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.

• Year 1 after-school club, confirmed case of coronavirus

  Mon 26 Oct 2020 Peter Dunmall

  We have been told that there has been a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) within the school. 

   

  Close contacts have been identified and contacted separately by email message today, these are:

  • pupils who attended after-school club in the Year 1 childcare 'bubble' on Thursday 22 or Friday 23 October; 
  • 4 pupils in Year 3 who had 1-to-1 reading support on Thursday or Friday;
  • 2 other members of the after-school club team.

  They have all been advised to self-isolate for 14 days. Pupils who are self-isolating will learn at home from Monday 2 November, returning to school on Monday 9 November. 

   

  The school remains open for holiday childcare and will be open to all other pupils and staff from Monday 2 November. Everyone else should come to school provided they are well and have no coronavirus symptoms. 

   

  We are continuing to monitor the situation and are following government guidance.

   

  What to do if you now develop symptoms of COVID 19

  If anyone develops symptoms of COVID-19, they should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared.

  All other household members who remain well must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days.

  The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.

  Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home.

  Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community.

  If you are able, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period.

   

  Symptoms of COVID 19

  The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:

  • new continuous cough and/or
  • high temperature and/or
  • a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

  For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

  If anyone does develop symptoms, they should seek advice from NHS 111 at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirussymptoms/ or by phoning 111.

   

  How to stop COVID-19 spreading

  There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19

  Hands

  • Wash your hands regularly and for at least 20 seconds.

  Face

  • Cover your face in enclosed spaces, especially where social distancing may be difficult and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
  • It is now compulsory to wear cloth face coverings on public transport, shops and several other indoor settings.

  Space

  • Stay 2 metres apart where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place.
  • Keep your distance from people who are outside your household or support bubble.
  • Limit social gatherings (including abiding by the ‘rule of 6’) and avoid crowded places.

   

  Further information

  Further information is available at

  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

• Thank you to parents & staff

  Fri 23 Oct 2020 Peter Dunmall

  Our first half-term ends with no confirmed cases of coronavirus, no bubble closures and pupils being offered as much of our curriculum and opportunities as we possibly can. Since 1 June, when schools re-opened, we have now worked for 100 days without any confirmed infection. Thanks:

  • to every parent who has worked with us to socially distance at drop-off and collection, using preferred gates wherever possible. It would help if even more Year 5 pupils walk to and from school alone, even if part-way.
  • to families who have taken a cautious approach to protect our class bubbles, talking to us when children have shown coronavirus symptoms and telling us about test results.
  • to parents for balancing sending children to school while keeping a cautious approach. This generation cannot miss out on the education they need to fulfil their choice of life's opportunities.
  • to families for using Microsoft Teams with us in lots of different ways including parent consultation meetings and class sharing assemblies - children love seeing your comments posted. We know 19 children need support to use technology at home and we can use government grants to help them if they self-isolate or a bubble closes. We are ready to switch to learning at home using Teams when a pupil, group or bubble needs to self-isolate.
  • to every member of staff, including many who have overcome their own vulnerability and anxieties about being at work during the pandemic. They are working tirelessly to care for pupils, help some catch-up while stretching and challenging others. All the time, juggling competing priorities to help pupils learn while having to work in different ways. Their commitment to our pupils, each other and our school is exceptional.

   

  Rates of infection continue to rise in Ealing. Next half-term will be more challenging with increasing likelihood of confirmed coronavirus cases in school, groups of children and/or bubbles being sent home to self-isolate. Primary schools closing fully looks unlikely according to government's published intent and speeches by ministers.

   

  Looking ahead to the next half-term:

  • Working safely and minimising the chance of coronavirus infection being transmitted in school continues to be our top priority. This means we stay fully open for as long as we can. Being in school is first-best for pupils' learning and teachers' workload. We've worked with all staff to review and adjust our risk assessment, including learning from local schools who have been forced to send 'bubbles' home. We are clearer about when staff wear a face-covering while working in school and have increased emphasis on room ventilation. Rooms will be colder as winter weather comes. Pupils and staff are encouraged to wear more underlayers.  
  • Teachers continue to focus on phonics, reading, writing and maths. We know pupils are catching-up, gaps in learning are closing. Gains in Reception and phonics in Year 3 are notable examples. Quality assurance work for reading and maths shows that the consistency and quality of teaching has never been higher.
  • Lunchtime service is too slow, due to higher cleaning standards and the need to keep class and year group bubbles separate. We will appoint 4 new lunchtime supervisors to speed things up and build stronger relationships with pupils in each class.
  • New arrangements start for morning break and lunchtimes because the field is too wet and muddy to use. All play moves to the playground. Pupils continue to play in classes, organised into year group rotating zones so that we reduce the risk of infection transmission.
  • Pupils' behaviour and attitudes are improving but remain below our standards. We return after half-term with a focus on consistent expectations, based on our Values-based ethos and behaviour routines. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 also need to develop better learning behaviours matched to the school's Visible Learning approach and meta-cognition so that they know where they are, where they are going next and how to get there in their learning.
  • Wrap around care, before and after-school, will continue to work safely in separate year group bubbles. Uptake continues to be low for Breakfast club, resulting in a new offer and fewer staff after half-term.
  • Specialist clubs continue with a reduced Autumn term menu of activities. We will start planning our Spring term offer, working with providers to offer the same or more while keeping the risk of infection transmission low.

  We wish you a happy, healthy and safe half-term break.

  

• Individual School Photograph

  Fri 23 Oct 2020 School Office
  A reminder that individual school photographs will be taking place on Monday 2nd November for Reception Class to Year 6.   Could 5H please come into school in their cooking/gardening clothes and bring their school uniform with them.  Please ensure your child/children are in full school uniform on this day.

• Trick or treat during half-term?

  Thu 22 Oct 2020 Peter Dunmall

  Ealing Council and Public Health England have asked for this message to be shared with parents.

  At a time when the coronavirus rates continue to rise in London, the trick or treat Halloween tradition with many children ringing on the same doorbells and rummaging in the same bowl of sweets is an unnecessary risk to take.

  It is possible to transfer the virus on sweet wrappers etc as these are very difficult to clean and the virus can remain on surfaces such as door knockers and bells for up to three days – potentially longer.

  Instead of going from door to door consider one of the fun and safe alternatives such as family pumpkins hunts.

  Please consider vulnerable residents who may be particularly anxious at this time and alarmed by repeated knocks on their door.

  However you celebrate Halloween remember you must never be with more than 6 people outside, and only be inside with the people you live with or those in your support bubble.

  

• Starting High School 2021 - Have you Applied?

  Wed 21 Oct 2020 Office

  Current Year 6 pupils will move up to High School next September and the deadline for applications is fast approaching.

   

  Details on how to make your application can be found in the ‘Starting High School in 2021’ leaflet which was sent home with your child. You can also click here for more information.

  
  Applications must be made directly to the council by the 31st October.

   

  

• Breakfast Club changes from 2 November

  Wed 21 Oct 2020 Peter Dunmall

  Breakfast Club for pupils in Reception to Year 6 will change from Monday 2 November as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. From Monday:

  • Breakfast Club, 7.30am - 8.30am, £5.75 per pupil session, including snack breakfast (rising to £6.25 from 1 January 2021 so that after-school and breakfast club fees match)

  Since September, we opened morning drop-off from 8.30am so that everyone could socially distance to keep safe and reduce the risk of coronavirus infection.

  The number of pupils using our breakfast clubs has fallen to between half and one-third of pre-coronavirus times. Typically:

  • Early Breakfast, now 10-15 pupils compared to 20-30 pupils each day;
  • Breakfast, now 30-45 pupils compared to 65-140 pupils each day.

  At first we waited to see how things might change. ‘Soft-start’ changes to the school day and changes in parents’ childcare needs are now likely to last for longer.

  We now need to change our Breakfast Club to better match needs and uptake.

  All of our wrap-around childcare continues to offer unlimited capacity, no waiting lists and flexible booking for parents to match your needs:

  • Booking on Bromcom MyChildatSchool (MCAS) for our new breakfast club sessions opens from Wednesday 21 October at 11am. 

  We will review changes as a result of the pandemic and needs from time to time.

• Mosaic for the school garden

  Mon 19 Oct 2020 Ellie Lock

  The school garden is a sadder (and quieter) place since our beloved chickens died. 

  But we have been immensely cheered up by this beautiful work of art from Rosanna's Mosaics, which is on display in front of the Wildlife Pond. Rosanna has kindly donated her fee to the Ealing Foodbank. Thank you to our lovely French teacher Ms Mahvelati for making this possible.

  Not only are these acts of kindness very cheering - but they've inspired our gardeners to create their own works of art from Autumn leaves. 

  You can see them here.

   

  

• Job opportunity, Front of house dining room supervisor

  Mon 19 Oct 2020 Clare Haines

  Front of House Dining Supervisors required for November start

  4 positions available

  Hours: 11:45-1:15 Mon-Fri.  Term time only

  Scale 2, annual salary: £4,700

   

  Do you have time to spare in the middle of the day?

  We are looking to recruit 4 front of house dining supervisors. Fielding is a fantastic place to work. Imagine working in a school where everybody chooses to bring energy, passion and a positive attitude to the job every day.

  Does that sound like you?

  You might be just the person we are looking for!

  Lunchtimes are a busy but important part of the school day. We are looking to increase the number of staff available during this time to make the dining experience even better for our pupils.

  Our younger pupils enjoy a ‘family style’ dining experience, eating food prepared in the kitchen and then served at their table. Our older pupils have a more traditional style canteen experience, which includes one table at a time queuing to collect their lunch.

  As a member of our front of house team, you will work in one of our two dining rooms. You will be allocated a class in each of our 3 lunch sittings to oversee. You will stay with the allocated classes as they move through the school, this will help you to build relationships and get to know the pupils in your care really well

  Your role would be to oversee one class of pupils while they eat, for each of our 3 lunch sittings. You would encourage good manners, model expected behaviour and help pupils with lunchtime routines. After each service you would then make sure the dining area is prepared for the next group of pupils.

  Application

  Apply to Órla Donlon, HR admin

  Download an application pack from our website,  www.fieldingprimary.com/jobs

  Only applications submitted on the school’s application form will be considered.

• Safeguarding - Operation Encompass

  Thu 15 Oct 2020 Clare Haines

  Fielding, with the full support of the Governing Body, is taking part in Operation Encompass, an innovative project the Metropolitan Police are running in partnership with local schools across Ealing. The national project aims to safeguard and support children who are affected by domestic incidents.

   

  If you would like to find out more about what is considered to be a domestic incident please take a look at the guidance from the Met Police on their website.

   

  Operation Encompass is a notification system whereby the school will be informed by the police that a child (under 18) has been exposed to, or involved in, any domestic incident as a result of the police attending. This will ordinarily be done by the start of the next school day.

   

  This information is given in strict confidence to a specially trained member of the school staff, known as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). At Fielding this is me, Clare Haines. I will use the information that has been shared, in confidence, to enable support to be given, dependent on the needs and wishes of the child.

   

  We may also be able to make additional provision or adjustments to assist the child and their family.

   

  We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and we believe this will be extremely beneficial for all those involved.

   

  Find out more about safeguarding at Fielding here.

  

• Fielding Primary PTFA pumpkin decorating competition

  Wed 14 Oct 2020

  Get carving or decorating those pumpkins for our Fielding PTFA Pumpkin Decorating Competition

  2020 has been a very different year to usual, so we wanted to have something fun for Halloween for the kids to get involved in. Please supervise your children when decorating/carving the pumpkin and it is done at your own risk. 

  If you are on Facebook join our dedicated "Fielding Primary PTFA pumpkin decorating competition" to see everyone's progress  https://www.facebook.com/groups/286064065712457/ 

   

  Once you have your decorated pumpkin, take a picture and upload on group or if you don't have access to Facebook, email to fieldingPTFA@gmail.com

   

  Entries close on the 31st of October. The winner to be announced on November the 2nd.

   

  Happy Halloween 🎃👻🎃