Dear Parents/Carers

Last week was another successful week. A range of pupils attended in Years 6, 1 FS2 and Nursery. They have all settled in very well into the new school routines and systems. I want to take this opportunity to thank the parents of all the above year groups for supporting us by ensuring that they are dropping off and collecting their child/ren on time and from the designated gates. This has meant that we have been able to fulfill our duty of care and health and safety of all without any issues. 

I wrote to the parents of Years 6, 1, FS2 and Nursery last week to inform them that as the uptake of pupils place has been low I was opening up the offer to our Years 2,3,4,and 5 pupils. However, this means that if your child in Y6, 1, FS2 or Nursery had not attended school yet then they may not have a place this term as I have reallocated resources to open up other year group bubbles. I would appreciate your support and understanding with this.

This week my team will be sending out your child/ren's end of year reports. Like me, I am sure, you will be looking forward to read about your child's success and targets for next year. Your child/ren's report will also include information about who their teacher will be in the next academic year.

As we are only 3 weeks away from the summer term, I would like to also remind you that you can order your child/ren's uniform using our online payment system. If you need any support with that then please ring the main school office, the the admin/pastoral team will be able to support you with placing your orders. 

Yours sincerely, 

Mrs A Maqsood-Shah 

Dear Parents/Carers 

We opened our doors for the first time since lock-down to our Year 6, 1 and Reception children last week. Although the uptake of places has been low, I know that those who attended had a very enjoyable and productive week. I have included some images and videos of this here.... We will be welcoming welcoming our youngest children from Nursery this Monday.  This week I will also be evaluating the overall uptake of places for Y6, 1,Reception and Nursery. This means that if uptake remains low then I will be contacting parents/carers to offer school places for this half term to other year groups. I will be writing to you about this, later this week.

I have been very pleased with the amazing work the staff here at High Hazels Academy have been doing; from planning first class home learning, to keeping in touch calls to families as well as continuing with our offer of food pack distribution to our families. Having said this, I am also very proud of you as parents/carers for the hard work and dedication you continue to demonstrate whilst supporting your child/ren's home learning. We are currently reviewing other ways we can continue to encourage those pupils who remain reluctant to engage with our online home learning offer. Again, I will share our plans for this in my message next week. 

Finally, a message to parents/carers of all pupils currently attending school. As part of our health and safety risk assessment we recognise that pupils will need to change their school uniform at least 3 times a week. This is to ensure the safety of all by limiting the spread of any virus. I appreciate that this could be challenging to facilitate for many families. To this end, I am relaxing the school uniform rule to allow parents/carers to ensure that their child/ren are changing their clothes 3 times a week.

Please do continue to support your child/ren with the home learning offer, which is uploaded weekly onto the website on the home learning resource page.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement.

Mrs A Maqsood-Shah

Dear Parents/Carers 

We are very excited to welcome our Year 6/1/Reception and Nursery children back to school this week! As I have already mentioned in my letter to parents on Friday, we will start the week by welcoming Year 6 pupils on Monday, Year 1 pupils on Wednesday and Reception children on Friday. This will allow staff time to support the pupils to settle into their new groups and spaces. 

I hope that you have taken the time to read all the additional information we sent out on Friday as these will no doubt answer many of your questions and help alleviate any worries or concerns about the wider school opening. However, do please contact school if you have any further queries regarding arrangements for your child/ren. 

It is also important to mention that for all pupils in Year 2/3/4 & 5 we will continue to offer our online Home Learning programme and we will also extend this offer to those pupils of other year groups not attending school. 

Finally, I would like to thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Yours sincerely, 

Mrs Shah

Dear Parents

Following an excellent staff Planning Day on Monday, the school is fully prepared for the return of pupils. Key worker and disadvantaged children are already welcome to attend and we look forward to joining other Sheffield Schools in welcoming Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 on Monday 15th June. 

We will be speaking to all families with pupils in these classes over the next few days to make sure that everyone is ready to return.

I look forward to seeing our pupils back at school. 

Yours sincerely

Mrs A Shah

Dear Parents/Carers

Last week saw many of our families marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan with the celebrations of Eid-UL-Fitr. On behalf of all governors and staff at High Hazels, I would like to wish all those families Eid Mubarak.

As I have already sent today a detailed letter to you explaining our arrangements for this week regarding the wider opening of school, I will keep this message brief. Suffice to say that if you have any questions or require any further clarification, then please do not hesitate to contact us. 

We have once again uploaded our home learning materials for all pupils this week and hope that you will continue supporting and encouraging your child/ren to actively engage with all the learning set for them. 

Finally, I hope that you are all finding some time to enjoy this glorious weather.

Yours sincerely, 

Dear Parents,

As you will know, our intention had been to re-open the school for Nursery, Reception and Year 1 children on Tuesday 2nd June.

We have been working very hard over the past few weeks to ensure that we would be able to manage the safety and well-being of pupils and staff when they return. The school, however, has not been open at all since the Lockdown began.

On Monday, staff will be returning to High Hazels for a planning day. But, given that the school has not been in use for anyone since the Lockdown began, we have decided not to open to pupils on Tuesday. Instead, we will begin by hosting key worker children and vulnerable pupils at High Hazels so that we can all get used to the school being open again and in use. During Lockdown, these children have been offered supervision at our sister academy, Sheffield Springs.

We will review this situation at the end of the week and look forward to welcoming our youngest pupils back very shortly.

I am sorry for any inconvenience this causes parents; particularly those who had planned to return to work next week, assuming that their children would be back at school.

If you are a key worker and would like your child to start attending again at High Hazels - regardless of what year group they are in - do please let me know.

Thank you for your patience and tolerance at this time.

Yours sincerely

Mrs A Maqsood-Shah

Headteacher

Dear Parents/Carers

Since the government’s announcement of the partial school opening for year groups Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, last Sunday, I have been very busy planning for the safe opening of school on the 1st of June. I have also been speaking to many of our stakeholders including staff, governors, local authority and parents. I know that many people are feeling a mix of relief and some anxiety. We are all relieved that, after so many weeks at home, children will be able to return to school and be with their friends and teachers. But likewise, I know that some parent and children will be anxious about returning after such a long time and with the on-going concerns about COVID-19 very much in our minds.

I want to reassure you that the safety, health and wellbeing of everyone in the school is, of course our highest priority. We will therefore be putting in place the full recommendations that the government scientists have made for ‘protective measures’ so that the school can be run safely, hygienically and with appropriate social distancing in place.

I will be sending further correspondence later this week outlining the key measures and arrangements planned for the partial school re-opening.

Wishing you well

Mrs A Maqsood-Shah

Dear Parents/Carers,

Returning to School

As you will have seen, the government has announced that it hopes to re-open primary schools, beginning with Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils after half term.

We are expecting to receive detailed guidance from the government as to their expectations very soon. Although we have already been planning carefully for this possibility, we need to see this guidance before we can finalise plans. I will write again as soon as we are in a position to do this, which I expect to be in the next few days. Until then, we will not be able to answer questions about our plans – thank you for your patience in the meantime.

I want to assure you that when pupils do return, they will come back to a school that is fully prepared and meets the hygiene and social distancing requirements that the government’s scientists will advise is necessary.  

I would like to thank everyone – staff, parents and pupils – for the ways in which we have united across the school in responding to the situation so far and have ensured that our pupils have continued to learn from home. This has taken a great deal of time, effort, energy and patience on everyone’s part, but we should be proud of what is being achieved.

We will, of course, be continuing to operate our learning from home programme until pupils return to school. I know how hard you are working with your children to assist in their learning. It isn’t easy and, as a school, we will continue to do everything we can to make it as straightforward as possible for you.

 For the time being, therefore, the school remains closed for all pupils.

 All of us look forward to welcoming pupils back to school as soon as is safely possible. In the meantime, please keep safe and well and encourage your children to continue to participate in their online learning.

Mrs A Maqsood-Shah

Headteacher

Dear Parents & Carers

As we embark on another week of lockdown and home learning, I would like to thank you all for your continued support and engagement with our online learning offer. This week we are adding two further wider curriculum subjects along with the daily offer of Reading,writing and maths lessons. As always please contact school if you need any support with this. 

Best wishes 

Mrs Shah

Dear Parents,

I hope that the first week of Ramadan has gone well for all those observing the holy month. As a new week is starts, this week's leaning has been uploaded too. please do contact school if you or your child needs any further support to access the learning.

Stay safe and take care

Kind regards

Mrs Shah