Home Learning:

Our teaching staff continue to update the weekly tasks, uploaded to Hwb, J2E, Class Dojo and our school website.  We are loving the examples of work that you are sharing with us!!  Please keep them coming!!

We are constantly reviewing our approach, to try and find the right balance between providing ‘too much’ or ‘too little’ work.  It is inevitable that each of our children (and families) will have different experiences from home learning, as we all have different scenarios that we are living in.  All that we ask, is that families do what they can.  It is obviously important for the children to be working, but this is a difficult time for everyone, and the primary focus should be keeping our households healthy, safe, happy and in a positive mindset.

If you are experiencing difficulties, please see the helpful weblinks on our school website:  (https://www.mayalsprimary.co.uk/support-for-parents/).

Home learning books – We have been contacted by some pupils, to tell us that they have completed their first home learning book.  Well done!!  If you have any other books / paper in the house, it is perfectly fine to continue using these.  Otherwise, I will be in school this Thursday, and will leave a box of books next to the front gate, should you want to collect one. 

May I please remind you though, that this should only be done if there is no other way for your child to record their work.  Also, if you do decide to come and collect a book, please abide to social distancing guidelines (should there be more than one person collecting at a time), and please do not enter the school grounds / premises, under any circumstances.

Difficulties accessing online ‘Home Learning’ – As mentioned in previous updates; if you are struggling to access the online home learning content, please let us know, so that we can look at how to support you in doing so.

National Tests:

This week, the Welsh Minister for Education announced that there will be no National Tests in primary schools, during this academic year. 

Trips / Residentials:

We are very sad to tell you that both our residential trips for this year have been cancelled by the providers. 

We have been able to speak to Llain (the providers of the Year 6 trip), and are in the process of organising refunds.  Year 6 parents should expect to be contacted by Mrs Lomas over the coming days, regarding this.  If you have not already had an email from Mrs Lomas, or do not receive one over the next couple of days, then please let me know.

We are still working hard to finalise arrangements with the Urdd Centre (providers of the Year 3 and 4 trip).  Once we have their more information from them, we will be sure to let parents know immediately.

Free School Meals:

The local authority are proposing changes to the way they provide meals for eligible families, during the period of school closure.  They will be contacting families over the coming week.

It is very important that they have up to date contact details for all of our eligible families.  If you think that you may be eligible, and have not already received an email from Mrs Lomas, then please let us know so that we can update your records and notify the local authority.

Moving Forward:

Despite the confusion and speculation that was amassed from the weekend’s announcements in England; Welsh schools have had very little indication that there will be any immediate change to the processes that are currently in place.   In fact, Kirsty Williams made a statement last week, clarifying:

The situation for schools in Wales will not change on 1 June. You have my guarantee that we will give everyone time to plan ahead of a next phase starting.

Our school senior leadership team are regularly discussing, and preparing for, the measures that we may need to put in place in Mayals.  When the time for us to return finally arises, and when we know what this looks like - we will be ready.  However, for the immediate future, this will not be the case. 

Of course, as soon as we have any more information on the situation, we will share this with you.

Reports:

Lastly, it is coming around to that time of year where school staff are beginning to write Summer reports.  With the current circumstances, I hope that you understand that we have had to make some slight amendments to the template that has been used over the past few years. 

We will still be reporting on the core aspects of the children’s achievements and attainment, as well as the personal milestones that each child has overcome during the academic year.  However, we have decided not to officially report on end of year levels, reading ages, attendance, etc, as we have not been able to collect up to date assessments since February.  All these will be better discussed, during Autumn term parent/teacher consultations, when we are (hopefully) back to the normality of school, and we have been able to more accurately assess the impact of the lockdown.

One aspect that we are keen to keep, is the pupil comments.  Below is a small number of questions that will be included in your child’s report.  Could we please ask you work with your children to provide brief answers for each of the questions, and then return them to your class teacher through email, J2E, Hwb or Class Dojo.  All those that we receive back will be included in your child’s report.  Many thanks!

Child’s Name:

My Best Friends:

My Funniest Moment:

My Favourite Moment:

I am Especially Proud of:

My Next Steps (One target):