After half term, we are going to start running a weekly active morning club for each year group. This club will run from 8:15 – 8:45. Due to COVID restrictions, we are unable to mix year group bubbles therefore each year group has been allocated a specific morning - please see the table below.

This will be a ‘multi-sports’ club meaning the children will participate in a different sporting activity each week. Sessions will vary but will include favourites such as: dodgeball, bench ball and cricket. There will be no alternative activity available so please only book if you’re ready to be active in the mornings!
Spaces are limited and will be available on a first come, first serve basis. There are only 20 spaces available per session so make sure you book promptly so you don’t miss out! In order to promote the importance of staying active, this club will be free of charge.
Remember:
Your child will need to wear black trainers and bring a coat as they will be outside for the duration of the club. In addition, they will need a water bottle to stay hydrated.
If your child usually attends breakfast club, they will need to make sure that they have finished their breakfast before the club starts at 8.15. Please note that the Active Morning Club does not include breakfast.

Please note: the booking form will go live from 5pm on Wednesday 12th May.

Dear Parents and Carers
 
Information on the Buckinghamshire Transition Days 2021
 
With the end of the summer term fast approaching, it is almost time for Year 6 children to say goodbye to their primary school and begin preparing for life in Year 7.  This transition from primary to secondary school is a key time in every pupil’s school career and creating a smooth transition is vital to ensure your child gets the best possible start in their new school. 
 
It is therefore very important that all Year 6 pupils get the opportunity to visit their new secondary schools before the end of the summer term in primary school so that they can experience their new surroundings, get a feeling for what life at secondary school will be like and familiarise themselves with the new routines and procedures of a significantly larger school.  The transition day school visit can really help allay some of the concerns that all children have when making this big step and provide reassurance for Year 6 pupils over the summer holidays.
 
This year, transition days across Buckinghamshire will be slightly different, to ensure that all pupils, staff and families remain safe.  Secondary schools are now expert at planning Covid secure pupil attendance on their school sites and have successfully minimised Covid spread in their schools during the whole pandemic. Each secondary school will use this expertise to carefully risk assess your child’s visit and will ensure:

• The formulation of Year 6 pupil bubbles, which will be set up as separate class bubbles.
• Specific staggered start and end times for the Year 6 pupils.
• All activities will be compliant with the current Covid requirements.
• Year 6 pupils will spend time outdoors where possible, and when inside will be in separate, well-ventilated areas.
• Face masks will be worn as per current government guidance.
• All pupils and staff will continue to be advised to clean their hands thoroughly and more often than usual.
• Enhanced cleaning of the building and equipment.
• Maintaining social distancing between class bubbles, members of staff and other pupils in the school.

We are asking all parents, carers and families to also play their part to ensure that the Year 6 transition days are safe for everyone involved.  To this end, we request that you respect the staggered start and end of day arrangement, which will be outlined for you by the secondary school which your child will be visiting.  We also ask that you ensure that your drop off and collection arrangements are COVID secure, and that you respect all social distancing regulations.
 
Please can we remind you to only take your child to a transition day of the school where they have been offered, and you have accepted, a place for September.  We regret to inform you that, should a child be brought to a school at which they have not been offered a place, parents will be requested to collect the child from that school. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
 
A great resource to support both parents and children with this new step is Starting secondary school - BBC Bitesize.  Please do contact either your child’s current teacher or their new school if there is any additional information that you or your child need to ensure that they have a successful and safe transition day.
 
Thank you for your support to keep the pupils of Buckinghamshire safe, and we wish your child an exciting, engaging and enjoyable transition day.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
 
Simon James                                               Dan Flecknoe
Service Director – Education                    Public Health Consultant
Buckinghamshire Council                         Buckinghamshire Council

Please see the letter below for the details regarding this year's School Nurse Team visit to measure the Year 6's heights and weights. Please be aware, all Year 6s will take part unless you opt out. To do this, you must email the School Nurse Team directly (email address in the letter), unfortunately, the school cannot accept opt out responses.

As we are unsure about what government restrictions will be in place towards the end of the school year, for our end of year production we have decided to be a bit creative! We are planning to put together a filmed virtual production.   

The children will be performing dances, singing songs and acting in scenes which will then be edited to create one exciting show - the children will become film stars! 

Before we can start to hand out roles and begin filming, we will need consent from you that your child can be filmed and appear in this virtual production.  The video will be uploaded to the private IVJS YouTube channel and then hosted on a password protected page on our website for you to watch.   Members of the public will not be able to view the production.

If you have any concerns please speak with your child’s class teacher.  

Please complete the form below by Friday 30th April to ensure your child won't miss out!​

Please see the message below to parents/carers about the COVID-19 vaccine from Buckinghamshire Council’s Public Health team:
 
There are lots of questions about the COVID-19 vaccine so we are sharing information about where you can find out more, especially about how safe and effective the current vaccines are.
 
At the moment the following people can get a COVID-19 vaccine and you should contact your GP to get an appointment if you are in one of the following groups:
 

• Anyone who is aged 50 and over
• People who work in health and social care
• People who live or work in a care home
• Anyone who is the main carer for someone at high risk from COVID-19
• People with a learning disability
• People with medical conditions meaning they’re more at risk from COVID-19

 
All schools are in close contact with Buckinghamshire Councils’ Public Health team. The team wants people to be aware of the following facts about the COVID-19 vaccine:
 

• The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and offers the best possible protection against COVID-19, which carries significant health risks
• Both vaccines currently in use in the UK have been through rigorous safety checks – the same as all other vaccines and medicines approved for use in the UK
• Adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are extremely rare. Tens of millions of UK citizens have now had a vaccine dose and there is no evidence to suggest any link to blood clots or any other serious health condition
• The World Health Organisation advocates the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as does the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which has said there was ‘no indication’ the jab causes blood clots
• Sometimes you might see false claims about vaccine safety on social media. Please make sure that any information you read about vaccines is from a reliable source such as the NHS website
• If you need any further reassurance then please read the latest response from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which approves all medicines for use in the UK, including the COVID-19 vaccine. You can also read more about the COVID-19 vaccine on the NHS website.

 
Please do take up the offer of your vaccine when it’s your turn, as the risks presented by COVID-19 are far greater than that of any vaccine.
​

D​ear Parents/Guardians,

While we are waiting on the responses from PGL about many of the questions we have posed regarding logistics of the upcoming trip, please find a kit list and menu below to give you an idea of what to expect should the trip go ahead.

Children need to have a case with wheels - there is a walk from where the coach drops us to our cabins.  Your child will be responsible for their own case.

Please, please send your child with at least 2 pairs of old trainers.  If one pair gets wet they will need the spare!  And please remind your child that it is not a fashion parade, the trainers need to be old and cheap. Please see the kit list below with what you will need to pack: 

Please see the menu PGL have provided us for the week of the trip below;

On Friday the government updated their guidance and residential trips will now be allowed from 17th May (as long as rates of covid remain low).
We have discussed the situation with PGL and they hope not to charge for any child who does not go (excluding the £50 deposit) if the parent notifies the school before Tuesday, 20th April 2021.
PGL have put in place measures to help control the spread of the virus and we will do everything we can to keep our children in a ‘bubble’ and safe. However, as you know, there are no guarantees with this virus and so it is really important that it is your choice to send your child.
Once we have an idea of how many parents would still like their child to go on the trip, we can confirm with PGL that it is still viable to run the trip. We need to have a reply from EVERY PARENT by Tuesday 20th April to allow time to discuss any refunds with PGL.
Please could you fill in the form below to indicate if you would like to withdraw your child from the trip, or if you are happy for your child to go.
To send your child on this trip we need you to agree that you will not send your child if they are displaying any signs of illness on departure day and that you will collect your child, if they become ill or if your child has been in close contact with a suspected case of Covid, as quickly as possible from the PGL site in Sussex (approximately 90 miles from Iver).


Miss Digweed

As you probably already know, everyone working in primary schools and Early Years settings is testing twice a week for COVID-19 to help keep the school community safe. While nursery and primary school pupils do not have to be tested, other members of their households can access regular testing and we urge you to do so - every case we can pick up and isolate helps to stop the virus spreading and ultimately keeps us all safer.

Anyone with a child at a primary school can get tested regularly by attending one of the four rapid test sites in Buckinghamshire, or you can go and collect test kits to do yourself at home. If it’s hard for you to go to a site, you can have test kits posted out to you – all the details are on the government’s website at:
​www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff

Thank you so much for playing your part in the fight against COVID-19. For more local information about COVID-19 and to find the locations of the Buckinghamshire rapid test sites, you can go to the Buckinghamshire Council website at: 
​www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/coronavirus


Simon James
Service Director – Education
Buckinghamshire Council

​We are able to make some changes to Earlybirds and Bluebells Clubs after the Easter holidays.

We are only providing childcare for children whose parents have no other means of childcare

• To reduce the number of children mixing we are going to continue to keep the children in their year group bubbles.
• Places must be booked by the Friday, of the week prior to the childcare being needed.
• If you need a place in breakfast club or after-school club for the same week then a £2 late charge will be applied as we will need to adjust staffing accordingly.
• We are able to take bookings via our online booking form again. Please note, the form responses are timestamped so we will be you will not be charged extra for bookings submitted on the Friday evening.

 
Costs:
Breakfast Club:
£7.00 (or £9.00 if booked the same week)
 
After School Club:
£3.50 (or £5.50 if booked the same week)