English translation

On the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, I would like to send a special message to our Ukrainian families to show our support on this very difficult day. 

You have become such a special and important part of the Rodings family. We have learnt so much from you already. You have shown us what true resilience, determination and loyalty to your country really means. Your children have shown such strength in their transition to British life. You should be very proud of them!

You will always hold a special place in our hearts. Everyone at Rodings sends their love and best wishes for the future of Ukraine on this sad anniversary. 

You are always in our thoughts!

Apologies if the translation is not correct!
 

Mrs Gare

I’m really sad to announce that Mrs Gare will be leaving us at Easter after four and a half years at Rodings. She is leaving to pursue a new career outside of teaching. Mrs Gare has taught in many years groups but has held the really important job of welcoming our youngest children into Rodings by teaching Goslings class. We will say our goodbyes later in the term, but I would like to thank Mrs Gare for all her hard work and dedication during her time at Rodings. You will be truly missed! 

I am currently in the process of recruiting a teacher for Gosling class and will notify parents as soon as this process is completed.  

Strike Action - Wednesday 1st March 

The National Education Union (NEU) are holding the second of their planned one-day strikes on Wednesday 1st March.

On this occasion I am unable to open all classes and the following groups will be closed: 

• Goslings - Miss Birch
• Kingfishers
• Kookaburras
• Toucans
• Parrots

If you are employed in the NHS or other emergency services such as the police or fire service places will be made available in other classes if you are unable to make alternative childcare arrangements. 

Under Department of Education rules, siblings that are kept off school who could attend will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Teachers are a dedicated and passionate group of people who care deeply for the children they teach and support so to decide on industrial action is a difficult one. The headlines in the press would lead you to believe that this dispute is just about pay. Although this is a factor, for the majority of teachers, it is about the increasing workload and pressures since the pandemic followed by the underfunding of the education system as a whole.  Every time there is an issue in society, it is often schools that are tasked with solving the problem without any additional funding or support. If you are a parent of a child with additional needs you will also know how hard it is to get the appropriate support for your child as the funding and the specialists are just not there. In addition, the last pay rise for teachers and support staff was not fully funded by the government, so I had to make cuts to other areas of the school budget to implement these richly deserved pay rises. School funding needs to change!

Please be aware that there are two more planned strikes dates which are the 15th and 16th March. 

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Learning Conference Reports 

Years 1 to 5 will be receiving their mid-year Learning Conference reports soon. This is a brief summary of how your child is progression with their education at this moment in time. They have also been written in conjunction with your child, so they are aware of what the report says and the targets set. There will be an opportunity to discuss what is in the reports at the forthcoming Parent Consultations in March. 

Have a lovely weekend!

Mr Raraty