During lockdown in January 2021, Extend Learning Academies Network were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Bristol City FC legend Scott Murray on behalf of our schools. Scott was interviewed by brilliant Sports and TV Presenter Angus Scott.

https://youtu.be/MzzPYHx8Z94 

At the end of November 2020, we had an idea to create an advent calendar for the 2,975 children and 582 staff at our primary schools.

So, after some thought and technical wizardry, on 1 December 2020 we launched a digital advent calendar for eight schools: Bournville, Locking, Mead Vale, Mendip Green, Milton Park, Oldmixon, Walliscote and Windwhistle Primary Schools.

Each morning, schools, in their class bubbles, opened the virtual doors to reveal their special treat for that day.

The doors revealed treats and excitement that would be happening each day until the end of term.

For the last day of the calendar we decided that, although a mightily ambitious idea, it would be amazing to be able to send every child, all 2,975, of them home with a chocolate surprise. However we were then faced with the problem of how to source and fund almost 3,000 chocolates of some kind at short notice.

We took to social media and issued a public plea across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. We also contacted over 60 local businesses.

With help from some incredibly generous benefactors, members of the central team were able to deliver huge amounts of chocolate to the eight schools ensuring every child had a gift to take home.

We owe an absolutely huge thank you to:

• Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm who sourced and generously donated 1,500 units of chocolate and delivered them to our office.
• Buglers Off Licence, Wrington who sourced almost 300 selection boxes and delivered them to us. These were donated by Carly and Paul who own Buglers and the lovely people of Wrington village who purchased selection packs for the children. Thank you also to Bookers who donated some packs when Buglers paid for them and let them clear the shelves!
• Morrisons, Weston-super-Mare, in particular the wonderful Sheila. Sheila pulled out all the stops to stack our trolleys high with discounted and donated chocolate, and gave us boxes of biscuits for staff at all eight schools.
• Mr. Iain Kilpatrick
• Our website provider, Primary Site who were first off the mark and sent us boxes of selection packs.
• SAS Wellbeing, our wellbeing and insurance provider who sent a cash donation to go towards the cause.
• John Lewis and Waitrose, who kindly sent us gift cards to use in store to purchase treats.
• We received another generous cash donation from someone who is happy to remain nameless.
• All of the central team who counted, recounted and counted again vast amounts of chocolate and loaded and unloaded cars in the freezing rain.

Good morning to all of our school communities and beyond. Apologies for being quiet this morning. As you can imagine we have been reviewing lots of plans to ensure the safest possible working arrangements for staff and children.

Even though we didn't receive Government guidance until 11:03pm last night, we are well prepared, but this lockdown time around there are a few differences. Last full lockdown schools were directed to provide childcare where needed although we still had many elements of learning in place. This time we are focussed on carrying on your children's education whilst limiting contact between households.

You will have seen updates from individual schools. Everyone is working extremely hard to ensure that those who need to be educated in school will be and that those who are to be educated at home for now have learning packs and arrangements for that in place.

We ask again for your patience with school staff whilst all plans are implemented. You will be contacted. Those of you who requested and are expecting a critical key worker place should be informed in due course as to the arrangements.

Free school meals will be provided to those of you that are already in receipt of them. We're working with our school caterers to put things in place for this.

There are still quite a few DMs/PMs coming through to individual schools. Due to the volume of enquiries and all the different ways they are coming in, DMs/PMs can not be guaranteed for an instant response so please be aware of this if your question is urgent.

Thank you and stay safe

Good evening all.

Following tonights announcement, schools will be closed from tomorrow (Tuesday) to all pupils except children of critical key workers and those identified as vulnerable.

We are sorry for the late notice. We don’t get prior warning to the public announcements unfortunately.

Our schools will be updating with more info over the next 24 hours with a letter to families going out shortly tonight.

Thank you in advance for your patience with your school and keep an eye out for more information.

Keep safe.