Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Covid-19 and Attendance

  Tue 10 Nov 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers,

  Covid 19 and Attendance

  There are lots of uncertainties at the moment and some confusion as to how best to keep our children safe. The following is information regarding your child's attendance at this present time.

  - If you keep your child/ren at home because a member of your household is shielding as clinically extremely vulnerable, you must supply the school with written evidence. A call or email is not sufficient.

  - As stated yesterday in the letter from Public Health (England), if your child is not in the class bubble which has shut down, even if their sibling is in that class, they do not need to stay at home for 2 weeks and are expected to attend school.

  Any children who do not attend school for the above reasons, without sufficient medical or other evidence, will be marked as Unauthorised in the register, with the possibility of a Penalty Notice ​after 5 Unauthorised days (10 sessions), as the government has stated that all children should be in school wherever possible.

  If you are unsure what to do, or think your circumstances are unusual, please speak to Mrs Darby, our Family Support Worker and Attendance Officer. We are here to support your child's attendance as well as keep them as safe as possible.

   

  *As per government guidelines, if you have a child who is self-isolating, and you need to collect other siblings, you must not bring the self-isolating child onto the school premises. You are allowed to use other parents whose children are in the same class bubble to help with this. If you are really struggling to find a solution, please contact the school directly.*

   

  Kind Regards,

  The Barming Primary School Team

• Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal 2020

  Mon 09 Nov 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers,

  Now more than ever, our Veterans need our help. We will be selling poppies in school for a donation in order to raise much needed money for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. If your child would like to buy a poppy, please can they bring their donation in to school in a sealed envelope in exchange for a poppy. Thank you for your support for this wonderful cause.

  Kind Regards

  The Barming Primary School Team

• Positive Covid-19 Case

  Mon 09 Nov 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers,

   

  We have been made aware of a member of our school community who has tested positive for COVID 19.
  
  We know that you may find this concerning but we are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
  
  The small number of children who have been in close contact with the individual who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) have received a letter informing them that their child must stay at home for 14 days.
  
  The school remains open and your child should continue to attend as normal if they remain well.

   

  What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19

   

  If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they must not come to school and should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119. 

   

  All other household members who remain well, must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’.

   

  Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

   

  The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.

   

  Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home.

   

  If you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online.

   

  Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community

   

  If you are able, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period.

   

  Symptoms

   

  The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:

   

  • a new continuous cough
  • a high temperature
  • a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

   

  For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

   

  If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from the nhs.uk website at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/. If you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, or they are worsening you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://111.nhs.uk/ or by phoning 111.

   

  How to stop COVID-19 spreading

   

  There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19

   

  Do

  • wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
  • use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
  • wash your hands as soon as you get home
  • cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
  • put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

   

   

  Further Information

  Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

   

   

  Yours sincerely

   

   

   

  Mr C Laker

  Head of School

• Drop-Off and Pick-Up Letter from Mr Laker

  Thu 15 Oct 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers,

   

  Drop Off / Pick Up

   

  I am sorry to be contacting you again about this situation, but we must all play our part in protecting each other and ensuring our school can provide the well needed service of educating your children and remaining open as long as we possibly can, in light of the increase in Covid-19 cases.

   

  Therefore, I am afraid to say that we are going to be stricter with the drop off and pick up rules in order to ensure we create space and avoid pinch points.   I appreciate that some will not be happy with the following, but we do need to do our part to ensure we keep as safe as we can.

   

  Drop Off

  • Years R to 4 and any Year 5 or 6 child who needs to be dropped off with an adult, must come into school via the Main Gate.   Drop off points, times and routes remain the same.   Year 5 and 6 children will follow the Year 3 and 4 path and continue through the double ‘pencil painted’ gate, unaccompanied by an adult at this point, where they will continue to their normal entrance point.

   

  • Year 5 and 6 children who do not need accompanying will come through the North Street gate.   No adults are permitted to enter the site through the North Street Gate.  I am sorry to those families who live near the North Street gate and cannot use it, but many schools only have one entrance!

   

  • Remain 2 meters apart and give people space to get pass and offsite.   It has been noted that parents are starting to congregate closer to each other or wait for other parents.   Please collect your child(ren) and leave school promptly, remembering to keep your distance.   I don’t want to have to make face masks compulsory on site, BUT I WILL, if need be (other schools have started to implement this already)!

   

  • Stick to the routes – the lovely yellow brick path is clearly identifiable.   Follow pathways for entering the school and the road/car park to exit – please stick to these!   Cutting through the car park is quicker, but not safer!

   

  Pick Up

  • Pick up points, times and routes remain the same.

   

  • Year R to 4 must now enter and leave the site via the main entrance.   Sorry if you left via North Street, but this has been causing issues with keeping relevant space.

   

  • Year 5 and 6 parents can come onto site via the North Street Gate if you are only picking up a child in these year groups.   However, you must be on site no later than 3:20pm.   If you arrive at the North Street Gate after this time, you will have to wait on North Street for your child (please inform them).   However, do not block the exit and congregate around the gate.   Thank you.

   

  • Children in Years 5 and 6 can leave via North Street or the Main Gate as all other parents should be off site by the time they are dismissed.   Parents of children in Years 5 and 6 can arrange to meet their children from Years 5 or 6 in Belmont Close.

   

  I know some of you will find these changes frustrating, but due to an ever changing horizon we need to ensure the safety of all.   We all need to stick to the processes set out and try our best to not let them get to us!   I long for the day when we are back to ‘normal’, but as we all know, we are a way off from this!

   

  Please support your school by abiding by the rules.   Every time someone bends the rules by taking short cuts etc, it creates me more work… I have more than enough – thank you!  

   

  Yours sincerely

   

  Mr Laker

  

• North Street Gate - Year 5 & 6

  Tue 13 Oct 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers,

   

  As you will notice in the media, Covid-19 cases are on the rise and we have to ensure that we are doing everything in our powers to keep our children, staff and parents safe. Please can we remind all Year 5 & 6 parents, that no parents are to enter the North Street Gate, especially when dropping off in the morning.

  We're sorry but this does mean that if you have to drop off/pick-up siblings, you will need to walk round to the Main Gate if you drop off/pick-up your Year 5 & 6 child at the North Street Gate. Whilst we appreciate this is not convenient, we have got to make sure that class bubbles and Parents/Carers are maintaining their 2m social distance whilst on site, thus ensuring we are doing all we can to keep you safe.

   

  We thank you for your continued support during the ever changing situations we face.

   

  Kind Regards,

   

  The Barming Primary School Team

• Kent Test

  Tue 13 Oct 2020

  Kent Test (11+)

   

  Dear Parents or Carers,
  
  The Kent Test (11+) is taking place on Thursday, 15^th October. Before the day of the test, Mrs Armstrong and Mrs Rathbone will speak with the pupils and answer any questions that they may have.
  
  The test will take place in the school hall, where it will be calm and quiet. While both classes will be in the hall, they will be kept separate to ensure we maintain the social distancing rules. It will be administered by Mrs Rathbone and Mrs Francak. All pupils will be provided with the necessary equipment and plain paper for any workings. They will be allowed to bring in their water bottle.
  
  We will ensure that all pupils can see a clock as all of the tests are timed. Start and finish times will be displayed and time reminders (“10 minutes left” and “5 minutes left”) are given in the longer sections – Maths, English and Verbal Reasoning.
  
  The tests are multiple-choice with a separate answer sheet. They are marked by an automated marking machine.
  
  The first test will be an English and Maths paper and will take 1 hour. Each section will involve a 5 minute practice exercise followed by a 25 minute test.

  • The English section will involve a comprehension exercise as well as some additional questions drawn from a set designed to test literacy skills.
  • The Maths section encompasses a wide range of mathematical ability and its questions will vary in difficulty.

  The second test will be a reasoning paper. It includes the practice sections and questions. It will contain a verbal reasoning section, a spatial reasoning section and a non-verbal reasoning section. The spatial reasoning test is split into 2 short sections, each of which start with some shared examples, and non-verbal reasoning will be split into 3 short sections, administered and timed individually.
  
  In the afternoon, there will also be a writing exercise which will not be marked but may be used by a local HeadTeacher panel as part of the HeadTeacher assessment stage of the process. 40 minutes will be allowed for the writing task, including 10 minutes planning time.  Pupils may use their own pen for this task.
  
  I hope that you find this information useful.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.
  
  Kind regards

  Year 6 Team

• Third Hot Meal Day - Friday 16th October 2020

  Mon 12 Oct 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers,

   

  Following on from the second hot meal trial on Friday 9th October 2020, we will be having a third trial of hot school lunches on Friday 16th October 2020 so that we can be as ready as possible for when hot school meals finally return to school whilst in the current situation.

   

  Please find attached to this email, the menu for Friday 16th October. If you wish your child to have a hot meal, please do log in to your ParentMail app and pre-book your child's meal. School meals are free to all children in Years R - 2 and to children who are eligible for the Free School Meal Scheme and £2.25 to all others.

   

  Kind Regards,

   

  The Barming Primary School Team

  

• Hot Meal Trial Day - Friday 9th October 2020

  Mon 05 Oct 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers,

  In order to ensure that we are as prepared as possible for when hot school lunches finally return to school, we will be having a trial day of hot school lunch on Friday 9th October 2020. Please find attached, the current menu for Friday 9th  October. If you wish your child to have a hot meal, please do log in to your ParentMail app and pre-book your child's meal. School meals are free to all children in Years R - 2 and to children who are eligible for the Free School Meal Scheme and £2.25 to all others.

  Kind Regards,

  The Barming Primary School Team

  

• Flu Immunisations - Consent Letter

  Mon 05 Oct 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers,

   

  Today we have sent to you all, a letter from the Kent Community Health Immunisation Team regarding the Flu Vaccinations on Tuesday 24th November 2020. Contained within the attachment is a link for all parents/carers to complete an online consent form. This is required to be completed by midnight on Thursday 19th November 2020. The Kent Community Health Immunisation team will be unable to accept any late consents received after the deadline.

   

  The Barming Team

• School Photos/PE Kits Reminder - Friday 2nd October 2020

  Wed 30 Sep 2020

  Dear Parents/Carers,

   

  Don't forget that due to the children having their School Photographs taken on Friday 2nd October 2020, all children are required to be in Full School Uniform and not PE Kits on that day.

   

  Kind Regards,

  The Barming Primary School Team