Latest News
For latest news, please check our Newsletter page. We also share regular updates through our main Facebook page and class Facebook pages. Please follow us on Facebook and request to join the private Facebook Page for your class to stay up to date.
On this page you will find our archived newsletters from previous years.
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Newsletter - w/c - 01/02/21
Thu 28 Jan 2021Dear Parent/Carer,We hope you and your family are keeping well.Please see below for some important notices about school life:Remote Education - ChangesWe are having an increasing number of children return to school, either because they are the children of parents/carers who are critical workers, or they are children deemed vulnerable because they are known to Children's Services or because they are currently not accessing remote education. For that reason, we have reorganised how we are deploying our teachers to ensure as many children as possible are having access to a teacher and so parents/carers must take note of the following:- Currently, those of you who have chosen to complete a paper-based Home Learning Pack with your child/ren have been using Facebook Messenger and/or directly e-mailing teachers photographs of your child's work. This is no longer required. Instead, you should use the answers in the Home Learning Pack to mark your child's work, ticking a correct response and dotting an incorrect response. Fortnightly, when you return the pack to school, the teacher will be able to look at your child's completed work to inform their assessments.
- Those of you accessing Google Classroom will continue to receive feedback on your child's work by one of the teachers or a teaching assistant who works in their year group. We have 10 school laptops remaining that we may lend to families who wish for their child to use Google Classroom - please e-mail the School Office via admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk if you would like to visit school to sign a lending agreement to borrow one of our laptops.
- Parents/carers should make a note of any questions or issues they are having with Google Classroom or the Home Learning Pack so they may discuss these with their child's class teacher or teaching assistant as part of the weekly telephone call.
Home Learning Pack & Reading BooksOn Monday 1 February 2021, one parent/carer with or without their child/ren, may visit school to return any completed home packs and to return any borrowed reading books. We will then be able to supply new home learning packs and/or new reading books.If you have more than one child, please visit at the time allocated to your eldest child's year group. You should enter the premises by the large pedestrian gate, and you must wear a face covering to enter the building.09:15-09:35 - Reception09:35-09:55 - Year 109:55-10:15 - Year 213:00-13:20 - Year 313:20-13:40 - Year 413:40-14:00 - Year 514:00-14:20 - Year 6Online SafetyWe have updated the section on our school website relating to on-line safety. Please make time to read it carefully - there are links to websites suitable for your child as well.Prize Draw - a Reward for Hardworking Children and a Reward for Hardworking Parents/CarersWe are aware of lots of parents and carers who are working hard to support their child's learning at home whilst also working remotely themselves and/or caring for other children. We have decided to create a prize draw so some of these parents/carers may win a prize for their efforts. The first-place prize is a £150 supermarket voucher, the second-place prize is a £75 supermarket voucher, and the third-place prize is a £50 supermarket voucher.If you would like to be in with a chance of winning, you must make sure the following is happening now and continuing to happen for however long schools remain closed to the majority:
- Your child is completing all the work set on Google Classroom or they are completing the paper-based Home Learning Pack and returning it to school on time
- Parents/carers are sharing the other work they are doing with their child via the weekly telephone call (e.g. reading with their child daily, trips to the park etc.)
Of course, we wish to reward all the children who are working hard in school and at home as well. We will wait for schools to reopen fully and those children who have been working hard in school, and those children who have completed their learning at home, will be able to partake in an event decided by the School Council - it will certainly be something that's lots of fun as our children deserve that after experiencing three different national lockdowns in the past year!Payments for Before- and After-school ClubsFor those parents/carers who access our before- and after-school clubs that incur a fee, namely Breakfast Club and Wraparound Care, we now have the facility installed on SchoolGateway for you to cancel bookings yourself and for this to be returned to your account in the form of credit. The instructions for cancelling a booking are listed below:1) Click on the club.2) Click 'Manage Bookings'3) If using a phone, swipe left on the booking, turning it red with a trash can symbol, and then click to cancel the booking. If on a computer, you select the booking and then cancel it.4) Your account will now be credited with the cost of the cancelled booking. If you require a refund to the card you used to pay for the booking, you must e-mail admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk to make this known.Telephoning the SchoolCurrently, due to some staff members being unwell and/or having to shield as they are classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, we are unable to answer the telephone. For that reason, we have a clear voicemail message, telling the caller to leave their name and contact information so we may return their call. We check the voicemail at 8:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Parents/carers should be aware that we cannot see the number you have called from, and so, you must detail the telephone number you wish to be contacted on.We highly recommend parents/carers use e-mail - admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk - instead of the telephone to ask questions or share information with us as those working remotely can respond to your e-mails more efficiently than we can respond to your telephone calls at this time.Parent GovernorCongratulations to Mr Prince Paul - a parent of a child in our school - who has been elected as Parent Governor to join our Governing Body as of March 2021. Thank you to all the candidates who applied and thank you to the parents/carers who took the time to cast a vote. If you would like to know more about the school's Governing Body, you may click here.Year 6 Residential TripOrdinarily, we would have already shared the information relating to the Year 6 Residential Trip, including details of payment plans, with children and their parents/carers.We have a provisional booking for mid-June 2021; however, the company currently have their staff furloughed and we are still not able to know whether trips of this kind will be possible in June 2021.Please rest assured that we have not forgotten about the Year 6 children's residential trip and we will contact parents/carers as soon as we can give a definitive answer as to whether it is going to happen. If it does not happen, we will look to organise a different event or events for the Year 6 children.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yours sincerely,The Administration Team
Hurst Drive Primary School
admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk
01992 624099
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Newsletter - w/c - 25/01/21
Wed 20 Jan 2021Dear Parent/Carer,
Please see below for some important notices about school life:
Remote Education
A continued thank you to those families working hard to ensure their child completes their schoolwork, either on-line via Google Classroom or by completing the paper-based Home Learning Pack. We are thankful that you recognise the bigger picture and long-term gains in helping your child continue their education during this national lockdown.
We do have a small number of parents/carers who are not encouraging their child/ren to do any schoolwork at home, treating this national lockdown like an extended school holiday. These parents/carers are forgetting that across the country there are many families where the adults are working hard with their children to stop this pandemic affecting their education and life chances. One day all these children will be adults competing for opportunities and if your child's education has been badly affected by this pandemic, they may miss out on jobs and opportunities that would bring them true happiness
We believe in our motto, 'Success for All' so we hope all our families will recognise the importance of setting aside a few hours each day to help every child complete their schoolwork. Please know that it's not enough to command a child to complete a worksheet or do the task on Google Classroom, you do need to sit next to them, read the instructions yourself, and check your child understands the task before letting them work on their own. If anything is unclear, please message your child's class teacher via Google Classroom or on Facebook Messenger, remembering they will only respond to messages sent between 8:30am - 3:30pm.
We are brainstorming ideas to reward both children and parents/carers who have worked hard with remote education - we will share the details with you in the coming weeks.
Google Meet
Each week, the teachers are arranging a Google Meet - live video streaming - so the children may see and speak to their teacher and their friends from class. This is a new platform for our teachers, children and parents/carers, so we may add further instructions in the weeks to come, but, in the meantime, please make sure your child (and you) follow these ground rules when using Google Meet:
- Your child must be fully dressed (i.e. not in their pyjamas)
- Your child must be sitting in a shared space (e.g. the kitchen or living room)
- Your child (and the background of your home) may be seen and heard by other children and the teacher so make sure the space is calm and safe
- Your child must use kind words and actions both when speaking and if they are using the chat feature
- Parents/carers must not use the Google Meet to discuss matters involving their child as these will be heard by other children and parents/carers
Please be aware that to safeguard teachers and children, we will be recording all live streams.
If you do not wish for your child to take part in the Google Meet, that is perfectly acceptable.
Report Cards
We hope those parents/carers who have already received their child's report card have found them to be both informative and easy to understand. If you do have any questions about the report card, please ask your child's class teacher or teaching assistant when they telephone you for the weekly call. If your child is in school, and you wish to speak to your child's class teacher about the report card, please telephone or e-mail the school so your child's teacher will know to contact you.
For those of you who didn't visit school to collect the report card, a home learning pack or reading books on Monday, we are posting your child's report card to the home address we have on file so you should receive it within a week.
Parent Governor
Thank you to those parents/carers who have already cast their vote for Parent Governor. The role of Parent Governor is very important so we hope all parents/carers will take the time to read the candidate's statements and cast a vote. The deadline to cast your vote is at 3:00pm on Monday 25 January 2021. If you need a paper copy of the ballot paper that was e-mailed out last week, please visit the School Office.
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Yours sincerely,
The Administration Team
Hurst Drive Primary School
admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk
01992 624099
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Newsletter - w/c 18/01/21
Wed 13 Jan 2021Dear Parent/Carer,
Please see below for some important notices about school life:
Remote Learning
A big thank you to those parents/carers making sure their child/ren complete the learning set by their teacher.
Regarding remote learning, some parents/carers have queried why we're not organising live teaching. We have chosen not to do live teaching, knowing that many of our children are sharing a laptop or tablet with a sibling or siblings so this wouldn't work well. We also know that some parents/carers are managing working from home (or caring for babies and/or toddlers) with supporting their child's remote learning and so we wanted to make it possible for parents/carers to decide when best to complete the assignments set. We are pleased that many parents/carers are grateful for the flexibility involved in how we've organised our remote learning.
Please know that behind the scenes the teachers are working very hard - I know they would appreciate a note of thanks via Facebook Messenger or Google Classroom. Similarly, if you have a child in school, those staff members working with them are doing their very best to keep school as normal as possible for the children, ensuring they work hard and have time to play with their friends - they too would appreciate a note of thanks via an e-mail to the school or by mentioning it in person. Some parents/carers have already done this and it means more to the staff than any physical gift you could buy them so thank you.
Now that the children, parents/carers and teachers are growing in confidence with using Google Classroom, we would like to introduce using Google Meet - a video conferencing platform linked to Google Classroom. This is because we want to organise an opportunity for the children to socialise with their classmates once a week.
Next week, your child's teacher will organise a short activity for 15-30 minutes that will allow the children to see one another on screen with opportunities to talk, be it through live interaction or the chat feature. Your child's teacher will share the details with you via Google Classroom.
Reading Books, Report Cards & Home Learning Packs
To return a home learning pack, collect a home learning pack, collect a report card and/or collect reading books, we are allowing one parent/carer with their child onto the school premises on Monday at the times listed below. I am afraid there isn't time to gather and chat so we will apologise now for rushing you onto and then off our site.
We know many families have more than one child but please note, we will be putting out specific books for each phase, so, if you have more than one child, you will need to visit more than once that day. Alternatively, if you have a child in Years 5 and 6, and you are comfortable with them walking to and from school themselves, we are more than happy for those older children to visit school alone.
Monday 18 January 2021 - Front Playground
9:15-9:35am - Reception
9:35-9:55am - Year 1
9:55-10:15am - Year 2
1:00-1:20pm - Year 3
1:20-1:40pm - Year 4
1:40-2:00pm - Year 5
2:00-2:20pm - Year 6
We will do this again on Monday 1 February 2021 with the same times, allowing children to return/borrow reading books and return/collect home learning packs.
Please note, if your child is in school, their report card will be given to them to take home. Any uncollected report cards will be posted to the address we have on file for your child.
School Places for Children of Critical Workers
The Government has changed the guidance given to schools. For any new requests we receive from parents/carers about returning their child to school, we will need to question you to establish whether you or another adult is working from home, and, if you are, we will direct you to keep your child at home to access their learning remotely. As I'm sure you know, we do not enjoy refusing a child a place in school. We hope soon to be able to welcome every child back to school.
Food Parcels for Children Eligible for Free School Meals
If you collected a food parcel last week, your next food parcel will be ready for collection from the School Office on Monday 18 January 2021 at noon. If you did not request a parcel before but require one now, please e-mail admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk stating your child/ren's name/s and we will get back to you.
Please note, if you believe your financial circumstances have changed and your child/ren may now be eligible for free school meals, please click here to apply - you will need your National Insurance number or Home Office number.
Applying for a Primary School Place for September 2021
If you or someone you know has a child starting primary school in September 2021, and they live in Hertfordshire, they must click here, and if they live in Enfield, they must click here, to apply for their primary school place by Friday 15 January 2021. If they apply after that date, they may not get one of their preferred schools.
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Yours sincerely,
The School Office Team
Hurst Drive Primary School
admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk
01992 624099
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Newsletter - w/c 11/01/21
Thu 07 Jan 2021Dear Parent/Carer,
Thank you for your support in the first week of the spring term. We know there have been difficulties and so we're grateful for your patience and understanding. Please see below for some important notices about school life:
Google Classroom
You may click here to read a guide about using Google Classroom. We know that as each day goes on, using this platform will become easier for the children, parents/carers and teachers.
Please note, some of our children, particularly those in Years 5 & 6, are using their personal mobile phone to access their remote learning. This is absolutely fine; however, we can see that some of them are writing comments on the stream in the middle of the night (e.g. at 2:00am).
Children should not have their mobile phones in their bedroom at night-time. Parents/carers must remove these devices from their children when they go to bed - both to ensure they get a good night's sleep but also to keep them safe.
Remember, if your child has unsupervised access to the internet, you are opening them up to the risk of a dangerous person contacting them. Please do speak to your child about this and spread the word to other parents and carers so that all our children may be kept safe and well rested.
Children of Critical Workers and Vulnerable Children
If you are a critical worker, if your child has special educational needs, or if you have (or have had) involvement with Children's Services, you have the option of sending your child to school. Please e-mail admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk to make your request known and we will respond as soon as possible.
Laptops
The Department for Education has sent us 45 laptops to lend to families with children in Years 3-6 who are in receipt of Free School Meals and who do not have access to a laptop at home. If you do not have the internet at home, we may be able to help you organise an increase to your mobile data so you may use a smartphone to form a wi-fi hotspot.
Please copy and paste, and then complete, the headings below in an e-mail to admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk. Please note, you will be required to collect the laptop from school as you will need to sign an agreement before we hand over the device.
Parent/Carer's name:
Parent/Carer's address:
Child's name:
If you need us to request a free increase to your mobile data because you do not have the internet at home, please complete the following:
The name of the account holder on the mobile plan:
The number of the mobile telephone:
The mobile network of the mobile device (e.g. Three, Virgin, EE):
If you meet the criteria, we will contact you to arrange for you to visit the school to sign the agreement and collect the laptop. Please note, these will be shared on a first-come, first-served basis, and to begin with, it will be one device per family to allow the greatest number of children to access this resource.
Reading Books, Report Cards & Returning Home Learning Packs
We are keen for children unable to attend school to have the option of borrowing reading books. We are also keen for parents and carers to collect their child's autumn term report card - these report cards are new and introduced in response to the 2020 Parent and Carer Survey. Finally, the teachers want those children who have taken home a paper pack of worksheets to return them to school so they may check them ahead of their weekly telephone call to offer praise and feedback, as well as to inform their planning.
For that reason, we have organised the date and times below for one parent/carer and their child to visit the front playground to collect reading books, collect their report card, and, if they took one, return their completed home learning pack and take home a new one. Of course, if your child is accessing learning on-line, you may still visit school to collect reading books and the report card.
Monday 18 January 2021 - Front Playground (i.e. bring an umbrella if it's raining!)
- 9:15-9:35am - Reception
- 9:35-9:55am - Year 1
- 9:55-10:15am - Year 2
- 1:00-1:20pm - Year 3
- 1:20-1:40pm - Year 4
- 1:40-2:00pm - Year 5
- 2:00-2:20pm - Year 6
We will do this fortnightly, allowing children to return/borrow reading books and return/collect home learning packs.
We know many families have more than one child but please note, we will be putting out specific books for each phase, so, if you have a child in Year 1 and a child in Year 6, you will have to visit school twice that day.
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We all look forward to the time that we may be reunited in school - hopefully, we won't be apart too long.
Yours sincerely,
The School Office Team
Hurst Drive Primary School
admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk
01992 624099
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Newsletter - 04/01/21
Mon 04 Jan 2021Dear Parent/Carer,
We are sending this e-mail about remote education to all parents/carers, including those whose children are due to be in school this week and next.
As I am sure you will agree, our preference is always to have the children in school with the teachers, support staff and other children. However, we know that if all our teachers and parents/carers work hard to support the children with remote education, be it via Google Classroom or using the paper packs of work, there is no reason why all the children cannot continue their learning effectively during this difficult time.
On-line Learning - Starting Wednesday 6 January 2021
If your child has access to a PC, laptop or tablet, they will be able to access the assignments set via Google Classroom. There will be three assignments set each day: one for English, one for mathematics and one for either science or a foundation subject (N.B. foundation subjects include geography, history, religious education, computing, physical education, art, design technology, Spanish, music and personal social health education). You will receive a Facebook message and/or a telephone call tomorrow to share your child’s login details for Google Classroom.
Paper-based Learning - Starting Wednesday 6 January 2021
If your child does not have access to digital technology, you may visit school on Wednesday 6 January 2021 to collect a paper pack of work. The times for visiting school are set out below – if you have a child in more than one year group, please attend at the time for your eldest child (e.g. If you have a son in Year 5 and a daughter in Year 2, please visit school at 10:45am to collect both packs of work). Please enter via the pedestrian gate and visit the School Office. You will be required to wear a face covering to enter the building. Please be prepared to space out as there may be several parents/carers visiting at the same time as you. If you are shielding, for example, because you or a household member has tested positive for COVID-19, please e-mail admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk and we will see what we may be able to do to help (e.g. delivering the pack to your home).
Times to Collect Paper Packs of Work - Wednesday 6 January 2021
Reception – 9:30am
Year 1 – 9:45am
Year 2 – 10:00am
Year 3 – 10:15am
Year 4 – 10:30am
Year 5 – 10:45am
Year 6 – 11:00am
This paper pack of work must be returned to school on Monday 18 January 2021 when school is due to open fully so we may store it as evidence of learning.
Telephone Calls
You will receive a telephone call from your child’s class teacher or a teaching assistant on either Thursday 7 or Friday 8 January 2021, and again on either Tuesday 12 or Wednesday 13 January 2021. The aim of this phone call is to check in with you and your child/ren, to discuss their remote education and answer any questions you or your child may have. The telephone calls will come from a private number so please make sure you answer your phone.
Contacting the School
If you need to contact the school, please e-mail admin@hurstdrive.herts.sch.uk as some of our Office Staff are working remotely so our ability to respond to e-mails is faster than our ability to respond to telephone calls. If you do need to telephone, please leave a voicemail, giving your name, your child’s name, and the reason for your call.
Alternatively, if the question is about your child and their learning, you may use Facebook Messenger to contact your child’s teacher directly. Remember, teachers are only tasked with reading and replying to messages during their working hours, 8:30am – 3:30pm.
Reopening of School
At present, schools are due to reopen to all on Monday 18 January 2021. We are due to receive an update on Wednesday 13 January 2021 about the current ‘Stay at Home’ order. We will share the details in the weekly e-mailed newsletter that week regarding the return to school or the continuing of remote education depending on what we are instructed to do by the Department for Education.
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We know it can be difficult but please do make sure your child completes the work set on Google Classroom or the paper pack of work.
Research is already showing the damaging effects of each lockdown on children’s achievement, particularly children eligible for free school meals, so, if you are in touch with other parents/carers (e.g. via a Whatsapp group conversation) please help and encourage one other so that every child accesses learning this week and next.
Thank you for taking the time to read this e-mail – I look forward to welcoming you all back to school soon.
Yours sincerely,
Mr D Short
Headteacher