Dear families and friends,

We have all been working hard today planning for remote learning, as well as in-school learning. It is the government's intention that children learn through similar experiences and I hope you appreciate that we have all been left with very little notice to prepare, however you should receive more information from your child's teacher in the next hour or so.

In addition, we are preparing physical packs for your child's remote learning, which can be collected from labelled boxes in the school garden from 12.00 tomorrow.

For children of key workers attending school the packs will be in classes for them to use. In order to comply with government restrictions, the requests for keyworker places are now very limited, so if you apply, you may be placed on a waiting list, or be asked to alter some of your days. If in-school children are part-time, they are expected to engage with their learning when at home for the rest of the week. Main communication will be through Seesaw accounts and is planned to account for approximately 3 hours daily.

Please see the school dinner menu attached, for this half term. For the rest of this week only, the menu will be as follows:

Weds - Meat or vegetarian burgers, vegetables, or Jacket Potato and filling.

Thur - Roast beef dinner, or Quorn Fillet roast dinner or jacket potato and filling.

Fri - Fish and Chips or Quorn nuggets and chips, or jacket potato and filling.

There will be a desert as well (of course!)

The children who are attending school will remain in bubbles between three class groups. Playtimes will continue to be zoned for the week and staggered in order to minimise and infection.

We will continue with Covid 19 protocol for any unwell children or staff and impress upon everyone to keep your family and our families safe, by remaining at home and getting a test if you show symptoms. If cases appear in school, anyone in contact with an identified bubble will be told to self-isolate for ten days.

Children attending school will need to wear uniform as usual and they will have PE days as well. Children following a remote learning timetable will also be encouraged to follow the same PE days as friends in school. Reception children have flexible arrangements for PE through physical activities and games. Years 1/2/3 come to school dressed in warm PE kit on Tuesday and Thursdays. Years 4/5/6 come to school dressed in warm PE kit on Mondays and Wednesdays.

We are finalising staffing over the next couple of days and want to reassure you that our incredible team will support your child, whether at home or in school. However please remember, they may behave like superheroes but they are only humans, with families and worries of their own and I am so grateful to our teaching and support team here.

I shall be on the gate at 9.00 a.m. tomorrow and will be available in school if you have any questions. Please also use your class email address if you have any questions for your child's teacher.

Finally we made a quick little video to say hello, please click on this link https://instowcps.primarysite.media/media/hello-from-the-team-in-school-today or visit our school website! I'm sure we can all make more to come!

Kind regards

Mrs Knight and team xx