Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Welcome back

  Fri 05 Mar 2021

  On Monday March 8th we are looking forward to welcoming back all of our Short Woodies to school.

   

  The last few weeks have presented many challenges but also opportunities.  We have heard lovely stories of how families have supported each other and heard about some of the lasting memories that have been created.  

   

  Whether at home or at school, the pupils have shown great resilience  and have inspired us all.  The staff team have been equally as resilient and have worked relentlessly to plan, deliver and support all of our pupils and families, while juggling their own family lives too.  Thank you to everyone for your efforts, it is truly appreciated.

   

  While we are excited about the full reopening of school, we must remember this is only the first stage of coming out of lockdown. With this in mind we have reviewed and refreshed our risk assessments.  All of the controls and rules that were in place in the Autumn term will remain.  No child should attend school, or adult visit school ,if they or members of their household are displaying symptoms fo COVID19, households must remain at home and book a test. 

   

  Children will return to their class bubbles, these will have allocated staff members with them.  Bubbles will not mix in school.  Please consider this when you are dropping off and collecting your child, it is the responsibility of the adult dropping off or collecting to ensure children do not mix before and after school.  Children should wear school uniform or their PE kit on designated PE days.

   

  The half hour drop off times at the start (8.45-9.15) and end (2.45-3.15) of the day will resume. The one way system through school is also still in operation.  Please send ONE adult per family to reduce the number of adults on site, this adult needs to wear a face covering, unless exempt.  Adults must continue to follow social distancing guidelines.

   

  Any contact required with the class teachers should be done via dojo or by calling or emailing the school office.

   

  We are aware that there are likely to be occasions that we need to request bubbles to isolate.  In this event we will continue to provide remote learning.  We do have laptops available for loan if you do not have a suitable device at home.

   

  Any devices that are currently out on loan need to be returned to school.  Our office team will be in touch to arrange a time for you to return the device and sign it back in.  Please wait to be contacted so we avoid groups of people at the office.

   

  Next week we have planned a range of learning to welcome our pupils back, we have ensured there will be time to reflect on events and to consider how we now 'bounce forward' into the next phase of the school year.  The emotional health and well being of the pupils and staff will be a priority so that everyone feels confident and able to return to learning at school.  If you have any queries, worries or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us, we are here to help.

   

  Finally, thank you to everyone who has contacted us this term with your feedback.  The team in school have been genuinely touched by your kindness, positive and constructive comments, whether you child has experienced this term so far at home or in school.  As we enter week 52 of the COVID era next week (yes it has been a year) we must remember that kindness, cooperation and consideration has seen us through - let's continue this journey together in a positive sunny mindset (hopefully the weather will do the same!).  See you on Monday!

   

   

   

• Celebrating the life of Captain Sir Tom Moore

  Wed 03 Feb 2021
  Last year our Short Woodies were inspired by hearing all about Captain Sir Tom Moore - he truly inspired a generation.  Today following the sad news of his death we decided as a school to do something positive to celebrate his life and to remember other special people that have touched our lives.  We decided to dedicate our daily mile walk to this cause.  At school today over 100 miles were walked - we know many of our Short Woodies took this as an opportunity at home as well today.  Thank you Captain Sir Tom for the lessons on hope, trust and resilience.

  

• National Lockdown announcement

  Tue 05 Jan 2021

  Following the announcement of the latest national lockdown Short Wood will open from Tuesday January 5th 2021 for children of Critical Workers, Vulnerable children and Nursery children until further notice.

   

  If you require a place in school during this time please email the Short Wood team at office@shortwoodprimaryschool.com

   

  If you have requested a place please drop your child off at their usual class today between 8.45am and 9.15am, with the exception of Nest children - ALL nursery children need to be dropped off at the Nursery in main school.

   

  Due to the late announcement we will be using Tuesday 5th January to plan our response and we will then contact families later in the day to inform them of plans.  We will of course be providing resources to support remote learning.  Please bear with us while we sort things out - if you have any questions or concerns please contact us via the office email address above.  Or, Class Teachers can be contacted via Dojo.

   

  This is a challenging period but we know our Short Woodies have great resilience and know there are brighter times ahead.  Please take care of each other and most of all be kind.

• Spring term starts Tuesday 5th January

  Sun 03 Jan 2021

  We hope you have all had a good holiday and a well earned rest. 

   

  You will have heard a great deal in the media over this weekend regarding the reopening of primary schools.  With the information we currently have, Short Wood will fully reopen to all pupils on Tuesday 5th January following the planned PD day on  Monday 4th January.

   

  If your child, or anyone in your household are displaying any symptoms please DO NOT come to school.  You must seek a test and not return to school until you have received a negative result. As we did last term we will be sending children home if they display any symptoms, including those associated with a common cold or flu as this seems to be how some people are affected, and asking for you to seek a test.  We recognise the significant challenges this causes many families and appreciate the ongoing support of you all in keeping each other safe.

   

  These are challenging times, at Short Wood the team have been working hard to ensure we the school is as safe as possible.  We all need to continue to play our part in keeping Short Wood as safe a place as we possibly can.  We will continue to update our risk assessments in line with local and national guidance.  Please note this does change frequently we will do our best to keep you updated, if you have any questions please contact us and we will do our best to help. 

   

  A few reminders are set out below:

  • Please only send 1 adult to drop off and collect to reduce the number of people on site
  • The one way system will remain
  • All adults are asked to wear masks while on site
  • Drop off will be 8.45am-9.15am and collection will be 2.45pm-3.15pm unless otherwise directed
  • Breakfast and After school clubs will run as they did in the Autumn term
  • All adults must take responsibility for ensuring social distancing rules are followed - please do not allow children to mix before and after school as we work hard to maintain the bubbles throughout the day
  • Contact with school can be made by calling or emailing the school office or by using Dojo

   

  If your child will not be attending school due to self isolation of the child or household members please email office@shortwodprimaryschool.com to enable us to update our records.

   

  We want all Short Woodies to have a settled return to school to be able to enjoy the exciting and varied curriculum the teachers have worked hard to plan.  Thank you to all of our staff who have worked over the holidays to create a positive start to the new term.

   

  If guidance changes we will be in touch as soon as we can. Any queries or questions please get in touch, a member of our team will be happy to help.

• Happy end of term

  Fri 11 Dec 2020

  This term has certainly presented its challenges, but in amongst those there have been many triumphs too.

   

  The staff right across school have worked tirelessly this term to make Short Wood a safe and stimulating place to be.  We are grateful for the positive comments we have received as the level of work and commitment involved cannot be underestimated.  Our risk assessments have been implemented effectively and our procedures have worked well.  We have been in regular contact with the local health hub who have supported us really well.  Of course we have had to learn and adapt as we have gone along, our team has shown amazing resilience to make the term a success.

   

  Pupils have been equally as amazing and have responded so positively to all the changes we have had to make.  They have listened, understood and followed the rules around the bubbles, they have not complained about not being able to play with their friends in other classes and they have shown hard working attitudes towards their learning. We are really proud of them all.

   

  The curriculum has had to be adapted, while we have been unable to provide some of the usual experiences to stimulate and inspire learning our creative minds have found ways to respond and adapt. A visit from Mo, from Animals in Hands, for one year group was so successful we invited him back to enable all of our pupils to get such a positive experience.  The impact on the children's emotional health and well being as well as their learning was a joy to see.

   

  The Arthog team have also been working with us this term.  They completed robust risk assessments to ensure we could work with the team safely.  This has resulted in walks to the woods, a trip up the Wrekin and climbing on the climbing wall.  We have had amazing feedback from the children following these experiences and the outcomes of the follow up work back in class shows how important it is that we find these safe ways of working.

   

  In school we have strived to deliver a broad curriculum, there has been a range of outdoor experiences, DT fun making vehicles, PE sessions with and without Coach, daily miles, dance and drama supported by Mari from The Schools Arts Trust and an online Theatre experience.

   

  Across school we have delivered the new online assemblies from the NSPCC to remind us all of the key messages about how to keep safe.  The assemblies are designed at an age related level to engage and inform children. Staff have also engaged in training from the NSPCC around online safety to ensure we are doing all we can to safeguard our pupils.  Knowing who children are talking to online has never been more important - if you would like further information the NSPCC website has a range of useful resources,  particularly about setting parental controls to monitor online activity. The link below has some useful information:

  https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/parental-controls/

  Remote learning has been a feature for a number of our class bubbles this term too.  From the feedback parents gave us in the questionnaire, sent out earlier in the term, we have developed the remote learning approach.  We have invested in work books to be sent out to classes if they are having to isolate at home, we are also sending additional activities to support the wider curriculum. These are then supported by daily videos using class dojo.  Videos of the daily learning are posted by 10am each day, then pupils can post their work back on Dojo so teachers can respond to individuals.  This week Miss Taylor has been particularly impressed by some of the independent history work that has been submitted.

   

  As we head into the final week of term we are looking forward to lots of fun activities.  Christmas lunch will be served across school next Wednesday, we are also looking forward to parties that day.  Everyone is invited to come to school in their party clothes on Wednesday.  The last day at school will be Friday 18th December.

   

  We would like to wish everyone a safe, peaceful and happy holiday period.  For those celebrating, Merry Christmas, it may feel different this year but we know we need to keep looking after each other, Short Woodies are experts at that! Take good care of yourselves and each other.

• Team Short Wood

  Fri 13 Nov 2020

  I want to start this update by paying tribute to all of the members of our school community who have come together over the recent weeks to ensure our school is open and that our Short Woodies are able to learn and thrive. 

   

  The resilience of our pupils in such uncertain times is inspiring, they have responded brilliantly to the altered routines and have shown a great sense of determination to continue their learning journeys.  

   

  Thanks to all of you at home who are supporting your children in and out of school,  and supporting the school in following the new rules and routines set out in our risk assessment.  We really do all need to work together to get through this tricky time,.

   

  Our staff team are showing the same resilience as our pupils.  Everyone is pulling together - going above and beyond their usual duties.  Situations can change quickly at the moment and the positive, can do attitude of the team ensures the children are at the heart of everything. We have all really appreciated the support of our Governing Body and the kind words of many of our community who recognise the dedication of our team above and beyond their professional responsibilities.

   

  We realise that when we have to close bubbles it is a cause for concern for many of you.  Please be assured we are doing everything we can in school to minimise risks and where cases do arise we work closely with the local Health Protection Hub to follow the guidance in place.

   

  If your child has to self isolate and are well; whether that is as a result of a bubble closure at school, a positive test of a household member or if they or a household member are awaiting test results due to showing symptoms, we do want to support their learning at home.  We have learning packs available to send home and we are using Class Dojo portfolio to post teaching videos and provide personalised feedback to your child.  Miss Taylor has created a short video to support you in accessing Class Dojo portfolio if you have not already done so.  We will be showing your child how to use this in school in the coming weeks, just in case they need to be off school. It can be viewed on the Class Pages of the website in supporting home learning or by following this link:

   

  https://short-wood-primary-school.primarysite.media/media/using-dojo-portfolio-a-guide-for-parents

   

  Please ensure you are signed up to Class Dojo - if you need any help with this contact school and a member of the team will help you.  By working in this way our teachers can continue to deliver the same learning to the children at home as those in school.  We understand the pressures for parents and carers when children are learning from home - by developing this approach we hope the children can access the learning at a time that works for your home situation.  We can only ask that everyone does the best they can. Please continue to feedback to us about what works well and the tricky parts.  Our team in school are great at finding resolutions to all sorts of challenges.

   

  We are also working with our staff on remote teaching - some of your children will have experienced this over the last few days.  It is inevitable that we will have staff absences due to needing to self isolate or support their own family situation, so, we are using Microsoft Teams to enable staff to link into the classroom from home.  The technology can be a challenge at times but we are working hard to resolve issues and support your children in the best way we can. 

   

  If your child needs a home learning pack and has not received one please contact the school.  If your child is off ill they are not expected to be doing the home learning.

   

  By working together we will emerge from these times and move forward.  Please continue to follow the rules in and out of school.  During the current National Lockdown households should not be mixing, we are trying really hard to maintain our bubbles in school to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus.  We know not being able to visit family and friends is difficult but we must continue to all play our part in beating the virus, and maintain hope and optimism about times ahead.  A positive mindset can achieve so much.

   

  As always please get in touch by phone, email or Dojo and a member of our team will be there to help.  

   

  Have a great weekend.

   

   

• Loving learning

  Fri 18 Sep 2020

  As we get used to our new normal the resilience of our staff and pupils has been really impressive.  We have made a few minor changes but generally the plans we have put in place are working well.  We are grateful to all of you who are sticking to the rules in place for dropping off and collection and for accessing the school in general.

   

  Please remember that ALL children need to be accompanied by an adult at drop of and collection, this is to maintain social distancing and to reduce the risk of pupils mixing across bubbles at these times.  We have extended the times at the start and end of the day to support you in doing this. Please do not send your child in unaccompanied as they are being stopped by school staff and are having to wait with them.

   

  Across school pupils have been keen to share their learning this week, from Percy the Park Keeper in Early Years, Katie Morag in Key Stage One through to Billy and the Minpins in Key Stage 2.  We are working hard to establish next steps for all of our pupils, we recognise there will be an impact from the lockdown period but are working on how we can best support all pupils in reaching their potential.  

   

  We are also devoting plenty of time to supporting the emotional health and well being of all of our Short Woodies.  Time to talk is being planned for across the week. Understanding the experiences, thoughts and feelings of each other is really important and as we navigate this new world of keeping safe, isolating, testing and reintegrating we do need to be mindful of some of the issues this raises four our pupils, our staff and our wider community. Hearing the questions many of our pupils have is really fascinating - some are simple to answer others take a little more exploring. It is important that no thought or question is seen as being too small or silly to mention, but we mustn't assume everyone is worried, we are also finding that some children are just really curious, exploring the facts in a safe environment can be powerful too. 

   

  Outdoor activities are being planned across school with Forest school sessions up and running.  We are asking you to provide waterproof trousers and wellies for your children this term.  

   

  Sadly we have had to cancel our Year 6 residential trip to Arthog in North Wales.  This is always a Year 6 highlight for pupils who attend, the decision was not taken lightly.  We are fortunate to have the Arthog Outreach Team on our site so we are working closely with that team to explore possibilities for adventures closer to home.  We will of course keep you informed.

   

  We are currently working on plans to maintain support children's learning in the event of children having to self isolate for 14 days or if a further lockdown is imposed.  While we are doing everything we can to maintain a Covid secure site we know from evidence across

  our locality and the country  there are likely to be positive cases occurring, where they do we will work with the local Public Health Track and Trace team and follow their guidance.

   

  We will shortly be sending a questionnaire to parents to seek your feedback on what works well and the kind of support you find helpful.  This will inform our ongoing planning.  Please take some time to reply to the questionnaire which should be sent next week.  In the meantime if you are required to self isolate please contact your child's class teacher via Dojo and they will advise you on how we will support you.  

   

  As always if you need to contact school please do not hesitate to do so.  You can use Dojo to contact your child's class teacher throughout the week.  Our Inclusion team and Senior leaders can be contacted via the school office email address or by phone.  

   

  Finally, we want to say a huge congratulations to one of our team who has been working so hard in recent months to complete a Doctorate in Education - alongside being a brilliant Short Woody! Well done 'Dr'' Laura Saunders, the research Dr Saunders carried out as part of her studies was focused on the impact of outdoor learning and many of our pupils benefited from engaging in the research alongside her. We are so proud of her achievements.

   

  Have a great weekend.

• Welcome back

  Fri 04 Sep 2020

  It has honestly been a total delight this week to welcome everyone back to school. The hard work of the Short Wood team has really paid off and we are grateful to everyone in the school community for making our full reopening a success.  

   

  The one way system around school has been going really well - thank you to everyone for following the risk assessments we have in place.  We do appreciate families often want to collect together but in order to reduce the number of people on site we are asking that one adult per family does the dropping off and picking up.  All children need to be accompanied by an adult into school - do not drop them off in the car park, as parents and carers we need you to support our school team in maintaining the distancing around the site before and after school.   We are working hard to ensure we do our very best to keep our site safe and do appreciate everyone's cooperation.

   

  The children have shown great resilience this week in adapting to the different ways of working.  Our class bubbles are working well.  This week we have really focused on the well being of the children, ensuring they are settled and ready to embark on this year's learning adventure.

   

  We will need to adapt how we do lots of things this term but you can be reassured that as a team we are working hard to ensure our Short Woodies get the best possible experience in school.  Forest school sessions will be resuming next week, the children who are starting their sessions next week will receive letters to let you know the kit required, we are asking for you to provide waterproofs for your child this year, the letter will detail what is needed.  Please remember they are likely to get muddy in their forest school sessions so send in older warm clothes.

   

  We will soon be updating the class pages on the website, that will then be a place you can find out information about your child's learning as well as details of their day for PE. We are asking children to come into school in their PE kits on their PE day - plain shorts or jogging bottoms with a blue or white T shirt.  A warm top is needed too as we will be going outdoors whenever possible.

   

  We are looking forward to a full week next week.  Have a great weekend.

• Preparing for September 2nd Opening

  Tue 25 Aug 2020

  We do hope everyone has had chance to enjoy the summer holidays.  We know things have been so different this year, we appreciate there have been challenges to overcome but we hope plenty of fun has been on the agenda too.

   

  Our team at Short Wood have been working to ensure the school is ready to welcome our pupils back on Wednesday 2nd September.  All of our families have been sent a letter about the return to school.  A copy of this letter can be found on the 'Wider reopening of school' section under the Parents menu.  

  Below are some key points to remember:

  • Do not send your child to school if they or any members of your household have symptoms - you must follow Government advise to self-isolate and get a test. Where positive tests occur we must all engage with the Track and Trace teams to look after each other.
  • Children will be expected to maintain robust hand hygiene throughout the day.
  • Pick up and Drop off times have been extended.  In the morning you can drop off between 8.45am and 9.15am.  At the end of the day you can collect from 2.45pm to 3.15pm.
  • There will be a clear one-way system around the school site.  Please only send one adult per family to drop off and collect to reduce the number of people on site.
  • Please arrive within the allocated times to avoid congregating at the gates. Once on site we are asking that you keep walking and do not meet in groups - children will meet you at external doors or at an allocated spot on the playground.
  • All children  will need to be dropped off and collected by an adult to ensure we maintain social distancing measures where possible
  • Please park considerately around the school site and surrounding areas, walk where possible - the zone outside the Nursery building is for dropping off only you cannot leave your car or wait there.

   

  We will be reviewing our processes and procedures on an ongoing basis.  If you have any feedback or questions please contact the school office by phone or email and a member of our team will respond. 

   

  While face to face meetings and chats have to be limited at the moment you can contact your child's class teacher via Class Dojo, these messages are checked regularly. Our Leadership team and Inclusion team can also be contacted through the school office, please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any support at all.

   

  We are looking forward to welcoming our new Short Woodies into school, this is such an exciting time but also can come with some worries - please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions, worries or thoughts, we will be happy to talk you through anything that is not clear, don't let anything seem too small or not important as we really want to work with you to give your child the best possible start and we know you are the ones who know your children best.

   

  Enjoy the rest of your time off we look forward to welcoming you back next week.

• Happy summer holidays

  Fri 17 Jul 2020

  At the end of a term like no other we want to say a big thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this term a success.

   

  There have been many highlights - our Year 6 pupils who were in school were treated to a fabulous beach day.  Fish and chips, ice cream, funfair games and a water slide made this a memorable day.  The PTA did an amazing job at making this so special.

   

  Our Arthog team have been adding to the memorable experiences - canoeing on the pool for our key worker bubbles and Year 6 pupils was brilliant.  The squeals of fun and excitement echoed across school.

   

  The curriculum the teachers have planned over the last few weeks has been a real credit to them, the creativity and enthusiasm for learning that has been on display across school has been inspiring.

   

  We have received so many messages of support and appreciation for the efforts of our team.  The staff right across school have made a super effort, the Short Wood team spirit has been as strong as ever.  

   

  Plans are being made for the return of all pupils in September.  The risk assessments will be on the website in the next couple of weeks.  We are always working to the latest guidance, this is updated regularly so we will be monitoring this over the summer  so there may need to be ongoing changes to the plans in place.

   

  We are hoping to put a new film on the website to show everyone what to expect and how to navigate the site in September as the one way system will still be in place. This should be on the website shortly too.  

   

  As we wish our leavers well we have talked a lot today about how these have been challenging times that will go down in history  - we have also reminded our Short Woodies of the positive times we have shared and the fun moments we have had together.  Our Short Woodies always have been and continue to be a total inspiration.

   

  We hope now that everyone can spend some lovely quality time together.  We do not intend to send any further home learning over the holidays. We want you to smile lots, make memories and find some magical moments to share. We look forward to welcoming many of you back in September and for our leavers good luck and be brilliant , remember once a Short Woody, always a Short Woody.