Coronavirus - School Reopening Arrangements
Coronavirus (COVID-19): School reopening arrangements letter to parents
RE: Arrangements for school reopening
Dear Parents and Carers
I would like to begin by offering a huge ‘thank you’ for supporting the school over recent weeks and for supporting your child with their home learning. As you will be aware, the government has announced that so long as they are satisfied that it will be safe enough to do so, schools may reopen from 1st June 2020 for:
- Reception
- Year 1
- Year 6
As you are probably aware, schools are waiting for the Government’s final decision on Thursday 28th May. However, in the meantime, this is our plan, should targets be met. We will confirm whether we can go ahead with this plan after the Government’s announcement.
Our School will only reopen for some or all of the year groups named above if we feel that we can manage this safely.
I am therefore writing to share with you the arrangements we have implemented to ensure the safety of all staff, pupils and parents. These arrangements have been put into place following a full risk assessment process and are in line with guidance from the Department for Education. We will continue to review the arrangements we have implemented and update you with any changes as and when we make them.
Staggered Start: opening dates for different year groups
In order to ensure arrangements are as safe and secure as possible we will be operating a staggered start for different year groups.
The school will be open to the different year groups on the following dates:
- Reception: The school will not be open for these pupils until further notice
- Year 1: The school will not be open for these pupils until further notice
- Y2,Y3,Y4 and Y5: The school will not be open for these pupils until further notice
- Children of Critical Workers and Vulnerable pupils: Tuesday 2nd June the school will be open for these pupils
- Year 6: Wednesday 3rd June the school will be open for these pupils
We may invite additional year groups to attend the school at a future date.
Remote learning will continue to be provided for all pupils not in school using Google Classroom. If you experience any problems accessing Google Classroom, please contact your child’s teacher via Class DoJo.
As with all other arrangements, we will keep
this under constant review and we will not open the school to any other year groups unless we are satisfied that it is safe to do so.
Our school will also continue to facilitate care for:
- Children of critical workers
- Vulnerable pupils: those with a EHCP, with a Social Worker, or those with vulnerability to whom the school have decided to offer a childcare place.
We recognise that some of you may have some concerns about your child returning to school and that for some children another change will be unsettling for them. We also understand that the past weeks will have been challenging for many families. If you would like to talk to us about your child and any concerns you have about their return to school, please – in the first instance – contact Ms Francis and Mrs Addo at admin@st-lukes-primary.lambeth.sch.uk
If your child has an EHC plan please contact the school Inclusion Manager, Ms Baker at admin@st-lukes-primary.lambeth.sch.uk who will support you and your child with their return to school.
Inset Day
In order for us to ensure that we are fully ready for the return of pupils we will be closed for an INSET day on Monday 1st June 2020. This will enable us to provide staff training and ensure all arrangements to keep children safe are properly finalised.
School staff
As the school opens to Y6, key staff will be available in school. These include Mrs Bryan-Whyte, Head of School, Ms Francis, Deputy Headteacher and Mrs Addo, Lead Teaching and Learning. Additional support staff will also be in school.
Maintaining a safe school environment
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the preventative measures the school has put in place in order to minimise the spread of infection.
As per the advice from the government, the following actions for infection control remain in place:
- Displaying coronavirus infection control measures information posters around the school
- Encouraging and monitoring good hygiene by promoting the importance of handwashing for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap in the following circumstances:
- Before leaving home
- On arrival at school
- After using the toilet
- After breaks and sporting activities
- Before food preparation
- Before eating any food, including snacks
- Before leaving school
- At regular intervals throughout the day
- Mobile alcohol-based hand sanitiser dispensers that contain at least 60 percent alcohol throughout the school
- Ensuring pupils and staff understand that they must cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue away
- Ensuring frequently touched objects and surfaces are cleaned and disinfected more regularly than usual
- Calling NHS 111 if someone becomes unwell, isolating any unwell people in a separate room, and providing a separate bathroom, where possible
- Telling staff to stay at home for seven days if they develop symptoms of coronavirus
- Providing staff training on PPE, rubbish disposal, mental health and well-being
- Staff completed CPD for Hygiene and maintenance
- Signage around the school and block the sidewalk directly outside the school gate.
- Reduced pupil groups to create smaller bubbles (8-10 pupils)
- Reduce access to some playground equipment
- Perspex face shields for staff carrying out first aid or looking after children who are showing symptoms and are awaiting collections.
- Clear communication with parents to inform them of procedures and protocols in school and expectations for visitors.
As an important part of our school community, I would ask that you continue to encourage good infection control practices, such as thorough handwashing, at home and keep your child informed about the things they can do to discourage the spread of infection.
In line with the current NHS and government advice, you should keep your child at home if they develop coronavirus symptoms for a period of seven days. Symptoms include a high temperature or a new, continuous cough. Where symptoms continue after seven days, or begin to worsen, you should call 111. If someone in your child’s household has symptoms, your child must self-isolate for 14 days from the day the other person’s symptoms started. This is because it can take 14 days for symptoms to appear. More information regarding symptoms and actions can be found on the NHS website: (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/).
If you think your child may have been exposed to or has coronavirus, or if your child receives a positive test result for coronavirus, please contact the school on 0207 274 4847 at the earliest opportunity.
Arrangements for the start and end of the school day
The beginning and end of the school day are the busiest times for children and adults congregating together in one place and maintaining safe distances within normal arrangements can be a challenge. We have implemented the following measures for when pupils return to school:
- SLT will be available to support and monitor at the start of the school day and for leaving at the end of the day.
- Parents will not be permitted on site except in the case of an emergency.
- Clear signage and posters displayed to support learners and families (Includes advice for social distancing when entering and leaving the school grounds).
- We ask that all adults dropping or collecting their children stick to the 2-metre rule. Please keep your children with you until you have dropped them off. We will mark out spaces where we would like you to wait.
Arrangements for break times and lunchtimes
We recognise the importance for all pupils to have a break from learning and to enjoy time outside during the school day. Reconnecting with friends will be an important aspect of pupils settling back into school life, but we have made some adjustments to break and lunch times.
- Staggered break times and lunchtimes
- zoned areas of the playground to ensure social distancing
- Caterlink will continue to provide cooked meals and only children in the pupil bubbles of 8-10 will be in the hall for each sitting. Bagged resources assigned to each pupil bubble i.e Footballs, skipping ropes and other outdoor equipment to avoid cross contamination.
The school day
To minimise the number of pupils and staff assembling for periods of time, we have made the following changes to the school day:
- Cancelled whole school assemblies - pupils to take part in reflection in classroom bubbles.
- The focus will be on a partially formal curriculum. There will also be a focus around recovery and transition for Year 6. On their return, the children will be following the work on the learning platform, just like the children learning at home.
- Staggered transition times
Support for pupils and families
We do not underestimate how difficult the recent weeks have been for us all and we all will have been touched in some way by the coronavirus pandemic. We recognise the need to focus on pupils’ emotional wellbeing as well as their return to learning. The following support is in place for pupils once they return to school.
- Pastoral support for pupils on their return to school, including support for pupils who have experienced bereavement and loss – please contact Ms Michelle Baker, Inclusion Manager.
- Our first priority continues is the well-being of the children, and helping them to settle back into school life as smoothly as possible.
- The focus also will be on supporting transition and wellbeing.
Parents may wish to seek support for themselves from the following support agencies:
- Samaritans – call free 24 hours a day on 116 123
- National Domestic Abuse Helpline – call for free and confidential advice, 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247
- SHELTER provides free confidential information, support and legal advice on all housing and homelessness issues if you call 0330 0536 083 (please note, this is not a free phone number and your call will be charged). A free web chat is available at https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help/webchat
We are very much looking forward to seeing many of our children once again, but I would like to reassure you that the safety of our school community is our priority. I hope that these arrangements provide you with the information you need to support your child to return to school.
Yours sincerely,
Nicky Zeronian-Dalley
Executive Headteacher
/docs/News/Coronareopening21052020StL.pdf
