Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school and our community at the moment.
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First day back
Mon 29 Jun 2020We have had a smooth transition into our current 'normal' and would like to thank all parents / carers and pupils who were at the school today in both classes and hub, for adhering to all the social distancing rules and for following the one way systems.
We appreciate your patience waiting for gates to be opened at specific times to help us ease congestion. Can we just remind all hub users that registration is between 8am and 8.30am as we then need to greet our class pupils from 8.50am.
Stay Safe
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School will not be open for the proposed 4th week
Fri 26 Jun 2020As you are no doubt aware, RCT have informed schools that we are not to open for the week of the 20th July due to union involvement and childcare issues for parents / carers in neighbouring authorities who had already decided to close. It was a decision that we, as a school, although fully understanding the reasons behind it, were bitterly disappointed had been made, as until that time we were fully committed to the 4th week of teaching and had made arrangements for this to occur. However, RCT has made the decision and we will therefore not be open for that week.
At present we are looking at how we can, if possible, make adjustments to our arrangements to try and ensure all pupils receive equal teacher contact time, bearing in mind we are; obliged to keep our numbers in school below 1/3 of our total school number; teaching groups must remain at no more than 8 pupils at any one time; hub children take priority and must be catered for first; and that we have enough staff to cover the different classes. At present we do not have an answer to how we will achieve this but parents / carers will be informed of our decision as soon as possible.
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Important information about returning to school
Fri 26 Jun 2020Important information about returning to school
We have made a couple of short videos for you to share with your child(ren) to show them what returning to school will look like. These can be found on the school website.
Go to the Children tab and then select Video Resource Centre or click the following links:
https://pontyclun-primary.primarysite.media/media/infants for the Infants video
https://pontyclun-primary.primarysite.media/media/juniors for the Juniors video
In addition, we would just like to re-iterate the following information before we welcome back our pupils over the next couple of weeks on their allotted teaching days.
Foundation Phase Pupils
All foundation phase pupils are to access the school via the main school gates situated off Palalwyf Avenue. There are 2m markers along the drive and pathways for you to follow that make their way around the infant building in a one way system. There will also be a member of staff on hand to take your child's temperature with a non-contact thermometer and ask for confirmation that you haven't answered YES to any of the Healthcare questions. Please adhere to social distancing and the one way system at all times.
Teachers names and classes are displayed on the classroom doors so you will know where to drop off your child. Once you have handed your child to their teacher at the classroom door, please continue to follow the one way system around the Infant building and exit through the pedestrian gate leading onto Palalwyf Avenue. Please adhere to social distancing and the one way system at all times.
School uniform should not be worn.
All children will require a packed lunch and a drink. No fizzy drinks, energy drinks or glass bottles. You may also provide your child with a healthy snack should you choose to do so. Please note that milk is not being provided for the rest of this term.
If you are in receipt of free school meals, a packed lunch and a drink will be provided for your child. You may provide a snack for them should you wish to do so.
If you need to speak to a teacher, please email your query to either their class hwb email, or to admin.pontyclunprimary@rctcbc.gov.uk. We cannot facilitate face to face parent / carer / teacher communications at this time.
Key Stage Two Pupils
All Key Stage Two pupils are to access the school via the pedestrian gate situated off Maes yr Felin (next to Pontyclun Library). There are 2m markers along the pathway for you to follow that make their way around the junior building in a one way system. There will also be a member of staff on hand to take your child's temperature with a non-contact thermometer and ask for confirmation that you haven't answered YES to any of the Healthcare questions. Please adhere to social distancing and the one way system at all times.
The member of staff will then direct your child into the school and you should continue to follow the one way system around the Junior building. The one way system will direct you across the Year 2 playground and through the pedestrian gate back into the staff car park. Please follow the coned walkway across the car park and exit through the double gates. Please adhere to social distancing and the one way system at all times.
School uniform should not be worn.
All children will require a packed lunch and a drink. No fizzy drinks, energy drinks or glass bottles. You may also provide your child with a healthy snack should you choose to do so. Please note that milk is not being provided for the rest of this term.
If you are in receipt of free school meals, a packed lunch and a drink will be provided for your child. You may provide a snack for them should you wish to do so.
If you need to speak to a teacher, please email your query to either their class hwb email, or to admin.pontyclunprimary@rctcbc.gov.uk. We cannot facilitate face to face parent / carer / teacher communications at this time.
Hub Pupils
All Hub pupils are to access the school via the main gates situated off Palalwyf Avenue There are 2m markers along the drive and pathway for you to follow that make their way into the white Year 2 building (the old canteen to the right of the entrance) in a one way system. There will also be a member of staff on hand to take your child's temperature with a non-contact thermometer and ask for confirmation that you haven't answered YES to any of the Healthcare questions. Please adhere to social distancing and the one way system at all times.
The hub registration is situated in the white Year 2 building .at the first entrance to the building and you will be asked to confirm your child's name, class, pick up time and who is collecting them.
School uniform should not be worn. Pupils are NOT to bring any electronic devices with them. If they do bring a phone or tablet etc. this is to be handed in at registration and they can have it back at pick-up.
All children will require a packed lunch and a drink. No fizzy drinks, energy drinks or glass bottles. You may also provide your child with a healthy snack should you choose to do so. Please note that milk is not being provided for the rest of this term.
If you are in receipt of free school meals, a packed lunch and a drink will be provided for your child. You may provide a snack for them should you wish to do so.
If you need to speak to a teacher, please email your query to either their class hwb email, or to admin.pontyclunprimary@rctcbc.gov.uk. We cannot facilitate face to face parent / carer / teacher communications at this time.
Should you have any queries please go to the school website and look at Latest News. Here you will find all information that has recently been sent out including our Frequently Asked Questions If this does not answer your questions please email the school on admin.pontyclunprimary@rctcbc.gov.uk
Stay Safe
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Allocated Teaching Day along with Health Questionnaire and amended School Behaviour Policy
Tue 23 Jun 2020Allocated Teaching Day
Pupils will be returning to school on alternate weeks as follows:
WEEK 1 29th June to 3rd July - Foundation Phase = Reception to Year 2
WEEK 2 6th July to 10th July - KS2 = Year 3 to Year 6
WEEK 3 13th July to 17th July - Foundation Phase = Reception to Year 2
WEEK 4 20th July to 24th July - KS2 = Year 3 to Year 6
Foundation Phase will be in school from 8.50am until 3.15pm.
KS2 will be in school from 9am to 3.30pm.
Pupils will attend school for 1 day of their week ie: whether Foundation Phase or KS2 and should ONLY attend on their allotted day. There are no teaching groups on a Wednesday as the school will be deep cleaned.
On arrival at school you will be asked to answer the attached health related questions, therefore please ensure that all pupils are accompanied by an adult.
Any pupil who does not meet the attached health criteria will not be admitted.
Also attached is an amendment to our school Behaviour Policy that reflects the stringent measures in place at this time. Please talk through these expectations with your child(ren).
Thank you for your continued co-operation,
Stay Safe
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Letter from RCT along with RCT frequently asked questions
Sun 21 Jun 2020Please see below letter from RCT Council - Gaynor Davies along with frequently asked questions from RCT -
Frequently asked questions regarding returning to school on 29th June 2020
Wed 17 Jun 2020 -
IMPORTANT Return to School Information
Tue 16 Jun 2020I hope you are all keeping well during these difficult times. Thank you to all of you who have been engaging in the home learning tasks and also thank you for the kind words and messages many of you have shared with us in relation to the work that staff have been undertaking, and I do fully agree, they have been amazing.
Following the Minister for Education’s announcement that schools are to open we have been busy getting the school ready for the partial return of your child/ren after June 29th.
Welsh government and the local authority have provided detailed advice and guidance for the safe return of pupils and staff and we are following this advice fully.
Due to the present conditions school will be a very different place from before the ‘lock down.’ In order to assist you in making a decision on whether you wish your child to attend I have listed a number of different principles that we will need to adhere to. These are accurate at present but maybe subject to change.
While we would encourage you to send your child to school, there is no requirement for you to do so and we will fully support whichever decision you choose to make.
Alongside pupils partial return to school we will also be running a school hub providing emergency childcare for pupils of key workers as well as vulnerable pupils. For those of you wishing to make use of the hub provision you will need to apply via the council’s website and a place will be provided if you meet the local authorities’ criteria. The requirement to run the hub does impact on the school’s capacity for teaching time as it will need both classroom space and staff to supervise. At present we have 30 pupils attending the hub so we need to ensure we have 4 classrooms available. Staff pupil ratios of 1-8 will need to be maintained and if numbers go up we will need to provide further classroom space and staff. Please do consider, when applying for a hub place that it is for emergency child care and no other option is available to yourself.
In undertaking the partial re-opening of our school;
1. Pupils will be taught in groups of a maximum of 8 pupils.
2. Where possible these groups of up to 8 will be consistent throughout the 4 weeks.
3. Where possible teachers/ learning support staff will teach/support the same groups over the 4 weeks.
4. Pupils will all have access to two full day sessions over the 4 weeks.
5. There is a maximum of a third of the school allowed in at any one time but this will need to be built up to and is dependent upon staff availability, classroom space and hub constraints.
6. As nursery pupils are not of statutory school age, nursery pupils will not attend over the four week period.
7. Social distancing of 2 meters will be adhered to within the class setting and around the school by all, wherever possible, however we cannot guarantee this will be possible at all times for all pupils.
8. There will be staggered start and end times and staggered play and dinner breaks.
9. The school will not be open for teaching on Wednesday to provide time for deep cleaning and PPA for teaching staff, it will however still be open for emergency hub provision.
10. School policies will be adapted to take into account health and safety guidelines for keeping all persons safe from Covid 19.
11. The school will run the hub for emergency childcare and vulnerable provision on a daily basis.
12. The hub will run from 8am-5pm Monday – Friday
13. The hub is to be separate from the children’s teaching groups to reduce the possibility of cross contamination.
14. On days when hub children attend their teaching groups they cannot access the hub provision either before the teaching day starts or after the teaching day ends.
15. The school timings will be 8.50- 3.15 for pupils in the Foundation Phase and 9am-3.30pm for pupils in KS2
16. All children will bring a packed lunch. If a child is eligible for free school meals a packed lunch will be provided. All rubbish from packed lunches is to go home with the child.
17. Dinners will be eaten in the class setting to minimise contact between the different teaching groups
18. Pupils will be constantly reminded to wash hands and appropriate cleaning facilities will be provided along with hand sanitisers.
19. The school will operate a one way system for dropping off and collecting pupils as well as for pupils use during the day.
20. A detailed risk assessment will be completed and signed off by the health and safety committee, the chair of governors and the LA by Friday 19th June.
It is important that we know which children will definitely be attending. Thank you to those parents / carers who have informed us of their decision on the parentmail survey. If you have not let the school know, please can you email admin.pontyclunprimary@rctcbc.gov.uk with your child(rens) name(s). If you DO NOT respond we will assume that your child will NOT be attending during the 4 week period and will NOT be allocated a teaching group.
We also need to know if you will be applying for a place in the hub as those numbers will impact on the schools teaching provision. Again, please email this information to admin.pontyclunprimary@rctcbc.gov.uk . Please note that you will still have to apply for your hub place in the usual way.
Please can you respond by Friday 19th June 2020.
We have attached a proposed teaching plan for your information. We will notify you of individual teaching groups in due course.
I do not envy your decision making and I am sure you will have many more questions. We are presently working on a FAQ’s sheet to be sent out but for us, like yourselves, your child safety is always our main priority.
Take care and stay safe
Pontyclun Primary