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Covid-19 Wider School Reopening
This page contains information shared with parents and carers regarding the wider reopening of school. Each time a new communication is sent out, it will also be added here. Once all of the safety measures are in place at school, videos will be added here showing new procedures, classroom layouts etc.
Important Documents
March Return
- March return - letter - 02-03-2021
- Coronavirus related absences quick reference guide - 11-08-2020
Children and staff will be required to wash their hands when they arrive in school, a member of staff will
supervise handwashing.
Children and staff will be required to wash their hands every time they exit or enter their classroom.
Visitors will only be allowed onto the school site by prior appointment. They will be required to wash their hands before entering the main school building.
No-one arriving at school with symptoms will be allowed into the main school building: they will be asked to leave site immediately.
In regard to respiratory hygiene, tissues will be available in all classrooms. The children will be taught: Catch it! Bin it! Kill it!
Each classroom will have a bin for tissues and paper towels. This will be emptied and cleaned twice a day.
Cleaners will be on site throughout the day.
A detailed cleaning schedule has been created and will be monitored to ensure it is effective.
All touch points will be cleaned throughout the day.
All equipment children have used will be cleaned after use.
A thorough clean will take place at the end of the day.
Each Year Group or Phase will have their own designated toilets.
Toilets will be cleaned throughout the day and at lunchtime.
Toilets will be cleaned thoroughly at the end of the school day.
Children will access and use toilets one at a time.
Government guidance is that the majority of staff in education settings do not require PPE. The
guidance does list a very small number of cases where Public Health England believes PPE would be
appropriate.
PPE will be worn in certain cases such as sickness or administering of First Aid.
Staff are being given the option of wearing PPE at other times if it helps them to feel safer.
The Government has not recommended wearing a face covering or face mask in schools; however, we believe staff, parents and pupils should be able to wear masks if it helps them to feel comfortable with being in school.
Staff will wear a facemask, apron and gloves when they are dealing with children who are sick and whilst they are providing first aid.
Yes, if they hold a First Aid certificate.
Before administering first aid, staff will put PPE on.
Children with an inhaler will keep it with them.
EpiPens will be administered by qualified staff, if necessary.
If your child feels ill in the morning, you must not bring them to school regardless of their symptoms. It is advisable to keep their siblings at home too.
If your child feels ill when they are in school, parents or carers will be called and asked to collect them and their siblings.
As there are many symptoms of Coronavirus, you will be asked to call 111 for advice and act upon this.
If it is a usual childhood illness, such as an upset stomach or a cold – you will need to keep them off school for at least 24 hours and until they are fully recovered.
We will follow the guidance from Public Health England (PHE). If anyone becomes unwell with a new continuous cough, or a high temperature, they will be sent home and advised to follow PHE guidance - COVID-19 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance).
Where a child is awaiting collection, they will be moved to the library where they will be isolated. If they need to go to the toilet while waiting to be collected they will use the visitor toilet. This will then be cleaned and disinfected before being used by anyone else.
If the child requires personal care, staff will wear personal protective equipment.
Children will need to be collected from the school office along with any siblings in school.
Staff will be sent home if they display any symptoms and instructed to access a test.
When a child, or staff member, develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus, they will be sent home and
asked to isolate for 14 days. We will advise all fellow household members to self-isolate for 14 days.
We will encourage all staff and children who are displaying symptoms to be tested. Where the child, or staff
member, tests negative and is free from symptoms they can return to school.
Where the child, or staff member, tests positive, advice will be sought from the Local Authority and Public Health England and this will be shared with families. We may be advised to close to some classes or year groups, if this is the case, online learning will be provided.
There will be different entry and exit points depending upon which year groups your children are in. If this means you would need to use two different entry and exit points, please use just Wheelers Lane for all of your children.
Nursery, Reception, Year 1, Year 3 and Year 4
There will be a one-way system in through the Main Pedestrian entry gate at Wheelers Lane, you will drop off children at their entry door, maintaining a safe distance from other adults in the playground. You will be asked to follow the walkway across the playground to side of hall or towards the Nursery gate past the Year 3 and 4 door. ONE adult per family only please.
Year 2, 5 and 6
You will come in through the pedestrian entry gate at Bagnell Road, drop your children off at their door, maintaining a safe distance from adults in the playground. You will be asked to follow the walkway across playground to side of hall or back out of Bagnell Road. ONE adult per family only please.
No. You will need to say goodbye to your child at their door and let them enter by themselves.
You will be asked to step aside and talk to your child, encouraging them to go into the classroom. If they are still reluctant to enter, a member of the senior team may guide them into the classroom and ask you to leave the playground. We will phone a confirm with you once they are settled.
Children can travel to school on their bike or scooter, however, our risk assessment shows that leaving them in the bike shed could pose a risk to users. This is a small area so people will be unable to remain socially distanced and may need to move other bikes or scooters to get their own out.
No, we will not be checking children’s temperature. Government guidance
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance) states that routine testing of a child’s temperature is not a reliable method for identifying coronavirus.
Families where there is more than one child attending our school should arrive to drop off their children from 8.30am to 8.50am.
Families with one child attending our school should drop off their child from 8.45am to 9.00am.
The same one-way system, entrances and exits will be used as in the morning.
Each Year Group has a designated place to wait:
• Nursery and Reception – inside their classroom, collect from the playground door.
• Years 1 and 2 – outside their classroom.
• Years 3 and 4 – in the MUGA
• Years 5 and 6 – by the trim trail
Please let the teacher know which children you are collecting.
If you have children in Early Years and Key Stage 1 only, please come at 3pm.
If you have children Key Stage 2, please come at 3.15pm.
If you have children in Early Years or Key Stage 1 and you have children in Key Stage 2, please come at 3.15pm.
You will leave the site following the one-way system.
Communication will mainly be by telephone or email.
Any necessary meetings with teachers will need to be pre-booked by speaking to one of the school office team. An online meeting may be offered rather than face to face.
For those children entitled to a school meal, a cooked lunch will be provided and eaten in classrooms.
Paid lunches will also be provided, charges will be added to your ParentMail account
Children will be expected to wear school uniform and on the days they have PE, come to school wearing their school PE kit.
This will either be covered by an available staff member in school or by an agency teacher.
We will be offering a recovery curriculum.
The curriculum will focus on well-being, PSHE, PE, Reading, Writing and Maths. We will include more subjects when the children are ready.
Teachers will plan each session in collaboration with colleagues in the year group.
There will be no gathering in the school hall for any form of assembly. Class based assemblies will take place through videos.
PE lessons will take place outside.
Lessons will be planned to ensure children do not have physical contact with each other.
Each class will have one indoor and one outdoor PE session per week.
Children will need to wear their PE kit to school on the days they have PE.
Each Phase group will be given a designated time when they can take a break in a playground zone.
Children will be spread out and supervised.
The Behaviour Policy has been changed to reflect government guidelines.
The children will be expected to follow new rules for: - moving around school; hygiene expectations; what to do if they have symptoms of Coronavirus; using the toilet and washing their hands; exiting and entering.
• The Uniform Policy will be adapted to reflect the new way of working.
• The Safeguarding policy has been updated in line with new government guidance.
• The Curriculum Policy will be adapted to reflect the new expectations.
• The Fire Evacuation Policy and Critical Incident Policies will be reviewed.
• All other policies are currently under review and will reflect the new way of working.
Children should bring their packed lunch, if they are not having a school dinner, and a water bottle.
They may choose to bring in writing equipment from home providing this is not shared.
Yes, Orchids will run as usual before and after school. They will communicate with you separately about their policies and procedures.
Each school is preparing a plan which they believe is right for their school based on their circumstances and environment.
It would not work to have a set plan for every school to use. Each school has its own unique set of circumstances and its own unique community.