On Monday, I wrote to you with an explanation of how we will accommodate the Governments expectation to possibly 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.
I am pleased to say that 64 of our Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils will be returning to school on Monday 1st June, alongside between 8-15 critical key worker’s children, each day.
If you have decided not to send your child to school on Monday 1st June, I need to ask you to contact the school on Monday 1st June and to report your child’s absence, as you would normally do. As and when your child/ren returns to school, please notify the school office prior to their return so we can make the necessary arrangements.
A reminder of the key points for all pupils who return to school on Monday 1st June:
It is fair to say that it will be difficult to enforce all the social distancing measures within our primary school, particularly for those pupils in Reception and Year 1.
The Government have acknowledged this and stated:
We know that, unlike older children and adults, early years and primary age children cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and staff. In deciding to bring more children back to early years and schools, we are taking this into account. Schools should therefore work through the hierarchy of measures set out above:
It is still important to reduce contact between people as much as possible, and we can achieve that and reduce transmission risk by ensuring children, young people and staff where possible, only mix in a small, consistent group and that small group stays away from other people and groups.
As I described on Monday, all our classes are being reorganised to accommodate the children’s return. In real terms, we are creating what are deemed ‘class bubbles’, for those children that return to minimise contact between other ‘bubbles.’
On Friday 22nd May, I will endeavour to inform each of the Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 parents of their child’s new ‘class bubble’ teacher, as well as the teacher who will be responsible for the Emergency Childcare provision for those vulnerable pupils and those children of the critical key workers; so you know who your child will be with when they return to school. Please feel free to share this with your child.
Therefore, by adopting the above principles: avoiding symptomatic people, regular sustained hand washing, adapting our cleaning routines and minimising contact and social mixing between ‘class bubbles’ we can do all that is being asked of us.
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, this has been a considered decision on behalf of the Government to look to possibly re-open schools on 1st June, as long as there is no change to the COVID-19 emergency and the Government recommended measures have been implemented in schools.
On Monday, I also began to describe the drop off arrangements we would be adopting on the 1st June for all returning pupils:
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:
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.
At the end of the day, we would ask that parents again line up, in the designated areas-socially distancing. Collection times are:
Staff will be on hand again to greet you and to collect your child/ren for you. Please be mindful that ‘school drop off’ and collection will take slightly longer than normal, during this period. I would ask for your patience and understanding as we implement these new arrangements.
As the school is due to re-open on Monday 1st June, those:
The order forms for Ideal opened yesterday-Tuesday 19th May and will close at
Midnight on Sunday 24th May.
I am also pleased to confirm that the Food Boxes will continue to be provided for those families in receipt of FSM. A ParentmailPMX form will be sent to those families to pre-order a Food Box for the week beginning the 1st June.
Can you help? When the school re-opens on the 1st June, we are looking to borrow approximately 30 ‘traffic cones’ or plain cones/bollards to help demarcate the social distance guidance along both the school paths and the Church path.
For those of you who have been coming to school, I have been using chalk to ‘mark out’ the measures. I was hoping to source a solution that didn’t require ‘chalking’ lines onto the paths, perhaps daily. If you think you might be able to loan the school 30 cones then please email: enquiries@barrowby.lincs.sch.uk. Thank you for your support-fingers crossed.
For those children who will remain at home, we will continue to provide a host of Home Learning resources which match our school curriculum and are available on the Class Pages.
This week the children can look forward to learning about:
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The teachers have created NEW Curriculum Videos to support children with the weekly bites:
To celebrate National Scavenger Hunt Day which is on Sunday May 24th, the Key Stage 2 staff have taken part in a fun virtual scavenger hunt! CLICK HERE
NEW this week:
Collective Worship
Use the link below to access FREE resources designed to support parents deal with the 'big questions' in delivering home-based acts of worship:
In addition, you might also want to use the following videos as part of quiet reflection, at home:
For this competition your pupils will need to complete 4 cricket skills challenges – Batting, Catching, Throwing, Bowling (see the instruction videos in the pack attached). Ask someone to video you completing the challenges and have a go as many times as you wish and record your best scores.
Ask a parent/guardian to:
You have two weeks to submit your entry from 11th May onwards until Friday 22nd May. The best scores from each SGO area will be selected for a county final event. Good luck!
Finally, please can I ask that if your child is returning to school on Monday 1st June:
I look forward to welcoming ‘back to school’ many of our Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, from Monday 1st June, if the school re-opens.
I will continue to keep you up to date.
Stay safe.