Latest News

• Hub arrangements for Monday 29 June onwards

  Fri 26 Jun 2020

   

  Dear Parents

  Please read the letter (in Parents >letters) which informs you how the hub will run from next Monday. The start time is 8.30am and we would like the children to arrive by 8.45am as the children attending class sessions will be arriving at 9am and we would like to keep you separate from them please.

  The main change to the arrival and collection is that no parents will now be allowed on site. As a result hub parents will need to telephone the hub to inform them they have arrived with or to collect their children. The number for this purpose is a specially dedicated line 07385 674381.

  Lunch and snacks will need to be provided and a bottle with their name on for water please.

  We have prepared a little video for you to see what the hub will look like for your children when they arrive. https://lakeside-primary-school-cardiff.primarysite.media/media/hub-information-video

  We are looking forward to seeing you all on Monday!

   

   

• Information for the return to school from Monday 29 June

  Fri 26 Jun 2020

   

  Dear Parents / Carers,

  We are looking forward to seeing you all next week in your allocated sessions. The school is looking a bit different to when we finished back in March, so we have made a video for you to share with your children for them to see the changes.

  https://lakeside-primary-school-cardiff.primarysite.media/media/welcome-back-to-school

  Please adhere to the times you have been given. Drop off and pick up will be at the blue gates; the council have closed the road outside the school to make it safer for families to drop off and collect their children (map can be found in parents>useful information)  If there have been any problems or particular worries during the session, please be assured that the teacher will contact you during the afternoon, as there won’t be an opportunity for face to face contact with the teachers.

  Have a lovely weekend, looking forward to seeing you next week!

  Rachel Mitchell

  Headteacher

• Information for returning to school next week

  Thu 25 Jun 2020

   

  You will already have received an email giving you the times which you are bringing the children into school next week. Please stick to the set times to aid everyone in keeping the social distance and pods running smoothly.

  A Parent Restart handbook and details of the temporary road closures to assist with safe social distancing can be found in the parents letters section of this website.

  Staff have been very busy setting the school up and are really excited about seeing your children next week.

  Best Wishes

  R Mitchell

   

• Return to school - a further update

  Mon 22 Jun 2020

   

  Dear Parents and Carers

  It’s been another busy day at Lakeside getting the school ready for the children’s return next week. Staff continue the huge task of cleaning and marking out each classroom to make sure there is a safe distance between each desk.

  Children will be using different doors to the usual ones, so Mr Carey has been painting different coloured lines on the pathways for the children to follow to their classrooms.

  Meanwhile, the keyworker hub is still operating, and teachers are still uploading learning and activities for the children each day and supporting them through Google classrooms and on Hwb.

  You have probably heard that Cardiff Council has decided that schools will not be open for the final week of July. This means that the summer term will finish as originally planned on Friday 17 July.

  While that means that we have had to make a change to our plans, we are determined that every child from Reception to Year 6 will have three opportunities to attend school this term. Children will therefore come in for one morning during each of the three weeks.

  We will write to you individually this week with details of your child’s specific day and start / finish times. This will then be the same for each of the three weeks.

  Thank you to those parents who responded to the online survey to confirm whether their child(ren) will be attending school this term. This information is being used to make sure that siblings can attend on the same day and that only a safe number of children are in school at any one time.

  If you did not respond to the survey but want your child to come back to school this term, you need to email us urgently or your child will not be able to return next week. Please email lakesideprimary@cardiff.gov.uk.

  We will be in touch again tomorrow with details but, as always, feel free to drop me a line if you have any immediate questions.

  Stay safe and well.

  Mrs Mitchell
  Headteacher
  rmitchell@cardiff.gov.uk

• School reopening 29 June 2020

  Wed 17 Jun 2020

   

  Dear Parents / Carers

  I am pleased to say that, having completed an exhaustive health and safety review and working within guidelines produced by the Welsh Government and Cardiff Council, we are now in a position to outline how more children will be welcomed back to Lakeside Primary School after 29 June.

   

  Firstly, these are the key principles that have guided our planning:

   

  • School must be safe for everyone;
  • We must strictly limit the number of staff and pupils on site at any one time to comply with social distancing laws;
  • We will have the correct range and number of staff to look after children to maintain social distancing and effective hygiene practices;
  • The Hub will continue to look after children of Key Workers;
  • Home learning will continue for all children throughout, with staff available in Google Classroom during the afternoons.

   

  How will it work?

   

  • Children will have the opportunity to attend school for three morning sessions over the four weeks, 29 June – 25 July. Sessions will be between 9.00-9.30 and 12-12.30, with staggered start and finish times to allow for social distancing at the gate and while children walk to their classroom. You will be told which three sessions your child(ren) can attend.
  • Parents will not be allowed on site. You will drop off and collect your children at the blue gates at the main entrance on Ontario Way, where staff will collect them and take them to class.
  • The road outside the school will be closed to vehicles during drop off and pick up, to give parents the necessary room to be socially distanced.
  • We have divided the children alphabetically into small groups so that siblings and families attend on the same day. You will be told which three sessions your child(ren) can attend.

  • Children will be with other members of their year group in small groups of around 7-8. Children will not be allowed to mix with other children or groups.
  • Each child will have their own desk and will be provided with their own set of equipment to be

  stored in school.

  • There will be no catering or snacks provided in school. Children must bring in their own water bottle and a snack.
  • Pupils will NOT need to wear school uniform during these four weeks – we are mindful that pupils are likely to have outgrown their uniform.

   

  From all of the conversations we’ve had over the last three months, we know how much the children are missing coming to school, seeing their friends and teachers and everyone’s desire to ‘return to normal’. We know how difficult it continues to be for parents and carers trying to balance home working and home learning.

   

  We also understand that there will be parents, carers and staff who have concerns about the children returning to school. This is a big step for us all and we appreciate that families will view this latest development in different ways.

   

  The decision whether to send your child back to school this term is yours to make but we need you to tell us what you have decided. To let us know your decision, please click on the link below, which will direct you to a simple form. You need to do this no later than 2pm on Friday 20 June.

  Your response this week will inform our planning until the end of term. Please be assured that there will be no penalty or fines if you keep your child at home, and that we will continue to support them with the same home learning resources as their classmates.

   

  If you do not reply, we will have to assume that your child will NOT be attending school for the remainder of the summer term.

   

  Click here to complete the questionnaire

  Please complete one survey per child

   

  I will be in touch again early next week with details of your child’s allocated mornings (which will be on the same weekday each time). If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

  Best wishes and stay safe,

  Rachel Mitchell

  Timetable of Surnames and days

  	Monday	Tuesday	Thursday	Friday
  Week 29-6-2020	Surname A - B	Surname E - H	Surname M - N	Surname S
  Week 6-7-2020	Surname C - D	Surname I - L	Surname O - R	Surname T - Z
  Week 13-7-2020	Surname A - D	Surname E - L	Surname M - R	Surname S - Z
  Week 20-7-2020	Surname A - D	Surname E - L	Surname M - R	Surname S - Z

• Message from Headteacher

  Fri 12 Jun 2020

   

  Dear Parents / Carers,

   

  I hope this finds you all safe and well. I want to extend my thanks again to you for your continued support and patience as we continue to navigate through these difficult and unusual times.

   

  School return

  Following the Education Minister’s announcement last week, please be assured that a significant amount of planning and preparation is being undertaken by the Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body, to give all pupils the opportunity to have some sessions in school to ‘check in, catch up and prepare’ before the school closes for the summer . This week we have received detailed Welsh Government official guidance and Local Authority guidance on how schools in Cardiff should approach this. Children and staff’s health, safety and well-being remains at the heart of the school restart program.

   

  School has to undertake detailed and robust risk assessment in readiness for schools to return as education facilities. The initial phase for this will involve staff returning to the school building over the next two weeks to arrange classroom spaces in preparation for children and in accordance with the latest Health and Safety advice.

   

  As soon as I have a detailed plan which meets these very robust requirements and fits with the ethos of Lakeside, I will communicate this to you and ask whether or not you will be taking up your child’s place. I am hopeful that this will be next week and again, thank you for your patience with this. I feel strongly that you need to see the plan before you decide if you would like to take up a place.

   

  Hub school

  Staff are also still running the key worker hub here in school. If you feel you qualify for a place, please complete the county application form and they will consider your position and allocate you a space appropriately. The Hub school will continue to run here at Lakeside until Friday 24th July. Lakeside staff will continue to look after your children at the Hub during this time.

   

  Home learning

  Home learning will still remain a big part of your child’s learning over the summer term. Staff are working hard at setting activities that children can complete independently and we really appreciate all the help and support you have given your children during this time. I hope you found the detailed guides on the class pages helpful.

   

  Please be aware that as staff are planning and preparing the physical environment, they may not be quite as readily available as usual in the Google Classroom, over the next 2 weeks; I’m sure you will appreciate this.

   

  Sending you a virtual hug

  We miss you all very much, and we are looking forward to seeing you again soon, In the meantime, a huge hug from each and every one of us has been sent virtually! Please check out the Lakeside Facebook and Twitter feeds to see the latest staff video.

   

  Until then, please continue to take good care of yourselves and each other.

   

  Best wishes,

   

  Rachel Mitchell

• Coronavirus Update

  Wed 03 Jun 2020

  Dear Parents / Carers,

  Firstly, I hope you are all well and enjoying a more refreshing weather cycle!

  You are probably aware that Kirsty Williams, Education Minister, has made an announcement today regarding the opening of schools in Wales, from Monday 29th June.

  The minister used the words, ‘check in, catch up and prepare’ for summer and September school. She has asked us to work closely with our local authority to see what this looks like in practice. Once the Welsh Government guidance has been published and the situation is clearer, we will be in touch with more details.

  I have included a link to the briefing below for you to read.

  Please be reassured that we will continue to prioritise health and safety and the wellbeing of our staff, children and families in any plans we make. Please be confident that we will be using our experience as a Hub school over the past few months to make Lakeside a safe environment.

  Best wishes and stay safe,

  Rachel Mitchell

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52895374