Dear Parent/Carer,

Due to the recent surge in cases across Scotland there will be very few changes to the COVID protocols after the September weekend holiday. Most mitigations will remain in place and this will be reviewed again before the October break.

Unfortunately this does mean that face to face parent appointments cannot take place. Teachers will issue you with a time when they will call you instead. Please be aware that this may appear on your phone as an unknown or withheld number.

The only COVID change is to the ‘warn and inform’ letter. Previously this was sent to the whole school. This letter was sent after the first positive case and after 10 days if another positive case was identified.

There is now a more targeted approach and only those who are in the same physical class as a positive case, and therefore a ‘low risk’ contact will receive a warning letter. Another letter will be sent if there are any additional cases after a 5 day period.

If you receive such a letter, the recommendation is that your child takes a lateral flow test if possible before returning to school.

As always if you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.

I hope that you all have a relaxing holiday weekend.

Mrs McNaught

Please note the changes to the May holiday to accommodate the additional Platinum Jubilee holiday.
Holiday dates are now Friday 27th May, Thursday 2nd June, Friday 3rd June 2022.
Please note Monday 30th May is no longer a holiday. 

Our Soft FM team are currently recruiting Facilities Operatives to deliver services in schools and early learning centres across Renfrewshire.

We’re looking for enthusiastic people who are willing to work as a team and undertake duties including building and grounds cleaning; catering; school crossing patrol; compliance; and any other related tasks.

These posts are part-time, pay above the Living Wage (between £9.74 – £10.19 per hour) and there are a variety of shifts available.

This is a good opportunity to gain permanent employment within Renfrewshire Council and support the local community. There are also opportunities for sessional posts.

If you know someone who might be interested, please share this information and encourage them to apply.

To apply

Applications are welcome through the My Job Scotland website using the links below:

Facilities Operatives, part-time, permanent

• Paisley North/East
• Paisley South/West
• Johnstone and the Villages
• Erskine/Houston
• Renfrew

Facilities Operatives, part-time, sessional

• Various locations, facilities operative: sessional

Dear Parent/Carer,

A reminder of the COVID mitigations currently still in place in school.

The majority of COVID mitigations are still in place in schools and will be at least until after the September weekend. These may be slightly different from those in society in general, therefore it is important that we all take time now and again to remind ourselves of these.

• Adult social distancing is still in place on school premises including the playground. Adults from different households should remain at least 1m from each other at all times.
• Unless exempt, all adults should wear a face covering on school premises at drop off and pick up times.
• Staggered entry and finishing times are in place to minimise congestion. Adults should drop and go or pick up and go in order to keep the grounds clear for the next group.
• Only one adult per family should attend. If at all possible adults should drop off or meet pupils outwith the playground. If adult pickup is required, adults should stand as far back from the lines as possible.
• At the end of the day adults and pupils should exit the grounds immediately to allow the adults and pupils at after care to access the grounds.

It is hoped that these mitigations will be reviewed in the coming weeks and any changes will be communicated as soon as possible. In the meantime it is vitally important that we all continue to follow the guidance to keep everyone in our community as safe as possible.

Thank you for your support.

Mrs McNaught

COVID-19 testing site in Bishopton

A temporary COVID-19 testing site is being set up in Bishopton. It is for people who do not have symptoms of COVID-19.

Bishopton has had fluctuating rates of COVID-19 in recent weeks and the testing site is intended to help change that.

We encourage anyone who lives, works or goes to school in Bishopton to get a test – it will help protect you and the people around you by slowing the spread of the virus.

The testing centre in Bishopton Community Centre will be open:

• Wednesday 25 August, 9am-5pm
• Thursday 26 August, 11am-7pm

• Friday 27 August, 9am-5pm
• Saturday 28 August, 11.am-3.30pm
• Sunday 29 August, 11am-3.30pm
• Monday 30 August, 9am-5pm
• Tuesday 31 August, 9am-5pm

The testing site is a drop-in facility – you do not need to book a test in advance. The testing site is being run by Renfrewshire Council as part of the national rollout of community testing.

Who can get tested

The testing site is being targeted at anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Bishopton and who is asymptomatic (does not have symptoms of COVID-19).

Anyone aged five and over can be tested but anyone under 12 needs parental permission and must be accompanied by an adult.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms

Please do not come to the Bishopton testing site if you have COVID-19 symptoms (a new continuous cough, high temperature, change to sense of taste/smell).

You should instead book a test at one of the other testing centres for people with symptoms via the UK Government website.

The nearest sites are the large drive-through site at Glasgow Airport and the local walk-through site at Bridge Street in Paisley.

If you have already been vaccinated

The national COVID-19 vaccination programme is under way. You can still catch and spread the virus even if you have received one or both doses of your COVID-19 vaccine.

So we encourage everyone who lives, works or goes to school in Bishopton to get a test – whether you have been vaccinated or not.

Why you should get tested

Getting tested will help protect you, your loved ones and your community from COVID-19.

Bishopton has had higher-than-average rates of the virus in recent weeks and we want to bring those rates down, which is why the testing site is being set up in the area.

People don’t always show symptoms when they have the virus – you could be passing it on to those around you without knowing. Getting tested is your chance to find out if you have it and help stop the spread.

What to expect at the testing site

Parking will be available in the Bishopton Community Centre car park. The testing site is also within walking distance of Bishopton train station and bus stops on Greenock Road and Craighead Road.

Strict hygiene measures and physical distancing will be in place. You should wear a face covering, unless you are medically exempt.

You will be asked to register your details - including name, address and mobile phone number. If you don’t have a mobile phone, we will help you to register.

The test you will be given is known as a lateral flow test. You will take the test yourself, by putting a swab in your throat and up your nose. Staff will be on hand to offer instructions.

After your test, please return to your home or car and stay there until you receive your test results. Your test will be processed on site and results will be texted to you within 45 minutes of your test on the phone you registered with.

Anyone who doesn’t have a mobile phone will be directed to an area where they can wait to receive their results in person.

Anyone who tests positive will be required to take a follow-up test to confirm this.

Dear Parent/Carer,

I hope that you have all been having a wonderful summer and managed to make the most of the incredible weather we experienced for most of the break. It is hard to believe that we will be back to school in less than a week. We are looking forward to welcoming all pupils back on Monday 16^th August, details below.

As you will have heard in the media, schools will be starting back with the same mitigations that were in place at the end of June, with a few exceptions. We understand that these mitigations are not necessarily in line with those in the wider society, therefor it is important to make sure that all adults and pupils attending school are aware of this.

We will continue to have a soft start; school doors will open at 8.45a.m. and pupils should make their way to the classroom and wash their hands. The school day will commence at 9.00 a.m. Only one adult per family should accompany pupils and should only enter the playground if necessary. Face coverings should still be worn by adults on school grounds.

We will also continue to have a staggered end to the day to avoid as much congestion as possible. P1 and their siblings can be collected from 3.00p.m. Bishopton bus pupils will leave at 3.10p.m. and all other pupils in P2-7 will leave at 3.15p.m. Please note Dargavel pupils finish at 3.00p.m.

First day arrangements for P1 are slightly different and these have been communicated to parents by Mr Collins.

School lunches will return to the dining hall and free school meals have been extended to cover all P1-4 pupils. The lunch menu is available to view on the Renfrewshire Council website https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/schoolmeals-primary .

One of the changes to the current mitigations is contact tracing and self-isolation. Contact tracing will no longer be the responsibility of the school. If a pupil is identified as a close contact by Test and Protect they must isolate and book a PCR test. They must isolate until the results of the PCR test are received. If the PCR test is negative and they do not have symptoms they can return to school right away.

Building work has been ongoing throughout the holiday period. Most classes have been painted and ceilings and flooring replaced. All pupils’ toilets have been refurbished and the playground has been re-laid. The dining hall and gym hall will be completed during the October break.

A new entrance has been opened on Old Greenock Road. This will provide flat access for those travelling by scooter or bicycle and for parents with prams. We would therefore ask that no wheeled vehicles use the staired entrance on Old Greenock Road.

Please also note that the car park is for staff and disabled parking only. Parents/carers should not enter the car park at any point. For safety pupils should not walk through the car park at any point. Pedestrian access to the front door is through one of the pedestrian gates and the footpath around the main building. The Grove entrance is not a designated pedestrian entrance, it is goods only and should not be used at any time by parents/carers or pupils.

Staff will be on hand to direct pupils to the correct entrance on the first day. A map has been included below. The pink squares identify the pedestrian entrances and the yellow class names show the entrances for pupils. If you are at all unsure please look for staff who will be wearing hi-viz and they will show you where to go.

Please continue to enjoy the remainder of the break and we look forward to seeing you on the 16^th.

On behalf of everyone at Bishopton Primary School I would like to wish you all a fantastic summer. This has been another challenging year for everyone but by working together we have made it through.

Your patience and support has been much appreciated by all staff.  I truly hope that you all have a great break over the summer.

We are returning in August with current mitigations still in place but we are hoping that a return to more normal arrangements will quickly follow.

Although the new building will not be quite ready, Dargavel Primary School will begin in August 2021. To our pupils and staff who are moving we would like to wish you all the best in your new school.  We are honoured that you started your journey her with us and we will continue follow your progress in your new school.

Once again, our traditional end of term bell ringing can’t take place in the usual format. Our oldest and youngest pupils have still taken the opportunity to ring the bell and we have shared it with you below.

Have a great summer and we will see you back at school Bishopton or Dargavel on the 16th August 2021.

Join musicians and friends of Scotland’s National Orchestra as we present 6 weeks of digital activity for families and children of all ages over the summer break.  Utilising the resources developed over the past 18 months with world class musicians, an expert digital team and in partnership with Scotland’s teaching profession, the RSNO Summer Camp is packed full of musical activities, challenges and concert experiences and all content is completely FREE of charge.

The RSNO Summer Camp will run for six weeks and each week will focus on a different target audience:

• WEEK 1: Family Friendly Musical Challenges – #RSNO Challenge
  Week commencing 5 July
• WEEK 2: Babies, Parents and Infants – Nursery Sounds

Week commencing 12 July

• WEEK 3: Nursery Age – Tara the Tugboat
  Week commencing  19 July
• WEEK 4: Primary Age – Gaspard’s Foxtrot

Week commencing  26 July

• WEEK 5: Late primary/Secondary Age – Digital Concerts, Instrument Guides & Practice Resources for Young Musicians
  Week commencing  2 August
• WEEK 6: Music and Wellbeing Focus – Interviews with special guests & family singing sessions
  Week commencing  9 August

A member of the RSNO’s Learning and Engagement team will be online every Monday to answer any questions, offer advice and engage with participating families.

For more information visit www.rsno.org.uk/summercamp/

On behalf of the staff and pupils, thank you to the Bishopton Parent Council for organising the visit from the Ice Cream Van today.

The end of term treats were much appreciated by everyone.

Class letters are in the bags today. Updated table for Bishopton class locations. New P1 letters are in the post.

Please click the link below to see the job opportunities in Bishopton Primary in our Soft FM team.

https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/renfrewshire-council/jobs/facilities-operative-2-posts-part-time-term-time-222549

Just a reminder that the annual Parent  and PEF Questionnaires close on Friday 4th June.

Links to both below.  If you haven’t already done so please take some time to have your say.  Your feedback is important to us.

Dear Parent/Carer,

As we move down the levels and gain more freedoms, it is vitally important that we continue to remain vigilant to the threat of COVID-19,  do all we can to prevent transmission and keep our whole community safe.

Please see below a reminder of the procedures that remain in place should anyone develop any one of the 3 most commons symptoms i.e. fever, new continuous cough, loss or change in taste or smell.

• It is essential that people do not attend school if symptomatic. Everyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 – a new, continuous cough; fever or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste – should self- isolate straight away, stay at home and arrange a test via the appropriate method (see below).
• People who live in the same household as a person with symptoms must also self-isolate straight away and stay at home. Other members of the household do not require a test, unless they are also symptomatic. If the test result for the symptomatic person is negative, and they are not already isolating as a ‘close contact’ of a confirmed case, they can end isolation and return to work or school when they are well enough and have not had a fever for 48 hours assuming also that they are not quarantining for foreign travel reasons. The rest of their household can end isolation straight away. Ideally, testing should be undertaken in the first 3 days of symptoms appearing, although testing is effective until day
• If the test is positive, the symptomatic person must remain in isolation until 10 days from symptom onset, or longer if symptoms (e.g. fever or breathlessness) persist (with the exception of cough or loss of/change of sense of taste or smell, as these symptoms can persist for several weeks after the infectious period). They must otherwise be well and remain fever-free for 48 hours without medication. The rest of the household must remain in isolation for 10 days from symptom onset in the symptomatic person, even if they don’t have symptoms themselves, as they may be incubating the
• Everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be put in touch with the local contact tracing team so that other close contacts can be identified. All close contacts who are in the same household as confirmed cases must self-isolate immediately. They will usually be contacted by Test and Protect to reinforce self-isolation for 10 days from symptom onset in the symptomatic person. Contacts from outside the household of the confirmed case will be asked to self-isolate at home for 10 days from the date of last exposure to the case. Sometimes this advice is given locally via the school on the advice of the Health Protection Team.
• Everyone who needs to self-isolate as close contacts of confirmed cases must continue to do so for 10 days, even if they have a negative test
• Unless otherwise advised by Test and Protect or local Incident Management Teams, where children, young people or staff do not have symptoms but are self-isolating as a close contact of person who is a confirmed case, other people in their household will not be asked to self-isolate along with them.
• The Protect Scotland app from NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect is designed to help people and reduce the spread of coronavirus. The app will alert an individual if they have been in close contact with another app user who has tested positive for coronavirus and can help in determining contacts that may have otherwise been missed while keeping people’s information private and anonymous. Advice from Health Protection Teams may override advice from the app to self-isolate.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Mrs McNaught

Dear Parent/Carer

Please see the attached form regarding the PEF allocation and proposals for session 2021/22. We welcome your thoughts and comments on this. These proposals are based on an analysis of our current data and what we consider to be best value for the funds available.

Should you wish to discuss this, please do not hesitate to give the school a call on 0300 300 0147.

The form will remain open until Friday the 4th June.  Thank you for taking the time to respond.

Dear Parent/Carer,

Your views are extremely important to us and help us to inform and improve our services moving forward. Please take a few moments to complete our annual parent survey by clicking on the Form below,

The survey will close on the 4th June.

We have been asked by soft FM to share the link to the current job opportunities within their newly redesigned service. The closing date for this advert is the 14th May 2021.

https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/renfrewshire-council/jobs/facilities-operative-erskine-houston-various-posts-part-time-permanent-216715

In response to the Uniform Consultation conducted before the Spring Break, please see the letter below which was sent home in schoolbags today.

Uniform letter_29042021114517

At the most recent Parent Council meeting the issue of school uniform was raised and it was agreed that a consultation would be put to the Parent Forum (P1-6) to gather thoughts for moving forward.

The Parent Council put forward the following proposals:

1. From August 2021 the option of a more casual uniform should remain.  Those who wish to wear the more formal uniform can continue to do so and formal uniform would still be worn for significant events and school photographs.
2. In the formal uniform, the colour of the general items is standardised to one colour moving forward. Both colours (grey and navy)  would be acceptable in the short term but future purchases of new uniform should be in the standard colour.

This would make the uniform choices as follows

Casual Uniform

• Red polo shirt
• Navy sweatshirt
• Navy bottoms (joggers, leggings, shorts- No logos)
• Dark coloured trainers/ outdoor shoes

Formal Uniform

• White shirt and school tie
• Navy or Grey jumper or cardigan
• Navy or grey trousers/skirt/pinafore/shorts etc.
• Black school shoes

Gym Kit

• Red polo shirt or T-shirt
• Navy shorts, leggings or joggers
• Indoor trainers or black gym shoes

Outerwear

• Navy school blazer
• Navy waterproof jacket

Also please note, uniform supplier have been in touch to say that parents are requesting badged items outwith our agreed uniform.  We kindly ask that you stay within the agreed items in order to keep the uniform to a standard set. We are mindful of the pressures put on parents by children to have the same as their classmates and we do not want parents to feel that they need to purchase any additional items of uniform.

Please complete the form below to confirm your choices. Form closes Sunday 18th April.

Thursday 1st April is the last day of term and also Spring Tea theme day in our dining hall.

Classes will be participating in some Easter fun too. This will also be an own clothes day for pupils. No donation required.

Just a reminder that the school will close for our Spring Break on Thursday the 1st April at 2.30p.m.  Please note the earlier finish time on that date.

School will start back for staff and pupils on Monday the 19th April 2021.

There are less than 100 days until the EU #SettlementScheme deadline of 30 June 2021, if you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen or their family member (resident in the UK by 31 December 2020). Apply to the scheme to continue to work, study, access free healthcare and benefits in the UK today at: uk/EUSettlementScheme