It has been our second full week back after lockdown, and some things are becoming clearer as the school attempts to get back to some kind of normality. Most children seem fine: simply happy to be back at school. For some children, however, anxieties have heightened and routines have been disrupted - time is needed as we head into summer term to support and guide our children back into the fullness of school life. We are completing assessments now to identify who might most benefit from more intense support next term.  There are several schools around us who have had the difficult task of closing bubbles. This is a salutary warning that the pandemic is not over and we must all still be on our guard during this week and the Easter holidays.

National Tutoring Programme

‘Catch-up’ opportunities and interventions have already begun across the school and will continue for the foreseeable future.  Additional small group and individual teaching interventions are two of the ways in which pupils will be supported to close the gaps in their learning, that may have formed as a result of the long absence from face to face teaching.

Different children will be targeted for different interventions, some of which, pupils themselves will not be aware of because they will be incorporated into their weekly class timetable. Their teachers are the experts in knowing what your child needs, and how best they should be supported, to help them to make up for the lost learning time. Please do not panic if your child is not targeted for a particular intervention – trust their teachers to know what is best for each pupil. Please also remember that this will be a long lasting programme of support and will involve a range of activities, approaches and opportunities.

Red Nose Day

It was great to see all the children in their super hero, every day hero and red costumes last Friday. It is important for us to join in fundraising as part of the wider community and to see - especially our youngest children - don their NHS,  postal worker, police and even teaching costumes - showed how much we appreciate the role of these frontline professions.

Values Stars of the Week

Well done to the following children for living up to one of our school values and being nominated for an award by their class teacher for: kindness -last week.

R - Isla S

1 - Hannah 

2 - Annabel

3 - Cameron 

4 - Daniel

5  - Martha

6 - Alex H

Play Area Design Competition 2021

 A huge congratulations to the following children, whose designs were chosen as the winners in Sunderland Council's Playground Design Competition for the new play area at the bottom of Dykelands Road. They were absolute stars and as Councillor Rebecca Atkinson, Portfolio holder for dynamic city, said they were a "credit" to school.

Overall winners: Sophia and Henry (Y4 and YR)

KS2 winners: Tyler and Kieran (Y6 and 5)

KS1 winner: Isla (Y1)

Highly commended: Manuela (Y4) and Reggie and Rayne (Y1).

It's Science Week this week at Seaburn Dene, so lots of activities are being planned for children to take part in. As part of the build-up to Easter we will be taking part in virtual assemblies with Rev Child and Rev Phillips, with videos to support the Easter Story from Wearside Youth for Christ too. There are some amazing Easter wreaths which will go on display tomorrow (TUE) after judging, around the perimeter fencing.

Finally, happy birthday (last week) to...Chloe and Lauren (Y4 and 6), Alexander (Y6).