Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Children's mental health week 2021
Sun 31 Jan 2021This coming week is children's mental health week. We know that lockdown and remote learning is really tough on children and their families (it's really tough on us teachers too!). Let's get through this & look forward to a brighter future. Here are some tips to support those children struggling during lockdown.
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BBC Children in Need fundraising total
Fri 29 Jan 2021A big well done to everybody - we have had confirmation that we raised the grand total of £218.90 for Children in Need! Well done!
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Remote education provision
Fri 29 Jan 2021Remote Learning provision
Dear Parents/Carers,
Following feedback from a few parent(s)/carer(s), I would just like to take this opportunity to clarify a few things about our remote learning provision.
As outlined by the education secretary on the 6th January 2021 (https://bit.ly/3iILR8i), schools are required to provide remote learning of between 3 & 5 hours per day (dependent on age) during this national lockdown. It must be provided through a digital platform (currently we use Seesaw) and must contain at least some learning videos (either school-led or from some other quality provider such as White Rose maths or Oak Academy). We are currently following this guidance closely in the remote learning we are providing. Although we recognise this is a large amount, we are simply providing the amount prescribed in the government guidance.
Despite the large amount of remote learning required by the government to be set, engaging with it should be considered as vital. Failure to engage fully with this remote learning despite it being set will put your child(ren) at a severe disadvantage compared to their peers as this is ‘new learning’ rather than practicing already learned skills. Additionally, failure to engage with remote learning would be an attendance issue and will be passed on to the attendance team. Planning and delivering these remote learning opportunities requires a great deal of effort from all our teaching staff and this effort must be matched by the pupils it is provided for and supported by you as parent(s)/carer(s). As such, difficulty in getting your child(ren) to engage must be overcome. We also understand that many of our parents are now working from home and that there is the need for you as parents to provide other learning and wellbeing opportunities to your child(ren), therefore, at times a trade-off must be found given a finite amount of time available. All that we would ask is that you try to prioritise core curriculum areas such as maths, English and phonics to focus on whilst remembering that opportunities across the curriculum must also be given.
Once again, if you are struggling to access the remote learning please ask for support. Many parents are still asking for paper copies of remote learning. These are good for practicing skills already taught, however, they are very unlikely to teach your child anything new. It is vital you engage the quality pre-recorded or live lessons provided by our staff and other professionals if they are to take new steps in learning. You may find it easier to record learning in books or on paper but it is vital that they access the learning videos so they understand these new concepts. We now have additional iPads that you may also loan from us to support remote learning. In addition, as we monitor the use of the devices already loaned we will be also requesting that the devices already loaned be returned to us if they are not being used. This is currently the case with several of the school devices. To request a device or support you can e-mail me (Mr Youngman)at reception@eastcroftpark.co.uk.
Finally, a big well done to those children (along with their parent(s)/carer(s) providing the support) who are making the most of the remote learning opportunities we are providing.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Youngman
Computing Coordinator & Remote learning lead
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Remote education: Top 10 tips for parents!
Thu 28 Jan 2021Please see the attached image for the top 10 tips for parents in engagement with remote learning. The document can also be downloaded here!
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Tutoring Programme Year 5 and Year 6 Pupils
Mon 25 Jan 2021Dear Parents/Carers,
You may be aware that some children have been invited to take part in the Catch-Up Tutoring Programme. The Government has allocated a small pot of money to each school to provide additional support for pupils. The aim of the programme is to identify any gaps in learning due to school closure and address this with small group or one to one tuition.
This is not a school place and it is not open to all pupils.
This term we have prioritised Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. Children will be allocated 2 hours of tuition each week initially for a 3 week period. Progress of pupils will be reviewed after half term and places will then be allocated to new groups of children.
Over the term we hope to offer additional support to all Year 5 and Year 6 children who we feel will benefit. However, as the advantage of this programme is that children get intense support in very small groups, we cannot accommodate all pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 at one time.
We have prioritised a group of children using a range of factors and looking at all abilities. This is exactly the same sort of process that we use to identify groups of children for additional intervention, in a normal school day.
If you have any concerns about your child please contact your child’s class teacher by email or Seesaw. If you would like to discuss the tutoring programme please email the school eastcroft@knowsley.gov.uk or contact me directly julie.withey@knowsley.gov.uk.
Yours sincerely,
Miss J A Withey
Head teacher
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Knowsley family and community education courses
Wed 20 Jan 2021Details of the latest Knowsley FACE courses can be found on the attached flyer.
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Update on school places
Tue 19 Jan 2021Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope you are well and coping with remote learning. If you have any issues please email your child’s teacher and they will be happy to support you.
I appreciate that it is a difficult and stressful time for parents/carers and children and we will do everything that we can to help you during this time.
School Places
Currently we are inundated with requests for school places. Once again I would like to clarify the allocation of places and the restraints that schools are facing.
Due to the number of staff that we have available and to ensure the health and safety of both children and staff, each of the teaching bubbles has a maximum number that we can accommodate. In total the maximum number of places that we can offer each day is 35, split into three Key Stage bubbles. Over a week we have 38 children in attendance and a waiting list for places in each bubble.
Please do not contact the school for places as we are full. There is no need to contact the school if you are on the waiting list as we will contact you as soon as a place becomes available.
Critical Workers
The Government list of critical workers is now extensive. Unfortunately because of the number of children that we can safely have in school, being on the critical worker list does not guarantee a school place.
All Critical Worker places have now been allocated and each of the teaching ‘bubbles’ are at the maximum capacity. The capacity has been calculated following a risk assessment to ensure safe staffing levels, social distancing and the schools ability to also provide quality remote learning to those children at home.
Once again I apologise if you have been unsuccessful in your request for a place but due to the high demand we had to prioritise places where both parents are Critical Workers, unable to work from home and have no other childcare options. Some of our teaching staff have been refused Critical Worker places for their own children as most schools have used the same criteria to prioritise places.
Due to staff shielding and illness, we only have two teachers available in each Key Stage who alternate between teaching in school and also providing remote learning for their own class. To increase the number or size of ‘bubbles’ would significantly impact on the schools ability to provide quality remote learning and an increase in the number of children and staff in school will raise the risk of infection for staff, children and their families.
Vulnerable Children
A number of parents have contacted school to request places as they believe that their child should be classed as vulnerable. I appreciate that parents/carers have genuine concerns about their child’s education and general wellbeing. However, the criteria to be classed as a vulnerable child are:
- assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
- have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- have been identified as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities such as social care services.
Therefore, unfortunately, struggling to engage your child with home learning, being unable to deal with your child’s behaviour or general childcare issues does not meet the criteria for a vulnerable child place alone.
Please do not contact the school for vulnerable child places as we have allocated available places to those children who meet the criteria and are most in need.
However, if you have concerns about your child’s education or behaviour please email your child’s class teacher and they will be able to give advice and support.
If you have safeguarding concerns please visit our website for valuable information and signposting to other services.
If you feel you have serious concerns and may require school to refer your family to other services such as social care, please contact the school and one of our Safeguarding Leads will be available to discuss this with you.
Thank you for your continued support,
Miss Withey
Head teacher
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National free school meals scheme
Tue 19 Jan 2021Dear Parent/Carer
The National School Voucher order has been placed for your child who is entitled to benefits-related free school meals and is currently at home
The period is for 18.01.2021 to 16.02.2021 (4 weeks) and the amount of the voucher is £60
In the next couple of days you will receive an email from Edenred with a 16 digit code and a link to the redemption site : www.freeschoolmeals.co.uk
Once you receive the link you must :
1. Click on the link www.freeschoolmeals.co.uk
2. Enter the unique 16-digit eCode
3. Select your chosen supermarket and check out
4. Your eGift cards will arrive by email within 24 hours
Please note that the supermarket vouchers cannot be used to purchase age restricted products , such as cigarettes and alcohol
Please refer to the parent/carer user guide for help :
https://www.edenred.co.uk/Documents/DfE/DfE_FSM-voucher-scheme_Parent-Carer-Userguide.pdf
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Free school meals food parcels
Mon 18 Jan 2021Could parents who were contacted about receiving a FSM food parcel please collect it as soon as possible. We are unable to continue to provide refrigerated storage so they must be collected. -
National free school meal scheme
Mon 18 Jan 2021Dear Parent/Carer,
It has been confirmed that during the closure, schools should continue to provide free school meals or food parcels for pupils who are eligible for benefits related free school meals.
The DFE have announced that the national free school meals voucher scheme will soon be available again to provide support to families who are eligible for benefits related free school meals during term time. This will be managed centrally by the Department for Education and provided by Edenred.
Eastcroft Park have been contacted by Edenred and it has been confirmed that Eastcroft Park cannot order any vouchers until Tuesday 19th January 2021. Once these Vouchers are ordered it can take up to four days for parents/carers to receive the email containing information on how to download their voucher.
The voucher will cover the period between 18th January to 12th February (4 weeks) and will be worth £60 the scheme does not cover half term .
Further information will be sent out by parentapp/website/twitter
The email address used will be the one we hold in school - if you need to amend your email address you have only today to change it by emailing eastcroft@knowsley.gov.uk
Also if you require any further information please email eastcroft@knowsley.gov.uk - thankyou
