25th April 2018
Dear Parents/Carers,
Firstly can I thank you for your patience and understanding during this frustrating and disruptive time. The decision to close a school is always taken as a last resort and yesterday, due to the fat that we cannot use running water or toilets we literally had no choice. The primary school site will remain closed until Monday. As the week progresses and we gain further information I will keep you updated via the school website.
In the meantime we have been working hard to try to provide as best as we can for yourselves and your children. All year group teams have put a selection of activities linked to current classroom work up onto the school website which will support the children over the remainder of this week.
In addition, the community has pulled together as only Ottery can so we are able to re-open for Years 2, 5 and 6 albeit at different locations.
We will be opening for Year 2 on Thursday and Friday at The Ottery Scout Hut on Winters Lane. The scout hut provides three distinct learning spaces as well as boys and girls toilets and a small kitchen. The two days will be staffed by all the teachers from EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2. We will provide packed lunches for the children and these will consist of either a cheese or Tuna sandwich, a piece of cake, yoghurt and an Aqua drink. The school day will run from 9.00-3.30 as usual.
We will open for Year 5 and Year 6 at The Kings School who have very kindly rearranged their timetables to accommodate our children for the two days. The children will be supported by all the teaching staff from Key Stage 2. The school day will run from 9.20-3.00 in order to avoid the main drop off and pick up rush at Kings and facilitate any of our parents who also need to use the scout hut. We will be taking our breaks and lunches at different times to the rest of the school. Our lunchtime will be 12.10-1.10. We will need all children to bring their own packed lunch for the two days but we will provide lunches for anyone entitled to a free school meal. The menu for this is listed above. Could you drop your children off and collect them from The Kings School coach park which is on Thorne Farm way by Ottery Hospital where they will be met by our staff. Given the different location, we will assume that all children will be collected unless we have a written note from yourselves giving them permission to walk home on their own. Please note, for these two days we would strongly recommend that the children are collected wherever possible.
If your child is in years 2, 5 and 6 and is unable to attend on either of these days, please ensure you notify the school in the usual way, either on the absence line 01404815780 or via email on absence@ottery-primary.devon.sch.uk.
I appreciate that this is not an ideal solution for many of you who have children outside of these year groups but I’m sure you will understand that it is difficult to find solutions for over 400 children at such short notice. We have prioritised Years 2 and 6 in order to support them in their work for the upcoming SATs assessments that they have been working towards all year and Year 5 due to their upcoming Warren Barn trip next week.
I’d like to thank all the staff and children at Kings for their support and also the Scouts who have kindly vacated for us on Friday.
Please keep an eye on the website and your emails for further updates and, one again, thank you for your patience and understanding.
Yours sincerely
Mark Gilronan
Headteacher
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