Dear Families,

I hope that you and your family have had a happy and relaxing summer, and that you have enjoyed some of the sunny weather we have had. It was lovely to see your child return to school today, and knowing that they will soon settle back into a school routine. As always, there may be teething issues with some of the transport routes at the start of each academic year, but rest assured we will continue to liaise with transport services to support you.

Welcome!

We hope that you will soon feel that your son / daughter has settled back into school and for some of them, into their new classes. We were delighted to welcome our new year 7 pupils, and are looking forward to working with you all. As always, we will be holding transition-in meetings for all pupils new to the school within the next few weeks. We will be holding a new parents and families coffee morning on Wednesday 10 September, 10 to 11:30.

We will also be holding parents’ consultations on Tuesday 16 September (for pupils at Copthall) and Wednesday 17 September for pupils on the main site and Whitefield, 3:30pm to 6pm (more information to follow). In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us either through your home/school books or by phone/email if you have any queries or information you think we should be aware of.

Donations:

Each term we ask for a voluntary contribution for the children’s snacks, drinks, additional cooking ingredients and messy play activities. We would greatly appreciate it if you could send in a donation of £15 for the whole term. This really helps us to carry out some really fabulous activities with our classes which they all really love, and provides additional snacks to encourage more choice making.

Organisation:

To help us keep track of belongings please could you ensure that your child’s clothes, coats, equipment, etc are clearly labelled; this really helps us to take care of your child’s belongings.

Uniforms

We have been phasing in our uniform for years 7 to 11. To purchase Mapledown branded clothes, please visit: https://www.worldcoloursuniforms.com/ Please note that we use an independent supplier, and we are not able to advise/help with any queries with orders or deliveries.

However, if you do not wish to buy through the website, any supermarket bought clothing is suitable: A bottle green jumper / hoodie / cardigan / fleece A white or jade/light green polo shirt Black or dark grey joggers / trousers / leggings / shorts.

We know that some children find school uniforms or certain items of clothing uncomfortable, so please do not worry if your child is not able to wear the full uniform.

Health and Wellbeing:

If your child becomes unwell at school, we will contact you and ask you to collect them. If your child has diarrhoea, or is vomiting, we ask that they remain at home for at least 48 hours after symptoms have ceased to ensure a full recovery and prevent further contagion.

If your child has a raised temperature or is clearly too unwell to attend school, we ask that they remain at home for at least 24 hours after the symptoms have ceased.

If your child is on a course of antibiotics and unwell, we ask that they remain at home for the first 48 hours or until recovered. If your child is on antibiotics, and/or other medication but has no obvious symptoms, school should be informed regarding the medication and for what purpose it is being taken. Parents should make themselves available to be contacted during this time if needed. If it is necessary to send in medication for a pupil, please ensure it is sent into school in the original container, labelled with the Pharmacist’s instructions, the child’s name and a clear expiry date. The medicine needs to be accompanied by a consent form. These are available from the school nurse. Please hand the medication to your child’s transport PA who will take it directly to the school office.

Please let the school know if your child has been given paracetamol (or any other pain relief or other medication) at home before being sent in. If your child has a severe epileptic seizure or medical treatment prior to coming to school, please be sure that she/he will be able to cope in a busy classroom before you send her/him in, and let the school know. A day at home is often beneficial after a hospital admission for illness, but not after tests or checkups.

If there are any changes with your child’s health, medical condition or medication, please inform the school nurses immediately so that they can update your child’s health care plan.

Thank you in advance for all you do this year to support your child and to work with us. We really value the partnership we have with our families. We will be contacting you soon with our parents’ coffee mornings and workshop details. We look forward to working in partnership with you over the year ahead.

Take care and best wishes,

Sandra Chaaya

Headteacher