Latest News

Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Aneurin Bevan University Health Board Letter

  Wed 24 Feb 2021 R Bearcroft

   

  February 2021

  
  Dear Parent/Carer,
  Thank you for all you have done to help reduce the number of people catching the
  Coronavirus and becoming seriously ill in our local area. The good news is the number
  of new cases has fallen enough for your child/children to be able to return to school.
  We are writing to you to ask for your help in working with us to make this return to
  school a success. We know that as parents you will have felt the strain of your children
  not being at school. You may be worried about their wellbeing, their chances to grow
  and develop, losing out on their friendships and fun, or about them falling behind with
  their learning.
  The steps that we have had to take together have been hard, but have saved lives,
  protected the people most at risk and helped our local health and care services to care
  for us when we need them. The success of our local vaccination programme is
  providing more protection to those at risk and we are working hard to reach everyone
  as quickly as we can.
  We are not able to relax yet, we still need to be careful and keep the levels of infection
  as low as possible as we take this first step and begin to get children back to school.
  The Health Board, the local Council, voluntary and community organisations and Public
  Health Wales continue to work closely together to control the spread of the Coronavirus
  in our local communities, but we cannot succeed without your help and that of everyone
  who lives in our area.
  Our Head teachers and all their staff have worked very hard to make our schools as safe
  as possible. When your child goes back to school we need you to continue to help to
  control the spread of the virus by following the advice below:
   Don’t send your child to school if they are unwell even if you are not sure if it is
  Coronavirus
   Don’t send your child to school if anyone in your household has booked a
  Coronavirus test
   If you need to use public transport or a taxi to take your child to school please do
  so safely, or consider walking or cycling where possible
   Unless you have no choice, please do not share a lift to school with other families
   If someone who uses the school bus service develops Coronavirus, TTP and the
  school will work together to identify the school transport contacts and if your
  child is identified as a contact then they will need to self-isolate
   When you take your child to school and collect them always keep your distance
  from other parents and don’t stay around to chat
   Don’t invite other children (or their parents/carers) to your home to play or stay,
  even outdoors and even if they are in the same bubble at school
   Make sure that your child washes or sanitises their hands regularly, it may help
  to explain to them that this helps to prevent the spread of Coronavirus
   If your child displays symptoms of Coronavirus, they will be sent home. You will
  need to arrange a test for them and ensure that they follow the self- isolation
  guidance
   You should continue to work at home if at all possible.
  Thank you for your help in keeping the virus in check and helping us to keep schools to
  stay open at this time.
  Yours faithfully,
  Dr Sarah Aitken MBBS FFPH
  Executive Director of Public Health and Strategic Partnerships
  Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

• Phased return to School

  Fri 12 Feb 2021 R Bearcroft
  Good Morning,
  I am really pleased to inform you that all Foundation Phase (FP) pupils (Nursery, Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and FP SLIB) will be returning to school on a phased return from Wednesday 24th February, with the intention that all FP pupils will be back in school full time from Monday 1st March.
  To ensure that our pupils’ return to school is safe and smooth, we will be holding shorter sessions on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th February, this will be followed by a longer day on Friday 26th February. Class teachers will post specific times and entry/exit details on the ClassDojo page.
  Wales is still under a Tier 4 lockdown and we must therefore still abide by the national lockdown rules.
  Here is a message from the Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams.… “I must be absolutely clear: we are told time and time again that our education premises are safe but it is the added movement around them that contributes to the R number. So, I must make a plea to all learners, to parents, and carers: please continue to follow the guidelines. By following the guidance restricting contact with others we are able to ensure that our children and young people are able to do what we all want, which is to be back learning alongside their friends.”
  I must therefore reiterate the need for all parents/carers to wear face coverings whilst on school grounds and to adhere to social distancing which, of course, means absolutely no gathering in groups outside the school gates. I want nothing more than our school to return to some form of normality which would include KS 2 pupils returning to their classes. This can only happen if we follow the strict advice given to us by the Welsh Government and the virus rates continue to fall. If the R rate rises in Wales, then schools will once again close. Nobody want this to happen.
  We must avoid more than 1 member of the family bringing FP children to and from school. If you have a KS 2 child and have no one for them to stay with whilst you undertake the school run, they can wait with me outside the main entrance; avoiding mixing outside the FP classrooms.
  Please keep an eye for further information on ClassDojo regarding session times, entry/exit points and school dinners.
  Thank you for your continued support during these times. It is essential that we all work together for the wellbeing of our pupils, staff and wider community.
  
  Stay safe
  Mrs Guy

• Latest update

  Wed 10 Feb 2021 R Bearcroft

  THE NEWPORT ASSOCIATION OF PRIMARY

  HEAD TEACHERS

  Chairperson: Mrs J Giles

  Vice Chairperson: Mr S Rayer

  Secretary: Mrs K Guest

  Treasurer: Mr R Hughes

   

  Tuesday 9th February 2021.

  Return to School for Foundation Phase Pupils

   

  Dear Parents and Guardians,

   

  In line with the recent announcement by Welsh Government, we are currently planning a return to face to face teaching for the younger pupils across the city; those children in Nursery, Reception Class, Year One and Year Two.

   

  Following this announcement last Friday, we committed individually to provide the parents of Foundation Phase pupils across Newport with more detailed plans for a return to school, early this week. However, we regret to inform you that we are not currently in a position to do so.

   

  Schools across Wales are awaiting Welsh Government’s publication of the latest ‘operational guidance’ in response to this decision. Only when we are furnished with this information will we be in a position to update our risk assessments by giving careful consideration to all matters involved, in order to provide reassurance to our whole school communities that the return is as safe as possible for all.

   

  As soon as we are in receipt of this guidance you will be updated as a matter of urgency by the Head Teacher of each primary and special school in Newport.

   

  Kind regards,

  The Newport Association of Primary Head Teachers