Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We would like to thank you for your support with our Christmas fundraising and are pleased to announce that we have raised £760. Thank you for your generosity.

On behalf of all the staff and pupils at Askern Littlemoor Infant Academy, I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

Please click below to view our Winter Newsletter.

Carol Ann Turner
Executive Head Teacher

This edition is particularly special as it's the final newsletter written by Mrs Turner, who is retiring this summer. Mrs Turner has been the heart and soul of Askern Littlemoor since 1998, leaving behind an incredible legacy. We wish her a wonderful and well-desired retirement - although knowing Mrs Turner, we're sure it won't be very restful!

Have a lovely summer everyone, see you all in September. 

We hope you find the newsletter enjoyable and would encourage you to use the QR codes to access the letters from our other schools in the Trust.

We would like to wish all our families a lovely summer and look forward to welcoming the children back to school on Wednesday 4th September.

If your child is to self isolate for 10 days you will have already received a text directly from School.

Those parents who have not received a text are encouraged to send their child to school as normal.

Following the release of updated coronavirus (COVID-19) operational guidance for schools, we wish to update you about the plans in place to ensure a safe and full return to school for all our children.

Arriving and Leaving School

One adult only should bring and collect their child to and from school. Parents must leave the school grounds immediately after drop off and pick up. The children will use their usual entry points. A one-way system is in operation, with children and parents walking down the driveway and around the building; there is a painted walkway in the car park. Everyone must adhere to this route around school.

We would encourage all families to walk to school wherever possible in order to ease congestion around the school. It’s much healthier too!

Parents must bring children to school on time, no earlier or later; the same goes for collection times which must be strictly adhered to, to prevent too many people being on the school premises at once.

Car Park   

Under no circumstances will parents be allowed to drive into the car park. This is a health and safety issue due to the one way system in operation for our families when accessing and leaving the site. In special circumstances, where parents have a disability badge, special arrangements will be made around pick up and drop off times

Staggered Starting and Finishing Times

In order to keep everyone as socially distanced as possible we will be operating the following start and finishing times for the classes.It is really important that these times are adhered to in order to minimise congestion around school.

Nursery times will be as normal:

8:45am-11:45am Morning Nursery     12:30pm-3:30pm Afternoon Nursery

Dormice and Hedgehog Classes-F2 (Miss Hartley & Miss Mulvey) 8:45am-3:15pm

Squirrel Class-Y1 (Mrs Gravel & Miss Moreton) 8:45am-3:15pm

Rabbit & Badger Classes (Y1/Y2-Mrs Leigh & Miss Connor) 9am-3:30pm.

Face Coverings  

Adults and children aged 12 and over are requested to wear face coverings when entering the school grounds. It is so important that we do everything we can to minimise the risk of transmitting the virus and wearing a face covering protects others. Doncaster’s Covid-19 transmission rates remain stubbornly high and we all need to play our part in keeping the virus at bay. School staff will be wearing face-coverings when moving around school beyond their bubble, and may choose to wear them all day.

The safety of everyone is paramount.

Class Bubbles

The children are kept in their class groups for the majority of the time and these groups are described as ‘bubbles’. Nursery children operate as one bubble and F2 children operate as a large bubble during the day, allowing access to all areas of provision both indoors and outdoors. Staff remain in their bubbles as far as is possible.

  All teachers and other staff, including PE coaches, can operate across different classes and year     groups to facilitate the delivery of the timetable and specialist provision. Where staff need to  move between groups, they should try and keep their distance from pupils and other staff as much as they can, ideally 2 metres from other adults.

Classroom layout

Adaptations will be made to the classrooms to support distancing where possible. This will include seating children side by side and our older children facing forwards, rather than face to face or side on. Unnecessary furniture will be moved out of classrooms to make more space.

In Early Years (Nursery and F2), the classroom layout will be very similar to before, with the main difference being some reduction in the equipment. All equipment will be thoroughly cleaned at the end of each session.

Equipment

Children will have their own equipment which is frequently used, such as pencils and pens. Classroom-based resources, such as books and games, can be used and shared within the bubble; these will be cleaned regularly.

We would like all children to bring a water bottle to school each day; this is very important as we will not be providing the children with school bottles while restrictions are in place.

We are asking that all children come to school with just their book bag, packed lunch (if required), water bottle and coat. All packed lunches and water bottles will be stored in class with the children.

Learning

Staff are planning to deliver a curriculum which will focus on the essentials (phonics and reading, increasing vocabulary, writing and maths) but will also offer a breadth of subjects as well as focusing on the children’s mental well-being.

Physical activity will be a key feature of our curriculum and the KS1 children need to have their kit in school throughout the week (white t shirt and black shorts).

Hygiene

Children and staff are required to wash their hands as soon as they enter and just before they leave the building. They follow the usual hygiene rules and wash their hands after the toilet, before they eat and if they cough or sneeze. Staff also ensure every adult and child washes their hands at least every hour while they are at school. Hand sanitisers are available in all areas of school.The rules of ‘Catch it, bin it, kill it!’ and coughing into elbows (rather than into the air) are being reinforced.

All hard surfaces such as tables, door handles, taps, backs of chairs, toilets and any other surfaces that staff and children come into contact with are sprayed with cleaning products and wiped with a clean cloth at least four times during the school day. Every classroom is well-stocked with liquid soap, paper towels, cleaning products, cleaning cloths, tissues and hand sanitiser.

School staff will wear gloves, face masks and plastic aprons when dealing with sick children or administering first aid. They will do the same if they are supporting a child who has had a toileting accident.

Lunches

Lunchtimes will be staggered, with our youngest children eating first at 12pm in the hall, all front facing. Our older children (KS1) will be served lunch in their classrooms. There will be a choice of lunch, with our band system continuing to be in operation. The children will not queue for their lunch, instead the lunchtime staff will bring the food to the children at their tables. All lunchtime staff will be wearing face coverings.

Social Distancing

Social distancing will continue to be taught and encouraged. Signage will be in place. It is so important that everyone adheres to the 2 metre rule when entering the school grounds with the children. 

Children will receive regular reminders of this throughout every day from the staff. However it is acknowledged by all that children of this age will find social distancing extremely difficult and may even find it distressing.

Children of this age, returning to school after so much isolation will need to socially interact and it is indeed very important for their development and well-being that they are able to do so. Therefore it is our intention to ensure that children and staff stay with their designated class groups as far as possible with reminders about social distancing and the hygiene measures outlined.

Playtimes

Playtimes will be staggered to ensure social distancing remains in place. Our KS1 children will use the KS1 playground and the Reception children will use their own Early Years’ play area.

Parents and Vistors entering the building

Parents will not be allowed into the school building unless by prior appointment. Only one parent will be allowed into reception at a time and we request that a face covering is worn in order to protect our staff.  Visitors into school will not be permitted unless it is absolutely essential and strict social distancing rules must be followed. Face coverings have to be worn by all visitors and a Visitors’ Policy has been produced which can be found on the school’s website: www.askernlittlemoor.com  (within the News section).

If you wish to pass on a message, please do so via email (admin @askernlittlemoor.doncaster.sch.uk) or telephone call. (01302 701353).

Staff must do the same and contact parents by phone call, email or via text and not engage parents in conversation in person unless it is absolutely necessary.

Attendance

School attendance will be mandatory for all pupils from 8^th March 2021. Class teachers will be contacting families in the coming days to chat and answer any questions you may have. Please note that Free School Meal supermarket vouchers will cease on Friday 5^th March.

Mental Health and Well-Being

We hope that you feel positive and reassured about your child returning to school but for some children, parents and staff members this is a time of stress and anxiety.  As we all adjust to the full reopening with continuing coronavirus guidelines, issues will arise. We want to work in close partnership with parents/carers and children and if you are anxious about anything in school please just ask; we are only too happy to help and support.

Cases of Covid-19

If a child becomes unwell in school, you will be contacted to arrange to collect your child and access a test. Whilst we await your arrival they will be taken to our special isolation room with a trained staff member until a parent/carer arrives. If your child is displaying Covid-19 symptoms then we will ask them to wear a mask and the adult will wear disposable PPE (mask, gloves, apron, goggles). You will then be asked to isolate your household for 10 days, arrange a test and inform us of the results.

We will contact the local health protection team. Based on the advice from the health protection team, we must send home those people who have been in close contact with the person who has tested positive, advising them to self-isolate for 10 days since they were last in close contact with that person when they were infectious.

The health protection team will provide definitive advice on who must be sent home. We will keep a record of pupils and staff in each group, and any close contact that takes places between children and staff in different groups.

Cleaning

Daily deep cleans will take place at the end of each school day and a cleaning routine is in place throughout the day with classroom surfaces (handles, equipment, etc.) being cleaned at very regular intervals. Tables and chairs will be wiped between activities. Rooms will also be well-ventilated.

Communication

It is vital that we are able to communicate with parents and carers via phone and email. Clear two-way communication is key at any time but is even more important during these uncertain times. Please ensure that school has your up to date mobile number, home number and email address.

Advice from Public Health Doncaster

There is a range of information available to parents and carers on the Doncaster Council website with a specially created section on returning to school - www.doncaster.gov.uk/schoolopening.

This continues to be updated regularly. This link will also be shared on the council’s social media @MyDoncaster and @CovidDoncaster.

If your child is to self isolate for 10 days you will have already received a text directly from School.

Those parents who have not received a text are encouraged to send their child to school as normal.

As the 2^nd national lockdown is taking place from Thursday 5^th November, we would like to remind you about our key existing procedures and to explain some additional precautions which we are implementing from Thursday.