Staggered starts 24/09/2020
Dear Parents & Carers,
I would like to begin by offering a huge ‘thank you’ for continuing to support the school during the past six months. As per our letter dated 28th August 2020, we wrote that we have updated the School Risk Assessment (available on the school website) to reflect the changes in September and, as part of our risk assessment, we are required to continue to address health and safety concerns and reduce risks for our learners and staff.
The collection procedure has been trialled and reviewed. Moving forward we have considered the aspects that are effective and the areas that can be improved upon to aid social distancing. Although the start of the school day is working well, we are aware that the collection of pupils through one entrance point has proven challenging.
Taking this into consideration, as of from Monday 28th September 2020, we will implement the following changes:
EYFS (Reception) and KS1 (Year 1 and Year 2)
Start time: 8.30am
Finish time: 2.45pm
KS2 (Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6)
Remains the same:
Start time: 8.45am
Finish time: 3.00pm
This staggered time will alleviate congestion and support the safe collection of all learners.
In order for this to be most effective, we require all parents waiting to:
- observe social distancing and keep themselves 2 metres apart from other households when queuing and are patient whilst we ensure that your child/children are handed over to you.
- arrive promptly to collect their children for 2.45pm (EYFS and KS1)
- not to arrive before 2.55pm if collecting your child at 3pm (KS2)
- collect younger siblings (EYFS and KS1) at 2.45pm and wait outside until 3pm to collect their older children if they are in KS2. Whilst waiting with your younger child, please be aware of social distancing and move to a safer position on the public footpath, across the road.
- please leave the collection point once they have collected their child to allow other parents to be seen by the teachers
- ensure that only one adult accompanies their child/children to school
- arrive on time to collect your child as there will not be any facilities for late collections.
Other arrangements
- Older pupils that usually collect their young siblings and then walk unaccompanied without an adult will leave school at 3pm together with their siblings.
- Members of the Senior Leadership Team will see you, acknowledge you and arrange for your children to be brought to the gate to be collected by you.
- We have noticed that some children are regularly arriving late to school. The school is monitoring punctuality and the data is also monitored by the local authority. Please ensure that you give yourself enough time to arrive at school promptly.
- Parents are not permitted to enter the school premises at the present time due to social distancing.
Emergency School Streets
As you are aware, Linton Grove has restricted vehicle access at the junctions of Elder Road and Basil Gardens between the hours of 7.45am to 9.15am and 2.15pm to 3.45pm during term time. Parents are NOT able to access Linton Grove to drop off or pick up children in a vehicle during these times. This is to aid parents and families to social distance, as well as making the journey to school safer for pupils. It is lovely to see children travelling to school by walking, cycling or scooting.
As you are aware, the Lambeth Emergency School Streets scheme is a trial. At the moment, we are unable to stop vehicles driving through if they really insist on doing so please be careful if you are standing in the road.
Lambeth is looking for feedback and we would encourage parents and carers to provide this via the link https://lambethemergencyschoolstreets.commonplace.is/ We have nine comments already so thank you to those parents. Please remember the questionnaire is for Lambeth and not for the school and is available for others to read.
Breakfast Club is via invitation only. Those children who are invited were sent an email at the beginning of term.
After School provision is from 2.45pm for EYFS and KS1 children and 3pm for pupils in KS2. Collection is 5.30pm. If you wish your child to attend the after school club, please book in the session at www.premier-education.com. Children cannot attend without the booking being made on-line. Payment will also need to be made to Premier Education directly. All queries should be directed to Ade Osilowo, Regional Director on 07904 393 711.
Attendance
The school has a very clear plan about the management of a child or staff member displaying symptoms and the implications for the school, staff, pupils and premises. This has been developed in line with Public Health England (PHE) and Government guidance.
If your child shows any symptoms of Covid-19 (a new, continuous cough or a high temperature or a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell) do not send them to school. You should arrange a test online. You must notify the school if the test is positive.
If you develop these symptoms, however mild, or you have received a positive coronavirus test result, then you should immediately self-isolate and stay at home for at least 10 days from when your symptoms started. Members of your household, including siblings, should self-isolate for 14 days from when the symptomatic person first had symptoms.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
If your child has a cold, they will still be expected to be in school.
If your child has diarrhoea, sickness or chickenpox etc, they should not be in school.
If your child or a staff member does present with symptoms whilst in school:
- the school has an identified isolation room for pupils waiting to be collected by parents
- parents of children within the ‘bubble’ will be informed if there is a positive test of COVID-19 within that ‘bubble’.
- if a child or a member of staff in a ‘bubble’ tests positive for COVID-19, all staff and children within the ‘bubble’ will be sent home for 14 days.
Please ensure that your contact details are correct on Arbor so that we can contact you. If you are not allowed your mobile at work, please ensure that we have your work telephone number. Please update your details as necessary on Arbor.
The school will be working closely with the school nurse team and the Educational Welfare Officer to support pupils to attend school.
The usual safeguarding attendance procedure will be adhered to including contacting parents if a child is not in school without a reason and a referral to the Educational Welfare Officer if a child is missing education (absent for at least five days without parental contact or ten days absence from school with parental contact, unless isolating) or attendance is a concern.
Arbor
A few parents are still having issues assessing Arbor. The main reasons are that your email address is incorrect on our system and therefore you are not receiving the link email or that your link has expired. Please email the office with your email address and ask for a confirmation email to be resent.
Thank you for understanding in this matter. I would like to wish you all the very best during these uniquely challenging times.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Nicky Zeronian-Dalley
Executive Headteacher
