SCHOOL MOVEMENT TO ONLINE LEARNING FROM TUESDAY 5TH JANUARY 2021
July Newsletter
Home Learning Development
We're really conscious that nearly 400 of our children can't yet return to school, so we're developing our home learning provision in a way that will give children at home the chance to interact with others in their year group as well as get feedback on and help with their work.
So, if you are struggling to access our home learning through the school website and would like a platform for your child to work through, SeeSaw can used on a desktop/laptop or through an app on a mobile device.
We will be running Seesaw for year groups Y1 through to Y6 for the remainder of this term. Your child can submit their work and receive feedback on it from a member of staff. Children can also interact with others in their year group through moderated comments. We hope it'll help keep children feeling connected to school and their friends until our September return.
We've also set the system up in case we're forced to close at some point in the future should the need arise. It means we'll be able to pick up and restart home learning much more quickly in an emergency.
We'll also endeavour to add tasks from the work being done in school over time so parents who've decided not to return their children don't miss out too much.
Unfortunately, we need to run this platform as a year group rather than in individual classes as classroom staff are allocated to running childcare provision or YR, Y1 or Y6 bubbles during their working day.
A member of staff will respond to messages or submitted work when possible but responses may not always be immediate. Please fill in your child's name and a contact email address on the linked form below and we will message out login details to join the year groups.
Feedback from parents who were part of our recent trial has been very positive.
Nb. We'll continue to use Tapestry for our Reception children and paper copies of home learning tasks are available on request.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx…
So, if you are struggling to access our home learning through the school website and would like a platform for your child to work through, SeeSaw can used on a desktop/laptop or through an app on a mobile device.
We will be running Seesaw for year groups Y1 through to Y6 for the remainder of this term. Your child can submit their work and receive feedback on it from a member of staff. Children can also interact with others in their year group through moderated comments. We hope it'll help keep children feeling connected to school and their friends until our September return.
We've also set the system up in case we're forced to close at some point in the future should the need arise. It means we'll be able to pick up and restart home learning much more quickly in an emergency.
We'll also endeavour to add tasks from the work being done in school over time so parents who've decided not to return their children don't miss out too much.
Unfortunately, we need to run this platform as a year group rather than in individual classes as classroom staff are allocated to running childcare provision or YR, Y1 or Y6 bubbles during their working day.
A member of staff will respond to messages or submitted work when possible but responses may not always be immediate. Please fill in your child's name and a contact email address on the linked form below and we will message out login details to join the year groups.
Feedback from parents who were part of our recent trial has been very positive.
Nb. We'll continue to use Tapestry for our Reception children and paper copies of home learning tasks are available on request.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx…
Newsletter June 2020
Follow the link to download a copy of the June 2020 Newsletter

June 2020 Newsletter | |
File Size: | 854 kb |
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PDF of Letter to Parents 05.06.20 | |
File Size: | 651 kb |
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Reduced Menu for the Summer Term 2020
information regarding the re-opening of school letter - dated 02.06.20
Letter to Parents from the Kaleidoscope Trust Board 29th May 2020

Letter to Parents 29th May 2020 | |
File Size: | 350 kb |
File Type: |
Dropping off and Picking up children routine
Information for the planned re-opening for Reception, Year 1 & Year 6
Letter to Parents from Simon Marriott, CEO of Kaleidoscope MAT 18.05.20
Update on the Prime Ministers Announcement Last Night (10th May 2020)
UPDATE ON THE PM'S ANNOUNCEMENT LAST NIGHT:
We now know a little more about what the government’s ambition is for schools to begin admitting more children after last night's announcement.
More detailed guidance has been promised to schools today at around 2pm. This will be a key document that will to allow our Trust Board and school governors to begin making decisions about how we might be able to admit more pupils safely.
The Prime Minister stated that "As things stand, there is no prospect of more pupils in schools until 1st June at the earliest". So, for the moment we are going to maintain our current online provision to families as well as the care provision for front line worker families, whilst undertaking the huge amount of preparation work needed if children are to be admitted as safely as possible.
We do not want to see classrooms empty for a day longer than they need to be. But there is not a school leader in the land who wants to risk admitting more pupils unless it is perfectly clear that it is absolutely safe.
Just like us, you will, I am sure, have many, many questions. Our advice is that, in the short-term nothing has changed, and that further information will be provided in the coming days and weeks once the government has issued more detailed guidance.
Our thanks in anticipation of your patience and continued support.
(Please note that we can't respond to comments or queries on our timeline).
#WeAreAshcombe
We now know a little more about what the government’s ambition is for schools to begin admitting more children after last night's announcement.
More detailed guidance has been promised to schools today at around 2pm. This will be a key document that will to allow our Trust Board and school governors to begin making decisions about how we might be able to admit more pupils safely.
The Prime Minister stated that "As things stand, there is no prospect of more pupils in schools until 1st June at the earliest". So, for the moment we are going to maintain our current online provision to families as well as the care provision for front line worker families, whilst undertaking the huge amount of preparation work needed if children are to be admitted as safely as possible.
We do not want to see classrooms empty for a day longer than they need to be. But there is not a school leader in the land who wants to risk admitting more pupils unless it is perfectly clear that it is absolutely safe.
Just like us, you will, I am sure, have many, many questions. Our advice is that, in the short-term nothing has changed, and that further information will be provided in the coming days and weeks once the government has issued more detailed guidance.
Our thanks in anticipation of your patience and continued support.
(Please note that we can't respond to comments or queries on our timeline).
#WeAreAshcombe
School Reopening Speculation - 8th May 2020
There has been flood of speculation, both online and in the media, about when schools may reopen. Lots of parents have also been asking us during the calls we've made home to families this week. It's clear that many of you are very concerned about what happens next, and so are we.
The truth is that none of us in school know yet. Parents may not realise, but schools are informed at the same time as you are. We get no advance warning and we've had no information on any plan to reopen yet from the Department for Education.
The Government are due to make an announcement to the public on Sunday, so like many of you we will be glued to our TVs to see what their plan is for the nation's schools and the wider strategy to exit lock down.
We will then have to consider these instructions as a staff team and work out what we need to do in response. Our promise is to keep you informed as soon as we know. We'd also ask for your patience too as we work out what these instructions, whenever they arrive, mean for our children and families.
The safety and welfare of the children and staff at our fantastic school will ALWAYS be our number one priority and is non-negotiable.
In the meantime, we'd reiterate the importance of the Government's guidance to stay at home and stay safe this Bank Holiday weekend.
#WeAreAshcombe
The truth is that none of us in school know yet. Parents may not realise, but schools are informed at the same time as you are. We get no advance warning and we've had no information on any plan to reopen yet from the Department for Education.
The Government are due to make an announcement to the public on Sunday, so like many of you we will be glued to our TVs to see what their plan is for the nation's schools and the wider strategy to exit lock down.
We will then have to consider these instructions as a staff team and work out what we need to do in response. Our promise is to keep you informed as soon as we know. We'd also ask for your patience too as we work out what these instructions, whenever they arrive, mean for our children and families.
The safety and welfare of the children and staff at our fantastic school will ALWAYS be our number one priority and is non-negotiable.
In the meantime, we'd reiterate the importance of the Government's guidance to stay at home and stay safe this Bank Holiday weekend.
#WeAreAshcombe
How to use our On Line Learning Resources with Mr Penny
Pastoral Care
Our incredible Learning Mentor team will be working tirelessly in the coming weeks to support families in the greatest need. They will be in touch regularly with the families they work with to see how things are. They can be contacted (during working hours) on the numbers below :
- Kathie Light (Pastoral lead): 07769932466
- Karen Low: 07739862472
- Lorraine Francis: 07769948890
- Karen Selway: 07739862471
They can help with Foodbank vouchers as well as other sources of emergency help all in the strictest confidence.
Families in our schools who are supported by external agencies or with whom we have worked very closely due to a variety of vulnerabilities will be contacted by school staff on a regular basis throughout the period of closure. Likewise, we are setting up procedures regarding the reporting of safeguarding concerns
23rd March 2020
UPDATE ON FREE SCHOOL MEALS PROVISION DURING SCHOOL'S CLOSURE:
We have sent all the details of our families who are eligible for free school meals to the Government organisation who will be managing the voucher system during this national school closure.
We're now waiting, along with all schools, to hear how this will operate. As soon as we get this direction we will post up details here about how you can claim them.
In the event of an emergency one of our learning mentor team can be contacted in school hours on the numbers detailed above:
#WeAreAshcombe
- Kathie Light (Pastoral lead): 07769932466
- Karen Low: 07739862472
- Lorraine Francis: 07769948890
- Karen Selway: 07739862471
They can help with Foodbank vouchers as well as other sources of emergency help all in the strictest confidence.
Families in our schools who are supported by external agencies or with whom we have worked very closely due to a variety of vulnerabilities will be contacted by school staff on a regular basis throughout the period of closure. Likewise, we are setting up procedures regarding the reporting of safeguarding concerns
23rd March 2020
UPDATE ON FREE SCHOOL MEALS PROVISION DURING SCHOOL'S CLOSURE:
We have sent all the details of our families who are eligible for free school meals to the Government organisation who will be managing the voucher system during this national school closure.
We're now waiting, along with all schools, to hear how this will operate. As soon as we get this direction we will post up details here about how you can claim them.
In the event of an emergency one of our learning mentor team can be contacted in school hours on the numbers detailed above:
#WeAreAshcombe
#WeAreAshcombe
#WeAppreciateYou
Urgent Message to Parents - Sunday 22nd March 2020
As we enter a critical week in the fight against the coronavirus please, please only send your child to school on Monday if your work is CRITICAL to the national Covid-19 response.
The national message is clear- stay at home. Please support your school's staff and the NHS by following this advice.
https://twitter.com/GavinWilliam…/status/1241421903354564609
The national message is clear- stay at home. Please support your school's staff and the NHS by following this advice.
https://twitter.com/GavinWilliam…/status/1241421903354564609