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

• Schools opening FAQ's

  Thu 30 Jul 2020 Mrs Rudd

  Can I meet with a member of staff?

  We want to keep meetings with people not from our school to a minimum therefore only urgent meetings will be held. The school office will only be open for emergency visits or prearranged meetings so if you need to talk to a member of staff then please ring or email. Contact details are on the website.
  What happens if my child is ill?

  If your child is ill at home then you should keep your child at home until they are better or for the time specified in our Infection Control Policy (see COVID-19 page). If they are ill in school we will contact you to collect them and keep them at home for the period specified in the policy. If Covid is suspected they must be taken for a test and then guidance followed as per the result.
  A member of my household is shielding. Should I send my child to school?

  We advise you to read information on the NHS website for advice in relation to those shielding. All children are expected to return in September.

  My child is classed as vulnerable. Can he come to school?

  As with the above question, check the NHS website but again the school must be told so that we are aware of this. All children are expected to return in September.

  Will breakfast and after school club be open?

  Yes. These will be held in the school hall so that year groups can be kept apart.

  Will all year groups be coming back?

  Yes, all year groups will be back in school.

  Will my child be able to have a school dinner?

  Yes. These will be free for children entitled to a free school meal and for all children in Reception, Year 2 and Year 1. You can choose to send in a packed lunch. You can check online to see if your child is entitled to a free school meal.

  Will I still receive vouchers if I am entitled to them?

  Vouchers are no longer being issued.

  Will I be fined if I do not send my child to school?

  It is possible that you will be fined if you do not send your child to school. This will depend upon the circumstances of the absence.

  Will you still be sending out home learning packs?

  If a child or class has to isolate then we will send home learning packs.

  What if a child or member of staff in school is ill?

  If a child in school is ill with suspected COVID 19 they will be isolated and parents called to take them home. If COVID is confirmed then all of the children and adults in that group will be asked to isolate for 14 days. The same applies for staff.

  For any other illness the normal infection control will apply.

  Will my child wear PPE or a face mask?

  No. We are not asking children to wear a face mask as it would be unsafe for them to do so. Some staff might wear face masks. 

  Has the school completed a risk assessment about pupils coming back to school?

  Yes we have completed the Birmingham City Council risk assessment and our own. We have also updated health & safety policies.

  Can you guarantee that my children will be safe and will not catch COVID 19 if they come back to school?

  We have put measures in place to ensure that, as far as possible, pupils, staff and their families will be safe; however we can not guarantee this.

  Can my child bring in their own pencil case and equipment?

  Yes, however they will not need to do this as all equipment will be provided.

  Does my child have to wear school uniform when they come back?

  Yes. We request that all children wear correct uniform as per our prospectus.

  Will my child be going swimming?

  No. We have cancelled swimming for the term until we are sure that it is safe for them to go.

  Will my child be doing PE?

  Yes. PE lessons will happen as per timetables, any shared resources will be cleaned between use.

  Will my children have homework?

  Yes. Homework will be given each week and reading books will come home.

  Will school clubs be happening?

  At this moment we have booked football club to continue. We will let you know if any other clubs will be happening in September.

  If I have any questions who do I contact?

  You can contact the school office by telephone (0121 464 7769) or email (enquiry@watermill.bham.sch.uk) or speak to any senior leader in the playground.

   

• End of Term

  Fri 17 Jul 2020 Mrs Rudd

  We have reached the end of what has been a very different school year! I would like to thank everyone for everything you have done to ensure that children, staff and families have stayed safe. Thank you for making sure that learning continued and that everyone was supported and happy.

  We missed you all and we can't wait till September when you are all back; however now it is time to rest and spend time with family.

  Have a lovely summer break everyone, see you in September.

• September classes

  Thu 16 Jul 2020 Mrs Rudd

  It was lovely seeing all the children back in school yesterday. The Year 6 leavers assembly in the afternoon was very moving and the video was amazing, thank you Dr Johnson.

  For information classes for September are:

  Reception: Mrs Suglani, Miss Glen and Mrs Maguire

  Year 1: Miss Peachey, Mrs Hoye and Mrs Dean

  Year 2: Miss Linden and Mrs Maclean

  Year 3: Mrs Baines, Mrs Hollis and Mrs McMahnon

  Year 4: Mrs Chawdary, Miss South and Mrs Bajwa

  Year 5: Mrs Verhofsted, Miss James and Mrs Murdoch

  Year 6: Miss Corless, Mr Hill and Mrs Oreilly

   

  Details about our response to the government guidance for a full return to school for all pupils in September will be published on our COVID web page later today. Please read this as it is very important that you follow all of the guidelines.

• Transition Day Information

  Tue 07 Jul 2020 Mrs Rudd
  Please see our COVID information page for details about procedures for pupils coming to school on Wednesday 15th July.

• September return

  Fri 03 Jul 2020 Mrs Rudd

  As you have heard from the news all children will be returning to school in September. The government has produced new guidelines which we received yesterday and we are currently reading through all of these to see how this will affect the children and the curriculum. Below are some of the main points of the guidelines:

  • All children will be expected to return and parents may be fined if their child does not return
  • There will be no social distancing between children in a class group
  • Each class will be kept separate from each other as far as possible
  • There will be staggered start, break and end times so that the children do not mix
  • Each class will have a separate area of the playground in which to play
  • There will be no overnight visits allowed during the autumn term
  • Breakfast and after school clubs can operate however where possible year groups should be kept apart
  • There will be no swimming lessons during the autumn term
  • Resources can be shared within a class group but if another class needs to use them they must be cleaned
  • The focus of the curriculum should be to make sure the children make up for the time lost and that any gaps in learning are covered
  • School meals will be as normal but in class groups in the hall
  • No whole school meetings; e.g. assemblies, parents meetings, workshops
  • Parents asked to not come into the school building unless it is an emergency. Only one parent to bring a child to school
  • The children must wear school uniform. Please make sure it is named so that it can be returned to your child if it gets lost. There will not be a lost property box until further notice.
  • If there is a confirmed case of Covid in school then that class will be told to isolate at home. If there is more than one case then the school may have to close for a short period to allow deep cleaning and for staff and pupils to isolate.

  These apply to the autumn term, with new guidance being released later to cover the spring and summer terms.

   

  We will publish further information on here about specific details, such as start and end times, as soon as we have sorted timetables

   

  It will be lovely to see everyone back again, you have all been missed.

   

  For information the school will open on Wednesday 2nd September for all children in Years 1 - 6. Reception will have the usual staggered start and further information about this will be sent out to Reception parents.

• Staffing Update

  Wed 01 Jul 2020 Mrs Rudd

  Sadly we have had some staffing changes over the closure period. We have said good bye to Mrs Howard who has gained full time employment at another school in Birmingham, and at the end of July we will be saying goodbye to Mr Wistow who is moving house and will be moving to a school closer to his new home.

  Mrs McHale is now on maternity leave and will return some time next year.

   

  These changes mean we are welcoming two new teachers to our team. Miss Peachey, who taught in Year 1 for a short time prior to the Covid closures, will be starting full time and Miss South will cover Mrs McHale's maternity leave for one day per week.

   

  We wish our leavers good luck in their new positions and 'Welcome to Water Mill' to our new teachers.