Dear parents and carers,
It has been a wonderful week here in school, we were all delighted to welcome our children and families back to school on Wednesday, we have missed you all so much over the summer holidays…It was lovely to hear how much you had missed us too!
I hope you managed to find some time together over the summer break to make some special family memories, I know I did (see overleaf) but I was ready to get back to school and get back into a routine and I bet you were too!
For the children and families who are just starting their journey at Common Road, we are delighted to welcome you into our school family, I know that you will be very well looked after by the staff, children, parents and community…this is a very special place to come to school.
My vision for our school is simple, I want to work with families to ensure that our children get the very best start to their education here at Common Road. I am passionate that children in the early years and KS1 learn to become fluent in the basics of reading, writing and maths and that this will build strong foundations for learning as they go through school.
We will recognise each child as an individual, and we are committed to the social and emotional development of all children. We will work with children and their families to help them manage their feelings and behaviour so that they can develop relationships with others and grow up to be happy and healthy. We will work with families to ensure that our children grow to have good values and morals which will allow them to be good members of our community and our world.
I alongside the staff and governors at Common Road look forward to being part of this journey with you and your child.
Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) – You may have seen recent media coverage regarding Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and its use in educational settings. RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete; because it is weaker than regular concrete, concerns have been raised about its long-term durability. Department for Education (DfE) has recently changed its guidance to education settings on the management of RAAC to take a more precautionary approach and as a result areas in affected spaces will be vacated.
The DfE has been helping education settings and responsible bodies (such as local authorities and multi-academy trusts) to identify and manage the potential risks of RAAC since 2018. You can find more in the Education Hub article published by DfE.
We appreciate the concern this may raise, and we will always prioritise the safety of your children and our staff.
We do not have any confirmed RAAC in our buildings and have not been asked to close any areas. However, we want to take care and to be sure, and are currently working with the DfE to actively check whether RAAC has been used in the construction of any part of our buildings. If RAAC is identified, we will let you know straight away, and we have contingencies in place.
The change in guidance is precautionary in nature, and only affects education premises where the presence of RAAC has been confirmed. DfE is offering us access to surveyors who are helping us do these checks quickly.
Any contingency plans will prioritise the continuation of education and ensure that, if RAAC is identified, any impact on our children is kept to an absolute minimum. Rest assured that the safety of our children and staff is of paramount importance to all concerned.
Diary Dates – Attached to this newsletter are the diary dates for the autumn term. Please keep these safe (pop them on the fridge!) so you know what is happening for your child this term. There are so many opportunities to work together this term and for you to come into school and share some special milestones like your child’s nativity!
Overleaf is a letter to your child, please could you take the time to read this to them. This will hopefully tell them a little bit more about me as Headteacher of our school.
I very much look forward to working with you and your child and look forward to meeting you/catching up with you all in person over the coming weeks.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Danielle Edwards
Headteacher
Dear boys and girls at Common Road Infant and Nursery School,
Welcome to our school or for some boys and girls welcome back… I have really missed you!
I hope you all had a lovely summer holiday, I was thinking about you all and was wondering what you might have been busy doing!
You have all come into school this week with a super attitude to your learning, and you have all been very brave leaving your grown-ups…well done! This week I have spotted your wonderful manners and behaviour. I have also seen how enthusiastic you are to learn new things which is wonderful to see. I am looking forward to learning and having fun, making special memories with you and your teachers this year.
I joined the Common Road family in June 2021 as Headteacher coming from another Wakefield School, I have to say it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I love our school and the teachers and support staff here are some of the best I have ever worked with. I am biased but I also think you might be the best children in Wakefield and you have lovely grown-ups who love and support our school too.
I live in Wakefield with my little girl Posey who is 7. She has just started Year 3 which made her feel excited and a bit worried! I love being a teacher and headteacher and my job is very important to me. When I am not at school I love to be with my family which includes my pets. I have six cats! Pumpkin, Marmalade, Tabatha, Juni, Liquorice and Cream.
From
Mrs Edwards
Headteacher
