School Reopening Plans
All Saints C of E
Wednesday 3rd June 2020
Dear Parents,
As you are probably aware, from Monday 1st June 2020, the Government called upon primary schools to reopen more widely for some children. Since our school closed on Friday 20th March 2020 to most children, members of staff have continued to care for the children of our critical worker parents and also vulnerable children from all year groups. Now we have been asked to welcome back all other children from our Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 classes.
It is recognised that not all schools will be in a position to open this week. With regards to our school, the agreed plan which has been approved by the Governing Body is to reopen for staff induction and preparation on Monday 8th June 2020 followed by the attendance of:
Year 6 children from Monday 15th June 2020
Nursery and Reception children from Monday 22nd June 2020
Year 1 children from Monday 29th June 2020
Children of our critical worker parents and also vulnerable children from all year groups currently attending school will continue to be able to do so. At this present time, no decision has been made by the Government about when to bring back other children from the Year 2, Year 3, Year 4 and Year 5 cohorts. There are also no plans at the moment to keep schools open over the summer break. Our school year will finish on Friday 17th July 2020 at 3-20 p.m.
Thank you to all parents who responded to our questionnaire regarding a potential reopening as the information you provided has been most useful during our planning and preparation work. The summary of parent responses regarding when you would send your children back to school follow next.
The number of children whose parents said they would send them back to school at some point before the summer break is listed below class by class. Please note though that the figures include all children whose parents have indicated a return at some point before the summer break. Some parents indicated a later return in June or July rather than in the first week open to children. Some parents were still unsure if they would send their children back before the summer break. As you can see, the numbers are small. Please be assured that there are no penalties for non attendance at this moment in time.
Nursery - 8
Reception - 8
Year 1 - 9
Year 6 - 3
The provisional numbers for other classes are also small.
Year 2 - 4
Year 3 - 2
Year 4 - 3
Year 5 - 7
If you indicated a return to school before the summer break and your child is in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 or Year 6, Mrs Mason will call you next week from the school office to confirm your place. Please do not turn up for school until your place has been confirmed. Due to the many protective measures that we are putting into practise in order to reduce the virus risk of transmission, we are asking you to sign a consent and agreement form before your child returns.
The following is a summary of the changes you will see on return to school in response to the Government guidance on putting protective measures into place.
Click to see the government video on reopening schools.
Following Government Guidance
SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) advises on the UK Government response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It is clear from the evidence presented by SAGE so far that adherence to existing measures such as social distancing and handwashing in the broader community is a more critical issue regarding transmission of the virus in school than the choice of scenario for welcoming back more children. This tells us that how we all behave outside school is crucial if we are going to prevent the virus from spreading in school. All members of our school community and their contacts must follow the Government guidance especially now lockdown is being relaxed in some areas. You can find the most up to date copy of what we can and canโt do during the coronavirus outbreak by following the link Coronavirus outbreak FAQs: what you can and can't do and staying safe outside your home is also a useful reference. If you or anyone you have contact with are not prepared to follow this Government guidance then for the health and safety of everyone else in school your child will not be able to return at this time.
Start and Finish Arrangements
Walking, cycling or driving are the best options for travelling to and from school. Avoid using public transport wherever possible and do not car share with those outside your household. I know it can get very congested on the pathways around school. We are hoping to receive help from the Local Authority in supporting families to keep a social distance. You can read Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer travel guidance for passengers for further Government guidance.
On arrival at school, please use the designated access points as not all gates will be open. We ask that all parents and their children stand socially distanced from other families outside the school gates. A member of staff will be on duty to help with the handover of your child. We ask that to avoid congestion and limit contact, only one parent drops off and picks up your child each day. If possible, the same parent should do the daily school run. Marked railings, floor markings, signs and posters will be around the school site to help you. All we ask is that you arrive on time at the designated gate so that your child has easy access to school as the front entrance is reserved for the children of our critical worker parents, vulnerable children, staff, essential visitors and deliveries.
Gate Access Points
Children of our critical worker parents and vulnerable children (Adventure Club) - Front Door As Currently
Nursery/Year 6 - Droylsden Road
Reception/Year 1 - Church Avenue
Scroll through the images below to see the site maps.
We are staggering arrival and pick up times.
A member of staff wearing PPE will check your childโs temperature using a contactless thermometer before entering the building. Gazebo stations will be set up to shield against bad weather. If your child has a high temperature of over 38 degrees then they must go home. The same is true if we see that your child has a cough. Parents whose children walk to school on their own must have arrangements in place so they can go back home if necessary. Children should not attend school if they have symptoms of coronavirus or are self-isolating due to symptoms in their household. If your child does become sick in school, a First Aider will attend to them in the Inclusion room until you arrive. If your child displays symptoms of coronavirus, they may be asked to wear a facemask and the First Aider will put on PPE.
We will not be able to permit parents into the school building at this time which may feel strange for those of you who normally go in to help settle younger children. Handover of your child will take place at the gate in a safe manner with a member of staff. If you wish to pass on a message or discuss something with a member of staff then please do so verbally from a 2m distance, by email or telephone call.
As soon as your child returns to school, please report future absence in the usual way and also any test results as soon as possible.
Wearing our school uniform is not expected. Clothes should be washed each night and we understand that it is not typical to have five sets of uniform. Children can wear their own clothes but they should be practical for both indoors and outdoors and of course the weather. As much time as possible will be spent outdoors as the weather permits. If it is a warm day then please apply sun cream onto your child before leaving home. P.E Kit is not required but footwear worn should be suitable for outdoor activity.
There will be no Breakfast Club for any children other than those of parents who are critical workers and vulnerable children who are attending currently.
Please do not allow your child to bring anything in from home apart from a coat. A packed lunch will be provided (see information attached) but those who prefer to bring their own can do so in a bag. Coats and bags will be kept on the back of the child's own chair as communal cloakrooms will not be used. Bottles of water will be provided by school for the children to drink from. Empty bottles will be disposed of at the end of the day as our water coolers will be switched off. As well as water bottles, please do not bring in cakes or sweets to share on birthdays. At this moment in time, resources such as reading books that have to be returned to school will not be sent home.
Teaching and Learning
Click to see the government video on โGroup Bubblesโ.
The Hub will be closed for the remainder of this school year.
Year 6 children will have their own desk, chair, pencil case with contents, paper, books and iPad arranged 2m apart from others in a classroom with no more than 10 children and a Teacher. Each classroom group will have the same member of staff with them each day and will not be able to mix with other classroom groups. The older children in school will be expected to socially distance by keeping at least 2m apart from others at all times.
Nursery, Reception and Year 1 children will be taught in a social bubble of no more than 10 children and a Teacher though two adults will be in both the Nursery and Reception classes due to staff:child ratio guidance. Each social bubble will not be able to mix with any other social bubble. We will try and teach our younger children to social distance within their own social bubble but as you will appreciate this will be very difficult to achieve.
Sharing of resources, toys and equipment will be discouraged and everything touched will be cleaned after use.
Break and lunch times will be staggered to minimise contact and there will be no external visitors in school other than those for health and safety reasons meaning that music lessons and extracurricular activities and clubs will not take place.
Large gatherings such as assemblies and church services including those for Year 6 leavers will not happen sadly. I am a leaver too this year so understand completely how upsetting this is for all Year 6 children and their families. I am sure that we will come back together at some point next school year to say farewell when it is safer to do so.
Teaching will continue in school through Google Classroom as the Teachers will still be providing remote learning for those children remaining at home. Also, teaching will continue with a focus on PSHE, mental health and well being and small assemblies will take place in their classroom groups or social bubbles. Our behaviour policy will be refreshed in the minds of all children and coughing or spitting towards another person will not be tolerated.
Good hygiene will be promoted and children will be supervised washing their hands with soap for 20 seconds under running water on arrival at school and frequently throughout the day particularly after being outside, using the toilet, before lunch and at the end of the day. Individual paper towels will be used to dry hands and disposed of in a lidded no touch bin as our hand dryers will be turned off. Hand sanitiser stations will be positioned around school. Each year group will use only their designated toilet block. If your child has dry skin from continual handwashing then please apply hand cream if you wish to do so before and after school. Children will be reminded about catching coughs and sneezes with a tissue disposed of carefully after use in a lidded no touch bin. Boxes of tissues will be in plentiful supply. Posters will be placed around school to serve as good hygiene reminders. We have also arranged for more cleaning of frequently touched surfaces throughout the day.
All the above are being put into place according to the Government guidance in relation to limiting contact with other people, keeping our distance if we go out (2 metres apart where possible) and washing our hands regularly in order to lower the risk of virus transmission.
I understand that most children will have spent three months or more away from school by the time they come back which may make returning seem like a frightening prospect. It is still a very critical time in the pandemic as lockdown restrictions ease whilst the COVID alert system is still at level 4 and therefore high, there are hundreds of new daily confirmed cases still being reported, R is below 1 but only just and the test and trace system is not yet established. Due to this continuing concern about the virus, many families are still going to be worried about the risks associated with coming to school especially if they fall into certain groups. There is Government guidance specific to certain groups of people as follows:
1. Those Who Are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable
Clinically extremely vulnerable people may include:
solid organ transplant recipients
people with specific cancers:
people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy
people with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy
people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
people with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
people with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), homozygous sickle cell)
people on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection
women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired
other people have also been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs. GPs and hospital clinicians have been provided with guidance to support these decisions
Children who have been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable due to pre-existing medical conditions have been advised to shield. We do not expect children in this category to be attending school and they will continue to be supported to learn at home as much as possible.
If a child lives in a household with someone who is extremely clinically vulnerable, as set out in the guidance on shielding, it is advised they only attend school if stringent social distancing can be adhered to and in the case of children, if they are able to understand and follow those instructions. This may not be possible for very young children and older children without the capacity to adhere to the instructions on social distancing. If stringent social distancing cannot be adhered to, we do not expect those individuals to attend. They should be supported to learn at home.
2. Those Who Are Clinically Vulnerable
Clinically vulnerable people are those who are:
aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (that is, anyone instructed to get a flu jab each year on medical grounds):
chronic (long-term) mild to moderate respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
chronic kidney disease
chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinsonโs disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), or cerebral palsy
diabetes
a weakened immune system as the result of certain conditions or medicines they are taking (such as steroid tablets)
being seriously overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)
pregnant women
Clinically vulnerable (but not clinically extremely vulnerable) people are those considered to be at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19). Few if any children will fall into this category but parents should follow medical advice if their child is in this category.
A child who lives with someone who is clinically vulnerable (but not clinically extremely vulnerable), including those who are pregnant, can attend school.
3. Those Who Are Affected By Symptoms, Testing, Test and Trace
Children should not attend school if they have symptoms of coronavirus or are self-isolating due to symptoms in their household.
When a child in school develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus (COVID-19), they should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 7 days. Parents should arrange for the child and everyone else in their household to have a test to see if they have COVID-19. Parents can do this by visiting NHS.UK to arrange the tests or contact NHS 119 via telephone if they do not have internet access. Others in the class group or social bubble and their members of staff in addition to the childโs household members should self-isolate for 14 days. All children as well as adults have access to a test if they display symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) and are encouraged to get them in this scenario. Essential workers and their households can access priority testing through GOV.UK.
Where the child tests negative, they can return to school and others in the class group or social bubble and their members of staff in addition to the childโs household members can end their self-isolation.
Where the child tests positive, others in the class group or social bubble and their members of staff in addition to the childโs household members should be advised to continue self-isolation for 14 days. The other household members of that wider class group or social bubble do not need to self-isolate unless the child they live with in that class group or social bubble subsequently develops symptoms. In that circumstance, they must stay at home for at least 7 days from when their symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in their original 14 day self-isolation period.
As part of the national test and trace programme, if other cases are detected within the cohort or in the wider school, Public Health Englandโs local health protection teams will conduct a rapid investigation and will advise on the most appropriate action to take. In some cases a larger number of other children may be asked to self-isolate at home as a precautionary measure and perhaps the whole school. If we observe guidance on infection prevention and control, which will reduce risk of transmission, closure of the whole school will not generally be necessary.
4. Those Where None Of The Above Three Headings Apply
All children not falling under one of the three above headings are encouraged by the Government to attend school. In order to make our school as safe as we possibly can, a detailed risk assessment has been produced. This is available for parents to read in advance of a return to school. The risk assessment identifies the protective measures that are being put into place as described earlier.
All our plans, risk assessments and guidance links are on our dedicated COVID-19 page on the school website. Click the link below to read them all.
For parents of children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 wishing to send their children back into school you will first need to complete a โParent Declarationโ showing that you are aware of the measures being taken, you agree to them and that you have informed school of any medical circumstances in your household that fall into the categories above. The form is included below and is also on the COVID-19 page of the website.
Conclusion
Whatever decision you come to regarding a return of your child to school before the summer break, I will respect and support it. We are in unprecedented times and difficult decisions are having to be made by all of us in so many areas of our lives at the moment. Whatever you do decide, we are always here to give care and support to you and your child whether it be in school or at home.
