Friday, 22nd March 2024 @ 2.30pm - 4.30pm

(((((FREE ENTRY)))))

https://angelssupportgroup.org.uk/

https://spaceherts.org.uk/

http://www.add-vance.org/

Sian Ford
Mental Health Lead and Designated Senior Person for Child Protection

Larwood School
01438 236333 - Main School Number

sian.ford@Larwood.herts.sch.uk

Please see guidance for parents on emotionally based school avoidance. 

This guidance has been developed by Hertfordshire integrated services for learning and with input from the attendance team, ESMA, the advisory teacher service and DSPL8. Although this guidance has not been specifically written for parents/carers of children with special educational needs, this does contain some practical strategies to support your child at home, as well as signposting to external services and information on the best way to communicate with the school and the importance of this in the support of your child's positive reintegration.  

Should you require further information about this and how school support pupils and their families with emotionally based school avoidance please contact sian.ford@larwood.herts.sch.uk or 01438 236 333. 

We will be offering a parent session on this subject early in the new year. 

Sian Ford
Mental Health Lead and Designated Senior Person for Child Protection

Larwood School

01438 236333 - Main School Number
sian.ford@Larwood.herts.sch.uk

Please see the website and Facebook link to Hertfordshire SEND local offer. 

The Facebook page offers excellent links and information to SEND support within Hertfordshire and is something we would promote for you to sign up to if you have access to Facebook. 

https://en-gb.facebook.com/HertfordshireSENDLocalOffer/

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/local-offer/the-hertfordshire-local-offer.aspx

Sian Ford
Mental Health Lead and Designated Senior Person for Child Protection

Larwood School
01438 236333 - Main School Number

Sian.Ford@Larwood.herts.sch.uk

.

We pay tribute to her unwavering commitment to the people she served so faithfully for so many years.

On behalf of the Larwood School community, we would like to express our sincerest condolences to the Royal Family.

Or, ….. Children, you can ask your parents!

‘’ The Times, They Are a Changin!" written by Bob Dylan and seems to sum up where my thinking is at the moment. So much has been thrown our way in the last few months that it almost seemed like there was new daily challenge to deal with alongside the existing ones. Yet, we certainly seem to be heading into a much more positive phase. So to keep the music references going, as Ian Dury once wrote - ‘reasons to be cheerful’:

1. Our pupils (your sons and daughters) have been brilliant! So many of them have adapted and tried their best in very strange and tricky times. Hence the ‘Superstar’ nominations and letters selected by class teams this week.
2. We have rapidly, and unbelievably created a new platform to learn-by using Teams and online. Although this has generated many questions, debates, headaches, and additional work, it is something that we can and will use no matter where the future takes us.
3. Many of you have opted to keep as safe as possible with your children at home. A tough but understandable choice and you have coped with this really well.
4. It’s February and one of the coldest times of the year. It can only get warmer and the daylight hours will extend day by day. This will help learning at school but also increased options for you as families for the evenings/weekends.
5. Additional steps are slowly but surely being taken to help staff stay safe at school. The vaccine should be given to staff by the end of the half term. With a period of roughly three weeks for immunity to build up (pending any Scientific news related to mutations), we will be in a much better place to have all children back during the second half of the Spring Term. Please remember we are making some changes from March 1^st, as long as the virus infection/death rates continue to reduce, as they have been.

Sometimes it is really difficult to see the glimmers of hope and change on the horizon. They’re heading our way. We will still need to be patient and behave in appropriate ways that support the continued efforts to reduce infection. There is no way of promising an Ed Sheeran ‘Perfect’ future. However, it looks fairly certain to be much better in the coming weeks and months when compared to most of the last twelve months!

PLEASE NOTE:
that as per all communications up until now, we return on:
Monday 22nd February at the same time (10.00AM) and with the same pupils.
We will notify you of any changes ready for the week starting Monday 1st March.

Thank you for your continued support!

S D Trimble
Executive Headteacher

Larwood Academy Trust

This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education where national or local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home.

Apologies, but I just couldn’t help myself! After such an unusual year, seeing Santa walking backwards wouldn’t even cause the raising of an eyebrow for most people! However, as we approach the holiday season, I think it’s crucial that at this time of year we start to look forward, reflect on the last twelve months and enjoy time with those that are close to us.

At the time of writing the morning news has all been about the very first injection to prevent infection from COVID-19. A hopeful day for us all! I am limiting any COVID-19 references, and the focus here is not about COVID-19, but about our amazing staff. When anyone faces a huge challenge and rapid change it can cause many reactions and emotions. Fear, anxiety, the self-doubt that comes from ‘what if…,’ determination, team spirit and selflessness that come from ‘how can I help’ have been considered by many of our staff during the last year. I have never met such a determined group of people, who when faced with an onslaught of frightening and sometimes misleading messages, both from the media and government, were determined to do one thing. That being, to support your sons/daughters as best they can. Initial lock down experiences really rammed home the fact that not everybody can or wants to be a teacher or Learning Support Assistant. Our staff remained dedicated, full of determination and drive to continue learning and supporting our pupils as best they could. I thank each and every one of them for the way they have conducted themselves during this time.

As we move towards 2021, and just like any other year, your children continue to amaze us all. They have experienced such a challenging year. I will never be able to get over the fact that they have had to get used to increased hand washing, social distancing and staff wearing masks. This, of course is on top of the all of the other issues that many face in ‘normal’ times. Yet they have coped superbly and they continue to surprise us, challenge us, make us laugh and smile and remind us about how bright the future is. Their adaptation, alongside the staff has been nothing but miraculous and I am proud of each and every one of them.

Finally, we all know that Christmas will be a bit different this year. However, our staff have again risen to the challenge to ensure that all of our pupils (and their siblings where relevant) will be opening up presents on the big day, as they should be. My thanks are extended to Mrs Osobu for her idea of a Toy Drive and the support from many staff to make that happen. Mrs Ford managed to use some of her network to secure donations and many staff also made contributions. This is amazing and it just highlights what an amazing place this is!

Special thanks go to:
Kenny Arnold (People for People)
Sara Lawrence (AD Bly construction)
Rachel (Tesco Community Champion)                                                                                                          Michelle (Food/ Toy Shed) Executive Headteacher
Laura Burrage (Butterfly Room)

On behalf of all at Larwood Academy Trust, have a wonderful Christmas break!
Please note all pupils should return to school, at the usual time on: Monday 4th January 2021

S D Trimble
Executive Headteacher 

All our classes are producing artwork which will be displayed in the dining hall. Mr Reid has designed the frames to include material that will help dampen the noise in that area. Of course, noise in that area is not an issue right now as all classes have lunch in their classrooms!

As you know the continuing issues around Covid 19, mean that there is a high chance classes will be effected by the virus, testing and self-isolation procedures. Therefore, in line with all other schools across England, we have developed a range of procedures that will be helpful for such situations. We are using Microsoft Teams as our platform for remote learning situations and would ask that you download the free app on your devices/your child’s device just in case of the need to use it. It can be accessed here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/microsoft-teams/download-app

Or

https://teams.microsoft.com/uswe-01/downloads

This will enable us to communicate and teach when the situations lead to some form of self-isolation scenario. This maybe:

• If a member of staff has a family member that may be going through the process of being tested for Covid 19, but is symptom free/well and able to teach
• If a pupil/family member is needing to get tested but is well enough to learn from home
• If there is a positive test result from a staff member or pupil in a class bubble, but some pupils are well enough to engage with learning.

Please note that none of the above applies when someone is unwell and has the symptoms of Coronavirus. If a pupil is unwell then all efforts should be on getting better and following appropriate medical advice.

Despite all the complications, we have had a great start to the year. That has only been possible
with your support and help. Thank you and I hope you have a restful half term break.

Please note all pupils should return to school, at the usual time on Monday 2^nd November.                                   

Sean Trimble
Executive Headteacher