Alkrington Primary School

NEWS NOTICEBOARD

Welcome to Alkrington Primary School and our website. 

Mathletics

Children in Y1 to Y6 have been given home access to Mathletics, a targeted, rewarding and captivating online learning resource, which is aligned to curriculum standards. Mathletics can be used to set homework and encourage children to practise and consolidate their learning at home, using fun and interactive games and challenges. Please click here to access a parents support pack.

Alkrington Poetry Book PDF 

The PDF of our Poetry Anthology can now be found as a permanent fixture on the school website. Look in Curriculum - Writing - Poetry book to find it. If you would like to read a physical copy, there are some in Alkrington local library as well!

New Starter Evening (Nursery & Reception)

See the letter on the link below inviting Parents and Carers of children offered places in our Nursery and Reception in September 2022 to a welcome evening on Thursday 26^th May at:

6.00p.m. for new to the Nursery and:

6.30 p.m. for new to Reception

On the evening ‘New Starter Packs’ containing relevant information will be handed out. Parents and Carers will have an opportunity to speak to EYFS staff and ask any questions.

This letter is being circulated to parents and carers via their older child, if there is a sibling in school, through the post and via email where we have an email address.

New Starters Open Evening letter - 26th May 2022

Robinwood Trip for Y5

We have booked for the current Y4 children to visit Robinwood Outdoor Centre in Todmorden on Monday 5^th December 2022 for 2 nights, returning on Wednesday 7^th December.

A letter is on its way to the Y4 children with details of how to sign your child up.  A copy is on the link below. We are very keen that all children attend and, with your support, heavily subsidise the trip.

Robinwood Y5 Trip December 2022

Rochdale Children’s Champion

Do we have any Year 4 or Year 5 children in school who would make a good Children’s Champion for the Borough of Rochdale? I’m sure that we do! Look below for the application pack for anyone wanting to apply to be a candidate in the elections. Please note that they are just targeting children from Years 4 & 5!!

The closing date for applications is Friday 13^th May; Elections to take place in the week beginning the 13^th June across the participating Rochdale primary schools.

Application Form Rochdale Children's Champion 2022

Dance Festival for Y3, 4 and 5

The Dance Festival returns after a COVID absence in 2021.  All children in these year groups will be involved and performances will be on the evenings of Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th May

Tickets, at a small charge, will be available very soon, with two per child, and any remaining taickets made available if you would like more.

Summer Holiday Club

We will be running a summer holiday club at school during the holidays; the club will run from

Monday 25^th July 2022 until Friday 19^th August 2022.

If you would like your child to attend, please return the slip on the letter on the link below to the office by the 13^th May and pay the non-refundable deposit of £18.00 on Parent pay. Places will be allocated once the deposit is received, the remaining balance must be paid by Friday 1^st July 2022. Details of the charges are listed below,

Summer Holiday Club letter

Attendance

Good attendance at school is essential for children to make good levels of progress and development.

Our overall attendance at school has dropped over the two years of the COVID pandemic, but now it needs to pick up again.

Attendance at school, overall, for this school year, to date, stands at 93.6%.  We want it to be higher. For an individual, 96%+ represents good attendance.

Children's Welfare Officer, Mrs Hill, and Assistant Head, Mr Torr, have been working with the Education Welfare Officer from Rochdale LA on ways to improve our school attendance and support children and families with low attendance.

They have produced a newsletter, a copy of which will be available below on the link and our Twitter account.  A copy will be emailed to all who have signed up to our email newsletter.

Those families where a pupil has attendance for this year below 90% will receive a paper copy along with a covering letter.

Where there is a genuine and understandable reason for low attendance, I accept this to be so, but many in this category may be guilty of keeping their child off school, when, in fact they should be in.  This may be a lingering uncertainty/anxiety post-COVID.

We want to help and support our families to improve school attendance. In some cases, however it will be necessary to obtain evidence to support the reasons for absence and, at times, use legal enforcement, with fixed penalty fines, where necessary.

Attendance Newsletter Spring 2022

Safe Cycling Training for Y6 children

Bikeability sessions are lined up for Class 6T for the week beginning Monday 4^th April and for Class 6H beginning on 13^th June.

6T children who are participating, and we hope that all do, need to complete forms via the Bikeability link, sent out in a text message earlier this week.  It is:

https://bikeright.co.uk/events/1c864e90-ef22-467b-9e45-ccf8f3bf5644/

You will need to register your child, provide permission, medical, contact details etc. prior to the course.  Full details have been shared with the children in 6T.

The Strategic Direction of the School

After consultation with staff members, the Governing Board have finalised their aims and objectives for this school year, and the next two.  It is set out in the document below.

I welcome any thoughts or comments from parents/carers or pupils.

One Page Strategic Direction 2021 - 2024

Parent Governor Election

A total of six nominations were received for the election of one parent governor. Therefore an election has been held.  Thank you to candidates who applied for the position and to the 88 people who voted.

The winner was Clare Ivers - parent of a Reception class pupil.  She will take up the position in the summer term 2022 and serve for four years.

Latest Advice from Rochdale LA and Greater Manchester re COVID

COVID and some restroctions are still with us.  See the poster below with a guider to how to respond to a COVID infection.

COVID School Risk Assessment Update

See the updated text on the link below.  The main changes are:

• Regular asymptomatic testing, using LFD tests, for COVID-19 should end
• Anyone with one or more of the three main symptoms of COVID-19 should arrange to have a PCR test.
• If the results are positive, the staff member or pupil should isolate for the period, as specified in the chart below.
• There is no longer a legal requirement to isolate but we will insist on it, in line with these recommendations.

Update to School COVID RA

Isolation procedure for those who test positive on a PCR test is as follows:

Parents' Evening - Spring Term 2022

See the letters on the links below, one for classes from Reception to Y5 and the other for the Nursery, with information about the forthcoming Parents' Evening on:

Wednesday 16th March

Parents/Carers of Nursery children will have slots available from 9.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Parents/Carers for the classes from Reception to Y5 have a choice of slots from 3.30 - 7.30 p.m.

Please return your slip with your preferences by Friday 4th March.  You will be notified thereafter about your precise appointment time.

Parents' Evening Letter for R to Y5

Parents' Evening Letter for Nursery

Cross Country Races

We had set of races this week, taking place here at our school, on Monday for Y2, Y3 & Y4 and on Wednesday for Y5 & Y6.

Once again there were great performances overall by our school teams – all pictured below. 

Special congratulations to the following who finished in 1^st place in their event:

Willow Teat – Y2 Girls

Giselle Earle Granito – Y3 Girls

Florence Thompson – Y4 Girls

Luca Pollitt – Y4 Boys

Ava Millar – Y6 Girls

Joel Harris – Y6 Boys

Free Training available to Parents and Carers

Follow the links for more information

Free training for Parents- delivered by Beyond Psychology, please pass on to relevant staff:

Understanding The Brain & Helping Children Manage Worry & Anxiety

• Part 1: Wednesday 30^th March
• Part 2: Wednesday 6^th April
• Time: 10am-12pm
• https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/understanding-the-brain-helping-children-manage-worry-anxiety-tickets-242829608897

Understanding The Brain & Helping Children Manage Worry & Anxiety

• Part 1: Wednesday 27^th April
• Part 2: Wednesday 11^th May
• Time: 6pm-8pm
• https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/understanding-the-brain-helping-children-manage-worry-anxiety-tickets-242887020617

Helping Parents Understand Behaviour in Children with Complex Needs

• Part 1: Wednesday 11^th May
• Part 2: Wednesday 25^th May
• Time: 10am-12pm
• https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/helping-parents-understand-behaviour-in-children-with-complex-needs-tickets-242893730687

Holiday Clubs

We intend to run a childcare holiday club in the Easter holiday, and also for four weeks of the summer holiday break.  We need to gauge the level of interest and the letter on the link below has the details for Easter - Monday 11th to Thursday 14th April inclusive.

Please register your interest by 18th February

Details of the Summer club will follow later.

Easter Holiday Club - expression of Interest letter

Congratulations to our Headteacher's Award winners for the

Autumn Term 2021

Year 1's Nativity Show

We hope you enjoy watching the long awaited video of the Year 1's doing their nativity show. 

Survey of Parents and Carers November 2021

Thank you to all who contributed to our survey.  The results can be viewed on the links below:

Summary of Results

Comments

COVID Outbreaks

See the letter below, which is the generic version sent to the parents/carers of a class when there is a confirmed case ( PCR Tested ) of COVID-19 in the class.  This letter has been uodated since the last post from before Christmas.

Middleton Schools' Cross Country Races

During November we have had races between Middleton Primary schools on our school field.

Teams from Y2, Y3 and Y4 took part followed by Y5 and Y6 a few days later.

It was disappointing that only a limited number of children were allowed to take part, as we have many others keen to participate.  It might be possible in the new year to have another event which would allow this.

However, our children ran very well, and were, overall, the winning team.  We will keep the trophy won by our school in each year since 2015.

For the Team events:

Y2        1^st Place

Y3        1^st Place

Y4        2^nd Place

Y5        =1^st Place

Y6        =2^nd Place

Individually we had success:

Y2

Dexter Keightley           1^st  Mila Campbell              1^st

Y3

Rose Bailey                   2^nd  Evelina Kurti                 3^rd

Y4

Christian Kagame         1^st

Y5

Harry Ireland                1^st  Adil Ajani                      2^nd

Isla Wilkinson               3^rd  Alim Ajani                     3^rd

Y6

Chloe Millar                  1^st  Jayden Godwin             3^rd

^{See the pictures below:}

Latest COVID Advice from Public Health 22nd October 2021

See the letter below on the link with the latest advice to manage and control COVID infection.  Relevant details for primary age children and staff are:

If a staff member or pupil has had close contact with a person who has COVID-19, they should:

• Take daily lateral flow tests before they come to school for 10 days after the contact
• Take a PCR test between day 3 and 5 after contact

Only children in KS2 should follow this advice as younger children are exempt, as are any child/adult has had a positive PCR test in the previous 90 days.

COVID Advice for parents/carers 21 Oct 2021

Music Lessons at School for Children from Y2 to Y6

Opportunities to learn to play a musical instrument, with tuition from qualified music teachers, will begin after the October holiday.  There is a charge of £3.17 per lesson, which usually take place during lunchbreak or after school.

Some free places are available for those children who are on free school meals or in public care.

See letter on the link below has details, including which instruments are available and how to book a place. Completed forms should be returned to school

If your child is interested and is on FSM, please ask at the office.

Music Lessons Letter

Reading letter for parents/carers of Reception age pupils

See the attached link with details of how you can work with school to support your child in learning to read.

Reception Reading Letter Sept 2021

COVID Risk Assessment and Outbreak Management Plan

See the documents below, which detail our plans for the management of COVID in our school, and the actions necessary when an outbreak of infection occurs.

We welcome any comments, questions or suggestions

COVID Risk Assessment Updated Sept 2021

Outbreak Management Plan Sept 2021

A Guided Tour of Alkrington Primary School

It has been difficult during the last 18 months for parents and others to visit our school.  If you are interested in looking around, with a view to applying for a place for your child, please contact the school office and we will try to accommodate your request.

You can have a sneak preview in our virtual tour.  Click the link below to see

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=yZ5dyTj8wqk

New Classes and Staff for September 2021

See the letter below which details the classes for September and which children will be with which teacher and TA.  Any questions?  Please contact school.

Survey of parents/carers about Home Learning Provision

Thanks to those of you who completed the survey in the last few weeks.

 The results provide a very positive picture of the provision and many complimentary comments, thank you! There are also constructive comments to help us improve. Have a look:

Summary of Results

Summary of Comments

Keeping Children Safe Online

For support and guidance about keeping your child/ren safe online please see the link below and read the attached help sheet.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-keeping-children-safe-online?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=27cab895-c521-4bdc-927e-1a032c81256b&utm_content=daily

Also, on the Home page of our school website and on the links below, you will find a number of information leaflets which relate to different aspects of online safety, which may be of interest/value to you, on topics of:

• Cyber security
• Gaming
• Live Streaming
• Sharing images
• Social Media
• Viewing videos
• Parents’ Helpsheet

Remember this.....Happy 70th Birthday Alkrington Primary School

For those of you who have been with us for a while, you might recall the following event from 10 years ago, as reported in the Middleton Guardian.

Happy 80^th Birthday Alkrington Primary School

Thank you to all who supported our special day by dressing up or sending in memorabilia to make the event an enjoyable and informative one.  Particular thanks to:

Local history expert Geoff Wellens, Vintage car owner Kevin Croft, Miss Ford & her mum who sourced lots of old artefacts, & Miss Pilkington’s Grandma, Pat.

There are plenty of pictures on our school Twitter account, which also appear on the school website Home page.

I enjoyed looking though the old school Log Books, which had to be completed by the Head Teacher in those days.

Alkrington Temporary school opened in 1937, situated in the hall at the United Reformed Church on Manchester New Road with 14 pupils.

Alkrington Junior and Infant School opened on this site on 9^th December 1940, with 80 pupils.

The country was in the midst of the Second World War, so entries in the Log Book mention the building of shelters, school closures after air raids the night before and practice in shelters during the school day. Lots of entries mention low attendance due to illnesses such as scarlet fever, whooping cough, measles and chicken pox.  Also a number of closures due to severe winter weather.

I noted with interest that in 1938 the school closed for the Christmas holiday at 4.00 p.m. on 24^th December. Not leaving much time to prepare for the big day!

I hope that the children enjoyed the day.  I enjoyed giving the children a taste of school discipline as a 1940s Headmaster!

See the pictures below, a sample of the outfuts worn on the day.

The school Governing Board

See below for details of membership of the Governing Board

Rochdale Additional Needs Service (RANS)

RANS are still working hard to support children with additional and special needs and their families

Have a look at the services available by opening the document below

RANS Services

Safe After School Campaign

Please read and cosider the information on the poster below - which wants to help you check that clubs and activities that your child might attend out of school are safely and appropriately organised.  For more information search for RBSCP Safe After School

Defibrillator

Thank to your generous donations, we now have a community defibrillator fitted into a secure cabinet attached to our school fence. You can find it near to the entrance to the staff car park.

The defibrillator is for use by anyone in need, and can be accessed by calling 999 in an emergency.  The operator will tell you the code to open the cabinet.

Well done to Mr Nott, who has been the inspiration behind this scheme, and to those who raised the funds to pay for it, including Jenson Bleakley-White, who raised an incredible £400 towards our total.

Breakfast and After School Club ( BC and ASC )

To make sure that we have all of the correct information and can accomodate as many children as possible, please complete, where needed, and return to the school office the following forms:

• If you want to apply for a place at the BC and/or the ASC: Click here
• Information about how the BC+ASC works, costs, hours, location etc: Click here
• If your child is already registered but you need to change hours/days:  Click here
• If you no longer need a place at the BC and/or ASC for your child:  Click here