Latest News
Regular updates, messages and news are posted here.
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Applying for Secondary School
Fri 25 Sep 2020Applying for a Secondary School Place
Dear parents,
If your child is now in Year 6 you will need to apply for their secondary school place for them to start in September 2021.
The brochure "Starting Secondary School 2021" is available online (Google ‘Applying for a secondary school place Waltham Forest') and contains all the information you need to know about applying for a secondary school place.
If you live outside Waltham Forest, then you must apply through the local authority in which you live.
You can make your application anytime from now. The best way to apply is online through the eAdmissions website at www.eadmissions.org.uk
The closing date for applications is 31st October 2020.
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Instrumental lessons in the Autumn Term
Tue 15 Sep 202015th September 2020
Dear Parents/Carers,
Would you like your child to learn how to play a musical instrument in the Autumn Term?
Children who are inYear 2 and older can receive instrumental lessons at school. We can offer children the opportunity to learn to play the piano, drums, guitar, violin, cello, trumpet and trombone. If you would like your child to have lessons in school this term, now is the time to sign up. Children who were previously having lessons in the Spring Term will have missed three missed lessons due to the school closure in March. Any money already paid - such as for the Summer term or the three missed lessons - will be credited towards the cost of lessons this term. If you do not want them to continue this term, the money for any outstanding lessons will be refunded.
We will ensure that the lessons are delivered safely by strictly following the government’s Covid-19 guidance. The lessons are taught by visiting instrumental tutors, employed by the Waltham Forest Music Service. They are all excellent musicians and teachers and have passed the necessary DBS checks. Please be aware that if there is not sufficient interest in a particular instrument, we will no longer be able to arrange a tutor.
We are offering a block of 11 lessons, starting in the final week of September and running through the Autumn term. Children will be taught individually for 20 minutes per week. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to offer group lessons this term. The total cost for the term will be £156. If a family is entitled to receive free school meals, we can subsidise this cost. Please speak to the office for more information.
If a child is learning to play the violin, cello, guitar or a brass instrument, they will need to bring their own instrument along to lessons. Instruments can be hired from Waltham Forest Music Service. The music tutors will provide the forms and information when your child begins their lessons. For children learning the piano or drums, the school instrument used will be cleaned between each lesson.
If you would like your child to receive instrumental tuition in the Autumn term, please make payment for the lessons using ParentPay before 28th September 2020. You will be able to select which instrument you would like your child to learn at the point of payment.
Please understand that lessons missed due to a child's absence from school cannot be refunded. You will be able to decide whether or not to continue with your child’s lessons at the start of each new term.
If you have any questions regarding these lessons, please do get in touch by emailing office@rapsch.co.uk.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Desoer
Deputy Headteacher
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September 2020: Welcome Back To School!
Fri 04 Sep 20204th September 2020
Dear Parents,
School opens on Monday 7th September. We really look forward to seeing all pupils as they return to school and greeting our new pupils in Reception and Nursery.
The arrangements below are made to keep children safe in school. They are informed by the latest Government guidance and will be in place for as long as is needed for our school to comply with the requirements. It is possible that if the guidance changes, so will our arrangements.
All children will be taught in their own classes, of normal size. At all times they will remain in ‘bubbles’ of their own year group. Children from each year group bubble will be prevented from mixing with other year groups. School staff (including visiting staff such as the Speech and Language therapist) may work across any class or year group, though we will endeavor to limit this as much as possible.
Start and finish times
Year groups will start and end at staggered times to reduce the flow of adults around the site. Please ensure that just one adult delivers and collects your child on their own (apart from very young children still in pushchairs).
Year Group
Start Time
End Time
Nursery (after initial induction timetable)
Wigton Rd Nursery gate
9.15am
12.30pm
11.45am
3pm
Reception (after initial induction timetable)
Williams Avenue
9.10am
3.15pm
1
Williams Ave
9am
3.10pm via Main Gate
2
Williams Ave
8.50am
3pm
3
Wigton Rd
9.15am
3.30pm
4
Wigton Rd
9.05am
3.20pm
5
Wigton Rd
8.55am
3.10pm
6
Wigton Rd
8.45am
3pm
If there are families with one or more sibling attending the school, then parents will be able to drop off their children at the earlier time and collect at the later time. These children should go straight to their own classroom. This means you won’t have to make unnecessary journeys or wait around for classes to finish.
It is essential that all parents keep to their times and are punctual – we need to minimize the number of people on the playgrounds at any one time and the flow of parents and children through the gates. Please leave the school site promptly as soon as your children have been delivered or collected.
If waiting on the playground please use the main open areas and spread out as much as possible. Please do not gather together or come within 2 metres of the classroom door.
The office will remain closed to all parents and visitors unless you have an appointment.
There will be no toilet facilities for visitors and parents will not be able to enter the classrooms or school buildings at any time.
Children will not be able to bring any items from home apart from a refillable water bottle and their packed lunch if they have one. Single use plastic water bottles will not be allowed.
Breakfast and After School Club will run as planned from September. If you still need to apply for a place then please email office@rapsch.co.uk to request a booking form and return your completed form to the same email address.
During the school day
Lunches will be served as normal with tables and chairs cleaned between each use.
There is no expectation that children need to socially distance within their bubbles.
Staff will remind children to wash their hands thoroughly throughout the day.
Commonly used items of equipment – pencils rulers etc will not be shared – each child will be provided with their own.
No soft toys or difficult to wash equipment will be used. All other toys or equipment will be washed after use.
Staff members will maintain social distancing guidelines whenever possible.
Staff will not work closely alongside individual pupils for more than 15mins.
Movement around the school will be using outside routes whenever possible. Staggered break times and lunches should mean that, for the majority of the time, only a small number of pupils are moving around the school at any time.
Each group will have their own set of playground equipment.
When assemblies take place, they will be with one year-group at a time – so will any after school clubs.
We will deliver a short PE session every day – this means children may not have time to change into their full PE kit – but they should have shoes appropriate for PE in school every day
The outside climbing equipment areas will be used on a daily rota basis – children must not use these at the start or end of the day.
Best wishes
M Hanks
Headteacher