Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to Home Learning on the first day of the Summer Term! I hope you were able to enjoy your ‘holiday’, which meant travelling as far as the kitchen and only dreaming of playing in the park, or by the sea, or in fact of going anywhere.
This term is usually the busiest and most exciting, with lots of assessments, reports, SATs in Years 2 and 6, the new Multiplication Tables Check in Year 4, the Phonics Screening Check in Year 1, the EYFS Profile, the Carnival, the Year 6 show, lots of trips and visits in the sunshine, graduation, shirt signing and saying goodbye to our oldest pupils as they leave us to go to secondary school…. But right now it is different so these things are not happening, but we will continue to make the best of the situation and look forward to the time when some sort of normality returns.
This morning you should have received emails from the children’s teachers to introduce new topics and this week’s Home Learning. All our Home Learning is also available on the school website. Please remember that all you can do is your best; nobody expects you to replicate a school day at home because that is neither possible nor realistic. If you can manage up to 3 hours per day depending on the age and developmental stage of your child, that’s great, but if you can’t, try to stick to a routine and do what you can. As you know, children learn best when the atmosphere around them is positive and encouraging. All the staff are still here to help and are very happy to be asked, and are contactable via the office@brunswickpark.southwark.sch.uk email address or messages can be got to them via the School Office on 020 7525 9033.
Today the Government published the following guidance for parents and carers about supporting their children’s learning at home, which you may find helpful:
Guidance for parents and carers on supporting their children’s education during coronavirus
(COVID-19)
Guidance on helping children aged 2 to 4 learn at home can be found here:
Guidance on helping primary school aged children learn at home can be found here:
Guidance on helping children with special educational needs and disabilities learn at home can be found here:
You may also find these resources from the BBC helpful:
Launch of BBC Bitesize
The BBC has today launched an education package across TV and online, featuring celebrities and teachers, helping to keep children learning at home and supporting parents.
BBC Bitesize can be accessed here:
You may have heard today of the launch of the Oak National Online Academy, a new Government Home Learning resource for teachers and young people. Brunswick’s teachers will continue to send to you all the Home Learning your children need, which may include some of these new resources if they are appropriate. More information can be found here:
Following the introduction of the Government’s Voucher Scheme for children entitled to Free School Meals I have put together some Frequently Asked Questions about them. As Free School Meals entitlement is confusing in Southwark because the Council has chosen to pay for all its primary aged children’s school lunches whether children are entitled to Free School Meals or not, please take the time to read the FAQs so you can be sure you are getting what you should. A school Grab Bag Scheme for those who are in financial hardship but do not get Free School Meals starts on Thursday 24 April. The FAQs cover this too, and you have been sent information about it separately.
All that remains for the moment is for me to wish you well, and hope that you and your families are healthy, safe and are coping as best you can whilst we sit this out. Take very good care and know we are here to help and support when and where we can.