School Re-opens to pupils from Year 1 - Year 6 on Wednesday 2nd September

 

Safety at School

 

Do not send your child to school if they are showing symptoms of Covid-19. You must inform us if your child is displaying symptoms and must access a test and inform us of the result.

Symptoms to be alert for are:

• a new continuous cough
• a high temperature that means you are hot to touch on your chest and back
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

 

If school becomes aware that someone has tested positive they inform the Health Protection Team who will carry out a rapid risk assessment to confirm who has been in close contact with the person during the infectious period and ensure that they are asked to self -isolate. 

An outbreak will be contained by following local health protection team advice

This means: If schools have two or more confirmed cases within 14 days, or an overall rise in sickness absence where coronavirus (COVID-19) is suspected, they may have an outbreak, and must continue to work with their local health protection team who will be able to advise if additional action is required.

Children will be encouraged to wash their hands regularly throughout the day. Hand sanitiser will be available. Pupils will be encouraged to ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ with tissues which are provided. There will be enhanced cleaning, including toilet areas and touch points during the day.

In line with government guidelines, school will operate in year group bubbles and maintain as much social distancing as possible. These consistent groups reduce the risk of transmission.

Each year group bubble is allocated their own play space to be used every break and lunchtime for 1 week. We will rotate the bubbles so that everyone gets the chance to use all of the different areas.

 

Timings of the Day

To make sure that we can keep social distancing, school doors will open at 8:40 in the mornings giving 20 minutes to enter school.

Only one adult should bring to and collect your child from school. This is to reduce the number of people on site at any one time. Please do not stand in groups on the playground at any time.

Please see the year group information below to see which door your child will enter and exit through. Doors will be open until 9:00am when they will close. It is in everyone’s best interest for your child to arrive at school on time.

If you are late you will need to accompany your child to the main office door and wait to be attended to. Remember, only one family/person will be allowed in the reception area at a time so you may have to wait.

School will have staggered finishing times for different year groups. This allows for social distancing as there will be fewer adults on site at any one time. If you have children in more than one year group, please simply collect one and then the other. If they finish at different times, please observe social distancing while waiting.

Reception, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 5 will finish at 3:05pm.

Year 1, Year 3 and Year 6 will finish at 3:15pm.

 

 

Entry and Exit points

Year 6

6M will enter/exit through the main Junior playground door.

6D will enter/exit through their outside classroom door.

School finishes at 3:15pm.

Year 5

Year 5 will enter/exit through their outside classroom doors.

School finishes at 3:05pm.

Year 4

Year 4 will enter/exit through the main Junior playground doors.

School finishes at 3:05pm.

Year 3

Year 3 will enter through the Library door.

School finishes at 3:15pm.

Year 2

Year 2 will enter/exit through the main Infant playground door.

School finishes at 3:05pm.

Year 1

Year 1 will enter through the doors by the vegetable gardens.

1S will exit through the door to the classroom.

1C will exit via the door they entered through.

School finishes at 3:15pm.

Reception

Reception will enter through the Annexe main door.

RHG will exit through the Annexe main door.

RT will exit through their back classroom door.

School finishes at 3:05pm.

 

Attendance.

Government guidance says that all children must attend school from September. 

We will be using the usual procedures to manage and track attendance. Non-attendance could result in fines being issued.

Your child may have to be temporarily absent due to shielding or self-isolating following medical advice.

Where a pupil is unable to attend school because they are complying with medical and/or public health advice, school will be able to immediately offer them access to remote education.

 

Travelling to and from school

We strongly encourage you to walk or cycle to school. This will reduce congestion on the roads around school and is healthier for everyone.  If you use a car please park sensibly and safely away from the gates and double yellow lines.

If you must use the bus or a taxi please ensure that you are following the guidance to wear a face covering. When you get off the bus please take your child’s face covering off them and take it home. Children will NOT be allowed to have face coverings in school as this could increase transmission of the virus.

 

Uniform Requirements

We will be insisting on normal uniform requirements from September. This includes black school shoes and P.E. kits. Uniforms do not need to be cleaned any more often than usual, nor do they need to be cleaned using methods which are different from normal.

 

Morning Break Snack

In order to eliminate queuing in the junior dining room and to reduce handling of money, trays, food etc, we will not be providing juice and toast for morning break. Children are able to bring in a morning snack. But NOT crisps, chocolate bars or sweets. Fruit, biscuits, toast, pancake, cereal bars are all acceptable.

 

 

Drinks Bottles

All children should bring a drinks bottle to school every day. This can be filled with water or squash. No fizzy drinks or energy drinks are allowed.

 

Lunch times

At lunchtime children from different year groups will not be allowed to enter the dining rooms until there is sufficient space to remain distanced from the other children in there and the tables have been wiped clean. While the weather is warm and dry, children that bring packed lunches will be encouraged to eat outside.  This will reduce congestion in the dining rooms.

 

Money in School

The only money that should be sent into school is dinner money. This should be in a named envelope, labelled clearly with your child’s name and ‘dinner money’.

 

Assemblies

Until the guidance changes, there will be no assemblies in the halls. They will take place in classrooms in year group bubbles.

 

Social Distancing and Delivering the Curriculum

We will operate in year group bubbles. By operating in year group bubbles we have the option to work across a year group, which enables us to be more effective and efficient with time and resources. For example, we can join for assemblies, split into groupings where this will help with delivering the curriculum (phonics groups, maths sets etc.) It also allows the logistics of play spaces and lunch time sittings to be implemented easier. We only have to find 7 spaces, not 14 and more children can go into the dining hall at any one time.

In line with government advice, children are not expected to socially distance within their bubble and they can share resources.

Adults in school will maintain their social distancing from others as much as possible.

 

Educational Visits/Visitors In

We will not be taking children on any educational visits during the autumn term. This will be reviewed as things change.

We will not be inviting any visitors into school during the autumn Term. We are keeping visitor numbers down to only those that are essential.

 

Breakfast Provision

The only extra-curricular provision that we will be providing in the autumn term will be our breakfast club. That provision and organisation will be risk assessed and children will have designated year group tables to sit at, in line with their bubbles.

You must contact school if you have previously had a place and wish to keep it. No new admissions will take place for the first 2 weeks while we set up the systems.

We will still be providing bagels for children on entry to school. These will be delivered to each classroom in a sandwich box at the beginning of the day for the children.

 

Pupil Well-being and Support

Pupils may be experiencing a variety of emotions in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, such as anxiety, stress or low mood. It is important that children know that these feelings are normal responses to an abnormal situation. Some may need support to re-adjust to school; others may have enjoyed being at home and be reluctant to return; a few may be showing signs of more severe anxiety or depression. Others will not be experiencing any challenges and will be keen and ready to return to school.

Please help to prepare your child for the return to school by talking positively to them about it during the summer and reassuring them that school is a safe and happy place to be.

Help to prepare them for early mornings by adjusting their bedtime routines towards the end of the holidays.  Children should have at least 8 hours sleep each night. This will mean they will not be tired on the first few days back and will mean a calmer more efficient morning routine at home.

If your child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2, please make sure they can dress themselves before the school term starts. This will help when preparing for P.E. lessons.

 

Saying Goodbye in the Mornings

Hopefully your child will come into school happy and eager.

If however, they are a little reluctant please be patient with them and leave them with the staff on the door as soon as you can. Prolonged goodbyes often make things worse.

Usually, staff would be able to hold your child’s hand or lead them in with an arm around the shoulder, however physical contact is limited as much as possible.  This does not mean that our staff will not be able to offer support and comfort to your child if they need it.

If you are concerned that you have left your child at school in an upset state, please feel free to phone school after about half an hour and we will check on them and let you know how they are.

Usually, within a few minutes of the parent leaving, children settle down to the school day.

 

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this information. We hope that it has answered all of your questions and also reassured you.

We very much look forward to welcoming everyone back to school in September and getting back to delivering high-quality learning to your children.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the school office and we will do our best to answer them.