Tuesday 13th July 2021

Dear parents and carers of Stepney Park Primary School,

Finally, we have come to the end of the term and the end of the first school year in the history of Stepney Park Primary school...

It has been a year to remember like no other year. Not only did we have to navigate the challenge of being a new school; we did it in Covid times- quite an achievement!

I have said it many times before, but I am incredibly pleased with the spirit and resilience that staff and children have shown during this challenging year, they have done us all proud. 

Staff who are leaving:

As always, there are a number of staff who sadly will be leaving us at the end of this year. 

We are grateful for their service to our school and to the school they worked in (either in Smithy St or Redlands) before the amalgamation. 

Leaving staff who have been here the longest include: Geri, our Deputy head who is retiring, Sharron our EYFS and Safeguarding Assistant Head, Chloe, one of our SENDcos, Ollie, Natasha, Zac and Cara who are teachers and who will all be relocating outside of London.  Also leaving are the following support staff: Nushrat, Mustafa, Elizabeth, Abi, Edit, Alima, Sian and Erzela.

We are thankful for all they have done for the children in Stepney Park and for the difference they have made to their lives.  We wish them all the best with their future careers and lives.

Saying goodbye to Year 6:

Sadly, it is also the time of the year when our Year 6 children will be leaving us.  We wish them well in their new schools and look forward to seeing them return to us for an impromptu visit in their new secondary school uniforms!

Last day of term: 

We will be organising end of year class parties this Friday. Children will be eating a packed lunch, and we will be providing party food alongside this. There is no need to send in any other food.

Please remember that school closes for the summer break on Friday Jul 16th at 1pm.

Children will be back in school on Thursday 2nd September.

Chromebooks and Ipads:

You should have returned all chromebooks and Ipads and chargers this Monday.  Please do so if not. We will give them all a good clean and a service, so they are ready for the start of next year.  It will be a really good time for children to have a ‘digital detox’ this summer and spend time outside playing with their friends and families.  Please note that if you do not return a charger you will be charged £20 towards the price of replacement, as made clear in the Chromebook Agreement signed in September. 

End of year reports:

All children should receive a brief end of year report by the middle of the last week of term, they will be emailed to you soon.  Final assessments are based on NFER tests in Yr 3,4 and 5, and on SATs tests in Yr 2 and Yr 6. They are based on Teacher Assessments in other years.  Due to the nature of the year we have had, we will assess the children all again at the end of the autumn term, after which we will have a more accurate picture of their learning gaps due to the pandemic. 

Building Works:

Our building works are almost complete, so the school office will be relocated to our South entrance from September.  Nursery will be in the South building, whilst Reception will remain in the North building. 

Stranger Danger:

Please talk to your children about ‘Stranger Danger’, and remind them that they should never go with anyone who they do not know.  We have told them the same in school as well. 

Covid Restrictions lifted from September:

We are so pleased to be told by the DFE, that classes no longer need to be in bubbles when children return at the start of next term. 

When a child tests positive for Covid, we no longer need to ask the whole year group to self-isolate. However, children who have Covid symptoms will still need to self-isolate until they have a negative Covid test, please do not send them to school before this.  Children who test positive for Covid will of course still need to self-isolate for 10 days.

We will be making changes to our arrangements from the start of term, and will do this gradually, so children can get used to this one step at a time.  I am very pleased to announce that we are looking forward to offering a daily hot lunch for each child from the start of September.  I know that the children are really looking forward to this.

Start of day drop off and end of day pick up arrangements will be the same for now, as they operate so smoothly.

Children can be dropped off at the school gate from 8.50 am, and the teachers will be in the playground to welcome them.  We would like to carry on with pick up arrangements at the end of the day as well, parents can pick their children up from 3.28 pm in the playground, although of course mask wearing is not optional and up to the individual's personal choice.  This is the time to catch the teacher for a quick chat, but please only do so when other children have been picked up.   Any longer chats can be arranged with the teacher at this time too.

Nursery children can be dropped off through the South Car Park Nursery playground entrance, accessible from Smithy Street, whilst Reception children can continue to be dropped off at the Redman’s road gate, where staff will wait for them. All Nursery and Reception classes can be picked up from their classes at the end of the day.  We will let Nursery morning only children know where to pick up at the start of term. 

School uniform:

The following items are not school uniform:

• Purple cardigans, with or without a school logo

• Leggings, unless worn instead of tights under a skirt of dress

• Tracksuit bottoms (not even if they are grey)

• Jeans (not even if they are grey)

• White T- shirts 

Our pastoral care team will continue to work hard with families to remind them and to support them with sourcing the correct uniform. 

Children are welcome to bring a hat in hot and sunny weather, as it protects them from the sun.  

Travel abroad:

We have been asked by the Local Authority to remind you of the following:

Please follow Government guidance if you decide to travel abroad during the summer holidays. If you travel to a Red Zone Country you will need to self-isolate in a hotel upon return, and if you travel to an Amber Zone country, you may need to self-isolate at home upon return if not fully vaccinated. 

All children need to be out of self-isolation for the start of term, which will be Thursday 2nd September.

Classes next year:

• Children will remain in their Oak/ Willow/ Maple and Pine classes next year. ( for example: 3 Oak will become 4 Oak).

• Nursery and Year 2, 4 and 6 are in the South building 

• Reception and Year 1, 3 and 5 are in the North Building

• Children have visited their new classes during our Resilience day, which took place on Tuesday. They have all met their new teacher and have been shown where to line up at the start of the term in the morning. We will help them find their space in the playground at the start of every morning, and they will soon remember where to go. 

• Here are the classes for next year:

And finally:

I am so grateful for all the well-wishes and support that I have received from all parents during this first year, it has been much appreciated.

I hope you will all have a great summer holiday with the children, have a chance to rest and ‘recharge the batteries’ and will be looking forward to a new school year, which will hopefully be less impacted by the pandemic!

Kind regards,

Edith Philipsen

Headteacher- Stepney Park Primary School