North Primary School headteacher Alan Garnett reflects on final preparations before welcoming pupils back to school on Monday morning

Monday, March 1

WEEK nine of Lockdown Three. The beginning of the end for this lockdown as we prepare for the return of all our pupils on the 8th. Let us hope there will be no Lockdown Four.

In assembly, I talk to the children about why we study Religious Education. I talk about how it is a great subject because it helps us to understand ourselves better as we learn about and from others. I talk about how we can learn from the deeds of famous people, like Captain Sir Tom Moore and Malala Yousafzai. How their life stories help us think about hope, kindness, courage, charity, selflessness. How RE helps us to understand and celebrate difference. Powerful messages. And I tell them that learning right from wrong, making good choices, showing respect for yourself and others helps us to be the best we can be. At North there are 28 religions, 14 languages and one community. I am looking forward to having all children back as one next week.

The consultation period for staff to respond to the revised Risk Assessment has closed and is now on the school website. In truth it does not vary significantly from the December version. No surprises in the phone calls this afternoon to home learners of the week: The children are looking forward to seeing their friends again. One child thanks me for the laptop loan which he said made all the difference.

The Year 6s who are in school are happy – well, nearly all of them. They found out which secondary school place they have been offered. Nearly all got the school they wanted.

Tuesday, March 2

THE biggest challenge ahead of next Monday is staffing. We have a number of staff who are not able to work in school for the next few weeks. Even though a few of these colleagues have had vaccines and want to return to school, the guidance does not permit it. Plugging the gaps is top of my to-do list for the rest of the week.

Wednesday, March 3

BUDGET Day. No obvious pronouncements on education from the Chancellor. I have a meeting with the school finance officer on Friday, to set our own budget, a task that never gets easier.

I pass on a letter from Essex County Council to our parents informing them that they can order their own home learning kits – for them, not their children – directly from the Government.

Finish the day attending a local authority-run webinar. Essex has an ambitious plan to address the massive national challenge of overcoming the impact of disadvantage on children’s education. There is much to commend in the approach. Ring fenced money to “close the gap” has been in the system for a decade. This “pupil premium” was and is an excellent initiative, but sadly the main gap this money has closed is the gap between what schools need to spend and what they have to spend, with the well-documented year on year under-funding during this same period. And that is not just underfunding in education but also in other public services which support children and their families - pre-schools, social care, mental health and so on. Overcoming these barriers has been made even harder for schools, families and children because of the pandemic. It is right that Essex prioritises disadvantage.

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North Primary School head teacher Alan Garnett

Thursday, March 4

QUIET day. Preparations continue.

Friday, March 5

BUDGET setting meeting is predictable. Rising costs and the financial impact of Covid mean that there is no room for growth. We look at ways of balancing the budget so that we can continue to make the same educational offer as before. It will be tight but at least this year we will not be facing a redundancy situation. Small mercies.

There is an end-of-term feeling today. Children in school are finishing off and classrooms are being prepared for the return of all the children on Monday. Families are celebrating the end of home schooling today.

Photos and messages have been posted on the learning platforms. Jude, pictured with his sister, Faye, holding all their home learning on their heads, said: “My mum said, it’s a wrap, home school is now closed!”

Here is another message which I hope sums up how parents across the country feel. “Hey teachers, I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for all the support that we have received during the last however many weeks, it has been. Seesaw has been brilliant, the marking of work has been super speedy and the home calls have been great for continuity. I am sure you have all been tested to your limits juggling the children coming into the school and the ones at home but I think you have done an AMAZING job. I am so glad that my son is at North right now and even more glad that you are all his teachers. Big socially distanced pats on the back to all of you.”

One parent even went as far as to say that our early years teachers got so good at their video making that they should consider a career on CBeebies!

Staffing sorted.

The team have pulled together, as always, to plug those gaps.

Ready for Monday.

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