Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Day 1 with our key worker pupils

  Mon 23 Mar 2020 Mr Wallis
  Here are some photos from our first day with the pupils. Very different feeling but still so very Walkley!

  

• Walkley Primary School new build update 23/03/20

  Mon 23 Mar 2020 Mr Wallis

  It has been wonderful to see the steel structure for the new school be erected over the last 2 weeks. The whole structure is, as promised, now in place and the staircases are also in. The next step for Interserve is the installation of the flooring for the first floor and the drainage solutions to the grounds surrounding the new school. 

   

  Builders are on site today and we'll keep you informed of developments as we look forward to entering the new school in the next school year.

  

• Operation Walkley

  Mon 23 Mar 2020 Mr Wallis
  Walkley staff have come together today to ensure our Free School Meal pupils receive their lunch today. Teams of staff have been working out zones around Walkley and routes for delivering to doorsteps. Here they are ready to set off for Operation Walkley!

  

• A Message for our wonderful pupils

  Fri 20 Mar 2020 Mr Wallis

  To our lovely Walkley children,

   

  You now know that our school is going to close on Monday for most children and we are not going to see each other for a while.  We will miss your smiling faces, your endless laughter and chatter and the way that you light up our lives.

  We are still your Walkley family and we will be thinking about you every single day, wondering how you are getting on and keeping our precious memories of our time with you.  We will send you big hugs all the time, in the hope that you can still feel how much we love and care for you.

   

  You have to be very grown up now and help your adults at home by being good and doing as you are asked the first time. Your teachers have worked very hard, and will continue to do so to put some fabulous activities on your Class Blogs to help you to carry on your learning at home.  I know that you will do your best as you always do.

  Too often we under estimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring which have the potential to turn a life around. All of you are so special, unique and talented and have an abundance of these qualities. Now is the time to share them, be a Golden Citizen every day, knowing even as young people you can make a tremendous difference.

   

  This is not goodbye but an ‘au revoir’ until we meet up again and our school family is reunited, when we will be so excited to see you.

   

  Always remember how special you are to us, how much we care for you and how much we love you. We will miss your jokes and stories that make us laugh and make our day.

   

  We will see you again as soon as we are allowed to.  We promise.

   

  Huge hugs.

  Mrs. Sian and the Walkley Team

• Information about Free School Meals

  Fri 20 Mar 2020 Mr Wallis

  For the parents / carers of pupils on Free School Meals who are not Key Workers, we are working hard with Taylor Shaw to make food vouchers available. Until then, we will be making sure that your child has immediate access to a daily packed lunch.  More details about how to access the meal will follow on Monday morning 23.3.20

• Sheffield City Council Directive 20th March 2020

  Fri 20 Mar 2020 Mr Wallis

  This is an extract from the letter just received from Sheffield City Council. For the full letter please click here

   

  Dear parents and carers

  RE: School closures

  As you will know the government has taken the decision to close schools from the end of today (Friday 20^th March). The government has now published further guidance about how schools will continue to support vulnerable children and the children of key workers.  

  The guidance makes clear that our priority, as a country, is to do everything that we can to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

  If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading.

• Covid-19 update - key worker information

  Fri 20 Mar 2020 Mr Wallis

  Dear Parents and Carers

  It is very important that ALL parents read the entirety of the two attachments:

  Government guidance

  Covid-19 update 20th March 2020

  As they contain government guidance that will apply to all children, whether they are eligible to attend school next week or not.

   

  The government guidance states that:

  1.    If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.

  2.    If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.

  3.    Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.

  4.    Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.

   

  Apologies for the late notice with this and thank you again for your understanding and support.

• Message from the Headteacher - Covid-19 update 19th March - pupils of key workers.

  Thu 19 Mar 2020 Mr Wallis

  Dear Parent / Carer

   

  Last night we sent you information regarding the latest guidance delivered by the Secretary of State for Education and the Prime Minister.  Although we are not sure at this point what the full implications are for our school, we wanted to write to you all to reassure you that we will do all we can to make things work for the Walkley Primary School community.

   

  We know that there is a growing anxiety from many families and staff about continued school attendance but having watched the briefing from the Secretary of State for Education, I have to say that I think his plan is absolutely the right thing to do.  It will be a challenge for us to deliver what is being asked but I am lucky to be backed up by an amazing staff who are always ready to go above and beyond.  Last night, soon after the announcement, I was contacted by many staff who have expressed their willingness to support the effort to keep the country going – their dedication is an inspiration and I am humbled to serve this community alongside them.

   

  If you haven’t seen the news yet, the essential points as we understand them are as follows:

  • English schools will be closed to most children from the end of school on Friday.  This will be until further notice and an end date was not given. 
  • Schools will stay open to look after the children of ‘key workers’ from Monday next week.  We expect to receive a list today detailing which jobs are considered to be key workers but our best guess at this time is that some examples may include:
    • NHS Staff
    • Emergency Service staff
    • Social Care staff
    • Teachers/School staff
    • Certain delivery drivers
    • Refuse collectors
  • Schools will also be open to vulnerable children e.g. those with EHCPs or who have an open Social Care case etc.
  • Schools may stay open for some of the Easter holidays.

   

  In order to help offset the pressure that this will cause, the Government has pledged that:

  • There will be no Ofsted inspections during this period.
  • There will be no formal assessments i.e. no SATs     

  ​​​​​​​

  ​​​​​​​For families who do not include any key workers, we will continue to support learning by providing online resources through the Lockdown Learning Log and the class pages on the school website.  We are saddened that we may not see many of our children for a while after this week but be assured that they are still our children – we want to continue to support them and are happy to do what we can from a distance until they rejoin us.  Also, please do continue to contact us for any family support or safeguarding matters – we are still, and will remain, your school.  We’ll still be here so give us a call if you need anything.

   

  For families who do include a key worker and who will continue to attend school, we are beginning to plan what provision might look like.  We will be open for these children so that families can keep delivering essential services.  We intend to do everything we can to do our bit in what is the worst health crisis in 100 years; hopefully this will mean that health workers can continue to provide the care they need to, that Social Workers can keep checking on the vulnerable and that drivers can keep food and essential supplies being delivered.  Whatever it takes, we will be here to support for as long as we are able.

   

  We would ask that families who think they may include a key worker, complete the slip on the letter sent home or emailed to you today and return it to school tomorrow, or alternatively contact us via email at enquiries@walkley.sheffield.sch.uk as soon as you can.  We need key worker families to let us know if you would like us to maintain a place for your child over the coming weeks.  This will help our planning in terms of knowing the number of children we need to take care of, and will help us mitigate the staffing challenges we continue to face.  It will also help us get on with planning some really fun educational activities and make sure the children have some brilliant memories made!  If you do not contact us, we will assume you do not require a place.

   

  I will leave it there for now but am sure you will have many more questions about logistics and we will do our best to answer them over the next couple of days.  We may not have all the answers yet but we will update you as we progress. 

  Thank you all for your continued support and understanding and especially to those parents and carers who have taken the time to send in encouraging messages over the past couple of weeks.

   

  We all need to build new routines to accommodate the massive changes we’re facing whilst remaining purposeful and positive and as is the Walkley way, we will do this! Be sure, we will be here when you need us.

   

  Yours sincerely

  Val Sian
  Headteacher and all the Walkley family

• Reminder: Golden Assembly - Pupils only Friday 20th March 2020

  Thu 19 Mar 2020 Mr Wallis

  A reminder for parents that regretfully, Golden Assemblies this Friday will be for pupils and staff only.

   

  We thank you for your continued understanding

• Coronavirus update for parents 18th March 2020

  Wed 18 Mar 2020

  Dear Parent / Carer

   

  The latest guidance from Prime Minister Boris Johnson is that schools in the UK will close on Friday 20th March to prevent the further spread of coronavirus. It is indicated that schools will close from Friday except for looking after the children of keyworkers and vulnerable children. We expect more information on this in the coming days and will keep you informed through the usual channels.

   

  We appreciate your patience and cooperation at this challenging time.

   

  People in household isolation should avoid leaving the house. Pupils who have been absent from school with the symptoms of Covid-19 should continue to self isolate for 14 days along with their siblings.

   

  Symptoms of Covid-19 include:

  • A new continuous cough and/or
  • High temperature