Over the last week, we have been looking at how we will accommodate the Governments expectation to re-open our school on Monday 1st June 2020 for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 as well as continue to offer Emergency Childcare provision for those identified children and those children of Critical Key Workers.
As I am sure you are aware, we have to implement a whole series of measures in order to minimise the risk for staff and the returning children from Monday 1st June, modifying our practices and implementing new procedures.
I would like to begin by thanking our school staff for their hard-work and commitment to our school, as they have continued to provide support to their classes, our children and their families, over the last 9 weeks: working through their holidays and over weekends with no fuss. As we look to re-open the school, we have needed to ensure that our parents are well-informed and that our staff are supported to return to a safe working environment.
To that end, the Governors have decided that the school will close on Friday 22nd May 2020 for vulnerable pupils and the children of the critical key workers. This is to allow school staff the opportunity to prepare for the possible re-opening of the school for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, as well as prepare the home-learning resources for Years 2, 3, 4 and 5 for Monday 1st June 2020.
As this week is the scheduled May half-term, the teachers will not be setting work for the children to complete at home, nor do parents and children have to contact their teachers throughout this week. We would like to encourage all our children to have ‘a break’ from their school-work before ‘some’ return to school on Monday 1st June.
For those identified year groups: Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 if they return to school they should wear their full-school uniform, although girls have the option of wearing a summer dress with ankle socks and boys have the option to wear mid-grey tailored shorts, rather than trousers.
For this phase of school re-opening, children need only wear their indoor black shoes to and from school. They will not need to bring to school their ‘outdoor shoes’ e.g. trainers nor their PE kit. We would ask that these are kept at home until otherwise notified.
It is fair to say that the school may be re-opening on the 1st June, however, it will look and feel different for those children returning. Firstly, the children may not be returning to their classrooms or to their class teacher. As you probably realise, all our classes are over the 15 children limit that the government has imposed. Therefore, all our classes are being reorganised to accommodate this guidance. In real terms, we are creating what are deemed ‘class bubbles’, for those children that return.
Today, at 12.00pm, we will send out a Form to those parents of children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 on ParentmailPMX. The purpose of this form is to gauge how many children will return to school, on Monday 1st June and allow us the opportunity to re-group the children, in readiness for their return. Once these groups have been re-organised we will endeavour to inform parents of these new groupings.
I can also inform you, that our Breakfast Club will re-open on Monday 1st June and our new After School club will be launched to endeavour to support our families. Places will be limited due to the social distancing guidance and allocated on a first come first served basis.
The Booking will open at 4pm tonight for those families wishing to access that provision.
If parents use the Breakfast Club: children can be dropped off at school between 7.45am and 8.15am and will be cared for by the Breakfast Supervisors Mrs Rafferty and Mrs Hands. The After School Club will remain open from 3.15pm until 5.30pm. More information to follow this week.
To accommodate the children returning on the 1st June, we have needed to implement a series of changes to the start of the school day.
Firstly, we ask that only 1 parent accompanies their child/ren to school from 1st June 2020. Parents should accompany their child to school and wait with their child, at the designated entrance points to the school:
Reception Line up on the church path 8.45am – 9.00am
Year 6 Line up on the school’s path 8.45am – 9.00am
Year 1 Line up on the church path 9.00am – 915am
Keyworker children Main Entrance-Foyer 8.45am – 9.00am
There will be school staff on hand to advise parents each morning and to encourage the parents and children to observe and maintain the social distancing measures rather than waiting, as a group on the road and path outside the school gate.
Parents will be asked to remain and supervise their children until they are collected, 1 at a time from the entrance points, by a member of staff. This is to enable us to ensure that the children maintain, as much as possible, the social distancing measures in the school corridors, cloakrooms and classrooms.
Parents should not visit the school throughout the school day, unless pre-arranged and agreed by the school. The school office will re-open again on the 1st June however, e-mail continues to be the preferred method to contact the school.
Children should only bring to school a coat,
their book bag, lunchbox and water bottle.
Once children are in school, it is again fair to say, that the way the classrooms are organised will also be different for the children. Each classroom has been re-organised to accommodate the social distance measures e.g. tables have been moved apart, children will not be allowed to work in groups or with other children. They will need to work from their allocated seat and table.
To support them, the children will be given their own equipment e.g. pencil, ruler and rubber which will remain at their place for their use only, while working.
Once children are in school and have washed their hands, they will go into the classroom for their new ‘class bubble.’ Each child will sit in their designated place in the classroom, where they will engage within the learning for the day. The teachers in school will follow the Home Learning Curriculum which has been set, following the school’s curriculum, on the class pages of the school website as to not disadvantage those year groups who are not allowed to return to school yet.
The school day will feel a little different at first. There will be allocated opportunities for the children to use our outdoor spaces either as part of play or to work, within their ‘class bubbles’. The Government have advised that ‘class bubbles’ do not interact with each other, as far as possible, therefore children will not be able to play with other children from other ‘class bubbles.’
To further minimise movement around the school and contact between the children we will not be using the hall for Collective Worship or lunch. Children should bring a packed lunch from home which will be eaten in their classroom.
For those children in:
For those who have ordered Food Boxes, they will be delivered on Tuesday 19th May 2020. You will be able to collect them between 12.30pm and 4.00pm.
As the school is due to re-open on Monday 1st June, we will not continue to organise Food Boxes for those children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 as part of the UIFSM.
Therefore, Tuesday 19th May will be the last opportunity to collect a pre-ordered Free school Food Box. However, we will continue to support those vulnerable FSM families and children after the 1st June 2020 and will advise on the new arrangements as soon as they are confirmed.
We are currently reviewing the end of the school day collection arrangements for those children in school, from 1st June. We will advise of those, later this week. However, please note that TAXIs would not be allowed on school site during this period as this mode of travel does not comply with the Governments guidance.
I understand that our parents may have concerns about their child/ren returning to school on Monday 1st June. All I can do is reassure you that we are following the Government’s guidance very closely, modifying our school’s systems and procedures, as recommended.
Finally, please can I ask that you:
I hope to see many of our Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children return to school, from Monday 1st June, if the school re-opens. Please could you discuss the content of this letter and the changes to school with your child/ren before they return.
I will continue to keep you up to date and will write to you tomorrow with further updates.
Stay safe.