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Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
It has been a more normal feeling week with a return to some of the more usual things we do. Specialist sports coaching is something we use to keep the high focus of sporting opportunities and these have returned. Our own ‘Sports Dave’ is providing his usual Friday sessions which the children enjoy (see photo above). On Wednesday, a cricket coach started work with Classes 2, 3 and 4. This was funded by Cricket England and over the next few weeks will specifically practice some cricket-specific skills. When working with different bubbles, the staff distance themselves and any equipment is either cleaned between use or put into ‘quarantine’ in order to keep the integrity of the bubbles.
What a sunny week it has been – it’s been great to play outside. The children have started to get used to using the huff & puff toys again. Each bubble has it’s own box that rotates around. Other sports equipment for the playground is on a 5 day rotation so gets quarantined between use (photo above).
Clubs also started this week. I know a few of you wondered why the bubbles don’t apply. The DfE guidance is clear in wanting normal enrichment clubs to continue. The bubbles are in place during the day as it is accepted that you cannot distance 30 children in a class so the ‘bubble’ is the control. In a club, children can be distanced so different bubbles can attend together. Street Dance, for example, separates the children over 2m from each other in the hall (which works as you need space to dance anyway). Outside clubs have lots of space with a few children so again can space out and separate. We need to fine-tune home-time from clubs a bit next week but in general this organisation has been successful.
The week has flown by but as I look around the children I see some very tired faces! They have all done very well this week but they are definitely flagging – I think they will all benefit from a relaxing weekend and some early bedtimes!
It has been a delight watching them play and hearing the lovely noise of chatter and laughter. We have deliberately not given them any toys or equipment this week, so they have to interact and be creative in game-play. Next week we will start to reintroduce equipment and the cooperative skills needed to make group-games work – all the associated dynamics of compromise, negotiation, forgiveness, communicating and empathising.
Wow – what an amazing, uplifting start to the day it was first thing! Everyone came in so positively with huge smiles and an eagerness that I have never seen from children at the start of September in my whole career – quite overwhelming!
The general sense of positivity built through the day as everyone settled into class and started to get over anything they may have worried about. The chat and running about at playtime was lovely to see. Everyone seemed to understand the class-bubble idea and adapted to things well. We will hone this organisation over the coming weeks – especially trying to ensure handwashing is as efficient as possible, but a fabulous start and it was truly wonderful to see everyone!
Having had this most unusual first day, our hope is that we can settle into a more normal pattern from Monday. I anticipate that children will get tired very quickly as next week draws on and don’t be surprised if your child starts to flag – they are simply not used to the daily routine yet. It may take quite a few weeks to get back to pre-closure ‘levels’.