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 Monday March 8^th. You were familiar with the arrangements for the Autumn term and from Monday we will operate in virtually the same way.

Firstly, to reassure: we have been operating since the start of January with up to 135 children per day on the ‘keyworker’ / certain vulnerabilities basis and we have not seen any spike in cases of the virus, so I do believe that it is right that we should now be able to open to all children again. The virus has however not gone away and, whilst primary children remain little-affected it appears, adults – family members at home and my colleagues in school, the vast majority of whom have not yet been vaccinated – can still become very badly ill of course. So whilst an end to all this is on the horizon, the precautions we have as to ‘class bubbles’, hygiene and site safety remain essential to maintain now.

The risk assessment for our wider opening is on the ‘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 re-familiarise yourself with the following practical measures:

• Your child will be in their normal class and will be expected in school to avoid contact with children from other ‘bubbles’.
• Masks are NOT recommended or required for primary-age children and we will ask you to remove your child’s mask upon arrival if you wish them to wear one on the way to school. Unaccompanied older children arriving wearing masks will remove them for the duration of the school day.
• In line with Government guidance, we retain our school day staggered start and end times (Please check the table –some times and zones have altered since December) 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 class and 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’, 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 and you will be reminded as to which days by your child’s class teacher.
• Lunchtime arrangements remain as per Autumn. Children can bring to school:

•  Either a 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.
• 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 children, who use provided cups.
• COMMUNICATION and TEAMS: 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. You should communicate with your child’s teacher once again via your child’s Planner or queries  e-mailed to the school office, or an appointment for more serious matters booked via a phone call to the school Office. The original Class TEAMS pages will be reinstated and the current ones archived; teachers will check Class TEAMS and Facebook pages only once per week and for receipt of homework etc so please remember not to continue using these methods for general or any urgent communication.
• 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.
• Any Asthma Inhalers should be sent back to school via your child in a labelled sealed bag please, via your child’s teacher.
• After-school care and Breakfast clubs: WASPS will be open as before. 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 review with the intention should demand be there of opening on Wednesday 10^th March. 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 to our School Office, please do not call in to the Office but rather make a phone call.

Finally, a huge thank you for working so hard to support our home-learning arrangements since January. This will have made a huge difference to your child’s progress and will help us to apply our curriculum successfully for them. Everyone here at School is really looking forward to seeing your children again and I am sure that you will give positive messages about coming back, 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 once again in 3-D, and resume their in-school learning with a teacher who can’t be muted!

With best wishes

I Williams

Please find below some guidance we hope you will find useful.

Members of households, childcare or support bubbles of school staff and pupils

This section does not apply to secondary school pupils, and primary and secondary school staff, who should take twice-weekly tests using home test kits provided by their school.

From 1 March 2021, if you’re a member of a household, childcare bubble or support bubble of staff or a pupil you can get a twice-weekly test:

• through your employer if they offer testing to employees
• at a local test site
• by collecting a home test kit from a test site
• by ordering a home test kit online

Get a test through your employer

Your workplace may offer rapid lateral flow testing to you. Contact your employer to find out more.

Take a test at a rapid lateral flow test site

You can take a rapid lateral flow test at a local site. Testing at these sites is assisted, which means you will swab yourself under the supervision of a trained operator.

You may need to book an appointment.

Find your nearest rapid lateral flow test site.

Collect test kits

You can collect 2 packs of home test kits at a local collection point. Each pack contains 7 tests.

Anyone 18 or over can collect. You can check online if the location is busy before you go.

Find your nearest home test kit collection point.

Order home test kits online

If you cannot get tested at your workplace, or are unable to go to a test site or collect test kits, you can order a home test kit online.

Do not order online if you can get a test through other methods. This frees up home delivery for those who need it most.

Order rapid lateral flow home test kits

What twice-weekly testing involves

You will be asked to:

• take a test twice a week (every 3 or 4 days apart)
• report every result to NHS Test and Trace on the same day you take the test

Report your test result online or by calling 119.

If anyone tests positive or gets coronavirus symptoms, they should tell the school and:

• self-isolate immediately
• get a PCR test to confirm the result
• follow the stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection

A negative result means the test did not find signs of coronavirus. But this does not guarantee you do not have coronavirus, so you should keep following all coronavirus advice including:

• regular handwashing
• social distancing

wearing a face covering where recommended

What happens if anyone if anyone tests positive whilst not experiencing symptoms but develops symptoms during the isolation period?

In the stay at home guidance it states that If a child or adult develops symptoms after testing positive whilst asymptomatic, they would be required to isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms.

Coronavirus - IMPORTANT

What parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

We have updated the guidance on what parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to include the latest information on self-isolation and shielding, who needs to get a test for coronavirus (COVID-19), face coverings, assessment and exams.

Please read this information carefully before contacting school.  

Remember the guidance on whole household isolation in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak:

The symptoms are:

The following ARE symptoms of coronavirus

Individuals will need a test if they have any of the following:

Individuals do not need a test if they have a runny nose, are sneezing or feeling unwell but do not have a temperature, cough or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste because these are not normally symptoms of coronavirus.

The full stay at home guidance for households with these symptoms can be found here:

Coronavirus Testing

For guidance on coronavirus testing, including who is eligible for a test and how to get tested please follow link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested

Department for Transport travelling advice for parents and pupils

The Department for Transport has issued advice on how parents and pupils can travel to school safely as part of the #TravelSafely campaign. Resources have been developed to ensure that parents, pupils and staff have the information they need to stay safe on the public transport network. This includes information developed in collaboration with respected partners on how to cycle and walk safely, where possible.

Resources can be found here:

https://extranet.dft.gov.uk/safer-transport-campaign/schools/

Self-isolation period reduced from 14 days to 10 days from 14/12/20

Self-isolation is essential to reducing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) as it breaks the chains of transmission. After reviewing the evidence, the Department for Health and Social Care is now confident that we can reduce the number of days that contacts self-isolate from 14 days to 10 days. This was set out in the UK Chief Medical Officers' statement on the self-isolation period on 11 December.

From 14/12/20, the self-isolation period for close contacts of a positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed from 14 to 10 days. This change applies to all those who are currently self-isolating including those who commenced self-isolation before today. This means that if you are on the 11th, 12th or 13th day of your current self-isolation period today – you can stop isolating. Any new cases identified for self-isolation will be advised to self-isolate for 10 days.

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