Dear Parents

I hope you are all enjoying your summer. I am sure many of you will be starting to think ahead to September, and I just wanted to provide you with some further information, following that sent out at the end of term in July. As ever, this is subject to change in line with national and local guidance, but is current as things currently stand. All plans and decisions have been made following the most recent information, and with your children at the forefront of our plans. I appreciate that some of the measures may seem quite strict, but they do need to be implemented and followed. A copy of the risk assessment will shortly be available on our website for you to read, and you will be notified of this when it happens.

I, and all the staff, are aware that there will naturally be some apprehension about returning to school, particularly for those who have not been back since March. Please be reassured we are ready to support with this, and do not hesitate to contact us if you feel you need to discuss anything further.

Attendance and punctuality

From September, it will once again be compulsory for all children to be in school, on time, every day. Please help us to support your children by ensuring this is the case. If for any reason your child will not be in school, it is important to contact us as soon as possible to explain why. In addition, no holidays or extended absences will be authorised in line with our policy on this, and fines may be issued for those absent from school for such reason.

Breakfast Club

As previously highlighted in July, the Government guidance on the running of breakfast clubs means that we will be operating on a very much reduced capacity. We will only be able to offer breakfast club provision for a maximum of 15 children, and these places will be offered to key worker parents. Further information will be sent to these parents who have expressed an interest in needing breakfast club. Once the guidance changes, and we are able to open up breakfast club to more families, we will obviously let you now.

Use of childminders

Please see the following advice from the DfE:

This includes schools advising parents to limit the number of different wraparound providers they access, as far as possible. Where parents use childcare providers or out of school activities for their children, schools should encourage them to seek assurance that the providers are carefully considering their own protective measures, and only use those providers that can demonstrate this. As with physical activity during the school day, contact sports should not take place.

School day timings

To support in the minimising of numbers of people on the playground before and after school, we will be operating a slightly staggered start and finish time. Children in class A of each year group will start at 8.40am and finish at 2.55pm, and children in class B or C of a year group will start at 8.50am and finish at 3.05pm. You will be informed whether your child is in class A, B or C for their year group. The teaching time for all children, irrespective of which class they are in, will be equal.  Again, please ensure that as far as possible, you keep to these times, and that your children are brought to school on time, and collected punctually. Please can I ask that at the end of the day in particular, parents do not cluster round the school doors to enable the children to exit quickly, and that social distancing expectations are followed.

Doors

The doors for most year groups to use at the beginning and end of the day remain as they were before lockdown for most year groups. The only exception to this is for year 1 and 2, who have effectively swapped classrooms, meaning that year 2 will use the doors that they used as year 1s, and year 1 children will use the doors next to the red wall, opposite the field. We will put signs up on all doors to support parents in finding the right door[s] for their children, and staff will be available to support. Nursery parents will be contacted about the doors they will use.

Masks

In line with the Government guidance, children will not be able to wear masks in school, or during the school day. Any child who comes to school wearing a mask will need to remove it before entering school, and if necessary, be supported in disposing it if it is a disposable mask, or storing it safely if it is a reusable one. Ideally, parents will need to support this and take masks home.

Lunchtime arrangements

In order to meet the requirements set out by the Government, we will have to change the way lunchtimes work slightly. This may need to involve a ‘week on, week off’ rotation for school dinners, meaning that children will be able to have a school dinner every other week, with a grab bag being provided in the weeks either side of this. This will be for children in year 1 upwards. Children in Reception will have a hot meal each day. These arrangements are only for the short term, and we intend to make hot meals available to all children as soon as possible.  Further information will be sent out about this next week.

Uniform

It is the expectation that from September, full school uniform will once again be worn by all children. There is also no longer the requirement that this is replaced each day, or for any special laundering arrangements to be implemented. May I ask that you fully support us in ensuring your child is wearing full uniform, including wearing black school shoes, and no jeans or jogging bottoms. Jewellery will also be limited to a single pair of stud earrings, and a wrist watch. Children will also need to have a PE kit in school each day, ideally suitable for outdoor PE, as PE lessons will need to take place outside wherever possible. Please also ensure this is in line with the school’s PE kit guidelines. 

Can I also remind you that hairstyles should be appropriate for school, and that children should not have patterns shaved into their hair or eyebrows.

Resources/ equipment

Children will once again be able to bring school bags to school. They will not, however, be allowed to bring pencil cases. All children will be provided with their own pencil case and equipment to be used in school.

Travelling to and from school

As requested by the Government, please can I ask that wherever possible, families walk to and from school each day, instead of using public or private transport.

Remote/ home learning

Further information about this will be shared in September.

Expectations in relation to illness

A separate letter detailing expectations around this will be sent home shortly.

We are very much looking forward to seeing you and your children again in September, and returning to a more normal version of school than we have had over recent months. Thank you again for your support during this time, and for the work you have done at home with your children.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Alex Pridgeon                               

Headteacher