Dear families

As you may be aware, schools can open in September without most of the covid-19 rules that we have learned to live with over the last 18 months. However, please be aware that we must still follow guidance in keeping the spread of Covid-19 to a minimum. This means that although we can open in September without bubbles, we will still need to be vigilant.

What does this mean for families?

There will be no more ‘bubbles’, therefore assemblies can return, children can eat their lunch in the dinner hall, and we will no longer have the responsibility to request children to isolate. Whilst we may need to support NHS track and trace to identify contacts, this is no longer the responsibility of the school. If a child tests positive and they have been in school 48 hours before, it is the responsibility of the parent/carer to work with NHS track and trace to identify them as contacts. If any children or staff are identified as a contact and they have not developed symptoms, then they DO NOT need to isolate, however, NHS track and trace will ADVISE them to get a PCR test.

If your child develops one or more of the symptoms of Covid-19 while in school, we will still take their temperature and ask them to wait in a ventilated isolation room until a parent/carer is able to collect them. We will then request they have a PCR test BEFORE they can return to school. If you contact school to ask if your child can attend as they have a symptoms but you feel it is just a cold, we can and will refuse entry without a PCR test if we deem this necessary. LFT will not be accepted as evidence.

Just to clarify, families DO NOT need to isolate if we send your child home for a PCR test, unless they are told by NHS track and trace to do so (links to guidance below). But the child must isolate until the results are back.

If we, and NHS track and trace, identify that there is sudden increase in cases in our school then we will work with PHE and it might be necessary to temporarily re-introduce bubbles and other control measures. If this happens it will result in any after school clubs being postponed.

Please continue to keep us informed of cases that impact on your child attending school, and children should NOT isolate if a family member has Covid-19 UNLESS they too have symptoms. Keeping children off due to this will result in unauthorised absences and lead to further action. We will be placing a significant emphasis on attendance from September, any poor attendance levels will be addressed immediately. It is a legal requirement for children to attend school and patterns of absence will be monitored very closely.

Children with Covid-19 must isolate for the 10 days and complete remote learning (children in year 3 and new starters will need access to these systems once they start).

There is also lots of information in the DfE links below to help you, but hopefully this small(ish) amount of information narrows the bulk of it down and is also useful as we start the new academic year.

Ventilated rooms, regular hand washing, and stringent cleaning procedures are still priority. Please ensure that your child wears appropriate warm clothes under their uniform on colder days as we approach the colder months as all classrooms will continue to be ventilated.

DfE guidance

Individuals are not required to self-isolate if they live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19, and any of the following apply:

• they are fully vaccinated
• they are below the age of 18 years and 6 months
• they have taken part in or are currently part of an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial
• they are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons

Stepping measures up and down

when to self-isolate and what to do

COVID-19 symptoms

stay at home guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection

Our end of year show is taking place in school on Thursday 1st July (rehearsal day is 30th June). All children will be involved in preparing for this, even if permission is not granted for the video (they will just not feature on the day). Usually at this point in the year we have calls from families asking what they need to wear on the day. To make this easier for all please see below:

Year 3 (Class 1 Mrs McMahon) – all children are wear ‘normal clothes’ as if they are going shopping.

Year 3 (Class 2 Miss White) – all children are to wear casual clothes that they can dance in, this must include flat shoes and a hat/cap.

Year 4 – Some children will be scientists and they will need to wear a plain white top, black trousers and we will provide them with a wig. If your child is NOT a scientist (they will have been told) then they need to wear ‘normal’ style clothes i.e. just non-uniform.

Year 5 (Class 5 Miss Breheny) – All children to wear black ‘from top to toe’.

Year 5 (Class 6 Mr Moore) – All children to wear black bottoms and either ‘red, white or blue’ top.

Year 6 – Please can you ensure your child knows what they are wearing, the teachers have already told them. Most children have different parts and many costumes are being provided by school.

CJS Team

To all our families…

As you may remember, our outdoor library was burnt down last year. Thanks to all the amazing fundraising, lead by one of our parents (Kyla).

With the money raised and a substantial amount added from our budget we have gone bigger and better. At the moment we have a company furnishing the in side of it and this will be completed in a few weeks. As this touched the hearts of so many in our community, we thought it only fair to allow our children to name it…

We recently ran this competition to name our outdoor space, please can you take the time to choose a name from the list below before Friday 2nd July.

They will be given a small reward and will also feature in a photograph which will be published in our local paper. We hope this will all be done by the end of term.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Uv_fRWSDc02_Oo-YvfENhzGYEp0zDERAnxWCoX5eIjVUMlg3V09DNEVCMEhLWjE5Q0kzUUVXTUpQRy4u

Good Luck to all the children who entered!

CJS Team

We have had to reschedule our American Themed Day which was due to be held on Monday 5th July. Our cook is isolating and as this was her idea we need to move it back a week.

Please make a note of this change of date.

All children now to come to school in their usual uniform on Monday 5th July
Text to those who have opted a school meal will receive a text on Monday 12th July
The new American Themed Day will be Wednesday 14th July and all children can come to school wearing red, white and blue.
There are no changes to any school start/finish times on this day.

CJS Team

Previous info sent below:

https://www.consett-jun.durham.sch.uk/american-themed-day-dinner-menu/

 

Dear families

Over the last year and a half our school has operated on a staggered start/finish system, whereby, lower school start and finish slightly sooner than upper school, and to support you we allow siblings to come in early or stay behind to await collection. At this moment in time, we are not able to tell you the plan for September, other than we have a Plan A – stay as things are now but slowly introduce extra-curricular after school clubs. Or Plan B we return to 8.40 a.m. gates open for an 8.55 a.m. start (this is for children not attending breakfast club), and all school finishes at 3.30 p.m. and clubs will resume as normal. We would like to be confident enough to say that the normal hours of the school day will return, however, this is highly unlikely.

Therefore, please plan for our school to remain on the same operational system that it is now; staggered start and finish times; year group bubbles; staggered breaks and lunchtimes; lower school collection from the yard; assigned year group entrance and exits; 7.45 a.m. bubble group breakfast club and coming to school wearing PE kits on their assigned days (timetables will be uploaded to the website class pages over the summer holidays).

If, during the school holidays we are informed that we can return to ‘normal’ we will keep you informed using our usual communication systems. Therefore, please ensure you check the school app and our website regularly over the holidays and we will text the primary contacts if there have been any updates. Unfortunately, it can often be very late in holidays when DfE guidance is released, and this is very much dependent on the Governments roadmap, so we can only apologise if this is short notice to you, but it will also be short notice for us.

Below is a link shared to parents regarding last year’s safe reopening. The times and staggers of the day remain the same, and the FAQ’s are also the same (however clubs are likely to start after the first half term). Please note that the dates to return to school in the link below are last years (2020). For this September children in year 3 in September return on Wednesday 1st September 10.00 – 2.00 p.m.. The rest of the school will return together on Thursday 2nd September, at the times stated in the links below. 

https://www.consett-jun.durham.sch.uk/changes-to-the-times-of-the-day-september-2020/

There is also a link to a YouTube https://youtu.be/6VnBhUJXJEs

CJS Team

Transition to CJS is different again this year, these welcome messages are a lovely way to let your children know who’s class they are in and also which friends will be with them.  It is really disappointing that the children cannot visit us next week, and we were hoping to arrange a Teams meeting, however, today we have just discovered that the teachers can actually come and see their new class of children in the CIS yard before the end of term.

To confirm;

If your child is in Class 1, their teacher is Mrs McMahon. However, Miss Hughes will teach them every Monday and also do small interventions groups with some children. Class 1 will be supported by Miss Lynch.

If your child is in Class 2, their teacher is Miss White. Miss Hughes will also do small intervention groups with some children. Class 2 will be supported by Miss Atkinson.

Listen carefully…

Dear Year 2 Families,

I’m sure you are aware of the significant increase in the Delta Covid variant in and around the Consett area in the last week. This is causing an increase in families isolating and schools closing bubbles across the area, indeed within our cluster of schools.

Therefore, having sought advice, I have reluctantly decided to cancel the transition day for the Year 2 children planned for Friday 2nd July. Although I am sure you and your child will be disappointed, I must be mindful about the advice from Public Health England and continue safeguard the children and staff in both schools.

We were already inviting the new children into school a day earlier than planned in September, where they will have the chance to explore the school grounds and environment without any other children on site. They will spend their day with their new teachers and support assistants.

In addition to this we will arrange for our Year 3 teachers to meet their new Year 2 class over TEAMs.

I really do understand the concerns parents have, with children transferring to a new school, but I can reassure you that last year’s children were in a similar situation, and they coped superbly. The first three days they are with us in September is to focus on transition and getting to know the school, the staff and adjusting to their new class groups.

Best wishes,

Mr Dixon

Head Teacher