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

• No confirmed RAAC concrete at Berkeley Primary School

  Tue 05 Sep 2023 Anna Cvijetic

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  You may have seen recent media coverage regarding Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and its use in educational settings. RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete; because it is weaker than regular concrete, concerns have been raised about its long-term durability. Department for Education (DfE) has recently changed its guidance to education settings on the management of RAAC to take a more precautionary approach and as a result areas in affected spaces will be vacated.

  The DfE has been helping education settings and the local authority (LA) to identify and manage the potential risks of RAAC since 2018. You can find more in the Education Hub article published by DfE.

   

  We appreciate the concern this may raise, and we will always prioritise the safety of your children and our staff.

   

  We do not have any confirmed RAAC in our buildings and have not been asked to close any areas. In February 2023 we had a visual inspection undertaken by building experts from the LA in which no RAAC was identified.  However, we want to take care and to be sure, and with the LA are currently working with the DfE to see if further checks are required to see whether RAAC has been used in the construction of any part of our buildings. If RAAC is identified, we will let you know straight away, and we have contingencies in place. 

   

  Rest assured that the safety of children and staff is of paramount importance to all concerned.  Thank you for your understanding.

   

  Best wishes

   

  Anna Cvijetic

  Headteacher

• Transition Workshops for Parents- With Me In Mind

  Thu 20 Jul 2023

   

  Please see the attached posters regarding Transition Workshops for Parents- these sessions will focus on supporting your child while they transition to a new school. 

   

  They are offering both in-person and virtual sessions.

  

• Refugee Week 2023- Certificate Awarded

  Thu 13 Jul 2023

   

  A big well done to everyone who participated in Refugee Week here at school.

   

  Pupils created art work and designed activity boxes for refugee children who are currently living in our area- the boxes were then given to the children.

   

  The art work was entered in a competition and some of our pupils' entries were shortlisted. Please see the pictures below of the lovely work.

   

   

  

• Change to Term Dates for Academic Year 2023/24

  Tue 04 Jul 2023

   

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  There has been a slight change to the Term Dates for the next Academic Year 2023/24. 

   

  In the October half term, children now return to school on Tuesday 31st October 2023 (previously Mon 30th)

   

  After the Christmas Holidays, children now return to school on Monday 8th January 2024 (previously Tues 9th)

   

  Please see the updated Term Dates for your reference:

   

  2023/24 Academic Year

  Autumn Term 2023

  Tuesday 5th September 2023- Friday 20th October 2023

  Tuesday 31st October 2023- Thursday 21st December 2023

  Spring Term 2024

  Monday 8th January 2024- Friday 9th February 2024

  Monday 19th February 2024- Thursday 28th March 2024

  Summer Term 2024

  Monday 15th April 2024- Friday 24th May 2024

  May Day Monday 6th May- School Closed

  Monday 3rd June 2024- Friday 19th July 2024

   

  Many thanks

• Preloved School Uniform Stall/ Non-Uniform Week

  Mon 03 Jul 2023

   

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  Preloved School Uniform Stall: Wednesday 19th July 8.30am-9.30am

  If you have any preloved school uniform, pumps or school shoes in good/washed condition, we would really appreciate if you could send these items into the school office for our stall.

   

  The uniform stall will be set out in the Junior Carpark near the school office on Wednesday 19th July from 8.30am-9.30am. Parents are welcome to come along and take any items of school uniform you think you may need for your child for free. The uniform will be set out in ages so please come and have a look.

   

  Non-Uniform Week: Monday 17th July- Friday 21st July

  The last week of school will be non-uniform days, we thought this may give you chance to wash and send in any preloved uniform for the stall.

   

  Please note, if you would prefer your child to still come to school in their uniform in the last week then that is absolutely fine, this is optional.

   

  Many thanks

   

• Year 1-6 Maths Challenge Morning for Parents- 12th July 9.15-11.45am

  Thu 29 Jun 2023

   

   

  

• Strike Days- 5th and 7th July 2023

  Tue 27 Jun 2023

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  Industrial Action by NEU Teachers

   

  I hope that you and your families are well. I am following up from the previous information regarding Industrial action by teachers. We now have plans in place for the further two days of action by the NEU, on Wednesday 5^th July & Friday 7^th July 2023 and want to give you as much notice of this as possible.  At Berkeley Primary School, we have 15 teachers (56% of our teachers) in the NEU and I have been informed that some of these will strike.

   

  We have had lengthy discussions about how to try to minimise the disruption to education and at the same time ensure adequate supervision to keep our children safe. We will not be able to have all children in school on this strike day. 

   

  We have been notified by those staff who intend to strike, therefore the plan for the strike days on Wednesday 5^th & Friday 7^th July 2023 are as follows, any changes will be communicated to all parents:

  • Nursery – will be closed
  • Reception – will be closed except for Critical Workers and Vulnerable children
  • Years 1-6 – will be in school as normal.

  Please note this change to previous Strike Days- Year 1 and 2 are also in school as normal on these two days.

   

  If your child is in school, they will follow their normal timetable.

  Where students are working from home, children should complete work from the National Oak Academy (found on https://www.thenational.academy/) ,Numbots and the Bug Club online reading books (both of which parents have log ins for).

   

  Children of critical workers and vulnerable children

  The Government has asked us to prioritise places for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. The full list of critical workers can be found in Annex B at the end of the Government’s guidance for schools on emergency planning link below:

   

  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1114577/Emergency_planning_and_response_for_education__childcare_and_children_s_social_care_settings.pdf

   

  If you are a Reception parent and believe that both parents/carers are a critical worker and would like to apply for a place in school on Wednesday 5^th & Friday 7^th July for your child(ren), please complete the form below by 9am on Monday 3^rd July. Please note, only new applications will need to be submitted for these strike days. You do not need to complete a new form if you have already completed one previously, your child will automatically get a place this time.

   

  https://forms.gle/PGMCSMwgHWkLCmpG8

   

  If you have made a new application you will be notified if you have a place on Monday 3^rd July 2023. These children will be supervised in school and do activities with our teaching assistants.  If your child is in Year 1-6 you do not need to complete this form as they are in school on all strike days. 

  All students who are on our ‘vulnerable’ groups list (those with a social worker) will be offered a place on the strike days. Parents will be contacted separately to confirm arrangements.

   

  School meals

  Those children in school will have a school dinner as normal as the kitchen staff are unaffected by the strike action.

  If your child is a ‘means tested’ Free School Meal child, based on income (not universal free school meal offered to all infant children), you are entitled to come to school to collect a ‘lunch bag’ that can be given to your child at home.  The parents of those children entitled to this will receive a form shortly to complete if you would like to come to school to collect this between 11:00am and 12:00pm on 5th & 7^th July. 

   

  Breakfast Club

  Breakfast club will be open as normal for Years 1-6 and for those children in Reception that have been given places as parents being critical workers or vulnerable.

  I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. The school is trying to ensure that as many students as possible have the opportunity to be in school during these days.  Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any queries.

   

  Best wishes

  Anna Cvijetic

  Headteacher

   

• New Classes September 2023

  Thu 22 Jun 2023

   

  Thursday 22^nd June 2023

   

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  I am pleased to be able to inform you of the teachers for the next academic year (September 2023).  Please see the grid below for who is in which class.  

   

  We have restructured the current Reception children before they move in to their new year group, this is the norm for our school.  Parents of children in Reception will receive another email in the next 6 hours informing you of your child’s class teacher.  If you have not received an email letting you know this by tomorrow morning, please come and ask at the school office.

   

  Current class	Class in Sept 23	Teacher
  	Nursery	Charlotte Bennett
  	Recp Oak	Helen Earl (Phase Leader)
  	Recp Holly	Jenna King / Alice Dowse
  	Recp Beech	Catriona Card
  New class organisation – you will receive a separate email.	Year 1 Oak	Jayne Elsagood (Phase Leader)
  	Year 1 Holly	Faye Marshall
  	Year 1 Beech	Jacqui Drury
  1 Holly	Year 2 Oak	Rachel Jones (Phase Leader)
  1 Oak	Year 2 Holly	Sam Nunes
  1 Beech	Year 2 Beech	Jo Bielby / Iryna Fowles
  2 Holly	Year 3 Oak	Craig Goodall (Phase Leader)
  2 Beech	Year 3 Holly	Alison Woods
  2 Oak	Year 3 Beech	Angie Humphrey / Teresa Suddaby
  3 Holly	Year 4 Oak	Rahela Sultana / Bruce Spencer (PL)
  3 Oak	Year 4 Holly	Simon Leek
  3 Beech	Year 4 Beech	Iain Dalgleish
  4 Beech	Year 5 Oak	Caroline Harling (Phase Leader)
  4 Holly	Year 5 Holly	Judith Grinhaff
  4 Oak	Year 5 Beech	Paul Newsome
  5 Beech	Year 6 Oak	Amy Marsh (Phase Leader)
  5 Oak	Year 6 Holly	Tom Fell
  5 Holly	Year 6 Beech	Lucy Burnett

   

   

  We have a thorough transition programme in place, to ensure the children get many opportunities with their new class teacher and to get to know each other before September. 

   

  We are delighted to have recently appointed Jacqui Drury to our teaching team.  Mrs Drury is an experienced teacher and will be teaching in Year 1.  Alice Dowse will be returning from her maternity leave in September 2023 and we will be pleased to see her back in the reception unit. 

   

  Ryan Woods will be leaving us at the end of the school year.  He will be much missed by children, staff and parents and we wish him well in his future teaching career and thank him for all his hard work at our school.

   

  Howard Rea, our caretaker, will be retiring at the end of the term, after nearly 5 years at Berkeley.  Howard has looked after our school premises so well over the years, keeping us all safe and making sure our environment is lovely.  We wish him a long, happy and healthy retirement. 

   

  If you have any queries regarding any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher.

   

  Best wishes

  Anna Cvijetic

  Headteacher

   

• Strike- proposed further two dates

  Tue 20 Jun 2023

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  I hope that you and your families are well. You may be aware from the media that members of the National Education Union (NEU) have voted for strike action again. Other teaching unions (NASUWT and NAHT) did not receive the required number of ballot papers and so will not be striking at this point.

   

  The NEU has identified a further two days of strike, which will possibly affect Infant children of our school. These are:

   

  • Wednesday 5th July 2023
  • Friday 7th July 2023

   

  The leadership team are currently planning for the strikes. We will continue this close contact in the coming weeks in order to reduce the impact on pupils’ learning as much as we can. In line with Government guidance, it is our intention to keep Berkeley Primary School open; however, it may be the case that not all classes / year groups will be able to come into school, depending on which teachers in school do strike. I am hoping to give you more information shorlty, but unions do not disclose which staff are in which unions and the staff themselves do not have to tell us in advance if they are going to strike.

   

  Where possible, I would urge you to consider arranging childcare provision for your child(ren) in case they are not able to come to school. Our aim is to keep you, the parents and carers, updated throughout this period of uncertainty. We will do our utmost to give you as much notice as possible. Nevertheless, please be prepared for short notice on possible class or year group closures. We will contact you with further details as and when we have them.

   

  Best wishes

  Anna Cvijetic

  Headteacher

• Baitus Salam Mosque Inauguration

  Sat 17 Jun 2023 Anna Cvijetic

  Miss Card and I were honoured to be invited to join the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for the Inauguration of the Baitus Salam (House of Peace) Mosque tonight.  We were made most welcome. 

   

  We listened to their Caliph, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad; Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Comminuty who was spreading a message of peace and harmony.

   

  Some of our lovely children were very proud to show us around their beautiful mosque.