March 8th Return to School

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am excited to share with you that the Regional Schools Commissioner has approved the permanent expansion of Moreton School.  This is fantastic news as it means we will benefit from investment in the building and add to the excellent facilities we already have.  Over the next 12 months we will gain several additional classrooms and science labs, a brand new Fitness Suite and additional changing rooms, a new and much larger dining room alongside the refurbishment of our current changing facilities and Sports Hall, subject to planning permission.  We are fortunate that the building work will not impact on the continuity of education for our current students as we plan to complete most of the major internal work over the summer break.  I will update you as the project progresses and look forward to seeing the impact these facilities will have.

It has been a year since we were visited by Ofsted and awarded a ‘Good’ rating across all areas. Our school continues to move from strength to strength, despite the challenges that COVID has presented.  This week we are welcoming a further 210 Year 6 pupils into the Moreton family, a record number of students.  Our numbers have grown rapidly from an admission number of 140 students in 2017!  The new facilities will be essential to continue to provide the excellent standard of care and education that are the hallmark of our lovely school.  We are very much looking forward to meeting all 210 new students as soon as we are able to mix this summer.

After being away from school for so long, it is only natural that many young people will be worried about returning. We are looking forward to welcoming each year group back next week after they have come into school for their lateral flow test. Here is a quick reminder of when they should come in for their first test. They do not need to come into school in uniform for the test but must wear full uniform the following day when they return to lessons. Please contact your child’s Head of Year if there are any issues.

Here are some tips from us on how you can support your child to transition back to school life:

1. Talk to your child about how they are feeling about going back to school and try not to make assumptions. Ask them if they are worried or feel scared about anything, but also if they are excited about or looking forward to something. No matter how your child feels, let them know that it is completely normal to feel a mixture of emotions and that everyone will be in the same boat.
2. Provide your child with as much information about their new routine and school day as you can. We have not changed the bubbles/ classrooms or timings from when they were last in school in December so reassure them of this. During the first two weeks our dining room will look very different as it has been transformed into a testing area. Show your child the pictures of the site on twitter and Instagram so that they are not worried about it.
3. Reassure your child. During the lockdown we have been told to stay at home, remain socially distant from others and wash our hands regularly. This means children may find it difficult to go back to school because it will be a huge change from what they have been asked to do during the pandemic. Talk with your child about ways they can stay safe at school, such as washing their hands before and after eating, and reassure them that the school are putting measures in place to keep them safe.

4. Re-establish a routine to help ease them into school life. During lockdown it is understandable that your family’s routine may have changed. Children are likely to have been waking up later or going to bed later. To help them get ready for school, try to gradually get them back into their usual morning and bedtime routines as they get closer to their return date.

1. Don’t put pressure on yourself. The transition back into school is likely to take some time. Lots of children will experience ups and downs. Try your best to support, reassure and comfort them, without putting pressure on yourself to make sure their homework is done or they settle into a new routine straightaway.
2. Think ahead. As well as reflecting on what has happened during the past few weeks, it is important to help children develop hope and a sense of excitement for the future. At a time like this, it can be hard to feel positive, but identifying the things that they can look forward to will help them to realise that the current situation won’t last forever and their feelings will change. We will be talking to them about how they can, ‘Get Ahead’ and look towards a positive future.
3. Seek support if you need it. Transitioning back to school after being in lockdown is no easy task. You may find that your child struggles to get back into school or experiences difficulties while they’re at school. If this is the case, reach out to us as soon as you can so that you can make us aware of the challenges and work together to support your child. If you are concerned about your child’s mental health and you think they need professional support, speak to the school and your GP about the best next step.

If your child loaned a laptop from us during lockdown, then they can bring it in with them when they come in for their lateral flow test and we can log it back into our system. We understand that they may not be able to access Virtual lessons for the rest of the day on Teams after they have handed it in but we will not penalise them for this.

PE Kit should continue to be worn on the days of PE and Forest Schools lessons but this must be correct kit. We are hoping that we will be able to utilise the changing facilities for Forest Schools following the Easter break, we will update you on this shortly.

Please find enclosed the overview of testing for students for weeks commencing Monday 8^th and Monday 15^th March.

Thank you for all of your continued support throughout these challenging times.  You have done an incredible job of supporting your children with remote learning and I am very much looking forward to welcoming all of them back in to the building next week.  Have a restful weekend and stay safe

Yours sincerely,

Mrs N Bayliss

Headteacher

Form Group Testing Times

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