Latest News

Visitors and Meetings

• Eureka Science Museum Trip

  Wed 22 Jun 2022

  On Thursday 16th June, Year 3 and Year 4 went to Eureka Children's Museum in Halifax. It was a long journey and one of the first big trips since covid. We were all very excited. It was a fantastic day. The children learnt all about the human body, wild life and the enchanted forest. They saw shows, joined in interactive activities and played games. There was a real buzz on the bus. 

   

  Pupils had a lot to say about it too:

   

  "I liked Eureka especially the Sparks Gallery and the Enchanted Forest."

   

  "I really enjoyed the Enchanted Forest and the BIG teeth. I loved it. It was worth the wait - 1 hour and 22 minutes. It was beautiful weather."

   

  Thank you everyone who helped to make the trip happen and well done to the children for behaving so well.

  

• Jubilee Celebrations

  Fri 27 May 2022

  To celebrate HM Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee, pupils and staff held a special Jubilee event today across school!

   

  🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 

   

  Our whole school really got into the spirit and enjoyed a wide range of activities to mark the auspicious occasion. 

   

  Each year group took part in a disco, colouring in, crown making and other Royal activities throughout the day. This included a brief history of our Queens life and the Royal Family, not forgetting her beloved Corgis! 

   

  🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 

   

  The Queen of Frenchwood herself made a whistle stop tour around school which ended with an outdoor Jubilee Picnic Lunch.  

   

  🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 

  

• Our WoW walk to school Challenge at Frenchwood Community Primary School

  Thu 26 May 2022

  Since January our pupils, families and staff have been taking part in Living streets WOW programme.  The programme focuses on walking to school more and using less cars to stop congestion in our community. It also reduces our carbon footprint and promotes many health benefits. 

   

  Each class has a nominated WoW ambassador who records the daily travel of classmates as they enter at the start of the school day. If a pupil actively travels to school at least twice a week over the course of a month, they are rewarded with a different themed badge during our monthly WoW assembly. What's more is all badges are made out of recycled materials and feature a different endangered species each month. 

   

  We understand sometimes car travel is necessary, so for our families who live further away from school we have set up a park and stride facility! At our park and stride you can access a secure and free car park just a few streets away to make the remaining part of the journey on foot and join us in our WoW challenge still. The car park is located at Grand Occasions just off London Road or if using a sat nav; PR1 4BB.

   

  Our pupils have really engaged with the challenge with data showing that over 75% of our pupils actively travel to school, up from 55% which is a fantastic achievement! 

   

  To celebrate our recent success at coming in the top 10 schools in Lancashire for active travel, we recently held an active travel breakfast and WoW event which you can read all about here Press article

  

• Return to school - 8th March 2021

  Mon 01 Mar 2021

  1^st March 2021

   

  Dear Parents and Carers, 

   

  As I am sure that you are aware, the government has announced that schools will reopen to all pupils on 8 March. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming back more of our pupils to face-to-face education then.

  Attendance

  From 8 March, school attendance will be mandatory and our usual rules on attendance will apply. However, please remember that your child should self-isolate and not come to school if they:

  • Have coronavirus symptoms or have tested positive
  • Live with someone who has symptoms or have tested positive
  • Are a close contact of someone who has tested positive

  For pupils (Y1-6) who are self-isolating, we will continue to provide a daily ‘Sway’ to support those unable to be at school, but there will be less content and feedback due to the fulltime commitment of teachers to the face-to-face learners.  For our EYFS children, we will be signposting activities for them to enjoy, but no new videos will be uploaded.  Should a whole class/year group be required to self-isolate due to a Covid case in school, we will revert to full remote learning for the entire group.

  Breakfast and after school club will operate as usual, taking into account our additional safety measures.  Children already booked for sessions will keep their places.

  Safety measures

  Each one of us needs to take responsibility for our safety and that of those around us – we sometimes forget about social distancing, and it’s up to us all to offer polite reminders when needed, both inside and outside school.

  Across school:

  • all staff will remain in their designated areas and stay 2 metres away from each other at all times;
  • those members of staff who move across school as part of their jobs, will do so as infrequently as possible, wearing protective masks/visors and cleanse hands often;
  • staff have home testing kits and are taking the lateral flow test twice weekly;
  • some staff have already been vaccinated; we enable staff to accept the earliest possible appointment by releasing them during the school day if necessary.

  In Key Stage 2:

  • desks will be arranged to reduce contact with others;
  • children will remain in their places for the majority of their learning, and have access to hand gel and tissues;
  • adults will remain at least 2 metres away from each other and children, except for brief periods (for example when giving individual feedback), when they will be wearing protective visors;
  • adults will cleanse hands when moving from one child to another;
  • break times will be mainly outdoors, with physical games available for small groups

   In EYFS and Key Stage 1: 

  • adults will ensure that they remain at least 2 metres from each other; 
  • adults will remain 2 metres away from children whenever this is reasonable, and where this cannot be guaranteed, will wear protective visors; 
  • adults will cleanse hands when moving between groups of pupils; 
  • adults will support children in maintaining high standards of hygiene.

   

  Lockdown has been a challenging period for all of us, and we would like to thank you for your continuing support during this difficult and uncertain time. If you or your child have any concerns about returning to school, or if you think your child might need extra support when they return, please get in touch with Mrs Watson swatson@frenchwood.lancs.sch.uk.

   

  We would also like to thank you for all your support in helping your child learn from home. We will continue to keep in touch if we update our plans or if we need to make changes due to new government guidance.

   

   

  Warm regards,

   

  Cathryn Antwis

  Head teacher

• School opening - 4th January 2021

  Sun 03 Jan 2021

  Happy New Year, and hopeful wishes for all our families!  

   

  Last year was an incredibly difficult one in lots of ways and for lots of reasons, but I am so proud to be part of a community that has pulled together, and chosen to be kind to each other during such an unsettling time.  Whilst there is lots of good news to celebrate as we head into 2021; improved testing capability, increasing availability of vaccines, and more knowledge about how to keep as safe as possible, we still face lots of uncertainty. In the face of continued challenge, it is important to refocus on our principles as shared in September: 

   

   

   

  What went well in autumn term? 

   

  Although we had 5 incidences of bubble closure, all of these came from contacts outside school.  We had no reports of pupils or staff who, after being sent home as part of a bubble, went on to develop symptoms or have a positive test. 

   

  What are our main challenges next week? 

   

  As I write (9pm on Saturday 2nd January 2021), I still expect to be opening as planned on Monday 4th January, but I need to make everyone aware that the Department of Education may still change their advice over the weekend.  Professional organisations are also working on advice for their members. I appreciate that this is extremely unhelpful, and ask for your continued patience.  The only thing that I can promise is that we will always have the best interests of our whole school community at heart.  There is lots of conflicting information about the new variant Covid-19, and understandably, this is leading to increased concern amongst our school community. 

   

  How can we manage these challenges? 

   

  • School communication – we will inform you if the situation definitely changes.  Please ensure that you keep up-to-date with emails from school and messages on Class Dojo as changes beyond my control may be at short notice. 

  • Family communication – please let us know as soon as possible if you have a member of your household who may have Covid-19 symptoms.  If you have any concerns or are unsure about anything, please email and a member of staff will try to help. 

  • Additional safety measures in school (see below for detail) 

  • Contingency plans – please be prepared to have your child doing remote learning if required. 

   

  How can I help as a parent of a Frenchwood pupil? 

   

  • Each one of us needs to take responsibility for our safety and that of those around us – we sometimes forget about social distancing, and it’s up to us all to offer polite reminders when needed, both inside and outside school. 

  • Engage with Track and Trace if you have tested positive, and insist that members of your household follow the current guidance. 

   

  What about breakfast club and after school activities? 

   

  Breakfast club will operate as usual, taking into account our additional safety measures.  Unfortunately, after school clubs are suspended for the week beginning 4th January 2021, pending further advice.  We will restart these as soon as possible as it is particularly important for our children to be able to enjoy these enrichment activities.  Children already booked for sessions will keep their places. 

   

  What additional measures will be in place? 

   

  In Key Stage 2: 

  • classes will be separate from each other – previously they operated as phase ‘bubbles’; 

  • desks will be arranged in pairs, facing the front of the class; 

  • children will remain in their places to reduce the number of contacts they make, and reduce the number of pupils sent home in the event of a positive test; 

  • adults will remain at least 2 metres away from each other and children, except for brief periods (for example when giving individual feedback), when they will be wearing protective visors; 

  • adults will cleanse hands when moving from one child to another; 

  • break times will be mainly indoors, with allocated outdoor sessions for each class; 

  • contact sports (football, basketball) will not take place until further advice has been received; 

   

  In EYFS and Key Stage 1: 

  • adults will ensure that they remain at least 2 metres from each other; 

  • adults will remain 2 metres away from children whenever this is reasonable, and where this cannot be guaranteed, will wear protective visors; 

  • adults will cleanse hands when moving between groups of pupils; 

  • adults will support children in maintaining high standards of hygiene 

   

  Across school: 

  • all staff will remain in their designated areas; 

  • staff will remain 2 metres away from each other at all times; 

  • those members of staff who are required to move across school as part of their jobs, will do so as infrequently as possible, for short periods, wearing protective masks/visors and cleanse hands often. 

   

  In what circumstances would my child not be able to attend school? 

   

  • If they or a member of their household needs to self-isolate due to a positive Covid test. 

  • If they are identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive, either in school or elsewhere. 

  • If school is instructed to close to pupils, other than those who are critical workers or have other reasons why it is important that they remain in school. 

  • If staffing levels are insufficient to provide a safe environment. 

   

  If school is closed due to local restrictions, my child would still need to attend 

   

  This is because I am a critical worker – please click here 

   

  My child needs to remain in school for other reasons – please click here 

   

  If my child is not in school, what will their remote learning look like? 

   

  Remote Learning at Frenchwood 

   

   

  Further Information 

   

  Information for parents and carers about schools reopening in January 2021 

   

  Guidance for households with possible Covid-19 infections  

• Remote Learning at Frenchwood

  Sat 02 Jan 2021

  Remote education provision: information for parents

  This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education if local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home.

  For details of what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating, please see the final section of this page.

  Will my child be taught broadly the same curriculum as they would if they were in school?

   

  We teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate. However, we have needed to make some adaptations in some subjects. For example, PE sessions do not follow the curriculum, but instead are intended to support pupils in remaining active and healthy during self-isolation or local restrictions.

   

  Remote teaching and study time each day

  How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?

  We expect that remote education (including remote teaching and independent work) will take pupils broadly the following number of hours each day:

  EYFS	At least 3 hours
  Key Stage 1	At least 3 hours
  Key Stage 2	At least 4 hours

   

  Accessing remote education

  How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?

   

  Links are made available each day on Class Dojo Links to regularly practise times tables or literacy skills are available on the website - https://www.frenchwood.lancs.sch.uk/curriculum-1/

   

  If my child does not have digital or online access at home, how will you support them to access remote education?

  We recognise that some pupils may not have suitable online access at home. We take the following approaches to support those pupils to access remote education:

   

  Supporting families in accessing affordable internet access (please contact the office if you are still having difficulty) Please complete this form if you need access to a laptop for learning, alternatively call the office and they will help you Request a laptop for home learning For the few pupils requiring paper copies, these can be collected from school daily – appointment must be made to ensure access to the school office If using paper copies, please return daily when collecting the work for the subsequent day.

   

  How will my child be taught remotely?

  We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely:

   

  Daily ‘Sway’ documents are published daily on Class Dojo for classes required to work remotely.  These documents link to: recorded teaching (usually video recordings made by teachers, but may also include links to other providers, e.g. The Oak National Academy); instructions for pupils to use exercise books sent home earlier in the term for the purpose of home learning (please request additional books from the class teacher as required); instructions for pupils to use textbooks and reading books that have been sent home previously or collected/delivered as required; commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas, including video clips or sequences; for Key Stage 2 pupils, links to their MS Teams folders. Occasionally there will be tutor sessions for small groups using MS Teams – KS2 only.

   

  Engagement and feedback

  What are your expectations for my child’s engagement and the support that we as parents and carers should provide at home?

   

  We all want to minimise the impact of not attending school.  We ask that parents and carers: arrange for a quiet, comfortable place where their child can complete their learning each day; support their child to access additional materials – usually available in most homes (particularly in EYFS and KS1 where some practical tasks will be part of the learning) set routines to support their child in completing their learning – start at 8.55am if possible; support the school expectations that learning will take place daily, except for when pupils are ill (please let the school office know if your child is too ill to take part in home learning, as we record all incidences of sickness) contact class teacher with any concerns as soon as possible – most children should be able to complete tasks fairly independently.   During local restrictions (although not whilst self-isolating due to infection or close contact), any families who are unable to provide a quiet learning space, would be able to access a place in school.

   

  How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?

   

  Staff will be in contact via Class Dojo and telephone to check in on all learners. Please note, if we have not had any response to phone calls or messages, two members of staff will make a home visit to ensure that all is well.  For safeguarding reasons, we will take further steps if we are still unable contact families.

   

  How will you assess my child’s work and progress?

  Feedback can take many forms and may not always mean extensive written comments for individual children. For example, whole-class feedback or quizzes marked automatically via digital platforms are also valid and effective methods, amongst many others. Our approach to feeding back on pupil work is as follows:

   

  approval of all uploads to individual portfolios; additional comments to some portfolio uploads to encourage learners, praise their efforts, extend their responses, clarify misconceptions or ask for clarification; MS Forms – quizzes marked; telephone discussions.

   

  Additional support for pupils with particular needs

  How will you work with me to help my child who needs additional support from adults at home to access remote education?

  We recognise that some pupils, for example some pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may not be able to access remote education without support from adults at home. We acknowledge the difficulties this may place on families, and we will work with parents and carers to support those pupils in the following ways:

   

  Parents of pupils with additional needs have access to additional videos and support from our SEN team via Class Dojo - Sparrows Pupils with additional needs in Upper Key Stage 2 access specially created video content via Class Dojo – Secret Squirrels

   

  Remote education for self-isolating pupils

  Where individual pupils need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in school, how remote education is provided will likely differ from the approach for whole groups. This is due to the challenges of teaching pupils both at home and in school.

  If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?

   

  Your child will always be able to access the regular practice elements of their online offer, e.g. TT Rockstars, Flash Academy, Read Write Inc.  They will also be able to access videos on the school website that pre-recorded by staff.  The class ‘Sway’ will usually be available the day after lessons in school, so absent pupils will be slightly out-of-sync with the remaining learners.

• Covid case in school - information only, no action required

  Sun 11 Oct 2020

  Date: 11^th October 2020

   

   

  General Advice for School Community

   

  Dear Parents,

   

  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 parents 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 all other pupils 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 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 . 

  
  People who do not have symptoms should not request a test unless this has been specifically requested by Public Health England or the local authority.
   

  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’.

   

  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 can, 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

   

  Please see the link to the PHE ‘Stay at Home’ Guidance:

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

   

  Symptoms of COVID 19

   

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

   

  • new continuous cough and/or
  • high temperature and/or
  • a loss of, or change in, 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/

   

  Warm regards,

   

   

  Cathryn Antwis

  Headteacher

• Safer Travel

  Fri 18 Sep 2020
  Please consider using private transport if it is not possible
  to walk, cycle or scoot to school. Please park as far away from
  school as possible and avoid parking on pavements to allow
  pedestrians more room to social distance when walking.
  Avoid using public transport unless absolutely necessary.
  Avoid congregating at the school gates to ensure people can
  walk past and keep a suitable distance from you and others.

  

• Struggling to get school information at the right time?

  Sun 30 Aug 2020

  We have been in almost constant contact with our families, with the exception of 4 weeks in the summer holidays.  Our count down to returning to school began on Saturday 22nd August with daily bulletins to give everyone the information they need to keep as safe as possible when we all return to school.

   

  There is a very small minority of our parents who are struggling to use Class Dojo - the app we use to share news and information.  Others lack confidence in using the website.  In the current situation it is essential that every family has the information they need, and for this reason we are happy to help individuals to get to grips with our communication tools.

   

  Please telephone the office to arrange a session.

   

   

   

• Visitors and Meetings

  Sun 30 Aug 2020

  We know that emails and phone calls are usually the best way to communicate with school, but sometimes you will need to pop into the school office.

   

  To keep everyone as safe as possible, you will only be allowed into school if you have booked an appointment.  Please telephone the office to make an appointment.