Keep up to date with all the news happening in the school at the moment. Articles are added during the week. Parents are encouraged to check regularly. Our weekly bulletin, emailed directly to parents, summarises content for the week.

• Baby newts

  Thu 16 Jul 2020 Ellie Lock

  The wildlife pond is absolutely teeming with baby newts! If you brush aside the chickweed you can see dozens of chaps hanging in the water before slowly sinking out of sight, hoping you haven't noticed them. 

  The pond is also full of tiny froglets and all manner of minibeasts waiting for you to come back in September.

  (The chickens aren't allowed anywhere near the pond, much to their disgust. More chicken thoughts here). 

  

• Instrumental tuition in the Autumn term: continuing, cancelling or signing up for lessons

  Thu 16 Jul 2020 Maria Neil-Smith
  At Fielding the Music will go on! Click here to view a letter outlining what we are planning to offer pupils in terms of Instrumental tuition in the Autumn term. This letter explains there is an online Microsoft Form to indicate whether your child would like to continue, cancel or sign up for lessons. The deadline for submitting this form is Monday 27th July 2020. Click here to complete the form but before submitting a response please read our updated terms and conditions for instrumental tuition (available on our website Click here to view). We look forward to hearing from you. 

• Book childcare and specialist clubs on MCAS from 10 August

  Thu 16 Jul 2020 Karen Esprit

  Wrap around childcare, before and after-school, re-opens to all pupils in Reception to Year 6 starting on 3 September. We return with our offer of guaranteeing you a childcare place if you need one.

   

  Places can be booked by MyChildatSchool (MCAS) from 10 August at 8pm. We recommend using the desktop version rather than the mobile device app which needs some improvements. Booking opens for specialist clubs and childcare at the same time. We have delayed opening booking so that we could plan and prepare to re-open safely in September.

   

  We have moved booking from Laser to MCAS as a result of parents' feedback. Improvements include:

  • better user experience
  • ability to hold places in a checkout basket so that siblings and multiple clubs can be booked and paid for at the same time.

   

  Childcare will be organised by year group so that pupils remain in consistent 'bubbles' to minimise the risk of infection being passed on and to contain the spread of any infection.

   

  Our specialist club offer is smaller than usual. We continue working with our providers to increase our offer while putting the safety of pupils and adults first. Watch our 'how to' videos now to get ready for booking from 10 August:

  • How to book and pay for clubs video
  • How to book and pay for childcare video (please ignore mention of bubbles)
  • Specialist clubs, Autumn Term

• Activities and Ideas for the Summer Holidays

  Thu 16 Jul 2020 Narinder Reehal
  With Summer holidays fast approaching, here are some great ideas for activities to do as a family:

  • https://www.verywellfamily.com/summer-fun-ideas-kids-and-parents-3542627
  • https://www.annafreud.org/schools-and-colleges/resources/selfcaresummer-primary-pack/​  - includes a self care plan and "25 creative challenges for the summer holidays"
  • https://parents.actionforchildren.org.uk/covid-19/activity-ideas-for-children-aged-five-to-12/​ - with lots of general information on the home page as well, on topics such as emotional well-being and behaviour. 

• School dinner menus September to October

  Thu 16 Jul 2020

  Harrison's new temporary menu for September to October is now available, to view please see link below.

  Week One

  Week Two

  Children can take any meal for any number of days with no pre-booking or notice period. 

   

• A Huge "Thank You" from your PTFA

  Thu 16 Jul 2020
  As the school year comes to a close, I’d like to say a huge thank you to our parents, teachers and children for all your support both during the lockdown and well before that from September 2019. It’s hard to thank every individual, so here are a few groups who deserve a special mention.

   

  To the Year 6 parents who are leaving Fielding - many thanks for your support over the years.  We have achieved a huge amount in the time your children have been at the school and we'd love to welcome you back at a more ‘social time’ for a proper leaving event. To the class reps - many thanks for your continued help in coordinating and communicating with parents across the school and making all our work possible. And finally to the core PTFA team who delivered some great events this year but who also remained dedicated to our cause even in these uncertain times.

   

  Although our fundraising efforts were curtailed earlier than expected, we have still managed to raise nearly £26,000 - which is impressive considering our biggest fundraising efforts are normally in May and June - thank you all for your support.

   

  While the fluidity of the situation makes it difficult to plan for next year, we look forward to welcoming many of you back in September and if health and safety permits, to bring some groups together.  More news in the next academic year.

   

  For now, I hope you manage to find some relaxation over the summer months wherever that may be.  

  Nolan O'Connor, PTFA Chair.

• Winners announced for Sunflower Competition 2020

  Thu 16 Jul 2020
  Over 230 pupils collected seeds as part of the PTFA's sunflower competition - which started just as the 'Lockdown' began in March.  Of those, we had 86 entries into the competition which was judged on 11/12 July to find the tallest per Year Group (presumably several seedlings didn't make it past the slug invasion!)

  There have been some whoppers and the overall tallest sunflower submitted goes to two different pupils who managed to grow a sunflower to 237cm tall - that is 2.37metres!

  Full results are:

  • Nursery: Michio(210cm), Jack (185cm), Ezra (182cm)
  • Reception: Tom RF (234cm), Louis RP(220cm), Milo RS (168cm)
  • Y1: Delphine 1S (225cm), Bea 1F (215cm), Toby 1S (190cm)
  • Y2: Ishaan 2F (224cm), Ana 2H (212cm), Mila 2P (200cm)
  • Y3: Roshni 3P (220cm), Leo 3P (215cm), Anna 3F (210cm)
  • Y4: Emilia 4S (237cm), Joshua 4F (192cm), Neha 4S (186cm)
  • Y5: Edith 5H (237cm), Amelia 5P (210cm), Aiden 5P (166cm)
  • Y6: Thomas 6P (180cm)

  Winners will receive a special edition mug (Year 1-6) while Nursery and Reception will receive a sunflower toy.  Thank you to everyone who took part and hope you enjoy the flowers over the summer holidays.

• Welcoming pupils back to school in September

  Fri 10 Jul 2020 Peter Dunmall

  Returning to school is vital for children’s education and for their well-being. Time out of school hinders children’s cognitive and academic development, particularly for disadvantaged children. This impact can affect both current levels of learning and children’s future ability to learn. We need to ensure all pupils can return to school sooner rather than later. We have 4 key principles, in line with government guidance, which underpin our approach:

  • every pupil returns to school and receives a high-quality education and prepares them for the next stage of their learning, the opportunities and responsibilities of later life;
  • we identify and fill gaps in pupils learning so that as many as possible meet the standard expected for their age in English and maths;
  • our curriculum is broad, balanced and ambitious. All pupils continue to be taught a wide range of subjects where we balance opportunity against risk of infection;
  • remote education, where needed, is high quality and matches learning in school as closely as possible.

   

  We have a detailed plan for how the school will run from September. Keeping pupils and staff safe continues to be our highest priority. The control measures in our plan seek to reduce the transmission of any coronavirus infection through:

  • a requirement that people who are ill stay at home
  • robust hand and respiratory hygiene
  • enhanced cleaning arrangements
  • active engagement with NHS Test and Trace
  • reducing contacts and maximising distance between those in school wherever possible by:
    • grouping pupils together in 'bubbles'
    • avoiding contact between groups
    • arranging classrooms with forward facing desks
    • staff maintaining distance from pupils and other adults as much as possible
    • minimising potential for contamination as much as we can.

  To help keep everyone safe, we need parents’ understanding and support. Full details may be read in our risk assessment. A short version (although I know this still looks very long) of the most important points:

   

  Reduce the risk of contact with someone who has coronavirus (COVID-19)

  Parents must ensure that their child does not come into school if they have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, or have tested positive in the last 7 days.

  We will ensure that anyone developing symptoms during the school day is sent home. If anyone in the school becomes unwell with a new, continuous cough or high temperature, or has a loss of or change in their normal sense of taste or smell, they will be sent home. We will expect the child to:

  • follow ‘stay at home guidance’
  • self-isolate for at least 7 days
  • take a coronavirus test and report outcome to our admin team (admin@fielding.ealing.sch.uk)
  • other members of household, including siblings to self-isolate for 14 days

  If a child is awaiting collection from school, they will be moved to our Welfare Room (which then becomes our Isolation Room):

  • They will be looked after by an adult, who will maintain a distance of 2m or will wear personal, protective equipment. The child will have access to their own bathroom, which will then be cleaned and disinfected before use by others.

   

  We will make sure that pupils clean their hands thoroughly and more often than usual, including:

  • when they arrive at school
  • when they return from breaks
  • when they change rooms
  • when they use resources shared from other classrooms
  • before and after eating
  • before they leave the site

   

  Catch-it, kill-it, bin-it

  We will encourage pupils to cough and sneeze in a safe way by carrying on with the ‘catch-it, bin-it, kill-it’ approach. There will be enough tissues for everyone in every classroom.

  Face coverings are not recommended by Public Health England for use in schools because pupils mix in consistent groups and misuse may inadvertently increase risk of transmission. If pupils wear a face covering on their journey to school:

  • disposable face masks. Parents to remove from their child and dispose of face masks worn by pupils before entering school site. Lidded bins will be at every entrance gate.
  • re-usable face masks. Parents to remove from their child before entering the school site and store in sealable plastic bag, provided by parent.

   

  We will clean surfaces and classroom resources more often and more thoroughly.

   

  We are minimising contact and mixing between everyone who uses the school site.

  We will do this by balancing and blending two control measures:

  • keeping groups of pupils separate in whole class (and sometimes) year group ‘bubbles’, by class wherever we can and then by year group;
  • adults maintaining distance between others of 1m+ to 2m. Where adults who work in schhol must cross bubbles to support pupils or teach our curriculum, they distance at 2m.

   

  Classes follow a range of simple measures to reduce the risk of spreading any infection. This includes things like desks facing forwards with pupils and adults working side-by-side rather than face-to-face.

   

  Parents can support our distancing measures at drop-off and collection time:

  • extended staggered start from 8.30-9am
  • use preferred entrance and exit gates for each age group to spread everyone out across the site and avoid as much crossing paths as possible:
    • Nursery, Nursery gate,  
    • Year R, Coombe Road, P & S classes, Wyndham Road, H & F classes 
    • Year 1, Coombe Road 
    • Year 2, Fielding Walk 
    • Year 3, Wyndham Road, pedestrian gate 
    • Year 4, Wyndham Road, vehicle gate 
    • Year 5, any gate (pupils only preferred) 
    • Year 6, Wyndham Road, vehicle gate (pupils only) 
  • parents are grown-ups and are asked to use gates and times sensibly to maintain 2m distance rather than us trying to check that you are keeping to the preferred gate.
  • as few adults on-site as possible. All Year 6 and as many Year 5 pupils as possible to walk alone, or part-way, to and from school

   

  Break and lunch times are staggered with playground zones and resources for each class/year group. Pupils will avoid mixing with other classes and keep to their own zone.

   

  School events involving parents face-to-face on site are postponed. Some cannot take place while others, like class sharing assemblies, will be live streamed and recorded. While partially open this term, parents have supported us by arriving on time, with everything that pupils need for the day so that there is no need to visit the school office. We will continue these arrangements and talking to you by telephone or email.

   

  We ask that our whole community engages with the NHS Test and Trace process, as follows:

  • book a test if they are displaying symptoms. Staff and pupils must not come into the school if they have symptoms, and must be sent home to self-isolate if they develop them in school. All children can be tested, including children under 5, but children aged 11 and under will need to be helped by their parents/carers if using a home testing kit
  • provide details of anyone they have been in close contact with if they were to test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or if asked by NHS Test and Trace
  • self-isolate if they have been in close contact with someone who develops coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms or someone who tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19)

   

  Anyone who displays symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) can and should get a test. Tests can be booked online through the NHS testing and tracing for coronavirus website, or ordered by telephone via NHS 119 for those without access to the internet. Essential workers, which includes anyone involved in education or childcare, have priority access to testing.

   

  Parents should tell us immediately of the results of a test:

  • if someone tests negative, if they feel well and no longer have symptoms similar to coronavirus (COVID-19), they can stop self-isolating. They could still have another virus, such as a cold or flu – in which case it is still best to avoid contact with other people until they are better. Other members of their household can stop self-isolating.
  • if someone tests positive, they should follow the ‘stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection’ and must continue to self-isolate for at least 7 days from the onset of their symptoms and then return to school only if they do not have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell/taste. This is because a cough or anosmia can last for several weeks once the infection has gone. The 7-day period starts from the day when they first became ill. If they still have a high temperature, they should keep self-isolating until their temperature returns to normal. Other members of their household should continue self-isolating for the full 14 days.

   

  We will take swift action when we become aware that someone who has attended has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). We will take immediate advice from the local health protection team. This team will also contact schools directly if they become aware that someone who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) attended the school – as identified by NHS Test and Trace. The health protection team will carry out a rapid risk assessment to confirm who has been in close contact with the person during the period that they were infectious, and ensure they are asked to self-isolate.

   

  We will contain any outbreak by following local health protection team advice

  If the school has 2 or more confirmed cases within 14 days, or an overall rise in sickness absence where coronavirus (COVID-19) is suspected, there may be an outbreak in our school community.

   

  In some cases, health protection teams may recommend that a larger number of other pupils self-isolate at home as a precautionary measure – perhaps the whole site or year group. 

   

  Where transmission risks are minimised, whole school closure based on cases within the school will not generally be necessary, and should not be considered except on the advice of health protection teams.

   

  In consultation with the local Director of Public Health, where an outbreak in a school is confirmed, a mobile testing unit may be dispatched to test others who may have been in contact with the person who has tested positive. Testing will first focus on the person’s class, followed by their year group, then the whole school if necessary, in line with routine public health outbreak control practice

   

  Ready for remote learning, where needed

  Where a class, group or small number of pupils need to self-isolate, or there is a local lockdown requiring pupils to remain at home, the school will offer immediate remote education.

   

  Teachers will use a blend of nationally available resources eg Oak National Academy and their own resources available through the school’s digital education platform, Microsoft Teams. For pupils in Year 1-6 teachers will:

  • use a curriculum sequence that allows access to high-quality online and offline resources and teaching videos, and that is linked to the school’s curriculum expectations
  • give access to high quality remote education resources
  • select the online tools that will be consistently used across the school in order to allow interaction, assessment and feedback
  • provide printed resources, such as textbooks and workbooks, for pupils who do not have suitable online access

   

  For pupils in Nursery and Reception teachers will:

  • provide a range of on-line materials for parents to support their child at home

   

  For pupils with special education needs (SEND), the SENDCo and teaching assistants may modify curriculum materials for use at home and provide support.

   

  When teaching pupils remotely, we will:

  • set assignments so that pupils have meaningful and ambitious work each day in a number of different subjects
  • teach a planned and well-sequenced curriculum so that knowledge and skills are built incrementally, with a good level of clarity about what is intended to be taught and practised in each subject
  • provide frequent, clear explanations of new content, delivered by a teacher in the school or through high quality curriculum resources and/or videos
  • gauge how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum, using questions and other suitable tasks and set a clear expectation on how regularly teachers will check work
  • enable teachers to adjust the pace or difficulty of what is being taught in response to questions or assessments, including, where necessary, revising material or simplifying explanations to ensure pupils’ understanding
  • plan a programme that is of equivalent length to the core teaching pupils would receive in school, ideally including daily contact with teachers

   

  Classes 2F, 3F, 4F and 5F have started to trial parts of this approach with pupils at home this term. We are using Microsoft Teams as our digital education platform.

• Return to a new normal for school

  Fri 10 Jul 2020 Peter Dunmall

  Every aspect of school returns to a new normal from September. We will re-open with everything that we usually do but with control measures to keep pupils, staff and parents as safe as possible.

   

  Please also read a letter to all Ealing parents from Cllr Julian Bell, Leader of the Council, 8 July

   

  Attendance

  Part of being a parent means that we must ensure our children attend regularly at school. We return to usual expectations and arrangements for telling us if your child is absent from school.

  The government now knows much more about coronavirus (COVID-19) and so in future there will be far fewer children and young people advised to shield whenever community transmission rates are high. Therefore, the majority of pupils will be able to return to school. You should note however that:

  • a small number of pupils will still be unable to attend in line with public health advice because they are self-isolating and have had symptoms or a positive test result themselves; or because they are a close contact of someone who has coronavirus (COVID-19);
  • shielding advice for all adults and children will pause on 1 August, subject to a continued decline in the rates of community transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). This means that even the small number of pupils who will remain on the shielded patient list can also return to school, as can those who have family members who are shielding.

   

  Uniform

  We will return to our usual uniform policy in the autumn term. Uniform can play a valuable role in contributing to the ethos of a school, setting feel and expectations. Uniforms do not need to be cleaned any more often than usual, nor do they need to be cleaned using methods which are different from normal.

   

  School meals

  We return to our full, freshly cooked menu.

   

  Education visits

  Overnight residential trips for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 are on hold while the government continues to advise against domestic (UK) overnight and overseas educational visits. We will plan and prepare for these trips but not take any non-refundable deposit payments from parents.

  Day trips will take place but with tighter control measures, including not travelling on public transport.

   

  Sports competitions

  Face-to-face competition against other schools is on hold because we cannot mix pupils between schools. Some virtual events may take place during the Autumn term. We will gradually increase competitive sport with other schools when it is safe to do so.

   

  Wrap around childcare for working parents

  Breakfast club, after-school club and holiday club re-open from the start of term. Booking by MyChildatSchool (MCAS) replaces Laser and will open soon. Pupils will be organised and supervised in year group bubbles to minimise risks of transmitting any coronavirus infection.

   

  Specialist clubs for co-curriculum

  A limited number of clubs start in September, with more expected to follow over time. Some clubs are adjusted to reduce the risk of virus transmission through contact. Booking will open during August. 

• MyChildatSchool - MCAS check your log-in details

  Fri 10 Jul 2020 Clare Haines

  Please check you know your MyChildAtSchool (MCAS) user name and password. All future trips, music lessons, clubs and childcare will be available to book through this system.

   

  Some useful information:

  User guide, previously published in January 

  How to book childcare (YouTube)

  How to book and pay for a club (YouTube)

  How to view your child's annual report

   

  Specialist club booking will go live during the summer holidays, 10th August. You need your MCAS login details to access these. Further detail to follow.