Dear Marlborough families,
Well, if July is anything like June, we are in for one incredible last month of the school year! I write this at the end of our #MarlboroughFest day and oh my, what a day it has been! It has been one of those Magical Marlborough days ... we have come together as a school community (in bubbles and socially distanced of course!), the school has been alive with laughter, joy, music and the children have had so many special, magical moments. I am so proud, that even at the end of another academic year that has been overshadowed by the pandemic, my team and the school community go the extra mile to create memories that will last a lifetime for our wonderful children.
Thank you to our wonderful school community (families, staff, governors and friends) for making Marlborough such a special place. Whatever your plans this summer, I wish you all a restful break.
Geraldine Foley, Headteacher
Marlborough Fest
Unfortunately, The Glastonbury Festival was cancelled again this year. Luckily, our Festival Team would not let current restrictions stop the festival vibe from visiting Marlborough! Festival Day took place on Friday 25th June. The sun shone on us all. The talented staff band opened the day by providing live music. It was the first time in many months that we’d had the opportunity to enjoy live music. The children experienced a wide range of activities throughout the day both in class, in the garden and on the playground. We had a circus skills workshop, a samba band, a TikTok dance stage, bouncy castles, a green screen photo booth, dance and yoga classes, a professional storyteller, an ice cream van, our very own Marlborough Presents Talent show, a seed ball activity for the Waterloo Gardens meadow and many more crafts and activities in class. The atmosphere in school that day was so uplifting. Laughter and music were the recurrent themes of the day.
We really are so appreciative of all the hard work that went on behind the scenes by the Festival organisers to make this day so much fun. We cannot wait to see what the Beach Day will bring in July (I heard a rumour that there might be donkeys!)
Class Organistion 2021- 2022
The class structure for the 2021-2022 academic year can be found below. Your child will remain in either Coch or Melyn and will move up into the next class (e.g. Reception Coch will move up to Year 1 Coch). The pupils will have three days this term with their new teacher, as part of the transition process. These days are on:
- Friday 2nd July
- Wednesday 7th July
- Monday 12th July
The children will be dropped off and picked up at the beginning and end of the school day from their current class location.
Year 6 Melyn - Mr. Nathan Goodman
Year 6 Coch – Miss Megan Stanley
Year 5 Coch – Mrs. Amanda Jenkins
Year 5 Melyn – Mrs. Kate Adams
Year 4 Melyn - Mrs Alison Hobbs (Mon – Thurs) & Mr. George Cociorva (Fri)
Year 4 Coch - Mrs. Michelle De Villiers (Mon-Tues) & Mrs. Jude Davies (Weds – Fri)
Year 3 Melyn – Mrs. Cath Davies
Year 3 Coch - Mr. Jim Fitzpatrick (Mon – Weds) & Mr. Ross Williams/Mrs. Hannah Cashin* (Thurs – Fri) . *on maternity leave until Jan. 2022.
Year 2 Melyn – Mrs. Michaela Sherlock, Mrs Jess Towler (TA)
Year 2 Coch - Mrs. Helen Alldred (Mon – Weds) & Mrs. Natalie Nelson (Thurs – Fri), Mrs. Sue Lee (TA)
Year 1 Melyn – Mr. George Cociorva (Mon) & Mrs. Natalie Wright (Tues – Fri), Mrs Donna Rees & Mrs Laura Bennett (TA)
Year 1 Coch – Mrs. Jane McGirr, Mrs. Steph Ryan & Mrs. Caroline Nightingale (TA)
Derbyn Melyn - Mrs. Sally Hodges (Mon – Tues) & Mrs. Anna Kosaner (Weds – Fri), Mrs. Helen Beaven & Mrs. Adrianna Bulia (TAs)
Derbyn Coch - Mrs Alex Hodges-Oakes, Mrs. Anna Mitchell & Mrs. Nicola Darwell (TAs)
Nursery – Mrs . Rachel Lloyd (Mon – Tues) & Mrs Caroline Norton (Weds – Fri), Mrs. Shahida Begum & Miss Anna Parr (TAs)
Y Galon - Mr. Simon Pedwell, Mrs. Jeanette West, Mrs. Justine Ryland (Teachers), Miss Caroline Cockram, Miss Emma Williams, Mr. Max George, Mrs. Pat Bird, Mrs. Rebecca Lewis (TAs)
- Mrs Sue Ernest - Foundation Phase Floating TA (Tues - Fri)
- Mrs. Laura Dent (HLTA) - Pupil Wellbeing & PPA
- Mrs. Helen Coombes (HLTA) - Learning Intervention & PPA
- Mrs. Heidi Fortt - KS2 Learning Interventions (Mon - Weds)
- Mr. George Cociorva - PPA (Tues - Thurs)
Farewell Year 6
We wish our wonderful Year 6 pupils a very sad farewell at the end of this term. We have been so lucky to watch you grow and blossom over the years. Thank you for the enormous contribution that you have made to Marlborough, you have filled our school with joy, friendship, kindness and laughter. We will miss each and every one of you and we wish you every success at your new schools.
Staff Updates
Farewell
We say a sad farewell to Mrs. Ineke Matthews, Miss Bex Lewis who leave at the end of this academic year. We are very appreciative of all of the love and support that they have given to a very special boy at Marlborough. We also say farewell to Mrs. N Malik as the pupil she has been lucky enough to support, transfers to high school. We wish both our colleagues and the pupils they have supported all the very best for the future.
Welcome
- Miss Alex Hodges-Oakes has been appointed to cover Sarah Stephanakis’ maternity leave (Sept. ‘21 - July ‘22).
- Sue Lee, Adriana Bulai, Nicola Darwell and Laura Bennett (1 day) have been appointed to the temporary Foundation Phase Teaching Assistant posts.
Flourishing School Community
This month's webinar by the wonderful Sally Evans focuses on improving your wellbeing with gratitude.
Residential Trips
The residential trips to Llangrannog (Year 5) and Manor Adventure (Year 6) will not go ahead in the autumn term. The Welsh Government's current guidance states: Schools and settings may undertake domestic residential visits for primary aged learners to outdoor education centres if learners remain in their existing contact groups. You will understand that we would be unable to keep the classes within their contact groups whilst travelling to and from the venues and whilst at the venue. The risk of a pupil or member of staff becoming unwell whilst on the residential trip, is too great a risk to take.
Dates for the Diary
- Thursday 2nd September - Inset Day
- Friday 3rd September - Inset Day
- Monday 6th September - the new academic year starts for Years 1 - 6
- Mon 6th - Weds 8th September - staggered start for Nursery and Reception pupils. All Nursery and Reception pupils will attend from Thurs 9th September onwards.
Academic Year Dates
Autumn Term 2021
- Starts: Thursday 02/09/2021
- Half term: Monday 25/10/2021 - Friday 29/10/2021
- Ends: Friday 17/12/2021
Spring Term 2022
- Starts: Tuesday 04/01/2022
- Half term: Monday 21/02/2022 - Friday 25/02/2022
- Ends: Friday 08/04/2022
Summer Term 2022
- Starts: Monday 25/04/2022
- Half term: Monday 30/05/2022 - Friday 03/06/2022
- Ends: Friday 22/07/202
ALN Reform
From September 2021 the current Special Needs framework will be replaced with a new system called Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal Act. All schools in Wales will make changes to their current systems in a phased approach over the next three years. We have been working hard with our ALNCo cluster group and the Local Authority to ensure this transition will be smooth.
The new act eventually aims to replace current additional learning systems to support pupils needs e.g. behaviour plans, individual education plans and pastoral plans, with one unified plan for pupils which will be extended from the age of 0-25 called an Individual Development Plan. However, there will be no changes to provision for children who currently have a statement of educational needs, their statement will remain in place until they are eventually transferred to IDP’s. This new system puts learners and their families are at the heart of all planning and decisions around children’s additional learning needs and really embodies our belief that strong relationships are key to happy confident learners
Staff Wellbeing
June’s staff wellbeing theme was ‘Get Snappy’ the team were encouraged to get out and about and take photographs. All entries were sent to Mr. Gough who is a photographer and kindly judged June’s star photographer and will announced on Friday. Thank you so much Mr Gough for your kindness and giving up your time
End of year reports
Class teachers will upload pupil reports onto SeeSaw on Wednesday 14th July.
Covid-19 Updates
The First Minister for Education, (Welsh Government) announced on Monday 28th June, that a National Framework will be published for schools with updated Covid-19 guidance. We will update our Covid-19 Risk Assessment accordingly once we are in receipt of the new Framework and communicate any changes via our usual channels. In the meantime, we continue to follow the current guidance and our essential measures continue to be -
a requirement that people stay at home and self-isolate if they:
- have symptoms of COVID-19, whether they feel unwell or not
- have tested positive, even if asymptomatic
- have been advised by NHS Wales Test Trace Protect (TTP) to do so
- are household members of a positive case, even if that case is asymptomatic
- are required to self-isolate for travel-related reasons
Instilling robust hand and respiratory hygiene in learners and staff members.
Ensuring appropriate ventilation measures on school premises and continuing increased thorough cleaning arrangements.
Active engagement with TTP strategy.
Reduce contacts and maximise social and physical distancing between those in school, wherever possible, and putting in place appropriate mitigating measures to minimise the potential for contamination so far as is reasonably practicable.
Credits:
Created with an image by suju-foto - "sunflower flowers yellow"