Newsletter 19- Thursday 9th July 2020

Dear Parents/ Carers and CHILDREN of Tudor Primary,

For the first time in a long period of time, all children have been able to return to their school this week and we have been thrilled with the number of children that we have seen. Without exception, they have all enjoyed being able to spend time with their friends- this was why we were keen to plan for a ‘solution’ that would allow as many year groups as possible to benefit from a return to school. As we all know, school provides so many vital opportunities for children and we were determined that the children of Tudor would not have to go 6 months without time in the classroom. The added bonus of our recent approach at Tudor is that we have been able to implement additional strategies that will support our wider opening in September.

So what is September at Tudor likely to look like?

A numbr of adaptations to ‘normal school life’ will continue in the Autumn term. Whilst children will be able to work in full classes of 30 and be in their uniforms, children will remain in rows and there will be some changes to the way our curriculum is delivered. Furthermore, there will be no assemblies in the hall and there will be no use of the dining areas. Children will have their own classroom resources to use and enhanced cleaning of surfaces and classroom equipment will remain. An extended window for drop off and collection will be in place too as well as the increase in the number of entrances and exits. Children can be dropped off from 8.45-9.05 and collection will be possible from 3.05 to 3.15. This has worked well and we continue to request that children are only dropped off/ collected by a single person. This obviously sounds rather cold to write but our positive parent feedback tells us that families have appreciated our clear expectations. There will still be ongoing concern about the health situation and if we work together and stay alert, Tudor will remain a very safe place for your children to be.

All children will be expected to return and close work alongside the attendance improvement team at county will continue. Government guidance highlights those children/ families with poor attendance prior to the pandemic will receive additional focus. Do ensure you are aware of the county attendance policy that the school adheres to- this is on our website. Due to our aspirational approach for your children, attendance will remain a key factor at Tudor- at the start of the year (for the first time ever!) Tudor was no longer a school with below average attendance and we obviously do not want to return to that position. Good attendance is a huge factor for achievement and wellbeing and we trust that all families work with the school in support of their children’s futures.

Whilst we have had to await guidance from government and county, we remained proactive throughout the pandemic and planned for a range of situations at different times. We appear to have ‘predicted’ the guidance rather well during this period and we look forward to ‘more normality’ in September. Once again, it is correct to share the commitment of the Tudor team- it is much easier planning for an effective response to an issue when all of the staff team are keen to do their bit!

Summer Learning- continuing our commitment

I do recognise that not all children will be thrilled (!) with a gift of up to £20 worth of revision books but I do hope that parents recognise the ‘importance’ of this gesture. Feedback told us that children engaged well with the colourful and child friendly learning books at the start of lockdown so we believe the substantial financial cost of providing EVERY child with some high quality revision support for the summer holidays will be worth it. Children can work through the books to revisit key learning from the year and this can help them excel on their return. We have been delighted to enable all children to return to their school and these valuable resources can enable them to feel even more settled and confident in the new school year. Good luck with them- a consistent approach will make a huge impact. Let’s all want the best for the amazing children of Tudor!  

Farewell Year 6…but we will see you ALL again soon!

We are confident that our year 6 cohort will still have a memorable experience as they move from Tudor to their secondary schools. They have completed a multimedia leavers’ show and they were all excited to receive a free ‘2020 Leavers Hoodie’ from the school. They look GREAT! School also gave them a £10 gift token for the summer holiday- they really do deserve this as they have been an awesome group of children to work with. We pledge to reunite all of the children with a fun school event at a point not too far in the future and we look forward to hearing how well they have settled in their new schools. Good luck Year 6- you are sure to do well!

THANK YOU to Viv Hamer- Viv Hamer has been an amazing asset to the Tudor community for a number of years. She has been a tireless member (as well as Chair) of the Friends of Tudor for many years, having a positive impact on EVERY Tudorite during this time. She has shown energy and enthusiasm in all she has done and I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to her on behalf of all in our school. Viv- you are definitely #TeamTudor!

OFFICE NEWS- Please ensure all dinner money is up to date- The office team request that all parents make sure that payments/ balances are up to date- check schoolGateway. Year 2 children also need to re-register for benefit related free school meals if they believe they are still/newly eligible. Visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals or email the office - you will need to supply your Full Name, DOB and National Insurance number for us to make a claim on your behalf.  The office will be open from 9.30am- 12pm on Weds 2^nd Sept for school uniform sales and school lunch payments. Keep an eye on the website for school news over the holidays and ensure that school has your correct contact details (including phone/email)- important updates are likely to be announced/ shared!

The final weeks of any school year are certainly busy and, despite the current rota of provision, there’s a lot going on at school. End of year reports have been completed as well as transition activities so children can ‘meet’ their new teachers. We have had to be rather creative (and imaginative!) for those children joining Tudor but we are confident that all Tudorites will get a ‘super deal’. We obviously would not want any repeat of the current situation facing all of us but I remain incredibly proud how we have all responded in these challenging times: it’s those difficult situations in in life that truly mould us…

Have a SAFE SUMMER- and stay #TeamTudor!                                       

Mr Weightman

And something extra...

I trust you find our newsletters useful but if you want to read some TRULY amazing writing, follow this link:

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