Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• FSM vouchers update

  Wed 29 Apr 2020

  Some of you may have experienced some slow running of the administrator online ordering website and the eCode redemption website on 27th/28th April due to an identified issue with the system.   This also means that many people were experiencing ‘Invalid eCode’ error messages on the eCode redemption website.   We’d like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and reassure you that our teams have worked hard to deploy a solution which has now rectified the problem.   Anyone trying to redeem an eCode received on 27th and 28th April and receiving error messages can now try again. For persistent eCode errors, please refer to the troubleshooting guidance below.     Advice for those experiencing eCode redemption errors   If the problem persists:   If you ordered bulk eCodes using the self-distribution method: If you entered an activation date for a date in the future, the eCode will not work until on or after that date. Please check the eCode entered matches the original bulk eCodes download file. Sometimes when copying and pasting eCodes from the .csv elsewhere it can change the format of the number and drop leading zeros. eCodes will always be 16-digits long.   For Edenred distributed eCodes: You may have entered the incorrect eCode. Please try to enter your eCode again. If your code is still not accepted, please delete the browsing history on your device - as your device may be storing the incorrect code in its memory. If you are still experiencing problems, please use the contact details below for further support: For parents/carers: freeschoolmealsparentscarers@edenred.com For school administrators: freeschoolmeals@edenred.com     Kind regards,   Edenred UK

• Online Government training opportunities

  Tue 28 Apr 2020

  Online learning platform to boost workplace skills launched

  Free courses are available through the new online platform, the Skills Toolkit. This platform signposts to free, high-quality digital and numeracy courses to help people build up their skills, progress in work and boost their job prospects and confidence whilst at home.

  Courses on offer cover a range of levels, from everyday maths and the use of email and social media at work to more advanced training. All courses are available online and are flexible so that people can work through them at their own pace.

  The Skills Toolkit can be accessed here:

  https://theskillstoolkit.campaign.gov.uk/

• Online family learning courses

  Mon 27 Apr 2020

  South Glos Community Learning are currently unable to deliver face-to-face courses/workshops, we are excited to announce that we have now developed new Online courses ready to start from next week!  Students just need access to a computer and the internet – support can be offered with any technical queries/issues. 

   

  Online course offer starting April/May 2020 – courses include Computing & Digital Skills, English, Family Learning, Health & Wellbeing, Maths and Work skills.

  
   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  	Health and Wellbeing
  Course Title	Day, times and dates (first & last)	Devt Worker Contact	No weeks
  Transition, Coping with Change	Mons, 1.30 – 2.30pm Starts 27th April	AB	4
  Intro to Mindfulness	Thurs, 10 – 1 pm  Starts 7th May	ML	8
  Be your own Life Coach	Weds, 10 – 12pm Starts 29th April	AB	8
  Arts and Crafts for Wellbeing	Mons, 1.30 – 3.30pm  Starts 11th May	AB	6
  Building Confidence and Resilience	Wed, 10 – 12pm Starts 6th May	SJ	5
  Creative Writing for Wellbeing	Thurs, 1pm – 3pm  Starts 7th May	ML	6
  	Maths
  Course Title	Day, times and dates (first & last)	Devt Worker Contact	No weeks
  Improve your Maths	TBC - please register your interest	SJ	10
  	Work Skills
  Course Title	Day, times and dates (first & last)	Devt Worker Contact	No weeks
  Intro to Blogging as a Business	Fri, 10 – 12pm Starts 22nd May	SJ	3
  Intro to Business Administration	TBC – please register your interest	ML	6

   

  Contact Details Key for Development Workers:

   

  AB – Abi Ball: 07860 181353; or email: abigail.ball@southglos.gov.uk

  CM – Camille Mortimer: 07864 608624; or email: camille.mortimer1@southglos.gov.uk

  ML – Mark Lawrence: 07596 338459; or email: mark.lawrence2@southglos.gov.uk

  SJ – Sam Jones: 07768 293842; or email: samantha.jones1@southglos.gov.uk

  WB – Wendy Barnett: 07845 055276; or email: wendy.barnett@southglos.gov.uk

   

  Main office tel no: 01454 864613; or email: communitylearning@southglos.gov.uk

   

  www.southglos.gov.uk/communitylearning     #sgclearn  www.facebook.com/sgloslearning

  If you are a parent of a primary-school aged child, we have some Family Learning that you can do online with your child/children - have a read below to see what it is all about.

   

   

  What is Online Family Learning about? Have fun learning online with your children - join a weekly 90 minute session with an experienced tutor.  Sessions typically start with time for the parent(s) to learn, followed by time when the children join in and the parent(s) gets to put into practice what they have learned whilst interacting with their children.   Join together with other families using online learning, to help you feel less isolated during lockdown, add structure to your day and continue to support your children as they learn valuable skills.    Course numbers are limited to ensure that families get the most out of these learning opportunities, so book now.

• School Uniform for start of next school year

  Tue 21 Apr 2020

  A message form Initially Yours

  We face a potentially difficult summer with delays or interruptions to normal deliveries of uniform.

  To give us the best chance of supplying all your uniform requirements can we please ask:

  1. Order early
  2. Order online
  3. Make any exchanges/returns      when our shops re-open  

  We don’t yet know how or when the current restrictions will be lifted but until then we will operate our normal full online service Visit www.initiallyyours.co.uk

  Choose your school from the dropdown menu

  Please order as soon as possible

• Government update to parents

  Mon 20 Apr 2020

  Guidance for parents and carers on supporting their children’s education during coronavirus (COVID-19)

  We have published information, guidance and support for parents and carers of children who are learning at home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

  Guidance on helping children aged 2 to 4 learn at home can be found here:

  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-children-aged-2-to-4-to-learn-at-home-during-coronavirus-covid-19

  Guidance on helping primary school aged children learn at home can be found here:

  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-primary-school-children-continue-their-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19

  Guidance on helping children with special educational needs and disabilities learn at home can be found here:

  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-children-with-send-continue-their-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19

  Updated guidance for parents and carers on the closure of educational settings

  The guidance for parents and carers on the closure of educational settings has been updated with additional information on the support available for parents, online educational resources and support for vulnerable children.

  The guidance can be found here:

  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

• Free school meal update

  Tue 14 Apr 2020

  I can only apologise in the delay of the free school meal vouchers. Last Monday I sent in the form to the company that the Government had recommended people to use.  I have chased this up, we were aware that the system was over loaded with the demand from schools. Yesterday I was told that the system is being upgraded and the vouchers will be with families ASAP.  I am so sorry I cannot give a specific date but will let you know more as soon as I do. 

  Mrs Williams

• Free school meal vouchers during school closure

  Tue 07 Apr 2020

  During these challenging times, many families have been concerned about how they will receive the financial support they need to feed their children at home without the free school meal entitlement during the partial closure of schools.

  To help deliver this support, Edenred UK are working with the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver supermarket vouchers to those families, where schools are not able to make food available directly to families.

  You will receive this support;

  • In the form of an eCode that you can redeem online from a selection of supermarket ‘eGift cards’ if the school has a working email address for you, or;
  • If you do not have an email address or access to the internet, your school will print off the voucher, or ‘eGift card’, and post it to your home address, or arrange a collection if easy and safe to do so.

• Easter holiday ideas

  Fri 03 Apr 2020

  With the Easter holidays coming up you’re probably on the lookout for some new activities your kids can look forward to. If you’re following the school time table from home, it’s a good idea to set a new routine for the holidays too – having a bit of structure can be really helpful (especially if you're working).

  Children (and parents) will of course be disappointed that days out and holidays are on hold, but we hope these ideas for family days in will give you something to look forward to:

  1. DIY Escape room. If you love escape rooms, why not recreate the experience for your family at home. It’s a great project for parents and older kids to put it together, but it’s worth the effort. Lockpaperscissors has step-by-step instructions for designing your own game.

  2. Form a band. This could be just for the kids, the whole family, or link up with friends using video conferencing. If you don’t own an instrument, try an online version like this virtual piano or improvise with household objects – and don’t forget the all-important band name!

  3. Choreograph a dance. Everyone picks their favourite song and choreographs a routine for an evening performance. If you’re not sure where to start, look up the music video on YouTube or Tic Tok (depending on the song!) for inspiration.

  4. Go camping. If you have a tent and a garden you can venture into the great outdoors for an overnight camp. Do all the things you’d normally do like play swing-ball, cook on your camping stove, and do a bit of stargazing. If you can’t go outside then why not set up camp indoors, go Bedouin style with lots of blankets, cushions and pillows, tell stories, play games and ditch the tech.

  5. Visit a museum. They’re closed for now, but you can still visit many world famous museums on a virtual tour. From the Natural History Museum in London to the Vatican museums in Rome, The Guardian lists 10 of the world’s best virtual tours.

  6. Have a Bake off. Set the challenges, prepare the kitchen and get ready to bake. If you’re finding it difficult getting hold of the essentials, then why not make it a playdoh challenge instead?

  7. Spend an afternoon at the beach. If you have outdoor space, a paddling pool and a sandpit, then chuck down some towels and whisk yourself away to the beach. Make sandcastles, go paddling, read a book and don’t forget to pack a picnic. If you don’t have sand, mud castles are a great messy alternative. For your indoor alternative (which has the bonus of being warmer and staying dry), find a beach screen saver, cook fish and chips (to be eaten out of paper), eat ice cream from a cone and if you have a gaming console, play retro arcade games like Pacman or Space Invaders.

  8. Tackle an obstacle course. Grab chairs, cushions, sheets, hula hoops, planks, bricks etc. and build an obstacle course. Spend a while designing it to include things to climb over, duck under, crawl through and swerve around.

  9. Alphabet hunt. Challenge kids to find an object around the house starting with each letter of the alphabet. They could draw, write or take a photo of the items.

  10. Visit a zoo or aquarium. You can still watch and learn about animals from home via webcams. Meet pandas, penguins, tigers and koalas at Edinburgh Zoo, or venture further afield for coral reef, sharks and sea otters at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California.

  11. Secret cinema. If you’re planning a night in front of a film, why not make it an interactive experience. If you’ve chosen a musical, print out song lyrics. For any other films, prepare any food or drinks that feature in the film, pick a character and dress as them and don’t forget to join in with the action scenes.

  12. You’ve got talent. Hold your own talent show. Link up with family and friends using video conferencing and invite them to audition too. Go all out and channel your inner BGT judge, with fancy dress and buzzers.

  13. Visit a famous landmark. Just like many museums, thanks the miracles of modern technology, you can take an online tour of some of the world’s most famous landmarks. The Guardian features 10 of the best including the pyramids of Giza, the Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge and the Taj Mahal.

  14. Go bowling. Turn a passageway in to a bowling alley. You’ll need 10 empty plastic bottles, some coloured paint and a football. Put some coloured paint in the bottom of each bottle then fill with water – make sure you seal them REALLY well and put some tape around just to be sure. If you’re playing on carpet, make your lane out of old cardboard boxes, it’ll help the ball roll faster and protect from spills! If you don’t know your spares from your strikes, here’s a guide to scoring.

  15. Wildlife watch. Web cams aren’t just for zoos and aquariums, grab some paper and pencils and go bird spotting with the Wildlife Trust, or head to the Californian coast to see elephant seals. Find out facts, identify species, draw pictures or just watch. If you’re up for a challenge, why not head to Loch Ness and see if you can spot Nessie!

  16. Get crafty. Whatever their age, kids never seem to tire of arts and crafts, probably because there are a million and one things they could do. So pick a favourite or try something new – it could be junk modelling, Lego building, watercolour painting, cutting and sticking, painting stones, making slime, potato printing, knitting, sewing, playdoh modelling, papier mache, balloon modelling, window art…

  17. Become an author. We’re not suggesting you try and write the next bestseller, but writing can be a great way for children (and adults) to explore what they’re feeling, or escape to an imaginary world. There are no rules, you could tell a story, make a picture book, create a comic strip, or write a news article. Do it individually or team up and share ideas!

  18. Games night. Kids can learn a lot from games, but it’s the holidays so don’t let on! Pick board games, video games, card games or bingo!

  19. Relax with a Spa day. Who needs Champneys when you’ve got kids at a loose end?! Let them come up with a menu of ‘treatments’ – hairstyling, foot massage, nail polish, head massage etc. – get lots of towels out, use a washing up bowl for a foot spa, and… relax (if you can stop laughing long enough!)

  20. Animal training. Spending time with pets can be really calming and lots of fun. If you have a family pet, see if you can teach it something new, or make a new toy for it. If you don’t, train some teddies or create an imaginary one and describe all the fun things you’ll do together.

  21. Scavenger hunt. Make a list of things for the kids to find around the house. It could be a written list, or you could take photos of the objects. To make it harder, take pictures of part of the object so they have to guess what it is first.

  22. Build a den. Dens can be built indoors or outdoors. Encourage your kids to get creative and use whatever’s available – checking there’s nothing dangerous around first - old boxes, garden furniture, sheets, sofa cushions, clothes pegs etc.

  23. Come dine with me. Depending on the ages of your children, you could do this over several days, or each take a course. Put together your menus, then each take turns to prepare food for and entertain your ‘guests’. After each meal or course write down a score. The scores are added up and revealed after the last meal or course.

  24. Circus skills. Learn a few circus skills then roll the circus into your home. Set up a ring and decide who’ll be ringmaster and introduce your acts. Kinetic circus has some great online tutorials to help you learn to juggle (and make your own balls if you don’t have them), hula hoop and perfect other tricks using things you’ll have at home like playing cards, a coin, a pencil and a rubber.

  25. Go on a garden safari. If you have an outdoor space, encourage your kids to go out and explore then put together a guide book or video guide with information about all the creatures and plants so they can take you on safari. Build a jeep out of cardboard boxes, grab your binoculars (you could make them from loo roll tubes!) and let your imaginations run wild!

   

• School places after the Easter holidays- key worker/EHCP/ vulnerable

  Wed 01 Apr 2020

  After the Easter holidays, Monday 20th April onward, we are planning to operate school as we are now. School is open for key worker children who have no other option but to send their child to school,

  children with an EHCP and

  children with a social worker.

  It is only open 8:45-3:15 and anyone who attends needs to bring their own snacks, drink and lunch.

  If you need a place after the Easter holidays please email

  jo-marie.williams@barleyclose.org.uk by Wednesday 8th April. this is so we ensure we have the right number of staff to support the children. Requests after this date by not be bale to be accommodated.

  Thank you for all support at this time.

• Local food bank support

  Wed 01 Apr 2020