Cotmanhay Junior School
Safe, Happy Learning
Latest News
Keep up to date with all the news happening in school at the moment.
Please click a headline to read more.
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Drop off arrangements
Tue 03 Nov 2020We've had a really positive start to the new half term. We know there's a national lockdown looming, but we have had no positive cases in school and we know our health and safety protocols are strong.
I wanted to say a huge thank you to all parents who have taken to wearing masks on site. This gives us great confidence and we're grateful!
In the mornings, it is still a challenge to manage all the children as they arrive in their year group bubbles. There are a lot of people in a small space and we need to improve this handover arrangement.
Current arrangements are:
Year 3 and 4 arrive from 0840. They will go in to school at 0845.
Year 5 and 6 arrive from 0845. They will go in to school at 0850.
No pupils should arrive before 0840. At 0840, staff are out and will assume responsibility for the children as they arrive.
At present too many parents are waiting with their children unnecessarily. We cannot have groups of parents waiting on the car park. It's just too busy.
So, can I please politely request for parents to either leave the school site when they drop their children or, at least, move away from the children towards the exits? Parents who need to go to the infant playground should go straight there.
If the situation doesn't improve, I may have to make the difficult decision to put staff on the gates at 0840 and not allow parents on site. I really don't want to have to do this, but if we can't work together to make the handover work more efficiently, then that's a decision I will have to make.
Huge thanks to all parents for their cooperation. Let's work together, to ensure the continued safety of all the children.
Thank you
Simon
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New start times for term 2
Mon 26 Oct 2020Staggered start Term 2
Start times for some years groups will be changing after half term.
Justification: The year 5 and 6 pupils are turning up very early and standing round outside. Staff are outside supervising, when they may as well be inside, teaching.
Additionally, Y5 and 6 are waiting on the grass, which is fast turning into a mud bath.
New times / new lines:
Y3 and 4
Y5 and 6
Arrival time
0840
0845
Entry time
0845
0850
Y3 will line up by the cars closest to the grass, to the right of the steps as you look at them
Y4 will line up by the cars closest to the school on the same side.
Y5 will line up by the cars closest to the grass, to the left of the steps as you look at them
Y6 will line up by the cars closest to the school on the same side
(Note: These are the places they have been lining up, for the past few days)
Staff will not be supervising prior to 0840.
Children should not come onsite before 0840. Before that, children remain the responsibility of their parents.
All children arriving after 0850 will be recorded as late.
We politely ask all parents to wear a face mask and not wait around on the car park.
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Inset Day - Friday 23rd October
Tue 13 Oct 2020Friday 23rd October is an inset day. This means that school will be closed for children. -
Latest guidance for parents and carers
Tue 22 Sep 2020Please see the latest guidance for parents and carers explaining Covid-19 symptoms and when you need to self-isolate. The full document is available in the Newsletters tab.
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Return to school 7.9.20
Mon 31 Aug 2020There are new letters to parents regarding the return to school under the Parents' tab / Newsletter -
Times Table Rock Star dress up day
Wed 22 Jul 2020Times Table Rock Stars Launch Day
On Friday 11th September we are launching Times Table Rock Stars. We would like all pupils (and staff) to dress up as a rock star for the day and take part in different maths activities. There will be a prize for the best rock star outfit in each year group!
This year, we will be having a big focus on Times Table Rock Stars, which will help the children to become fluent in their times tables. In school, we will be following the Times Table Rock Stars programme and each term a child from each class will be nominated by their teacher to go on the ’TTRS Hall of Fame’.
We will be setting TTRS homework which needs to be completed at home. We would appreciate your co-operation to ensure that your child completes this.
We hope this will be a day to remember and will engage all children to use Times Table Rock Stars in and out of school.
We look forward to seeing you and your amazing rock star outfits in September.
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Updated guidance for parents and carers
Fri 03 Jul 2020This week the Government announced that all children, in all year groups, will return to school in September.
To read the Government guidance for parents and carers click the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-in-the-autumn-term
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Wider reopening of school - 15.6.20
Tue 09 Jun 2020Dear
Parents / Carers,
I am writing with an update on the planned wider reopening of school.
It is important that parents are aware that we have remained open throughout the Covid-19 crisis. We have catered for key worker and ‘vulnerable’ children every day, including over the Easter holidays. Staff have also set work to be done at home. Everyone has been working hard. We know you have been too.
We are now confident that we have met all the risk assessment criteria for wider reopening and are therefore able to expand our offer of pupil places. The government have indicated that Junior schools should prioritise pupils from year 6.
However, we have a reduced number of staff available. Of our 12 teachers, only 6 are currently able to work directly with pupils. This is largely because some of our staff are ‘clinically vulnerable’. Also, we can only operate safely, observing social distancing, with maximum class sizes of 10 pupils.
Next week we will have 30 pupils in school who are children of key workers or ‘vulnerable’ children. (Parents of these children know who they are, as most have been coming to school for weeks. Their provision will continue unchanged Monday – Friday, 0900 – 1500. These parents don’t need to do anything. They do not need to email me or make contact with the school.)
This means we have 30 more places for year 6 pupils only.
Unless they are already in school, if you require a place for your year 6 child from 15.6.20 you must email headteacher@cotmanhay-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk even if you have responded to previous surveys.
Pupils will be assigned to groups, who will have staggered start and finish times. In order for us to fully test our health and safety protocols, year 6 pupils entering one of the three new groups next week will only be in school part time – broadly 0930 – 1300, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - depending on the group they are in. We are hopeful that in the weeks following, the school day for these pupils will be longer. However, in line with the Infant School, we will remain closed (except for the key worker/vulnerable pupil classes) every Wednesday for deep cleaning. This is to ensure everyone is as safe as they possibly can be.
We would dearly love to be in a position to bring back more pupils. We miss you all. However, for the reasons indicated, we simply cannot offer any more places than this at the present time.
In the meantime, please continue to work remotely. If you have ordered packs of work, please collect them from the school office. Please continue to read and follow Tom Palmer’s book, set in Cotmanhay, on the school website (Children’s tab).
If visiting school please avoid the beginning and end of the day and note that only one parent is permitted in reception at any one time. Parents should not drive their cars into the car park, in order to preserve pupil safety.
If you have any questions, please email me.
Most of all, stay safe and look after each other. We miss you terribly, but we want you back only when it is safe.
Yours sincerely,
Simon Robinson
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Summer Reading Challenge
Wed 03 Jun 2020Summer Reading Challenge 2020
The Summer Reading Challenge is a national scheme organised by the Reading Agency to encourage children to continue to read during the school holidays. As children have been absent from school due to the Covid-19 pandemic there has never been a more important time to read over the Summer holidays as now!
When
This year, the launch is starting earlier on 05.06.20 to help parents and carers find fun, family-activities, maintaining literacy levels and connecting children with their peers during this period of remote learning from home.
What you need to do
Children and their families will be asked to join the Silly Squad, a group of animals out to have fun and read anything that makes them happy - whether that’s stories, comics, joke books or factual books. The books can be in digital or print format and can either be books that your children have at home or can borrow from Derbyshire Libraries’ e-lending platforms
An official virtual ‘Let’s Get Silly’ launch is happening on Friday 5th June. This will include celebrity and author events for the whole family to enjoy, along with the launch of a new Silly Squad website to support the Challenge. The website will be free to access and feature games, quizzes, digital and downloadable activities to encourage children and their families to take part in the Challenge at home. Derbyshire Libraries will be supporting the Challenge with lots of virtual activities including story and rhymes times, book reviews and craft activity ideas alongside its eBook and eAudio book lending services.
Find out more
Visit https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/ or type ‘Summer Reading Challenge’ into Google.
If your child takes part in the Summer Reading Challenge please let me know in September. Your child will receive a gold sticker in their Community Curriculum booklet for taking part in a community event as well as a certificate and medal from their local library.
Mrs Bower
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Head Teacher's update 30.5.20
Sat 30 May 2020Dear parents,
I am writing to give you information regarding the potential reopening of school to some pupils.
Throughout the crisis, school has remained open for vulnerable children and for children of key workers. However, we are now approaching a stage whereby school may be able to open for more pupils – most likely from year 6.
The first of June has been mentioned by the government as a potential date to bring back more pupils.
However, we have to made sure more children come back only when it is safe to do so.
On 20th May we received a new risk assessment from DCC. All aspects of this risk assessment have to be satisfied prior to more children returning.
That will take time. We are not ready yet.
I will contact you with more information once it is available. In the meantime, please:
- Stay safe
- Stay in contact with your class teacher using Class Dojo
- Get your children to do some work every day – some teachers have issued work books and work packs and other projects
- Even if you can’t do these – please listen to your child read every day. It doesn’t have to be a book. They can read from a child friendly website for instance.
- All our children should go to the school website Children’s tab and read This Story is for You, written by myself and award winning author Tom Palmer.
https://www.cotmanhay-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk/this-book-is-for-you/
This is a book about a boy living in Cotmanhay. He even goes to Cotmanhay Junior School! A new chapter comes out every Monday so keep looking out for it! There will be 10 chapters in total. From Monday there will be worksheets and questions to answer for each chapter.
You can also find the first 4 chapters on YouTube, read by members of school staff.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVNMhPekT3VEBJOO89nrehQ/
Chapter 1 – Read by Mr Robinson
Chapter 2 – Read by Tom Palmer
Chapter 3 – Read by Mrs Weston
Chapter 4 – Read by Miss Payne
Chapter 5 – Read by Mrs Weeds (released Saturday 6th June)
- Also, this is a great time to practice times tables and spellings
If you have any problems, I am available on headteacher@cotmanhay-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk
For enquiries about lunch vouchers it’s info@cotmanhay-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk
Additionally, there will be a senior leader in the school office on 0115 9322011 every week day from 0900.
Take care. Stay safe.
Mr Robinson
