Key Information for Reopening September 2020
Tewkesbury C of E Primary School Plan for return of all Children in September 2020 Earlier in July the Department for Education (DfE) released guidance to schools regarding the return to school for all pupils from September 2020:
Guidance for full opening: schools
We agree that returning to school is vital for children’s education and for their wellbeing. As a school we are following the Government’s guidance as much as is possible whilst making it relevant to our setting and circumstances. The Government states that the risk to children themselves of becoming severely ill from coronavirus (COVID-19) is very low and that there are negative health impacts of being out of school. The Government also recognises that school closure has had an impact upon parents’ ability to work and that in order for the economy to begin to recover we need to remove this barrier so parents and carers can return to work.
Whilst the Government’s aim is to have all pupils back at school in the autumn, it recognises that every school will also need to plan for the possibility of a local lockdown and how they will ensure continuity of education. We will continue to make contingency plans to reintroduce remote education should the need arise in the future.
The Government continues to recognise that primary children, particularly younger children, will not be able to maintain social distancing, and it is therefore acceptable for them not to distance within their group. Rather than relying on social distancing, the aim from September is therefore to limit the points at which the infection could be spread by implementing an expansion of the ‘bubble’ approach already used.
Public Health England (PHE) have set the following system of controls:
Prevention
- Minimise contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do not attend school.
- Ensure children and adults in school wash their hands thoroughly more often than usual (when they arrive, after break, if they change rooms, before and after eating).
- Ensure good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach.
- Maintain enhanced cleaning programmes, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, using standard products such as detergents and bleach.
- Minimise contact between individuals and maintain social distancing wherever possible.
- Where necessary, wear appropriate PPE (this only applies in very specific circumstances).
Response to any infection
- Engage with the NHS Test and Trace process.
- Manage confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) amongst the school community.
- Contain any outbreak by following local health protection team advice.
Returning to school safely:
We are pleased to be able to welcome all children back to school from September and plan to implement the protective measures outlined by the Government in the following ways:
- Children will remain in their class protective ‘bubbles’ at most times whilst inside the school. However, due to the size of the Y1 classes they will sometimes work as one, year group ‘bubble’ to allow all areas of the curriculum to be successfully taught.
- At times, to allow the successful delivery of all activities, some children may work in a small ‘bubble’ of children from their year group.
- During outdoor break and lunch time the children will be in year group ‘bubbles’ to allow them to socialise and interact with their peers.
- Break and lunchtimes will be staggered and designated areas will be assigned to each year group.
- Some staff may operate across different classes and year groups in order to facilitate the delivery of the school timetable where needed.
- Staff will avoid close face to face contact, but will meet children’s basic physical and emotional needs during daily practice.
- We will continue to ensure that children and staff clean their hands regularly, including when they arrive at school, when they return from breaks, when they change rooms and before and after eating. We recognise that regular and thorough hand cleaning is going to be needed for the foreseeable future.
- Internal movement through corridors in the indoor environments will be minimised.
- In most classrooms we will be asking our children to sit at desks facing the front as recommended by the guidelines, but for the youngest children the environment will be less formal to meet their social and emotional needs.
- There will be no large gatherings such as Collective Worship.
We will also continue to have staggered drop off and collection times in order to reduce the number of adults and children on site at any given time.
In the morning, the school site will be opened at 8.40am by a member of the SLT. At this time, Y3, 4, 5 & 6 may enter the site via the metal gates. Please can only one adult enter the site with each child or, with the older children, let them enter on their own. The Y3 & 4 children will access the school through the red gates and around the building to their doors; Y5 & 6 will go around the left of the school to gain entry via their conservatory doors. Children in Reception, Y1 & Y2 should enter the site from 8.50 via the metal and then red gates. Last entry will be at 9.00, after this your child will be marked as late.
If you have siblings across these two times, please arrive between 8.45 – 8.55.
We ask that all parents and carers continue to be prompt with their entry and exit to school to help us keep everyone as safe as possible. Please follow the one-way system which will lead to you exiting via the lower metal gate. Please do not arrive early and avoid gatherings of parents outside school on the pavement.
After school, we will operate a one-way system around the whole building to enable safe pick-up of all the children. Please do not arrive before 3.00. At 3.05 the red gates will open allowing parents to form a queue on the KS1 playground. At 3.10 all the classes will be ready to be collected; Reception and Y1 will be at the front of school; Y2 will be outside their conservatory; all other classes will be on the KS2 playground. Parents will then make their way around the building, collecting their children as they go and then exit via the large gates at the end of Rope Walk. Any older children for whom we have written permission, may walk home without waiting for an adult. Last pick-up should be by 3.20. A map of routes will be sent out before school starts in September.
| Time | Arrival |
|---|---|
| 8.40am – 8.50am | Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 |
| 8.45am – 8.55am | Siblings across the two times |
| 8.50am – 9.00am | Reception, Year 1 & 2 |
| Departure | Departure |
| 3.05pm | Red Gates open for queueing on KS1 Playground |
| 3.10pm – 3.20pm | All Year Groups ready to collect |
Does my child have to attend school from September?
The government has outlined that attendance at school will be compulsory in September for all children. Children must therefore be in school unless a statutory reason applies (for example, your child has been granted a leave of absence, is unable to attend because of sickness, is absent for a necessary religious observance etc.).
You should therefore continue to follow our normal attendance procedures from September and inform us on a daily basis if your child in unwell and therefore unable to attend school. Please can you continue to make sure your child washes their hands with soap and water prior to leaving home in the morning and as soon as they return home in the afternoon.
The Government guidance for early years and school settings continues to state that PPE (personal protection equipment) is not necessary in a school setting and therefore should not be worn by staff or pupils within daily practice. Evidence indicates that it puts children at higher risk of spreading germs and picking up germs if they wear face masks and PPE. This is because children would find it difficult to wear face coverings comfortably and this results in them touching their face more often and thus spreading germs more easily.
What will the curriculum look like in September and how will any gaps in my child’s learning and progress be prioritised?
We recognise that children’s experiences will have differed during lockdown and we have already planned how we can catch up any key learning missed as well as supporting any children who need to consolidate their skills in certain areas. Staff will continue to monitor the progress made by each individual and put in place further support if needed. We will continue to provide a broad and balanced curriculum which encourages our children to apply their developing core skills.
What will happen if we have a further period of enforced school closure?
In the event of a local outbreak, the PHE health protection team or local authority may advise our school or a number of schools to close temporarily to help control transmission. We have a contingency plan for this eventuality which includes continued development and provision of our high-quality remote education resources.
We will monitor and, if necessary, update these systems and routines during the term.
Map of Routes for Reception KS1/KS2 – September 2020
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