Please watch our Core Value Song for October. The song was performed by the children in their separate bubbles at different times.
Thank you to our class 4 teacher, Miss Hewson, who wrote the song especially for our school, and to her father, Keith Hewson, who arranged the music.

Please click on the following link

TikTok Parent Fact Sheet

reopening September 2020

September Reopening

We have followed the Government Guidance in accordance with our individual school needs to devise this plan and hope that parents will support the changes we have made to ensure everyone’s health and safety.

Please feel free to read the whole (14 page) document, when you have time. This will also be available, for future reference, on our school website. However, for the time being here are our top ten main points for you:

1. School will reopen to:

* Years 5 and 6 on Wednesday 2nd September.

* Year 1 and 2 on Thursday 3rd September (and Y5 and 6)

* Years 3 and 4 Friday 4th September (and Years 1,2,5 and 6)

2. Nursery will start on Monday 7th September, mornings only, extending to full days from 14th September.

3. Reception will start Monday 14th September, mornings only until Friday 18th September, with 1:1 meet the teacher meetings throughout the week of 7th September.

4. We will have three wider bubbles of children to allow sensible movement around school, safe use of amenities such as PE equipment and toilets, use of dinner hall and playground and to allow staff to move between classes when needed. These bubbles are:

Bubble 1: Nursery, Reception and Year 1

Bubble 2: Years 2,3 and 4

Bubble 3: Years 5 and 6

5. We will be introducing staggered start and finish times for all children so that there isn’t a large group of parents at school at one time. See guidance for times (section 4.8)

6. Children will be expected to wear uniform.

7. Breakfast club will be open from Monday 7th September but only to working families and those with Social and family workers. Numbers are limited.

8. After school child care will start from September 14th September but only for working families and those with social and family workers. Numbers are limited.

9. Attendance procedures will resume and all children are expected to attend every day.

10. Dinners will be served from 2/9/20 as usual. Pupils who have free school meals and are not in school on Wednesday 2nd or Thursday 3rd, due to the staggered start, can order a packed lunch to be collected from school.

For more detailed information please read the document. I will post bitesize information for you on the run up to reopening in September and will post a video to show you where you will drop off and pick up your children, nearer the time, so that it is absolutely clear for you all.

Full document attached for September opening

A lot of you have been learning new skills during lock-down. This included learning how to ride a bike. You sent us some great clips and photos of you either learning to ride a bike, or showing us how you already enjoy riding your bike. See if you can spot yourself in the video.

Earlier in the year, we held our annual whole school dance assembly for parents. Each class chose a country and created a dance to some music from that area of the world. As always, our talented children entertained us with a variety of styles of dance and parents played a game to guess which country the music came from.

We had a fantastic day at Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle. In class we have been learning about the Stone Age. During the trip we looked at different artifacts, fossils and models from this age. We learnt about how bronze was found and made and even held a 10,000 year old axe! On the afternoon we made our own pottery pots from clay in the style of the Stone Age. It was amazing!

Sports day at our school, is always a big event. Parents, carers and family members come in their droves to encourage the children, from the little rising 3’s in Nursery, up to the Year 6 pupils.

Children ran in races against pupils in their class and everyone tried their very best in each race.

The overall winning team this year was Auckland, who were wearing green. Well done to everyone who took part.

At St. Andrew’s Primary School, we like to reward pupils for good behaviour and attendance. This year, our Summer term treat was a trip to the beach at Seaton Carew.

The children had a fantastic time, playing in the sand, splashing in the sea and eating ice-creams.

Staff say their behaviour was excellent, especially on the bus, where they had to sit for three hours in traffic! The bus drivers said the children were a credit to our school!