Returning to School on Monday 8th March
Dear Parent/Carer
I’m sure you’re as pleased as we are to have the children starting back at school on Monday 8th March. Our aim will always be to provide the most enjoyable experience for the children whilst ensuring that safety is still our number one priority. To ensure we make school as safe as possible, the changes we made to the organisation of the school day in September will continue from March 8th.
Attendance
The Government has made it clear that attendance at school will be mandatory from March 8th 2021. This means that children must attend school, unless they are complying with medical or public health advice.
Start/finish times:
| Start time | Entry Point | Finish time | Exit point | |
| Reception | 8:50 to 9:00 | shelter entrance to reception class | 3:00 | shelter entrance to reception class |
| Key Stage 1
(Year 1 and Year 2) |
8:50 to 9:00 | KS1 door | 3:05 | KS1 door – collection on yard |
| Lower Key Stage 2
(Year 3 and Year 4) |
8:50 to 9:00 | KS2 door | 3:10 | KS2 door – collection or walk home themselves |
| Upper Key Stage 2
(Year 5 and Year 6) |
9:00 to 9:10 | KS2 door | 3:15 | KS2 door – collection or walk home themselves |
| Nursery | No change to nursery arrangements | |||
All start times cover a 10-minute period and you can drop your child off at any point within that time window. A member of staff will be at the door to welcome your child and direct them to their class. We kindly request that only one adult drops off/picks up each child to help ease congestion and facilitate social distancing.
When dropping off or collecting your child, please stand in the yard where it is easier to social distance. Please do not stand on the school railing side of the path on Chapel Street as this prevents social distancing and forces people onto the road to walk round you. If you cannot enter the yard (for example if you have a dog) then please stand on the opposite side of the street.
Face masks should be worn unless this is not possible on medical grounds.
Class Bubbles
As in September, each class will become a bubble with their teacher and teaching assistant. Year 1 and 2 children will be taught in ability groups for phonics across the Key Stage but will be distanced within these groups to maintain bubbles. Contact between bubbles will be limited and we will be operating staggered break and lunch times so that access to yards, dining hall and toilets takes place on a rota system. The lunch period has been extended to enable us to limit numbers in the dining hall and ensure tables and chairs are sanitised between bubbles.
Hygiene
All children will be asked to wash their hands or use hand sanitiser on entry to school. Hand sanitiser and anti-bacterial wipes will be available in all rooms to ensure that ‘hot spots’ like handles and surfaces can be cleaned regularly. Toilets will be cleaned between bubbles at break and lunch times to further reduce the risk of infection.
Uniform
All pupils will be expected to return to school in March in school uniform. As we will have doors and windows open to improve air circulation, please ensure your child always brings their school jumper or cardigan.
PE days – On your child’s PE day they should come to school ready for PE to avoid the need for changing clothes in school. Please send your child in joggers or leggings rather than shorts and remember a warm top as windows/doors are open for ventilation.
PE days for each class are:
| Monday | Year 6 |
| Tuesday | Year 5 |
| Wednesday | Year 3 |
| Thursday | Year 2 and Year 4 |
| Friday | Reception and Year 1 |
Breakfast club
Breakfast club will be available from 8th March for those that need it. Children will sit on separate tables according to year group to maintain bubbles.
Preventing the spread of infection
In order to increase safety in school, all staff now participate in the twice weekly lateral flow testing scheme introduced by government.
In the event of you or your child presenting with symptoms of COVID-19, please arrange for a test and refer to the stay home guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
Many thanks for your continued support. We very much look forward to welcoming everyone back on the 8th!
Mr Cornforth
