Dear Parents and Carers

We would like to wish you a Happy New Year and hope that 2021 will offer brighter prospects than the latter part of last year. I hope that you have been able to have some quality time over the Christmas break despite the changes to arrangements imposed by the moves in the tier system.

I have left sending this message as long as possible, given the daily changes being made by the DfE on the status of schools re-opening. At the time of sending this message (Sunday morning), the information we have is that Hampshire schools will re-open as planned on Monday 4^th January 2021. As school is fully open, the DfE expectation remains that children should be in attendance unless self-isolating due to a positive test result/waiting for a test result. We are not permitted to set work for children who are not in attendance through parental choice, only when a year group is sent home or a pupil is prevented from attending due to a test result status. This will mean that non-attendance will be have to be marked as unauthorised absence.

Due to the heightened concerns over the virus spread, I would like to request that for the arrival and end of the day routines for years 3 and 4 you try to adhere to the arrival windows so that you bring your child and do not have to wait in the playground (year 3). The doors to the year 3 and year 4 pupils open at 8.50 to 9 am, so if you arrive in this window you can either send your child in directly without needing to come onto site, or can walk them though and leave immediately. At the end of the day aim to arrive for the scheduled finish time of 3.10pm rather than earlier (unless you have collected children from NBIS or NBJS upper school). All adults and secondary aged children should be wearing a face covering unless medically exempt when in site, you should try to remain at least 2m socially distanced.

Over the Christmas break we remained on alert for track and trace contacting, but no messages were received regarding positive results from within the school. This high level of vigilance should be maintained, and if you are advised to self-isolate by the T&T system, you must follow their guidance.

Please remember that when a member of your household displays symptoms of Coronavirus which results in a test being arranged, all members of the household should isolate at home until the test results are received.  All test results should then be shared with the school office to support authorising absences appropriately.

Should the situation change regarding local school opening, we will advise you by ParentMail or monitor the scrolling banner on the school website.

The temperatures are forecasted to be below average for this week, so please send in children with track suit bottoms on outdoor games days.