September 2020 - information for parents
We are very much looking forward to welcoming all our Redlands children back to school on Thursday 3rd September. Thank you for being so supportive and understanding during this time.
We know most children will take returning to school in their stride but are also aware a small number of children (and parents) will need extra reassurance and we will do our utmost to provide this. We hope that this guide will be useful in answering some of the questions that you may have about how school will be organised.
Our risk assessments have been reviewed and will continue to be reviewed. There will be an initial emphasis on emotional well-being and settling in activities at the start of the term to allow children to get to know their teaching staff and settle back into school routines. If need be, the curriculum will be modified based on the teachers’ assessments of what the children need after this break in their education.
All guidance is based on government advice at the time of writing, but the situation will remain fluid and may require tweaks.
Timings for start and end of the day
Breakfast and After School Club
The government states that the flexibility shown during lockdown now has to give way to ‘business as usual’ regarding school attendance. All children should attend school daily and on time unless they are unwell. It is your responsibility to contact the school office to inform us of any absences. Pupils who are self-isolating will be offered access to remote education. Where children are not able to attend school as parents are following clinical and/or public health advice, absence will not be penalised. We understand some pupils may be anxious about returning and we will help and support them.
We accept that some pupils will be feeling anxious about coming back to school and may struggle, at first, to settle back into routines. We will be understanding and help them to feel secure and safe, offering our usual rewards, motivation and encouragement. We are delighted with the way Years R, 1 and 6 settled back in with no trouble at all.
Any challenging behaviour which requires physical restraint, or any behaviour which does not comply with our safety and hygiene measures, will not be tolerated. Parents will be informed immediately so that options can be discussed.
The children will be in 4 Year group ‘bubbles’; that is Year R, Year 1/2 Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 - this means that children in each ‘bubble’ can mix, but not across other bubbles. Government guidance states that staff, however, can cross bubbles for the purpose of cover or interventions. Adults will be socially distancing from each other and, where this is possible, from the children. The government guidance states, ‘It is likely that for younger children the emphasis will be on separating groups, and for older children it will be on distancing. For children old enough, they should also be supported to maintain distance and not touch staff where possible.’
Staggered timings for the start and end of the school day:
In order for us to implement government guidance and minimise numbers of people on site at any one time, please arrive at school at the allotted time. Mr Harcombe / Mrs Holmes will be on the playground from 8:40 daily. Maximum one adult per family on site at drop off and pick up, please. Try to maintain social distancing and leave the site promptly
|
Year R Class 1 Class 2 |
8.50-3.05 9.00-3.15 |
Enter at the Year R entrance |
|
Year 1/2 |
9.00-3.15 |
Line up on the upper playground. |
|
Year 3/4 |
8.50-3.05 |
Straight into class, teachers will greet the children at classroom doors |
|
Year 5/6 |
8.40-3.00 |
Straight into class, teachers will greet the children at classroom doors |
If these timings do not work in practice we will be obliged to change them, but will give you as much notice as possible. Where you have children in different year group bubbles there is no perfect solution so, at the moment, we have to ask you to simply wait.
Do the children have to wear school uniform?
Yes. We will return to our usual policy for uniform, including ties for Year 5/6 (Year 5 will be given their ties on the first day back).
Does my child need clean uniform every day?
No - the government guidance says: ‘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.’ This is a decision for individual parents.
Hairstyles
I’ve seen a couple of children in school with haircuts that would look great on holiday or in a boy band, but which are a bit too fancy for everyday school. I’ve let this go during lockdown but from September normal rules will apply. Please stick to a more conventional style as I will nag individual parents and children if you don’t.
Frequent handwashing/sanitising routines will continue:
- On arrival at school
- Before and after break/lunchtime
- Before eating
- After using the toilet.
Hand sanitiser will be available in all classrooms and corridors. Catch it, bin it kill it advice remains in place as regards tissues.
All rooms will be well ventilated and all doors will be propped open throughout the school to ensure no need to touch handles. This is with the exception of toilets.
Toilet routines
Children will be able to use the toilet as and when they need to but staff will monitor the numbers going (only two in the toilet area at a time) and hand washing must take place afterwards.
What can children bring to school?
The fewer things children take between school and home the better, but they may need most of the following:
- Lunchboxes
- Water bottles
- Coats – we will be getting outside as much as possible and in all weathers.
- Glasses if needed
- Sunhats / sun cream if needed
- Reading books and reading records
- Homework books/folders
- No pencil cases, please. School will provide basic equipment.
- No big bags please
Library books and reading books can go home. Each class will have a book swap day and books will be ‘quarantined’ before going back on the shelves. Children will wash their hands before and after choosing books.
In class, the Department for Education recommends children sit side by side rather than facing each other. Children will be in rows facing the front, 2 per desk. Classes 3 to 11 will look something like this:
- Children will have their own pack of basic equipment- pencil, pen, colouring pencils and rulers all of which will remain in school. They should not share. Resources and equipment which will be shared across the bubble will be regularly cleaned.
- Children will be using exercise books as usual and teachers will be marking children’s work as usual.
- The year group bubbles mean that we will be able to set (ability group) across year groups, for some sessions e.g. phonics, maths.
PE will only take place outdoors to begin with. Children should wear their PE kit on the days they have PE rather than school uniform. This will avoid the need to have PE kits traveling between home and school and for changing to take place in school with need for adult assistance in the younger years. School uniform should be worn on all other days. As there will not be any indoor PE, classes will make the most of good weather to get outside and complete daily physical activity. Please make sure that your child has suitable PE kit and trainers / plimsolls. Children will be encouraged to be active at playtimes and lunchtimes as PE time may be impacted by poor weather, though we will continue to go outside if it is only raining lightly.
Assemblies and clubs cannot take place at this time, but we will look into having ‘bubble’ assemblies towards half-term.
Singing is not allowed – and, frankly, we are gutted about this!
Break times will be staggered and the children will be able to mix within their year group bubbles only.
Snacks and Tuck will not be available for now.
- The School fruit scheme for classes 1 to 5 was suspended during Lockdown - we are waiting on an update on this.
- You may provide your child with fruit or another healthy snack, if you wish.
Lunchtimes will be staggered for different bubbles. To begin with children with packed lunches will eat in their classrooms (or outside in fine weather)
Children having school lunch will eat in the hall in their year group bubbles. The children will be served their meals rather than queuing up, canteen-style.
No visitors will be allowed into the school building except for staff, emergency maintenance or child welfare. If you need to speak with a member of the office staff please call or email.
Reading heroes and other volunteers will not be in school to begin with.
Payments for lunches and other things
Any payments to the school office should be made through Scopay. This can be accessed through the school website. This avoids office staff having to handle cash which can be a means of spreading coronavirus. Please contact the school office if you need any help with this.
Breakfast and after-school care: TJ’s Club will reopen and fit in with our staggered start and finish times. Please see their website for full details.
Contact school immediately if your child or anyone in your household develops Covid-19 symptoms. Children and staff must not come into school if they are displaying COVID symptoms or have tested positive in the last 7 days. They must engage with the NHS Test and Trace programme.
If anyone in the school becomes unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, or has a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia), they must be sent home and advised to follow ‘stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection’, which sets out that they must self-isolate for at least 7 days and should arrange to have a test to see if they have coronavirus (COVID-19). Other members of their household (including any siblings) should self-isolate for 14 days from when the symptomatic person first had symptoms.
Please also contact us if you need reassuring on any of the above points.
And finally…
… we are really looking forward to seeing you all on September 3. Keep talking to us and we’ll do likewise as together we can make this work for everyone. If at any stage you think we can do things better, please let us know and we’ll listen to all suggestions, though, as ever, the final decision is mine. Stay safe.
Yours sincerely,
With best wishes,
Kevin Harcombe