Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
-
After School Club
Thu 22 Jul 2021Afternoon all,
We are experiencing significant staffing issues, as are all schools and businesses, because of the sheer number of people having to isolate. We are down to one person to run the After School Club tomorrow because her colleague is covering the office for us; both the office ladies are self isolating.
After School Club will remain open tomorrow and we will honour the bookings that have already been made. We will not be able to take any further bookings from this point onwards, though, I am afraid.
Mr Farrington -
My COVID update
Thu 22 Jul 2021Morning all,
I thought I would update you with my COVID news. My youngest daughter tested positive yesterday. She is slightly unwell but would, in normal circumstances, be well enough to be at school. According to the current guidelines, this has no impact on my return to school on Friday. However, I am concerned about the risk I pose to the children, staff and wider families. In light of this, I have decided that it is best that I work from home on Friday. This has been a difficult decision to make because I want to be in school, especially on the last day of term. However, my biggest concern is safety. I would hate to infect a child or staff member at any time but especially at the beginning of the summer holidays. As this is easily avoidable, I have decided that it is safer for everyone if I extend my isolation by one more day.
I intend to Zoom in for the Y6 Leavers Evening.
Best wishes,
Mr Farrington -
Update
Thu 22 Jul 2021Morning all,
Time seems to be flying away with itself at the moment. This time of year is always hectic but it seems far more so at the more with so many children, and staff, isolating. at the moment.
There a few things I want to announce/remind you of. As many of you know, we have a few colleagues leaving us at the end of this year. Mrs Knowles and Mrs Dickson are both moving on to new challenges at a different school. They will be greatly missed and I am grateful to both of them for their service to Burford. This is especially the case with Mrs Knowles who has been at Burford for an eye watering 28 years.
It is so sad but both Mrs Knowles and Mrs Dickson are currently self isolating and will not now return to Burford before the end of term.
Mrs Nauta Parsons has been a trainee teacher at Burford for the past year. She has successfully gained a teaching post at a local school. She is popping into Y2 to say a safe, and socially distanced, goodbye to Y2 tomorrow.
Ms Nelson is also leaving our dinner team to take up a different post at a local school.
I am sure you will join me in wishing all these colleagues the very best of luck in their new posts.
As you will have seen from the staff list I sent round recently, we have the following new starters in September:
Miss Spencer - F1 teacher
Mrs Moore - TA
Mr Stanley - Y5 teacher
I am sure you will warmly welcome them to 'Team Burford.'
We will release end of year video reports for all children tomorrow. They will replace written reports. I have watched a sample from each class and I am sure you, and your children, will love watching them together. We will gather your views on the new format in September. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Best wishes,
Mr Farrington -
COVID update
Mon 19 Jul 2021Morning all,
I posted a short video message on Dojo earlier. It set out Burford's response to 'Freedom Day', as well as our plans for September. I hope you find time to log in and watch the video.
I have repeated the key themes in writing below:Morning all,
I realize a lot has been made in the press about today being ‘Freedom Day’ but ‘Freedom Day’ comes at a time when the COVID infection rate is increasing and many thousands of children, and staff, are isolating. Therefore, I thought it would be worth updating you all on what ‘Freedom Day’ means for us during our last full week in school and beyond.
As we only have one week left in school, and infection rates are increasing, our COVID safety routines will remain largely unchanged. Isolations caused by positive cases will necessarily continue. Mask wearing will continue. Social distancing in school between classes and year groups will continue. Staff testing will continue.
The term “bubble” will end. Instead “close contacts” will be required to isolate. Trust wide advice for all schools is that for the final week of the year, this means exactly the same thing (ie, “bubble” = “close contacts”). Based on recent outbreaks in 2 Trust schools, class transmission has been widespread, and far greater now than at any point in the pandemic. That means all “close contacts” of a positive case will have to isolate exactly as we did with bubbles. We have also been instructed to ensure all children currently isolating complete their 10 days isolation in full.
We will release a video message on Dojo on Wednesday 21st July, which will set out our provisional plans for September. As I am sure you can appreciate, these might be subject to last minute change in light of ever changing advice. I appreciate this is far from ideal but I hope you understand the difficult position we are all in at the moment.
Best wishes,
Mr Farrington -
My Covid news
Sun 18 Jul 2021Afternoon all,
I’m afraid my eldest daughter tested positive for Covid yesterday. She is mildly unwell but nothing more than cold like symptoms, thankfully. More positively, my wife and I, as well as our two other children, tested negative.
I have taken advice from the NHS, and trust, and will be able to return to school on Friday 23rd July, assuming none of us catch Covid from the oldest (I’ve got everything crossed on that front!).
I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend and I look forward to seeing you all on Friday.
Mr Farrington -
Covid case in Year 5
Wed 14 Jul 2021Morning again,
I’m afraid that I was told mid-morning that a child in Year 5 has tested positive. That means the children in Year 5 are currently being sent home, along with the Y5 staff team. They will have to isolate and can return to school on Friday 23rd July.
I am sure you will join me in wishing all the children and staff in Year 5 al the very best for the next few days.
Mr Farrington
-
News on September opening
Wed 14 Jul 2021Morning all,
I hope you are all well and are enjoying the weather.
I thought it would be useful to update you on the current thinking for what school will look like in September. We are putting the finishing touches on the last few issues and will confirm the following:
I will release a class list tomorrow so you will know who your child is being taught by.
A video message will be circulated next week outlining start and finish times (we hope to move away from staggered starts and finish times), as well as general expectations.
As mentioned previously, we are trialing video, rather than written, end of year reports this summer. They will be sent to you by the 23rd July.
Best wishes
Mr Farrington -
Year 2 closed because of positive Covid cases
Sun 04 Jul 2021Morning all,
I am afraid that I have just found out that two children in Year 2 have tested positive for Covid. The children in that class will have to self isolate until Sunday 11th July, meaning they can come back to school on Monday 12th July. Miss Davis will post work for the entire isolation period. She will be in touch with Y2 parents separately about that.
If you have a child in Y2, with siblings in other year groups, the siblings can still come to school.
I am hoping, as happened with the closure of Year 4 recently, that we can minimize the closure to one year group only. We will endeavour to do that by closely following the Covid procedures we currently have in school.
Best wishes,
Mr Farrington -
Inset dates for 2021/22
Thu 01 Jul 2021Afternoon all,
As always, I am keen to give you as much notice as possible about forthcoming inset days. We have planned our first two, plus I have details about a trust wide inset day. They are:
Tuesday 31st August and Wednesday 1st September. This means the children will return to school on Thursday 2nd September.
Friday 17th September - trust wide inset.
I hope this notice gives you plenty of time to plan for child care. There will be one further school based inset day during 2021/22. We have not scheduled that yet but will give you as much notice as possible. Similarly, there may also be another trust inset. I will be in contact as soon as that is confirmed.
I am keen to front load staff training to the beginning of the year so your children get the benefit for the rest of the year.
Best wishes,
Mr Farrington