The Education Minister has now provided guidance around the closure of schools for the next two weeks. As you know, the week beginning 26th October had already been designated as our half-term holidays, which means that the children will effectively be missing one week of school due to this new directive.

 

The Minister has stated that next week will be classified as "an extension of the half-term break, and it is not intended to be used for remote learning." As a result, this will not be the same as the previous period of closure and no additional work will be provided. It appears that there is a strong desire for schools to re-open on 2nd November, and we will be planning on that basis.

 

This is a situation very much beyond our control, and we very much hope that this school closure will not last beyond the two weeks specified. Children will attend school as normal on Thursday and Friday, after which the school will remain closed until Monday 2nd November.

Detailed information about the return to school is now available in the 'Parents' section of the website, under 'Education Restart' 

The Education Minister has provided further information about children returning to school for the new term, and the implications for this in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Please refer to the 'Frequently Asked Questions' document on the 'Education Restart' page in the PARENTS section of the website.

Following the announcement from Stormont this evening, all schools will be closed from Monday 23rd March onwards. This means we will remain open to pupils for the next two days. 

 

Folders of work for each child will be available for collection from each class teacher on Friday, and these contain work for the children to do over the next two weeks. 

 

Further work will be provided thereafter, and we will inform you of the arrangements for this in the near future.

Dear Parent

 

We appreciate that this is a time of great worry and uncertainty for everyone, given that we are in uncharted territory as a community, and as a nation.  As has always been the case, our pupil’s health and safety is of paramount importance, and we will continue to keep this at the forefront of our minds in all that we do.

 

Currently we are not in a position to close the school, as we have been told by the Education Minister to remain open until advised otherwise. However, please be assured that we are doing all that we can to limit the spread of possible infection within the school, and are seeking to follow the PHA guidance. We must stress that if your child displays symptoms, such as a new, continuous cough or high temperature, they should remain at home.

 

We also understand that many of you may be uncomfortable with sending your child to school, particularly if they, or other family members, have underlying health issues. Given the current situation, I can assure you that we fully support those parents who wish to keep their children at home.

 

In light of this, each teacher has prepared a folder of work for any children who are not currently being sent to school, and these folders can be collected from your child’s class teacher. Please be advised that these folders are only for children not currently attending school.

 

These folders contain activities that cover the next two weeks in school, and you can complete this with your child, at your own pace. More work activities will then be provided from Easter onwards. We suggest that 2-3 hours a day should be sufficient to spend on school work (dependent on the age of each child). We would also encourage children to read as much as possible during any time off school.

 

When schools are advised to close, each class teacher will be providing work, on a weekly basis, for children to complete at home. This will continue until the children are able to return to school. This work will be made available on the Class Pages on the school website, via email, or through collection at school - whatever suits you best. Further information will be provided about this when we close.

 

For now, if anyone is keeping their children at home, folders of work can be collected from your child’s class teacher at your convenience. Thank you for working with us as we seek to navigate through this very challenging time.

 

Yours sincerely

 

M J Peacock (Principal)

Coronavirus Update: In order to limit the number of people coming into school at the same time, we have decided to stagger the home times from today onwards. The following collection times will apply for each class:

 

* P1 - 1.25pm
* P2 - 1:35pm
* P3 - 1:45pm
* P4/5 - 2:30pm (P4 - 1:45pm on Wednesday)
* 123 Club - 2:35pm
* P6/7 - 2:45pm

 

P1, P2 and P3 children should be collected from their classrooms as normal. P4 to P7 pupils (plus 123 Club) should be collected from the Assembly Hall. School buses will be running as normal.

Our Christmas Concert performances. will be held on Tuesday 10th & Wednesday 11th December at 10:00am, and all of the classes will be taking part.  

 

As the Wednesday performance is simply a repeat of Tuesday's we ask that you only attend on one date for which you have bought a ticket.  This will ensure that there is enough room to accommodate all parents, family & friends who wish to attend.

The Board of Governors' Report for 2018-19 is now available to view on our website. Please navigate to the section section entitled 'Key Information - Board of Governors Reports'.

 

If anyone wishes to receive a paper copy of the report they can request one from the school office.

Unfortunately the floods on the roads prevented us holding our Open Day this morning, but we were all set up and ready to go! Therefore, we are going to open the school to all prospective parents and their children on Monday morning, from 9:00am until 11:00am. 

 

Anyone interested in finding out more about BWPS or Busy Bees Playgroup is welcome to come in on Monday morning to have a look around and have a chat. Whether it's about getting information on enrolment and how to apply for a place, or just to find out more about the school, everyone is welcome. Please share!

We have had to POSTPONE our Open Day due to severe flooding on the roads around school this morning. Another date will be organised in the near future.