It isn’t raining! It has been another busy week and we continue to thank you all for all of the work and pictures that you continue to send into the teachers so regularly. It is so appreciated. 

We had a lovely long morning this morning with all but a few Year 3 pupils, who, if they are not in one of our Educare bubbles, came back to see their friends, their teachers and the outside of the school for a day before the Summer Holiday. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves completing some art work, telling each other stories, taking part in a fire pit activity and completing some very high energy (but still socially distanced) races. The teachers were just as excited to see them all and we are REALLY looking forward to seeing the Year 4s to do the same thing next Friday.  

You will have also received a letter from us regarding the teachers next year. Most of you will know who all of the teachers are, but do please take a look at the transition videos that all of the teachers have done when they arrive on the website next week (we will let you know when they are live). We have done this to (hopefully) continue to reassure you as parents and carers that we cannot wait to see all of the pupils back in school in September and that we are ready! Now that the teachers know where they will be based, they will be thinking carefully about the logistics of the classrooms and how best to ensure that everyone is safe, but also has an exciting and welcoming space to learn. 
You may have read the Government guidance for Parents and Carers regarding the proposed return to school in September, but if you have not, the idea is for ALL pupils to come back from the very beginning of next term, full time. I will be writing to you next week to confirm our plans as best we can, given that the outlook may change before September, but please be reassured that we WILL be asking all pupils to return to school on Monday 7 September (it is slightly different for new into Reception Children as we need to meet parents first). We hope too to be able to provide BridgeKids wraparound care, both before and after school, for working parents who need it. 
 
Two rather exciting Wadebridge based things: There is still time for you to design a cover for the ’Concern Wadebridge’ Rainbow Book, or to submit drawings, paintings, poetry or writing. We have been asked to submit everything by the end of the day on the 14 July. We have also heard about a very exciting whole community ‘Drive in Church Service’ for all of Wadebridge and the surrounding area on Sunday 19 July. The organisers have asked if they can play the ‘Happy Video’ during this service. I am hoping that as anyone who submitted a video snippet gave permission at the time for it to be on both our website and Facebook that you are happy for it to be broadcast during the service, but do let me know if this is not the case. I look forward to hopefully seeing lots of you there!

One other exciting thing has happened this week; a group of six Year 6 pupils were brave enough to record interviews for BBC Radio Cornwall, talking about their transition from Primary to Secondary school. They sounded WONDERFUL this morning. If you would like to have a listen (and it IS worth it as they sound so grown up!) please go to the BBC Sounds App and download or stream the Breakfast Show from this morning, Friday 10 July, and listen to the segment that starts at about 8.22am (just after the weather, coincidentally). We are genuinely welling up at the thought of them all leaving as they have had to forego SO much that the Year 6s normally do and we are so VERY proud of how they have coped, both with the situation that we are in and with their almost entirely virtual transition so far.  

Another reminder that the very last day of this term will be Tuesday 21 July at the end of the school day (normal times, not early). We have another very busy transition week next week and we look forward to seeing Year Rs, 1s and 2s at the various points. Phew!

I hope that you have a lovely weekend, and that you can enjoy the sunshine.
Ms Whitlock

Dear Parents and Carers,

Who would have thought than when I wrote my last blog that just a couple of hours later we would be crowned GOLD MEDAL WINNERS of the first Cornwall Virtual Games??
I cannot tell you how pleased and how proud I was to read that we had won against every other primary school in the Duchy.  The best thing about it was that, as well as every teacher and pupil in school taking part, hundreds of entries came in from home as well. This really did make the difference and we are so, so pleased that so many of you sent in entries. Thank you very much.  

We welcomed back lots of additional Nursery children this week, and many Year 5s. Almost the entire year group in fact, which was very exciting…and lovely to see! The Nursery children came in with big smiles and bright enthusiasm, as did the new Year 5s, and those Year 5s who were already in school were delighted to see their friends.

We are very aware that some children have not yet been back to school though, and as I have mentioned before, we have worked really hard to try and see as many of you as we can before the 21 July. To this end, we have already invited the Year 2 pupils in after school on two days (outside only) to meet their new teachers and spend some socially distanced time with each other. We will very shortly be inviting in all of the Year 3s and Year 4s for a socially distanced morning of activities with their current teachers (Year 3 on one day, and Year 4 on another). They will also be meeting their new teachers and having a ‘very spread out’ picnic together. Year 6 are also planning an activity day on the last Monday of Term, where all Year 6s who have not yet come in, can come back and see their friends and teachers before the Summer Holiday.   

We also sent an email home yesterday to all parents explaining a really exciting project that is happening in Wadebridge. The email explains it all in better detail but, in a nutshell, ‘Concern Wadebridge’ are making a book about the positive side of the last few months in lockdown and want to hear from us about all of the lovely things that we might have drawn, painted, written, photographed, explored and shared with each other during this time. Please do not worry if you do not feel that you have anything that you want to contribute, as we completely understand that, for some people, this has been an incredibly challenging time. 

We sent an email this morning about BridgeKids not being open over the Summer Holiday. We are very sorry about this, but it is just not logistically possible. We have exhausted every single option. However, as we have been lucky enough to have received some guidance from the Government yesterday on the National Plan for opening up the school to ALL pupils from September, we are hoping to be able to offer a more wraparound care provision from that point. We will be in touch as soon as we know what this might look like.

Whilst we are thinking about the holiday, which is approaching far faster than we would like, please do remember that we now close our doors for the Summer on Tuesday 21 July at the end of the school day (normal times, not early). 
We open again to pupils on Monday 7 September 2020.  All staff are in school on Thursday 3 September and Friday 4 September in order to get the school ready for our planned September return to all pupils, but please do not come to school until Monday 7 September.

Despite the suddenly inclement weather (is it just me, or is this Friday thing?), I hope that you have a fantastic weekend and look forward to seeing lots of you next week. 

Ms Whitlock
PS GOLD MEDAL WINNERS! Whoop!

This has been the most entertaining week! I have loved seeing so many Cornwall Virtual Games pictures and videos on the school Facebook page – from teachers in school to all pupils and families outside of school – and it is clear that we have, as a school, done so much! I heard from Mr O’Dwyer just before the end of the day today that we had even won some medals for some of the events – wow! Good work to you all!  A full round up will be sent next week when all of the results are in. There will also be a collage of pictures from the week that will be on the website too – keep your eyes peeled as you may see some familiar faces (or not, depending if they are in costume…!).
I have to say, my favourite moment was when I saw Mrs Berridge this morning in a reindeer outfit. I won’t lie; it was a tad snug, the legs were mid-calf and the head didn’t *really* fit on Mrs Berridge’s Head, but, she did inform me that it was actually a costume for a 6 year old (!!), so the very fact that she could get it on, I thought, deserved recognition. Go, Mrs Berridge! The many other staff members that went the extra mile today were also fantastic to see and reminded me again of how lucky we are to have such a wonderful staff.
If you are not in school, remember; your teachers still want to hear from you, as whilst all that can be are in school now and teaching in a bubble, they are devoted to their pre-covid classes and are so keen to keep in touch.  
You will have read from Mr Massey’s letter of yesterday that some Bridge schools are hoping to welcome back the Year 5 pupils on a part-time basis. We are hoping to be one of those schools and all year 5 parents have been contacted to ask for their thoughts on this. This makes us even tighter for space and staff, so we now know that we will not be able to welcome back any of Years 2, 3 and 4 who are not already in for any great length of time this term. However, we are still working on the possibility of some face to face time with those year groups before the end of term, which you will have read is now Tuesday 21 July.
As soon as we can let you know, we will, but in the meantime, please do get in touch with any questions, queries, worries or thoughts on the home learning, the contact that we are having with you, or the new school year, as we will be more than happy to help.   
We hope that you have a lovely weekend,
Ms Whitlock

Many of us are online a lot more at the moment, and while there are many benefits to this method of communication, there are also cautions too. 

Please visit our online safety resources page for tips using various games/platforms.

Happy Friday! We made it…
Today we have 76 children in school – all ensconced in Bubbles of 15 or fewer pupils and all taught by 2 adults.  We have been incredibly impressed by the behaviour and attitude of all pupils this week; both those whom have been a part of our Educare provision since before Half Term and who have come back and those pupils who came back for the first time since March this week. Pupil levels of respect for themselves, their peers and their teachers has been really heart-warming and reassuring and I know that I speak for every member of staff when I say that we have had a lovely week.
We are very much looking forward to welcoming back a good number of Year 1 pupils on Monday. We can assure you that the same levels of planning have taken place and exactly the same rules that are in place for Year 6s and the Educare bubbles, are in place for Year 1. We have never used so much soap, but given the very carefully completed cleaning logs for each Bubble, this is not a surprise. My current favourite is the strawberry scented anti-bacterial soap that they are using in Educare Bubble 2; it’s lovely! 

Next week we are moving on to planning the possible and hopeful return of those Reception pupils who would like to come back to school perhaps during the week of 15 June; thank you very much to all those parents who have let us know if you hope for your child to return (or not).

We hope that you have managed to read the letter sent to all parents and carers yesterday from Mr Massey stating not only that Year 1s were definitely going to be welcomed back but also that the school is closing after lunch on Friday afternoons from next Friday 12th June for a weekly deep clean. An email will go home to every parent or carer who has a child in school next week at the beginning of next week stating the pick-up time as they are, of course, not all the same. At the moment, we are sorry, but we are unable to look after ANY child on a Friday afternoon.

We hope that you are continuing to enjoy the Home Learning (apologies if ‘enjoy’ is too strong a word) and please do keep sending us in all of your wonderful work, pictures and photos. Most teachers are now back in school and teaching in a Bubble however, so please be aware that whilst your child’s Class Teachers are trying to contact you all regularly, it could be that a different teacher tries to get in touch with you. Class teachers will of course still respond to any emails and will be delighted to hear from you, but it may not be quite as rapid as it was before Half Term.

We have a fabulous new Reading Scheme to tell you about. Mrs Towe, our wonderful English lead says the following: 
We are very happy to announce the launch of free access to e-books and audio books from Cornwall Library Service and Education Library Service from Friday, 5th June for the Summer Challenge 2020. With the disruption caused by COVID-19 and the impact of social distancing on schools and public libraries, the 2020 Challenge will launch as a digital activity to keep children reading over the summer and support parents and carers with children already at home. The Challenge will run from June to September, launching on Friday 5 June 2020.The digital Challenge will be free to access, featuring games, quizzes and digital and downloadable activities to incentivise and encourage children and their families to take part in reading related activities at home.
Cornwall Library buildings are currently closed and, although they are looking at ways to safely reopen, library borrowing will not return to normal in the near future. So - to help give children free access to reading material, Cornwall Library Service in association with the Education Library Service would like to offer all primary school children a digital library card. This will enable them to access an exclusive junior version of Borrowbox, Cornwall Libraries e-book and e-audiobook platform which contains thousands of titles to read or listen-to including many of the newest bestsellers. The platform can also be accessed through school technology if students do not have devices at home. This digital card can, if desired, be upgraded to a full library card when our libraries re-open again – just visit your local branch. Cornwall Library Service have provided each child in the school with an electronic library card number. This will allow them free access to the e-books and e-audiobooks through the Borrowbox library app. There are no overdue charges, no loan charges, it is completely free! If your child already has a Cornwall Library Card, they can of course use this. However, you may prefer to use this new membership number when using Borrowbox as it will only contain children’s books.
You will soon receive a letter from the school with details of your child’s personal library card number and they can then start reading straight away!

Thank you so much for all of your support and understanding at this time. You all continue to be brilliant and we really appreciate it. THANK YOU.
Take good care and I hope that you have a wonderful weekend.
Ms Whitlock

Happy Friday!
I hope that you are all managing to read all of the documents that we are sending through and are enjoying your children’s reports.
I was really quite emotional when reading them through as there is SO much talent here at WPA and we miss you all so much. When it is safe and we are able, we cannot wait to see you again.
I especially felt for the Year 6 Pupils, who have of course not been able to take their SATs that they worked SO hard for, or go to London or stay here in school and enjoy all of the wonderful activities that were planned, and whose last half term ever at Primary School, whilst possible, is not yet certain. We will know by next Thursday evening (28 May) and we will write to you to either confirm the already set plans (to come back on Tuesday 2nd June for those that can or need to) or to let you know what the new plan is, dependent on the government announcement.
As per my blog earlier this week, please remember that we are not open over Half Term OR Monday 1st June.
Please note too that whilst we have loved being in touch with you all, I have specifically asked teachers to have a break from school over the Half Term. This means that if you write them an email after school end time today, they are most likely to not reply until we get to school on Monday 1st June.
A reminder too that there will be NO WORK SET over the Half Term or on Monday 1st June. Please have a break if you can.   Paper work packs for those who have asked for them will be ready for collection on Monday 1st June (usual place) and all home learning tasks will be on the class pages on the website from Tuesday 2nd June in the morning. 
Whatever the government announcement is at the end of next week, the school WILL BE OPEN TO CHILDREN OF KEY WORKER PARENTS AND VULNERABLE PUPILS from Tuesday 2nd June.
Thank you very much to all who have managed to read the letter that was sent out yesterday; please remember that you are most welcome to contact your child’s teacher/s or me if you have any questions.

PARKING IN SCHOOL
I wrote in my letter yesterday to please use the car park at the Comp rather than park on site if you were wanting to drop your child at the gates in person. There is no parking available at school from 2nd June. If you do need to park at the Comp, please use ONLY the car park nearest to the school on the right-hand side as you drive down the road towards us; all other parking will be needed at the Comp I am afraid.  Thank you. You are of course still welcome to walk to school, cycle to school (cycles will be stored during the day in the normal place) or use the drop off lane outside the Nursery area at school.

PICK UP and DROP OFF if you are coming back to school
Please, please adhere to the timings for your ‘bubble’ that we will send out to you in advance of 2nd June (vulnerable and key worker children to be dropped off and picked up as of now).  Whilst we will have signs in place and we have done everything we can to safeguard you all in terms of social distancing on school grounds but not inside the buildings, this will only work if we all follow what is asked of us. One parent only to accompany a child at any time please. ?

I will be in touch after the government announcement at the end of next week and then again very soon after we return on Monday 1st June with more details for Year 1s and beyond.
Thank you so much for all of your support and understanding at this time – it is such an unknown but you have all been brilliant and we really appreciate it. THANK YOU.

Take good care and I hope that you have a wonderful long weekend and Half Term week.
Ms Whitlock