Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Dear parents
Quick notices before we break up:
School closure and start date
School is closed after today (21st December) until January 10th. The school site will not be open to parents and staff will not be available on site between these dates.
Covid changes
Should there be significant changes to practices from January onwards, I will share these as soon as we are made aware of them. This would be done via text message and website Noticeboard updates. Let us hope this will not be necessary.
Online learning and contingency planning
It is important that as the government are reviewing the situation ‘hour by hour’ that as a school we develop contingency plans for one or more of the following:
Online learning materials have now been issued. I must reiterate that these are sent as a precaution only. Please read the information carefully and keep them safe.
There is no need to login at this time and you are asked to do so only when directed to do so. Attempts to login early will not allow access, may trigger password reset notices and no materials are available for you.
Lateral Flow Testing
A reminder that guidance from gov.uk is that you should regularly LFT test and get a PCR test if either:
I ask that prior to return to school on January 10th children are lateral flow tested. Please remember that a Lateral Flow Test (quick test) is for those not showing symptoms, whilst a PCR test (lab test) is for those with symptoms or if an LFT is positive.
Thank you
Thank you to all the parents and families who have been very supportive of the efforts to keep children and adults safe at Ashgate Primary School. Thanks to you, the diligence of staff and effective systems, the cases of positive Covid 19 in the school have been extraordinarily low in comparison to other settings.
It is also appropriate to thank all my staff who have this term been flexible and uncomplaining about short notice changes and adaptations to matters beyond out control. I am immensely proud of them all.
I wish you all, on behalf of the staff and governors, a very merry and safe Christmas.
Dear Parents and carers
Contingency planning for online learning /blended learning
As you will have seen, the government have made some significant changes to the Covid 19 requirements following the spread of the Omnicom variant.
Impact on schools
The government to date has made clear that they are not planning to close schools; however, some schools are being forced to do so with the support of / direction of Public Health England when and where it is deemed necessary. In most cases this has been a result of significant numbers of staff positive cases, the lack of availability of supply / agency staff to cover absent staff or large groups of children (classes and year groups) testing positive.
Online learning / blended learning
Schools are being advised to ensure that they are ready to manage potential partial closures as of January 2022. This is a precautionary measure and one that is practical and reasonable in current circumstances. I reiterate that the government are not planning to close schools; however, if current trends continue it is likely that most will be required in some way to provide learning for those in isolation or for whom school is closed to.
Is there a plan?
Yes! We are in a position of strength as we do have systems in place to ensure that a switch to partial online learning can be undertaken quickly and efficiently if required. Feedback from parents during previous lockdowns made clear that the work of staff to support pupils was very effective and we wish to build on this if needed.
With this in mind, before the children break up, parents will be re issued a new Office 365 username and password to log in to the remote learning system.
IMPORTANT:
When your new username/password is given to you and when guidance is issued:
Remember: Online learning and Office 365 access is provided solely for educational purposes. Pupils found to be using the system for personal communication may have access removed – this must be made clear to your child regularly if they are working from home.
WANTED – Parent Governors
Our school Governing Body is made up of Governors from all walks of life and many come to us through a variety of routes and with a range of different backgrounds, skills and experiences, but they are all volunteers who work together for the benefit of the school and are the link between the school and the community it serves.
We want you -
We are currently looking for new Parent Governors and would be delighted to hear from anyone who has:
If you feel you match the above description, you may be the very person to become a Governor at Ashgate Primary School. Everyone has something to offer and we want people from as many backgrounds and with as wide a range of interests as possible.
What can we offer?
Why have a Governing Body and a Headteacher?
The Headteacher is responsible for management of the school, ensuring that strategic plans are implemented, the curriculum is delivered effectively and that the policies of the school are acted upon. He or she make the ‘chalk-face’ decisions to ensure that children are cared for, socially, emotionally and academically on a day-to-day basis, in line with the school’s policies.
The Governing Body provides the strategic management and long- term direction for the school; it acts as a ‘critical friend’ to ensure that standards are high and maintained. Governors act, not as individuals, but as a group to support the work of the Headteacher, staff and pupils. School Governing Bodies are the largest voluntary group in the United Kingdom. They are unpaid and give up their time freely.
It is important to emphasise that it is the role of the Headteacher to coordinate and manage day to day management and leadership of the school, what is referred to as ‘operational matters’, whilst governors focus on the wider ‘strategic’ elements of school life. Parent governors are not a sounding board for parentsnor can they raise personal matters for governor review.
What is the composition of our Governing Body?
The Governing Body of Ashgate Primary School is led by Mr Paul Bahti (Chair), elected by the Governing Body from within its membership. Staff members, including the Headteacher, cannot be elected to this office.
Governing bodies are made up of key stakeholders:
Parents - Parent Governors are elected by other parents at the school.
Staff - including the Headteacher - Staff Governors (teaching and non-teaching) are elected by the school staff.
The Local Community - the Governing Body appoints Community Governors i.e. members of the local community.
The Local Authority (LA) - appoints one or more Authority Governors.
What do governors do and how did they attain this role?
Great emphasis is given to recruiting Governors who can bring professional skills to their work on the various committees, so that we are qualified to conduct the School in line with our statutory duties. These include promoting high standards of educational achievement, acting in a strategic manner to help the development of the School through effective management of resources and working closely with the School Senior Leadership Team to create and promote the School's values.
More information is available on ‘About Us’ at the school website:
When?
Governing body meetings occur termly with the target of lasting no more than 2 hours. Prior to the meeting, Governors will be expected to review documents and information so that they are able to ask appropriate questions, make recommendations or provide guidance.
If you are interested, please email the Clerk o Governing Body at email clerk@ashgate.derby.sch.uk, alternatively, you can contact the school direct and I will be more than happy to arrange a time to discuss the role with you. Depending on the number of applications there may be an election process, which will be advised in due course if required.