Primary Re-Opening 8th March 2021
Dear Parents/Carers,
I am delighted to be able to share with you our plans for welcoming all pupils back into school from Monday 8th March, following the Prime Minister’s announcement last week.
All primary pupils will return to school on Monday 8th March and we cannot wait to welcome them all back. We understand that some parents, may have some anxiety about their children returning to school. I want to assure you that, as ever, the safety and well-being of your children and our staff remains our priority.
Many of the previous measures in place through the autumn term will still be in operation when your child returns to school. Some of these measures are outlined below:
Measures for arriving at and leaving school
In line with government guidance and as is necessary to maximise social distancing, we will need to continue to operate staggered start and finish times.
Reception: start of the day 8:30am, End of the day 2:55pm
Year 1: start of the day 8:35am, End of the day 3:00pm
Year 2: start of the day 8:35am, End of the day 3:00pm
Year 3: start of the day 8:40am, End of the day 3:05pm
Year 4: start of the day 8:40am, End of the day 3:05pm
Year 5: start of the day 8:45am, End of the day 3:10pm
Year 6: start of the day 8:30am, End of the day 2:55pm (using the secondary gate and entrance)
During the morning drop off, we will have all siblings arrive at the earliest start time. I would advise wherever possible that parents should drop the pupils off at the top gate and allow children to make their own way into classrooms. There are staff on duty at various points outside and inside of the building who will oversee that all pupils are in classrooms promptly. As previously communicated, if for whatever reason a parent needs to speak to a staff member this should be done via an appointment system.
Measures within the classroom
In order to reduce the risk of transmission, pupils will continue to be grouped in bubbles. Pupils will stay in their class groups for the majority of the time but some year groups may mix for targeted interventions or phonics sessions. Classroom based resources, such as books and I-pads, will be used and shared within the bubble; these will be cleaned regularly, along with all frequently touched surfaces. Resources that are shared between classes or bubbles, such as sports, art and science equipment will be cleaned frequently.
Measures during morning and lunch break
All pupils will have a mid-morning comfort break which will allow them to have their fruit, milk or healthy snack. Pupils will stay inside classrooms during this time. Lunch time will be staggered by year group to minimise contact between other year groups. The duration of lunch break will be thirty minutes to allow for this staggered approach. Normal dining services will be available and all children in receipt of free school meals will receive their entitlement.
Measures elsewhere
As part of the reopening process our updated our risk assessment will be published on our school website.
Primary pupils do not have to wear face coverings. All parents visiting the school site should wear a face covering (unless exempt for medical reasons). Parents will be challenged by staff if anyone fails to wear a mask. As in the autumn term, all pupils will be reminded of regular and thorough handwashing and hand cleaning. Pupils will be encouraged to use the hand sanitisers inside classrooms and in areas such as the dining hall.
In line with the risk assessment, we will have enhanced cleaning schedule including more frequent cleaning of rooms or shared areas that are used by different groups.
Coronavirus lateral flow device (LFD)
Primary age pupils will not be tested with LFDs. However, primary staff will continue to test with LFDs twice a week at home as per existing guidance on testing.
Management confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) amongst the school community
We will take swift action if we become aware that someone who has attended school has tested positive for coronavirus. We will contact the local health protection team. This team will also contact us directly if they become aware that someone who has tested positive for coronavirus (attended the school – as identified by NHS Test and Trace).
The health protection team in school will carry out a rapid risk assessment to confirm who has been in close contact with the person during the period that they were infectious, and ensure they are asked to self-isolate.
We will keep a confidential and secure record of pupils and staff who test positive and any close contact that takes places between children and staff in different groups.
Curriculum expectations
We will continue to teach an ambitious and broad curriculum but make use of existing flexibilities to create time to cover the most important missed content. Curriculum planning will be informed by an assessment of pupils’ starting points and addressing the gaps in their knowledge and skills, in particular making effective use of regular formative assessment. Subjects such as Music and PE will continue but swimming sessions will not take place in primary until we receive further guidance.
Attendance expectations
From the 8th March, attendance will be mandatory as the government expects all pupils to attend school. The usual rules will apply, meaning we will be recording attendance and following up on any absences.
In line with the latest government guidance, pupils who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) should not attend school. If your child is in this group, they should continue to learn from home until further notice. It is important that you notify the school if your child is classed as CEV, as we will ensure that we offer the support we can and of course that your child can continue their education remotely. If a pupil has received a letter for shielding it is important that parent/carer notify us and provide us a copy of the letter for our files. Please contact our enquiry email for communication.
For pupils who are self-isolating or shielding we will continue to set work on the existing learning platforms used by your child.
Further information can be found here:
School uniform
All pupils will be expected to wear the full uniform. On the days, when pupils are timetabled to have P.E. they should wear their P.E. kit to school and will remain in their kit for the duration of the day.
Extra-curricular provision
We are working towards having our Breakfast Club and some after school clubs in operation over the next few weeks. We will keep you updated on the progress of this.
Devices loaned (laptops or tablets) to pupils and families
Those families who have been loaned a device from school will keep the device for now in case any pupil needs to self-isolate and/or work remotely during this time. Families will be notified of a date and a time when they will hand back the loaned devices back.
Finally, the link below will take you to the full guidance produced for parents and carers at this time:
We will continue to keep in touch if we update our re-opening plans or if we need to make changes due to new government guidance.
May I take this opportunity to thank you all for your support for what we would all agree has been a challenging period. However, despite this our school community has remained resilient and worked collaboratively to ensure our children remain as our priority.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Dosanjh
Head of School Primary