A Fantastic Start to the Term

Dear Parents/Carers,

After many concerns we had about the children coming back this term; being on site again after such a long time away, getting used to new routines, needing to wash hands frequently every day, once again they have surprised us! Each and every one of the children on site this week has made us proud.

The children who were already familiar with the Oaklands site have quickly adapted to moving around the school in the one way system, classrooms being in a new layout, and the daily routine being different from what they had been used to. Our new children have explored their class & school environment, readily moving around the site, smiling and getting to know the staff teams. All staff have commented on how smoothly all of our Oaklands children transitioned into this new way of working and playing. Thank-you to you all for making sure that your child has been well prepared to start the new term, and that they have been ready on time for school. We know that the more we prepare our children for changes the better they can cope with it.

To our new parents joining the Oaklands community, I would like to offer you a very warm welcome. By now, your child’s class teacher will have introduced themselves and let you know how your child is settling in. We do hope you will be interested to find out about what is happening at Oaklands by following us on

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OaklandsSchoolLeicester

Twitter: @OaklandsSchool­_ 

and on the website: www.oaklands.leicester.sch.uk.

We also have a You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoBZ9amxpU6NJ3OM9_dPioA with many Oaklands video clips that your child may like to watch and learn from.

We ask that all parents regularly check Weduc, our parent messaging app, and the website, to be kept up to date with letters and news. Our teachers will also now be using ClassDojo to contact you personally about your child’s progress in class. We will be trying to reduce the amount of paper we use so most correspondence will be made via these alternative methods of communication.

We are all looking forward to the term ahead. We will take it step by step, and at a pace that is suitable for each individual child. We want them all to feel safe and comfortable in school, with the people around them. It may take some children a while to start to interact again. For some, the loss of structure may have been devastating over the last six months. But we are well prepared, with our Connection & Community Curriculum aims being firmly focused on a reintegration that suits individual needs. We are ready to listen if children want to talk about what has happened, and indeed we have heard children already reminding each other about ‘social distancing’. We know that for many of our children, they have enjoyed the company of familiar adults at home during lockdown, so coming back to school and the separation from loved ones after all this time may be distressing, and cause anxiety.

Our teachers have been considering all different types of responses to the current situation, to ensure that first and foremost we consider each child’s wellbeing as they return to school life, which in turn, and in time, will secure positive progress for their future development.

We also recognise that this week has been difficult for many of you as well. Many parents have asked themselves if sending their child back to school is the right thing to do. But, ultimately, you have sent your child back because you care. They needed to be away from school during the lockdown, it was not a choice, but we know that education is crucial to a child’s development. It is not just the academic learning, but the social development opportunities they have in school too that are crucial for their future. I think we all had first day nerves this week, but we always talk about Oaklands as a family, and we will all continue to work to look after each other. If you want any further information about our safety measures in school, please do contact us to speak to a member of the leadership team.

As always, we are more than happy to help you, should you have any queries about how your child is settling in or their progress during the term. Please do use ClassDojo, or phone us on 0116 2415921, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can, should you want to talk about anything.

Regards

Sarah Osborne