Christ Church CofE Primary School COVID-19 Information

Dear Parents and Carers

I write to you to set out the arrangements we have made to open the School for all children from Thursday 3^rd September 2020. Of necessity this is a lengthy letter!

Before I set out these arrangements, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your remarkable understanding and cooperation since we had to close to the majority of children from March 23^rd .I know that this period has been hugely challenging for many families, in particular when you have had to juggle work commitments with managing childcare, if you have children with special educational needs or disability, or if you are a single parent.

 As you may be aware, we have remained open since March for the children of critical workers and vulnerable children and also welcomed back in June children in Nursery, Reception, Year One and Year Six – an average of 145 children a day now. We have been operating with smaller group sizes and additional hygiene and infection control measures. The Government published wider school opening intentions and permissions in early July and since then we have been working on logistics to enable as normal an educational experience as possible for your children, in as safe as possible an environment, when they return in September.

Part of this adaption will be to ensure that your children feel well supported to reintegrate themselves back into school routines, and we have changed some of our usual September curriculum to initially prioritise wellbeing work. We will also be assessing where any gaps are in your children’s understanding and will provide extra support in the curriculum to help them catch up as required. However, the full curriculum will still be taught over the coming year as every child’s talents, wherever they lie, must always be helped to flourish. We may reduce content a little in some subjects during the Autumn term to prioritise Reading / phonics, Writing, Maths and PE. By September our website curriculum pages and class pages will be refreshed with the new curriculum teachers have been designing and we are excited to see how it helps your children to excel.    

The risk assessment for our September opening will shortly be on the new  ‘Corona Virus’ page of our website for your reference. I have also updated the ‘Frequently asked questions’ document on the website to cover Corona virus changes to our procedures. In particular please note the following practical measures:

• You have been informed by PING message as to our Transition measure on the 20^th and 21^st July, which we hope will reassure your children that they can look forward to their September return. You should know from a further message which teacher and class they will be in from September.
• Your child will be in normal class sizes of approximately 30 (Reception and Nursery lower) as a ‘bubble’ and will be expected in school to avoid contact with children from other ‘bubbles’. They will play on set zones on the playgrounds. If they have friends in other classes they may still see and be able to talk to them at such times in an adjacent zone, but staying socially distanced. Children can play normally within their class bubble – no standing miserably alone in hoops etc!
• In line with Government guidance, we have varied our school day start and end times to ensure a measure of social distancing can be in place given a crowded site. Please see the table below for details of drop-off and collection times for your child’s new class- please adhere strictly to these times. Changed break and lunch times mean total teaching time remains the same as previously.
• If you are unavoidably early in arriving on-site, you have been allocated a playground ‘zone’, clearly marked on the infant or Junior yards, in which to stand whilst waiting before you then come to the relevant classroom door at the right time. You should supervise any other child accompanying you so that they remain with you at all times. If you have more than one child to drop off, stand in the zone of your youngest child at first. See the table below for this information.

• Only one parent/carer should accompany their child/ren on our school site, and you are asked not to congregate at entrance gates or pavement etc on the way in or out. Normal social distancing arrangements apply. Children in Years 5 and 6 without younger siblings should be able to come onto the site without accompanying parents.
• The school should be entered via the main gates and the exit point is via the Harper’s Road side gate. The drive is clearly marked with routes to follow. Please follow this system, which with the increased numbers is key to our ‘traffic flow’. In the event of rain, gathering in close proximity under the shelters is not recommended.
• Children should wear normal School Uniform. If they have been told that they have PE on that day, they may attend in PE kit with suitable leggings / school jumper and coat in cold weather. PE days are set days, so it will be easier to remember after a week or two.
• Children can bring to school:

•  Either a (disposably-wrapped ideally please) packed lunch if (all infants are eligible for a free meal provided, but you may wish to supply a packed lunch instead) OR your children can have a hot meal (KS1 and Reception children free; KS2 Junior children £2.40/day unless eligible for Free school meals). Money MUST be in a named envelope with the amount enclosed written on it – you can pay weekly or daily. The available menu will be uploaded to the ‘parent information’ section of our website in advance each week. You should receive a Meals service update letter shortly.
• A book-bag (it is the ideal size) or SMALL bag suitable for taking home reading books and small items and which will fit in your child’s tray. No huge bags/rucksack (e.g. ‘Smiggle’ backpacks) please. Pens and pencils will be provided.
• A nut-free snack for break time if required; we will not be able to provide school snacks as yet. Reception and Nursery will provide a daily snack if required for the normal weekly cost of £2.50 to be paid each Monday.

• Water bottles may be brought in – except for Nursery and Reception children, who use provided cups.
• If hot – some hope - suncream should be applied before children arrive on-site as they will spend considerable time outdoors exercising and learning. Caps should also be available if it is hot weather.
• Teachers and Teaching Assistants will have been supplied with all necessary safeguarding information about your child, including allergies etc and collection requirements, prior to reopening. Please do not attempt to engage teachers in extended conversations at classroom doors as they need to be supervising children and ensuring hygiene measures are followed without delay.   Any queries should be e-mailed to the school office or an appointment booked via a phone call to the school Office.
• If your child required medicine to be administered in school time – only if strictly necessary doses at times stipulated by the prescription – call into the school office as usual to fill in the necessary forms, maintaining social distancing whilst doing so or in a queue to do so.
• Asthma Inhalers should be sent back to school via your child in a labelled sealed bag please, via your child’s teacher.
• In September we will once again send home planners as a means of parent-teacher contact; class facebook pages will be renewed for similar use (you will need to be invited by school to join the new class group), or e-mail school (which may not get a response within 24 hours); for urgent queries please contact the office by phone.
• After-school care and Breakfast clubs: I am in discussion with WASPS currently about their on-site offer and practicalities. We will inform you before the end of July as to what will be offered. Our school-run Pupil premium breakfast club will not run for the first two days of term as we assess demand and practicalities. We will then review. Our after-school clubs will also not start immediately until we have made sure all our arrangements are working safely.
• For all other general enquiries, please do not call in to the Office but rather make a phone call

I hope that the above information, plus the more extensive summaries of precautions elsewhere supplied, will reassure you that we are making every effort to successfully and safely reintegrate your child back to school. If you have any further queries, please contact school.

Everyone here at School is really looking forward to seeing your children again and I ask you to ensure that they are given positive messages about coming back between now and then, so that it is less of a hurdle to reappear than it might otherwise be. We will do our very best at all times to make it a really positive experience as they see their friends, make new ones and resume learning for a bright future! 

With best wishes

Yours sincerely

I Williams