St. Wilfrid’s Catholic (VA) Primary School and Nursery

14th August 2020

 

We hope you have had a good summer and that you and your family have been safe and well during these last few challenging months. We have been busy working to prepare and have a plan in place to help with safety for everyone coming into school.

 

New safety arrangements for parents & children

From Wednesday 2nd September, we will be welcoming back our children and families. In order to maintain social distancing and comply with government guidelines, there will be some changes to normal school life.

 

What is changing?

Children will be in their new class from 2nd September. We will refer to this as a group along with their teacher and teaching assistant. As you may expect now, movement around school will be limited. Where possible, groups will not mix with other groups at any point during the day including lunch and break times.

Break times will be changed to make sure the groups are kept separately. Lunchtimes will be staggered allowing the hall to be cleaned between groups.

The time you drop off and collect your child will be staggered to make sure we have fewer people on site at any one time. Classroom doors will be used as entrances and exits.

Please can I ask all parents not to block entrance and exit doors whilst dropping off by keeping to your arranged time.

We will continue to encourage regular handwashing throughout the day. We will continue to implement enhanced cleaning throughout the school.

Each group will have their own specified toilet facilities. If these are to be shared between groups, toilets will be cleaned regularly during the day.

There will be a one-way system in operation on the school site for the beginning and end of the day. We ask that only ONE adult collects children to keep numbers on site as low as possible. Please encourage your children to leave you and go straight into class as quickly as possible to avoid any congestion. We understand that some children have not left their parents or family since closure so hugs and kisses should be done before getting to the classroom entrance.

Collective Worship (assembly) will be done in groups only as we are not able to all meet together.

Staff will aim to keep 2 metres away from children when teaching, although they may come closer for very short periods of time. Staff working in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 classes may work more closely as needed. Visiting and PPA staff will adhere to a strict 2m distance.

We ask that as little as possible is brought into school from home. Children need ONLY their coat, water bottle, school reading book/record and packed lunch. All other equipment is provided in school. Please do not send in large bags. The school book bag is a sufficient size and can fit in children’s trays.

Children will need a PE kit (T shirt, shorts) plus outdoor kit (jog suit/hoodie and trainers/pumps) which MUST BE LEFT IN SCHOOL AND NOT TAKEN HOME.

Children will be seated in rows facing forwards where possible (Y2-6), and remain in the same place. Social distancing will be encouraged at all times.

It is agreed that younger children (Nursery-Y1) are less able to social distance in class and at play. Early Years children will share the outdoor area, being kept apart as much as possible. The focus will be on hand washing and enhanced cleaning.

 

What are the drop off and collection arrangements?

NURSERY

9am drop off.  Collection 3.00pm

INFANT - Reception, Y1, Y2

8.55-9.05am drop off.  Collection 3.05pm

JUNIOR - Y3,4,5,6

8.40-8.50am drop off.  Collection 3.15pm

If you have children in different drop off times, the 10 minute window should allow you to safely stagger the drop offs without excessive waiting. i.e. drop off junior pupils at 8.50am and infant pupils at 8.55am.

 

TO KEEP NUMBERS ON SITE AS LOW AS POSSIBLE:

If you do not have children in different drop off times, please drop off junior pupils at 8.40am and infant pupils at 9.05am.

Please also leave the site quickly and avoid congregating with other parents. You will need to drop off and collect your child at their classroom specific door and not the main entrance. There will be staff to direct you to the correct door if needed. Please do NOT come to the school office with enquiries, please contact via email or telephone.

 

What about before and after school childcare?

School’s Breakfast and Afterschool Club will return to usual operating hours. Please book places as normal with Mrs Fairhurst or through the school office via email. Children will practice regular handwashing routines, and every effort will be made to ensure children social distance. We will also try to keep children in their phase groups i.e. EYFS, KS1, LKS2, UKS2. All toys/equipment will be sanitized and there will be a revised breakfast/snack menu. Parents will be limited to waiting in the foyer area in the main entrance.

 

What if there is a case of Coronavirus in school?

• Anyone showing symptoms of COVID should not attend school, and a test should be conducted.

• Any pupil showing symptoms of COVID during the school day will be isolated and parents requested to collect the child ASAP. A test should be conducted. Parents of children in the same group will be informed and asked to monitor for symptoms.

• If there is a confirmed case of COVID, school will contact the Local Health Compliance Team for further guidance and instructions.

 

Please remember that your child will arrive at the main entrance of school, as the Nursery gate will no longer be an entrance. This area has now become an exit route so that we have a one-way system in place. Once your child arrives, parents will then continue to walk to the exit gate around the school perimeter. You will no longer be able to wait outside classrooms. The same process will be in place at the end of the day.

It is important that you keep to the time given for your child’s class to avoid too many people being on the school site at once. I’m sure you understand and will support this new system.

Just to remind all parents that attendance at school in September will be mandatory. We will resume our usual systems of promoting and encouraging good attendance. Please help us by preparing your child for school feeling different this year but assuring them that their teachers, TAs and other staff remain as welcoming and committed to their wellbeing, education and spiritual life as always.

Finally, I would like to thank you once again for your continued support. We look forward to the year ahead.

Yours sincerely

Mrs O’Brien

Headteacher