Welcome back to all pupils: Monday 8th March

The staff of the school are really pleased to be welcoming all our pupils back on Monday 8th March. It’s going to be great to have everyone back together again.

We all know how important school is for children’s education and wellbeing. The government have decided that the time is right to bring all children back to school.

At Southill, we will continue to operate with a system of protective measures in place to keep everyone as safe as possible. These measures will be broadly similar to the way we operated in the Autumn term and, as there are some minor changes, I am taking this opportunity to refresh our guidance to parents.

All our systems and procedures outlined below are detailed on a risk assessment in accordance with government requirements.

 

1. All children are expected back in from Monday 8th March

School attendance will be compulsory.

The usual rules on attendance will apply, including;

• Parents’ duty to make sure your child attends school regularly and to inform us of any absences
• School’s responsibility to record attendance and follow up absence
• Denial of authorisation for holidays in term-time

 

2. All learning posted on Google Classrooms will stop

As all children are expected in school, teachers will be fully committed to teaching their class in school and will no longer have time available to post any remote learning.

 

3. Minimising contact with individuals who are unwell

Pupils must not come into school if they display any of the symptoms of coronavirus or have tested positive in the last 7 days. Children should not come into school if they live in a household where someone has symptoms or who has tested positive.

Children who develop symptoms during the school day will be sent home and will need to be tested.

 

4. Keeping clean

• Pupils will be cleaning their hands frequently during the day. To avoid crowding at our limited handwashing facilities, we will also be using hand sanitiser and cleaning wipes.
• We will continue to promote the ‘Catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach in class

Please help your child by reinforcing the importance of good hand and respiratory hygiene at home.

The school building will continue to be thoroughly cleaned every day, and the additional cleaning help we have employed will continue.

 

5. Face Coverings

Primary age pupils do not need to wear face coverings at school.

Staff will be wearing face coverings around school but not necessarily in class where clear communication with pupils is a priority.

Parents must continue to wear face coverings whenever they enter the school site. This is especially important when dropping children at school in the morning. We also recommend that face coverings are worn when waiting at the gates with other parents at the end of the day. You should also do your best here to maintain at least 2m distance from other people.

Exemptions: please note that the same exemptions apply in education settings as they do elsewhere. Please remember that some people are less able to wear face coverings and that the reasons for this may not be visible to others.

 

6. Minimising contact between individuals

• Pupils will become part of a class of 30 or more once again, but each class will continue to be kept separate from the others.
• There will be no expectation that pupils will distance themselves from each other in class. This would be an unrealistic aim in a classroom of primary-age children.
• We also accept that staff will not be able to distance themselves from children in class. There is no expectation on them to do this.
• Staff may work with different classes and different children on the same day.
• Years 2 – 6 will be arranged so the pupils will sit side by side and facing forwards.
• There will be no assemblies.

In normal times, some children would receive additional support during the school day by working in a small group with others. We have chosen to suspend most of this type of work until next term, to restrict mixing children from different classes. Children will still get the support they need, but without leaving their class.

 

7. Drop-off arrangements at the start of the day

• We are continuing an ‘open window’ start to the day to avoid large numbers of parents waiting together.
• The window for drop-off is open between 8.40 and 9.00am
• Our one-way drop-off route will remain. Please enter through the front pedestrian gate and exit through the lower playground gate.
• Parents mustn’t gather together anywhere so please time your arrival so you don’t have to wait – children can then go straight into class.

 

8. Collection arrangements

• We are continuing staggered finish times to avoid large numbers of parents waiting together.
• We are using the same collection points so that children leaving at the same time exit through different gates.
• Collection points will be either the front pedestrian gate or the lower playground gate.
• The car park will be closed from 3pm so Reception parents can socially distance while waiting for their children at the end of the day.

	time	gate
Reception	3.15pm	Reception gate
Year 1	3.05pm	Front pedestrian gate
Year 2	3.05pm	Lower playground gate
Year 3	3.10pm	Front pedestrian gate
Year 4	3.10pm	Lower playground gate
Year 5	3.15pm	Front pedestrian gate
Year 6	3.15pm	Lower playground gate

 

9. Coming into school

I’m afraid we must continue to keep visits into school to a minimum, so parents won’t yet be able to come to school without an appointment. Likewise, you will still not be able to speak to the teacher before school. We’ve all got used to working together in this way and need to carry on for a bit longer yet.

The same restrictions apply to the school office – please keep visits down to the absolute essential ones only. Our lovely office staff are readily available on phone or email.

 

10. Pupils’ equipment

Pupils must limit the amount of equipment they bring into school each day

• Reading books should be brought into school and will be swapped daily
• Pupils can take other resources home, when necessary
• Bags are allowed
• No toys please

Please bring all loaned chromebooks back to school on the first day.

 

11. Ventilation

During the school day we will be trying our hardest to maintain a well-ventilated and comfortable environment for the children.

We’re aiming for constant background ventilation, with windows opened more fully during breaks when children are outside. We will be trying to make sure we balance the need for increased ventilation while maintaining a comfortable temperature. Lots of additional clothing layers shouldn’t be necessary.

 

12. Uniform

Children should return to school in normal uniform as far as possible please. As explained above, with the (slightly) warmer weather and careful ventilation management, we should not be struggling so much with the low temperatures in the classrooms. Children should therefore please stick more closely to the normal uniform guidance as far as possible please. Thank you for your support with this.

 

13. Curriculum

With only four weeks of the spring term remaining, we will be getting on quickly with learning. Teachers will be rapidly assessing the children to find out what they need most after their enforced break, and then planning teaching to fit. We’ll also be spending longer with socialisation and wellbeing activities to help children adapt to being back at school with their classmates.

There won’t be any written reports or parents meetings this term. We just won’t have enough meaningful information for you. I am sure you agree that we should prioritise teaching and learning over the collection of assessment information and the preparation of largely unhelpful reports at this time.

We will produce a written report in the summer term and will arrange meetings to discuss this with you.

 

14. PE

We aim to spend more time in PE lessons than last term, as the weather improves and we focus on health and wellbeing. Please help by making sure children’s PE kit is in school every day.

 

15. Breakfast Club

This will continue as before. Children will be kept in separate class groups and will enjoy various games at their tables, before breakfast is served by Mrs Sharpe and Mrs Harris. Please book through SCOpay if you wish to reserve a place.

 

16. After-school clubs

We won’t be running any clubs after school for the rest of this term. This is because clubs normally comprise children from different classes and we are trying to minimise contact between groups. However, as restrictions ease, we hope to resume some after-school clubs next term.

 

17. Lunches

Hot school meals will be available to all parents as normal, and continue to be free to children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

 

18. Contingency Plan

Should there be an outbreak of the virus in school, affected year groups will have to be kept at home. Children’s learning will continue daily via Google Classroom for the duration of the isolation period.

It’s also possible that individual children will have to isolate at home, for instance if someone in their household has developed symptoms. Once a positive result has been confirmed, teachers will set individualised learning for these children daily on their Google Classroom.

 

19. Behaviour Policy

Below are the additional points to our Behaviour Policy which we’ve written to help keep children as safe as possible. They are the same as those in place in the autumn term.  It’s important that children abide by these rules so we’d be grateful if you could refresh them with your child before returning to school. Thank you.

 

Children must:

• consistently follow routines for arrival and departure
• always follow school instructions on hygiene, such as handwashing and sanitising
• stay in class groups at all times, following instructions on who they can socialise with
• move around the school as per specific instructions, following designated pathways and avoiding areas that are out-of-bounds – such as where they can or cannot play
• follow instructions for playtime games
• follow guidance for sneezing, coughing, tissues and disposal (‘catch it, bin it, kill it’)
• not cough or spit at or towards any other person
• try hard not to touch mouth, nose and eyes
• tell an adult if they feel unwell
• follow class rules about sharing any equipment or other items including drinking bottles
• use the designated toilets only

 

20. And finally

Lockdown has been a challenging period for all of us. I’d like to thank you for your continuing support during this difficult and uncertain time and also for your commitment to helping your child learn from home. If you or your child have any concerns about returning to school, or if you think your child might need extra support when they return, please email me directly on p.mason@southill.dorset.sch.uk