Mather Street Primary School

Summer Term

The last few weeks of the school year are going to be really hectic. The majority of the year 6 children will be visiting their new schools on Wednesday 29th June 2022. We will take advantage of this to let the rest of the children meet their new teacher during the day. 

Year 1 and year 5 will be taking part in road safety activities. 

School closes for the summer break on Thursday 21st July 2022 at 1:00pm. In September, there will be training days for the staff and then the children are due back in school on Monday 5th September 2022. 

School uniform will be available to buy on Thursday 1st September and Friday 2nd September from 10am until 2pm. 

School Trips

Monday 27th June 2022 - Year 1 to Smithill's Farm

Thursday 7th July 2022 - Year 6 to Gulliver's World

Tuesday 19th July - Year 4 to Lytham St Anne's

Celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Updated Covid-19 Advice - April 2022

Following the recent changes in guidance announced by the government on 1^st April, we would like to clarify what you need to do if your child becomes ill.

Children and young people who are unwell with symptoms of COVID-19 and who either have a high temperature or feel too poorly for school, should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend.

We are no longer being advised to test for COVID-19 even for individuals who have symptoms.  Where families still have tests at home and decide to use them, the isolation guidance has been updated.  Children with a positive COVID-19 test result should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days, which is when they are most infectious.  Adults with a positive COVID-19 test result should do the same for 5 days.

The list of symptoms of COVID-19 has been updated.  They can include:

• a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
• shortness of breath
• feeling tired or exhausted
• an aching body
• a headache
• a sore throat
• a blocked or runny nose
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea
• feeling sick or being sick

The symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.

We therefore remind you not to send your child into school if they are unwell. If we feel your child is unwell, in order to protect the other pupils and staff, we will ask you to collect them.

Thank you for your support in helping to keep our school safe.

Ofsted Report

The school's latest Ofsted report was published on January 18th 2022 following the inspection that took place on 16th and 17th November 2021.

Updated Calendar for the Academic Year 2021/22

We have updated the school calendar for this academic year due to the additional Bank Holiday to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. This means that school will be closed for an extra day after the summer half term. Therefore, school will reopen to pupils on Thursday 9^th June 2022 instead of the Wednesday.

FAO Parents of Current Nursery and Year 6 children

Applications for Reception places for September 2022 are now open - please use the link below or refer to the letters from Oldham Council

https://mailchi.mp/oldham/primary-school-applications_2021

Face Coverings

Following advice from Oldham Council, we ask that all visitors wear a face covering in communal areas in school. (Unless government exemptions apply)

Thank you for your support.

Current Arrangements

 In line with the government guidance, we are looking forward to welcoming all children back to school on Monday 6^th September; we would like to thank you so much for your patience and support during the past few months.

We will still need to follow guidance in terms of the day to day running of the school and in an effort to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus.

We will continue with the same precautions we had in place before the summer holidays:

 Hand washing

• Ensure everyone has washed their hands as they leave home.
• Everyone should wash their hands when they arrive back at home at the end of the day.

 Social distancing

• Observe social-distancing around school. Whilst waiting on the playground at the end of the day, please spread out and try and avoid waiting in groups.

 Road safety

• Parking space around school is very limited. Please avoid parking on the pavement at the entrance to school. For the safety of all the children, please be patient and show consideration to the neighbours and other drivers.

 Dogs

• Dogs are not allowed on the school premises.

 Uniform

• Children need to come to school, smartly dressed, in full school uniform. They may bring an extra jumper or sweatshirt to wear over their uniform if it is too cold in school.

 Attendance and Punctuality

• The current guidance is very clear that all children should attend school every day. Oldham Council will issue fixed penalty notices where attendance at school is not good enough. Please ensure that your child arrives at school on time and is collected promptly at 3:15pm.

 Coronavirus symptoms

• If your child or a member of your household is displaying coronavirus symptoms, please follow government guidance and keep school informed.

Isolation

• Where children have to isolate, school will provide work via the website/Zoom or in the form of work packs. 

Morning – gates will be open from 8:45am – 9:00am

Morning Drop-off – parents will not be allowed on site

• Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 – drop children off at the office gate.
• Children will walk to the junior playground and enter school as directed by staff.  
• Year 1 and Year 2 – drop children off at the pylon car park gate.
• Children will walk to the infant playground and enter school as directed by staff.  
• Reception and Nursery – drop children off at the pavement gate.

 Collection (Nursery 12 noon; Reception 3:15pm)

• Nursery and reception – collect from the pavement gate (observe social distancing whilst waiting)

 Gates will be open from 3:05pm

• Year 1 and Year 2 – wait for your children on the infant playground (observe social distancing whilst waiting). Staff will bring the children to you.  
• Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 – wait for your children on the junior playground (observe social distancing whilst waiting). Staff will bring the children to you.

Families where the children are in different key stages. - School staff will direct Year3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 children to the infant playground to meet their parents. (If there is a sibling in reception, collect the older children first.)

 Enquiries

• Please contact school by telephone, text or e mail where possible.
• If you need to speak to someone in the office, please be prepared to queue whilst observing social distancing guidance.
• If you need to contact your child’s teacher, please wait until all the children have left the playground at the end of the day to speak to the teacher or get in touch by e mail or telephone and they will get back in touch with you.

 Thank you for your continued support,

 You can still contact class teachers via the class gmail accounts

Miss Rothwell - year1matherstreet@gmail.com 

Miss Wood - y2matherstreet@gmail.com 

Miss Bibi - year3matherstreet@gmail.com

Mrs Whalley/ Miss Colley - year4mather@gmail.com

Mr Turner - year5mather@gmail.com

Mrs Wrigley - year6mather@gmail.com

Home Learning

 Please remind your children to stay safe online. There are lots of activities on our E-Safety page to help you. 

50 Things to Do ...

Follow the link to find a menu of exciting activities for families in Oldham with young children.

There are lots of suggestions for how to have fun and learn at the same time.

Infinity Initiatives C.I.C.

We have seen the Facebook post from Infinity Initiatives C.I.C. and the messages of support from a number of kind people that have offered to help one of our children.

We have a stock of good quality 'new-to-you' uniform items and our families are really good at donating items that their children have outgrown - we try our best to help our children so they have access to appropriate uniform. 

Our office staff are very helpful and will make sure any donations get to the child mentioned in the post. 

Thank you for your kindness and the support you have offered. 

Sally Brown, Head of School, Mather Street Primary School.