Dear Parents and carers,
As you will be aware from the 8th June we will be re-opening to more children, with some year 1 and 6 children starting back at school. These children will be in the infant and junior building.
We have been instructed by the government that these children should be in groups or 'bubbles' with allocated staff to the bubble. These 'bubbles' are not allowed to mix with any other people in school, to try to minimise the amount of contact everyone is having. The Government are updating guidance on safe practice daily and we are following this.
With this in mind and due to an increase in the amount of key worker and vulnerable children we have in school, we need to make some changes to the routines and practice with the key worker / vulnerable group - known as 'KEY WORKER' group. We also want to move more towards some 'schooling' rather than the child care we have been providing. We cannot create such tight bubbles like the Y1 and 6 as children are only in some days / times of the day and this changes from week to week, but we have moved towards this by grouping them.
So, the changes from Monday 8th June:
- the children will be split into age groups (Nursery and Reception together, Year 1 and 2 together, Year 3 and 4 together, Year 5 and 6 together)
- each age group will be in their own classroom within the reception building or nursery building (Nurs and Rec in the Nursery unit), Y1 & 2 in Mr Woods classroom (right), Y2 & 3 in Miss Earl's classroom (middle), Y5 and 6 in Miss Card's classroom (left)
- each group will have an allocated outdoor space
- Breakfast club will continue for key worker children only in Miss Earl's classroom in the reception building (they will then be directed to their room at 9am)
- All Nursery and Reception children arriving after 9am should now use the main nursery door to enter and exit
- All Y1 - 6 children arriving after 9am to continue to use main reception door, keep 2 metres apart whilst we bring them in
- Please continue to use us only when you need us because you are working
- Continue to drop off and collect to fit your work pattern (this will keep the amount of children reduced and stagger drop off and collection)
- The back gate from the junior car park will now be locked again to ensure security for the Year 1 children. We need this group of children to please now come and go past the main infant entrance (to the left of the car park), go round the side of the building past the bins and bike shed and the infant kitchen to the reception and nursery building. There is a gate there which will be open until 9.10am then locked, open again at 3pm. It will have the DOORBELL on it, in between the hours of 9.10am and 3pm please push the bell to ring several times to get the attention of staff in the reception building. It is basically go left round the end of the school to the back, some of you will have used this entrance previously. There will be signs up to help saying 'KEY WORKER GROUP' so follow these.
- This group of children need to continue to bring their own packed lunch and water bottle. They should not bring anything else to school (no teddies, snuggles, own toys, etc please).
- Please ensure you child has sun cream on in the morning and a sun hat as we will continue to use the outside space as much as possible.
- The children will continue to be encouraged to keep 2 metre distance from each other and staff, tables have been set out like this to help them.
- The children (particularly the older ones) will be taught more formally, but there will still be plenty of choosing and play activities. This is why we have created the age groups to help with this
- The children have their own pack of resources (including crayons, scissors, pens, etc)
- Parents must still not enter the school building, continue to email me with any queries or telephone the school
- Children will continue to wash their hands regularly, as they enter the building and hourly throughout the day, before and after they eat
- If children fall over or have a toileting accident they will be encouraged to change themselves and clean their scrape or cut. We have sourced PPE (following the Covid 19 guidance for Educational Settings) which is for use only for staff protection should a child vomit, not for trips, falls or scrapes. If it is not possible for the child to clean themselves in the event of an accident, the parent will be called to collect them so they can do that at home.
- Children are still to come in non-uniform, their clothes should be clean each day
- Finally, please can you continue to keep to the 2 metre social distancing when dropping and picking up your children from school. Use the route for this group (do not go through the infant playground). There will be more parents and children on the school grounds, we have staggered start and finish times to alleviate this.
I thank you again for your support and bearing with all the changes as the guidance from the government gets updated. If you have any queries, please email me by pressing reply.
Best wishes
Anna Cvijetic