A Message From Mrs Palmer

The first newsletter of 2021 and I am sad to be writing this to you in Lockdown... AGAIN! I think all of us were filled with the hope that a new year would bring some kind of break, especially with the vaccine and so I completely understand that we may all be feeling frustrated, sad and anxious to say the least. However- on a positive note, I have been blown away by the kindness and generosity of our community and the way everyone is trying to support each other. We really do have a very special school family. Please continue to talk to us and each other; reach out and get support- we will help in any way we can.

We have had a number of parents getting in touch to say they are struggling with home learning and would like their child to return to school. Unfortunately, returning to school is neither the answer nor an option in many cases. We have strict guidelines to only have children who have parents who are critical workers and not working from home or who are vulnerable. We also have limits, as per our risk assessment, on how many pupils we can have in each class to ensure safe social distancing and many of our classes are at their maximum capacity.

On a personal level, if I could have every child in school, I really would have them back in a heartbeat - I just can't. As Head of School, I have to make some really tough decisions, that may not suit everyone, but have to be made to ensure the safety of staff and pupils, and that has always been my priority.

If you are one of those parents who are struggling, you are not alone. I think it is safe to say that not many of us are really coping 100% with this whole situation. However, we have to remind ourselves about why we are doing this.

We must operate a careful (and difficult) balance; offering support to those critical workers who really need it and keeping the numbers of people (children and adults) in school as low as possible. More children in school, will mean more staff in school, which leads to greater numbers in an enclosed space, which increases the risk of transmission. It is that simple. So please only request a place in school if you really need it.

If you are at home, or working from home, then you must keep your child with you. Unfortunately, if things do not change, we may get to the point where we have to request proof of employment hours/rotas etc.

Could I also take this opportunity to ask you to carefully consider the letter which Governors sent out yesterday. I have a number of phone calls every week, from concerned parents and villagers who are seeing our All Saints children and families mixing "bubbles". Obviously it is not within our power or capability to police this, but I would ask you to really think carefully about your actions. On more than one occasion, we have had to console children who are worried to come into school because of rumours they have heard about others mixing.

Government rules state that:

This is the law and is for all our safety.

Thank you in advance for your understanding,

Mrs P

A Prayer for times of Isolation

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Wellbeing Team

Here are our fabulous Wellbeing Team with all of the generous donations made for the Big Gift Appeal.

We received a lovely Thank You letter from Major Carol Evans of the Salvation Army, telling us how much joy they had brought to children in Hinckley.

Special thanks to you all, the Wellbeing Team and especially to Mrs Smith for organising such a wonderful event.

First News

First News is a weekly newspaper aimed at 7 to 14-year-olds. Our children love it here and it's great to know they are offering it free online for a limited period.