Dear Parents and Carers,

We are delighted to inform you about an online learning platform called NumBots that we’re using to support your child’s understanding of number bonds and to help their addition and subtraction skills. These are the essential building blocks for higher-level maths concepts, so we are excited by the impact that NumBots will have on your child’s learning.

The launch of this event for all Reception and Year 1 parents will be on Tuesday 14^th May in the main School Hall via the Lansbury Drive entrance.

You will be able to choose from 2 sessions – 9am (straight after drop off) or 2.45pm.  You don’t need to book either of these sessions, but please only attend one of these times.

After the event children will be bringing home login details and an information leaflet.

We would love to see as many of you as possible as this will be a great introduction to the new online learning tool and we will be there to answer any questions that you may have.

Kind regards,

Mrs Bishop (Maths Lead)

Mrs Ashraf (Computing Lead)

Mayor of London and London Assembly Elections take place every four years. The next Mayoral and London Assembly elections will take place on Thursday 2 May 2024. As Grange Park Infant School is used as a Polling Station the school will be closed to children on this day.  The school will re-open on Friday 3^rd May.

The Government has set out guidelines on the expectation of all state funded mainstream schools to deliver a school week of at least 32.5 hours.  Case studies have proven that schools have found positive benefits from increasing the length of their school week so this is a positive change.

This means that after half term – starting Tuesday 20^th February our school day will finish at 3.20pm for RECEPTION, YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2 not 3.15pm.  Nursery will continue with their soft finish time of between 3.15 – 3.30pm

Dear Parents and Carers,

You may have seen recent media coverage regarding Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and its use in educational settings.

In May 2023, the Department for Education carried out a RAAC Survey of our school as part of a national programme to identify public buildings with RAAC.

We have been informed in writing, the results of the survey and that is that we do not have any RAAC in our school buildings.

We will therefore continue to function as normal. Parents may want to understand more about RAAC and the support to educational settings to manage RAAC safely; you can read more through the article published by the DfE on the Education Hub:

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/08/31/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/

I hope that this offers reassurance to all parents of children attending Grange Park Infant and Nursery School. I look forward to welcoming the children back as planned.

Yours sincerely,

Kiran Thapar

Head Teacher

We wish all children, parents and carers a very happy, safe and peaceful Summer Holiday.

School finishes for children in the Nursery on Thursday 20th July, and children in the Main School finish on Friday 21st July at 1pm. Please ensure you collect your child on time.

School starts again for children in Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 on Wednesday 6th September. Children joining Nursery have been given their individual start dates on their offer letter.

7^th December 2022

Dear Parent(s) / Carer(s),

Re: Increase in scarlet fever

We are writing to inform you of a recent national increase in notifications of scarlet fever to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), above seasonal expected levels.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the signs, symptoms and the actions to be taken if you think that you or your child might have scarlet fever.

Signs and symptoms of scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is a common childhood infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus (GAS). It is not usually serious, but should be treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of complications (such as pneumonia) and spread to others. The early symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. After 12 to 48 hours, the characteristic red, pinhead rash develops, typically first appearing on the chest and stomach, then rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, and giving the skin a sandpaper-like texture. The scarlet rash may be harder to spot on darker skin, although the 'sandpaper' feel should be present. Patients typically have flushed cheeks and be pale around the mouth. This may be accompanied by a bright red red ‘strawberry’ tongue.

If you think you, or your child, might have scarlet fever:

• contact your GP or NHS 111 as soon as possible
• make sure that you or your child take(s) the full course of any antibiotics prescribed. Although you or your child will feel better soon after starting the course of antibiotics, you must complete the course to ensure that you do not carry the bacteria in your throat after you have recovered
• stay at home, away from nursery, school or work for at least 24 hours after starting the antibiotic treatment, to avoid spreading the infection

You can help stop the spread of infection through frequent hand washing and by not sharing eating utensils, clothes, bedding and towels. All contaminated tissues  should be disposed of immediately.

Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS)

The same bacteria which cause scarlet fever can also cause a range of other types of infection such as skin infections (impetigo) and sore throat. In very rare cases, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive group A strep (iGAS). Whilst still very uncommon, there has been an increase in iGAS cases this year, particularly in children under 10 years old. It is very rare for children with scarlet fever to develop iGAS infection.

As a parent, you should trust your own judgement.

Contact NHS 111 or your GP if:

• your child is getting worse
• your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
• your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration
• your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39C or higher
• your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty
• your child is very tired or irritable

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

• your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs
• there are pauses when your child breathes
• your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue
• your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

Stop the spread

During periods of high incidence of scarlet fever, there may also be an increase in outbreaks in schools, nurseries and other childcare settings. Children and adults with suspected scarlet fever should stay off nursery / school / work until 24 hours after the start of appropriate antibiotic treatment. Good hygiene practice such as hand washing remains the most important step in preventing and controlling spread of infection.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Yimmy Chow

Consultant in Health Protection

and Head of NWL Health Protection Team, UKHSA

Kelly O’Neill

Director of Public Health

London Boroughs of Hounslow and Hillingdon

Resources

NHS – Scarlet Fever
Scarlet fever: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment 
Health protection in education and childcare settings 
Hand hygiene resources for schools
 

Grange Park Infant & Nursery School invite you to our Early Years Open Morning!

Tuesday 11th October at 9:30am until 11:30am

Will your child be joining Nursery in September 2023, or are you looking for a school Nursery place?

Come and visit our wonderful classrooms and see why:

"Pupils meet, and often exceed, the national standards"

"Typical comments from parents include 'very happy with the progress my child has made'"

"Pupils are proud to be members of the Grange Park Infant & Nursery School community"

Ofsted inspection report, March 2019

You will have an opportunity to visit our Nursery and Reception classes, and speak to our Early Years team. You can also visit Grange Park Junior School and have a tour there.

There is no need to book - just turn up at the school at 9:30am and you will be shown where to go.

Please use our Nursery gate on Balmoral Drive to enter the school - just opposite Whittington Avenue. (The gate at the roundabout, leading to Burns Close, will not be open).

We can't wait to meet you and your child!

The Year 1 teachers held Welcome Meetings on Tuesday 27th September to discuss what is expected of children in Year 1, and to give parents an opportunity to ask general questions about children’s learning. Thank you to all parents who came to the meetings.

You can find the slides from the presentation below and if you would like to discuss anything in detail, you are welcome to speak to your child's class teacher.

Dear Parents,

EXTRA SUPPORT FOR YOUR CHILD – PUPIL PREMIUM FUNDING

Pupil Premium is extra money that the UK Government gives to schools to help disadvantaged children catch up with their peers. We use this money to provide focused support for eligible children, and to provide a free Breakfast Club place if you wish to accept it.

If you receive certain benefits, your child could be entitled to Pupil Premium funding:

• Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

(If you still qualify for Working Tax Credit, then your child is not entitled to Pupil Premium.)

You can check your eligibility by going to pps.lgfl.org.uk. All you need to apply is:

• Your name
• Your date of birth
• Your National Insurance number, or your National Asylum Support Service (NASS) number

Alternatively, you can come to the School Office for help to apply and check eligibility – staff will be available on Tuesdays just before the end of the school day (2:45pm to 3:15pm) each week. Please bring the information above to apply.

Yours sincerely

Mrs K Thapar

Head Teacher

We are very sad to learn that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away.

An assembly was held this morning to reflect, and the children sang a song to commemorate her life. Children have been given the opportunity to ask questions if they want to, and additional support for the children is available.