It is very important that they stick to this time and that a 2m distance is kept between adults and children around the school gate. If a child needs to be accompanied, only one parent should attend. Parents should avoid gathering at entrance gates or doors, or enter the playground or school site (unless they have a pre-arranged appointment, which should be conducted safely). If children travel to school by bike/scooter they should immediately store them in the area provided and ensure that they then wait at the correct Entry Point. *Please see* the Class Pages of this website, including the specific gates/entry points and timings.
Cleaning rotas	Teaching staff will have access to appropriate cleaning materials in the classroom. Cleaning staff will ensure all areas are thoroughly cleaned – aided by a ‘clear surface’ policy in classrooms. High touch points such as light switches will be cleaned more frequently than usual and doors will be wedged open where possible to limit the amount of ‘high touch’ surfaces.
PODs	Our classrooms will look a little different, as pupils will face towards the teacher and sit side-by-side not face to face. Each POD will remain in the same classroom with the same people as far as possible. This measure is necessary to limit any cross-contamination.
Teaching staff	Each teaching group will have consistent class teachers and teaching assistants may also be allocated, depending on the needs of the children in that group. These adults will remain with this group as far as possible. Staff are able to teach across different PODs maintaining social distancing as far as possible.
Teaching Assistants	Teaching assistants will be allocated to certain groups according to need but will still need to social distance. This will mean that children will get the support they need but may need to be encouraged to work with more independence than usual.
Use of stationery	Children should not bring their own stationery/pencil cases. We will provide children with pens, pencils etc and they will not be able to share this equipment. Each child will have their own tray to store their equipment.
Shared Resources	Each POD has access to their own play equipment and individual maths resources. We will minimise sharing and ensure regular cleaning. Shared resources such as PE equipment will be cleaned before use in another POD
Temperature Checks	Children will not routinely have their temperature checked in school, however if we are concerned that a child is unwell, we will carry out a check with a ‘non-contact’ infra-red thermometer. Where a child or adult is displaying symptoms we will follow the PHE guidance (available on our website).
Assembly & Class Assemblies	Sadly, whole school assembly is not allowed currently. However, each class will provide time for daily reflection. Unfortunately, we are not currently able to invite parents into school to watch class assemblies, but the children will be given the opportunity to create a ‘virtual’ class assembly during the year to share via the website or Twitter. Mr Swift will announce PROUD certificates using technology – teachers will inform him of the names of winners by Thursday (pm).
Marking books	Marking of books will be limited to avoid any virus transmission to staff. Children will be able to self-mark where possible (for example in maths) Teachers will still look at children’s work and provide feedback using airserve, verbal feedback and stampers.
Curriculum	Whilst online learning has been available throughout lockdown, the children will have still missed a large chunk of the curriculum. We will therefore have to prioritise the aspects which we feel are most important, particularly within the core subjects of English, maths and science. We have timetabled daily ‘catch up’ sessions to specifically address basic skills.
Breaktimes	Children will still need to abide by social distancing measures at breaktimes. These times will be staggered for each POD. Our Play Leader will ensure that equipment is rotated and encourage more traditional games. With so much focus on staying healthy, it is a good opportunity to reinforce that message in regard to playtime snacks. Please provide fruit not chocolate or sweets.
Lunchtimes	A packed lunch will either be provided by school, at a cost of £2.35 or by parents if you so wish. Lunches will be delivered to classrooms and eaten at desks, rather than in the hall. Juniors will have to pay, unless they are entitled to a free school meal. This will be closely monitored during the Autumn Term as ideally we would wish to offer hot meals as soon as it is possible to do so. There will be time for exercise and these times will be staggered for each POD and will need to comply with social distancing. Welfare staff will supervise the same POD each day.
Water Bottles	As our water fountains will not be in use, children should bring their own bottle of still (not sparking/flavoured) water to school each day. Bottles should be named.
Use of staffrooms	Rotas for breaks and lunchtimes will be operated to minimise the number of staff in each room and there will be 3 ‘staff rooms’ (one external). Staff may leave the premises during lunchtimes.
Pupil handwashing times	Regular handwashing rotas will be in place for teaching groups. The children will wash their hands when coming into school, before eating, after using the bathroom, before leaving school and regularly during the school day. In addition, there are hand sanitiser stations around the building and hand sanitiser in each class.
Homework	From September, we will move to ‘paper-less’ homework using an online APP called SeeSaw. This will reduce the number of items taken home each day and enable teachers to feedback on pupils work without having to take it home themselves. It should have the additional benefit of ‘never losing the sheet’! FULL DETAILS OF HOW TO ACCESS SEESAW WILL BE SHARED IN SEPTEMBER.
Forefield Matters	Our weekly newsletter will be available on our website and via Twitter. This is another step towards reducing the amount of paper used in school whilst maintaining home/school links.
Home/School Diaries	All pupils will be issued with a Home/School Diary in September. As you will only receive this on day 1, we will not have any permissions for pupils to walk home by themselves. To resolve this issue, please send in a note with your child if you give them permission to walk home by themselves.
Online learning continuation	If a POD needs to isolate or if there is a local lockdown, we will continue to provide work via our website and SeeSaw. An appropriate level of work will be provided. Teachers will provide feedback to the class and will aim to make daily contact with their class via SeeSaw.
Parent communication	We will continue to communicate via Teachers2Parents for general matters and via the school email address if parents have individual enquiries. We ask that everyone communicates via email whenever possible rather than sending physical letters into school. Electronic communication is safest by far. The usual October parent consultations to discuss children’s progress will probably be conducted via phone/technology – but we will update you closer to the time.
Office traffic	Our school foyer is not designed for social distancing and we ask that parents email where possible or telephone when email is not an option. We will be limiting visitors to school to an absolute minimum and ask that parents only come to the foyer if it is absolutely necessary. Only one person at a time will be allowed in the foyer. If you are waiting, it is safer to wait outside and at a distance of 2m from others. Unless it is an emergency, parents will only be allowed onsite by prior appointment.
Office layout	Our office staff are already set up to work at a distance of 2m from each other. Only one additional member of staff will be allowed in the school office at a time if they have a query. It will take some getting used to as we have always had an ‘open door’ policy – but in the Autumn Term we ask that you do not arrive in school without an appointment and use email/phone wherever possible.
Borrowing reading books	We are so lucky to have an abundance of reading books for children to borrow. This means that children will be allowed to borrow a book, but upon return it will be placed in a ‘returns’ box for at least 72 hours before being put back on a Library shelf. Unfortunately, our community Library will have to remain closed for the time being.
Test and Trace	If staff or children display symptoms of COVID-19, they must remain at home and book a test. While waiting for test results, the POD can remain in school. If the result is negative, the child or staff member can return to school straight away. If the test is positive, the POD will need to remain at home for 14 days. This will affect the entire POD, which is why we have set up class PODs not year group PODs of 90.
Trips/Residential Visits	We are able to take the children on local visits to enhance their learning, but for now we have not booked any excursions, trips or residential visits. We will, of course, keep a keen eye on the guidance and update you ASAP.
Extra-Curricular Clubs	We will eventually re-start a limited offer of after school clubs. These will initially take place within PODs. These will be outdoors where possible. No contact sports are currently possible but we will be seeking alternatives.
Other curriculum changes	No contact sports can take place currently in PE, but we aim to be outside as much as possible. Although we have been allocated swimming times for Y4 and Y5 classes, we are awaiting further guidance/confirmation of how this will happen – particularly with regard to transport. In music, singing should be avoided and we are seeking a suitable alternative to our Year 4 music lessons. The IT suites will be cleaned between PODs and our iPads will be wiped between use by different PODs.
End of Year Assessment	Year 6 SATs will take place in May 2021 as usual. Year 4 will complete a multiplication tables check in June 2021. The government currently believe that it is important that these assessments continue so that they gain an understanding of the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on this cohort of pupils nationally.
Uniform	From September, all children should wear our school uniform, including black shoes. On ‘Games’ days, children should come to school wearing their kit and trainers. Kit should include navy joggers and a navy hooded top or school sweatshirt/cardigan. Older pupils may wish to bring a spare t-shirt/polo shirt to change into after their lesson, but we are trying to keep ‘changing’ to a minimum.
Attendance	From September, all children should be in school every day and on time, unless they are unwell. Punctuality is vital for the smooth running of each POD. Although we are using additional entrances with staggered timings, the Entry Points are to be used by more than one POD, so please arrive within the allocated 15 minute period.
Behaviour	Children attending PODs during Summer 2020 have adhered to our Behaviour Policy and responded well to the changes. Our rewards and sanctions remain the same – but our Red/Yellow/Green ‘cards’ will not be handed out, just referred to. Children must keep apart, follow routines and regularly wash their hands – not only to keep themselves safe, but everyone around them.

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