Message from our Headteacher

We have rising COVID cases in school. Please look for any symptoms in your family. We recommend regular lateral flow tests. Thank you

Message Returning Back to School Jan 2022

Happy New Year! I hope you have stayed well and had an enjoyable holiday break.

A few reminders as we return to school:

1. If your child has any Covid symptoms (temperature, cough, loss of taste, cold symptoms), you should book a PCR test for them and they should stay at home until they get the results.

1. If someone else in your household has tested positive for Covid, your child can continue to come to school. They should take a lateral flow test at home for 7 days and if they are negative and have no symptoms, then they can keep coming to school as normal.

1. As an adult, if you have had contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid and you are not double vaccinated, you need to isolate for 10 days. If you are double vaccinated, you can continue as normal, but should complete a lateral flow test for 7 days, just like your children.

1. We will be continuing to limit the number of parents and visitors in school. If you do need to come into the school building for any reason, please wear a face mask (unless you are exempt).

If you have any questions or concerns about the return to school, please make contact via ClassDojo or phone (01142441512) and we will do our best to help.

I realise that the continued challenges of Covid make the start of 2022 feel quite difficult but, with your support, I know we will work together to make sure the children of Acres Hill can keep learning and enjoying their time at school.

Cath Whittingham

We hope everyone is keeping safe and well through such challenging circumstances and the whole staffing team at Acres Hill send on their good wishes to all of our children and families. 

This page will hopefully provide support and advise to parents/carers, from both the school and our key third party providers, along with both local and government guidance.

A quick reminder

Families of primary school children can access home test kits for adults so that you can test twice a week at home from now on, including over the Easter holiday. Testing regularly and reporting your results online will help to identify asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 and provide information about the occurrence of the virus.

LFD (Lateral Flow Devices) Testing

Community Collect Information

All households with primary age children, and childcare and support bubbles, are now being encouraged by the government to start regular twice-weekly testing as part of breaking COVID-19 chains of transmission.

Lateral Flow Devices can be collected from a Local Testing site or ordered online.

• You can collect LFD testing kits from a Local Test Sites between 1.30pm -7pm. You can find your nearest collection site by visiting https://find-covid-19-rapid-test-sites.maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/
• You can also order LFD testing kits via the online portal:
  https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

For further information about eligibility and for the latest updates on how to access LFD testing, refer to the national government guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff

Individuals who test positive via a Lateral Flow Devices test at home will need a PCR confirmation test either at a PCR site or via a home PCR test and must follow the stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection

School Open 8th March 

I am sure that you will all have heard in the news that schools will be able to open fully to all children from Monday 8th March. We are really excited and can’t wait to have everyone back at Acres Hill! School will be running in a very similar way to how it was organised during the Autumn term, including class bubbles, lots of handwashing and staggered start/finish times. We will be in touch next week with reminders of the details and know you will support us by following the rules to keep everyone safe.

Enjoy the spring sunshine – a reminder that everything is getting better.

Cath Whittingham
(Headteacher)

A message to all our families. Tuesday 5th January 2021

You are all aware of the announcement by Boris Johnson that we are now entering another national lockdown. Sadly, this means that our school will be closed to the majority of children from today until February half term. Having welcomed the children back to school yesterday, it is very sad to know that we won’t see most of them face-to-face for the next few weeks. However, we all got through the last lockdown and we will also get through this one, by working together to do the best we can for our children. The Acres Hill teaching team will continue to work closely with you to make sure the children have plenty of opportunities to learn at home, including daily access to online learning. As we were as unprepared as you for the news of the lockdown, I can’t immediately answer all the questions I know you will have. I am expecting that there will be further guidance from the government and from Sheffield City Council, which I will share with you as the situation becomes clearer. At Acres Hill, the staff team will be working together today to make detailed plans and I will be in touch with you again later in the day with more information.

We do know that we will continue to be open to the children of key workers and for vulnerable children. If you need childcare because you are a key worker, please phone school from 9.00am today to book places. Please note, proof of key worker status will be required. 

Again, I am so sorry to be sharing this news and I realise that it will cause disruption for lots of you. As always, we are here to listen and to help, so please get in touch at any point if you have any questions or concerns. I send you all my very best wishes at this difficult time.

Cath Whittingham

(Headteacher)

Headteacher Update 11/05/2020

Dear parents and carers. 

I am aware that many of you will be aware of the announcement in the government briefing on Sunday 10th March that schools may start reopening to children in F2 (Reception), Year 1 and Year 6 from June 1st. There is still a lot of uncertainty about exactly what the government is expecting from schools in terms of reopening, so try not to worry too much at the moment about what is going to happen.   I can assure you that we will do whatever we can to keep our children, families and staff safe and will keep you well informed once plans for reopening are clearer, so that you can ask questions and raise any issues. In the meantime, take care and stay safe. 

Mrs Cath Whittingham

(Headteacher)

Sheffield Star Home Learning 

The Sheffield Star is producing a weekly  Home Learning supplement in partnership with Learn Sheffield. This is available via the link below:

https://learnsheffield.co.uk/Covid-19 

Please let us know via Class Dojo, a text to the school phone or the school website if you would like us to try and order a hard copy for you to collect from school each week.

Acres Hill uses the Get Set 4 PE scheme of work.

 You can now access Get Set 4 PE home tasks via this link:

One to watch - Tell me a story about the virus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bea4jCAkXsI

All staff at Acres continue to send their good wishes to our school community  

Home Learning - Starline Youtube

A new weekly discussion programme to explore aspects of parenting, education and home learning is being launched today, 29th April. Each episode will provide simple and engaging ideas for home learning. StarLine YouTube channel will broadcast live every Wednesday morning at 8.30am.

Headteacher Update - Support with Routines 

Dear parents/carers,

School staff have really enjoyed speaking to you and your children during phone calls over the last few days. It is clear that you are really wanting to support your children with their home learning - even though this is a challenge for all sorts of reasons, including the fact that the children are not always willing to have a go at the activities provided for them. Please use the link below to watch a video from the Education Endowment Foundation which gives some really helpful ideas about how to put routines in place to help you and your child structure each day. Let us know how you get on by sending a message on Class Dojo and/or when you next talk to a member of school staff on the phone. Thank you for all your support.

Cath Whittingham

(Headteacher)

https://youtu.be/MO9SDGRgi3c

BBC Online Bitesize lessons 

BBC Bitesize now provide three new lessons every weekday, with videos, activities and more. Please have a look and choose ideas that you think your child will enjoy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize