Coronavirus Q & A
Coronavirus Q & A
As a school, we follow the government protocols regarding keeping our children safe from COVID-19. Please click on the link below for the current guidance:
To help you understand how this works in our school, here are some Q & As which should answer your concerns. If however you have any other queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
What preventative measures are the school taking to keep the children safe?
- The children will remain in their year group bubbles during the school day.
- We will be asking the children to wash their hands frequently with both soap and gel sanitiser – on entry into classrooms, after using resources, before and after play, before and after eating, after using the toilet and at any other points that are necessary
- Drop off, pick up, lunches and playtimes are all staggered to ensure the different bubbles stay separate.
- There will be minimal movement of children around the school and they will have their own specific areas
- Assemblies will take place virtually in classrooms
- The staff team will clean the classrooms and resources regularly.
- We will require parents to keep their children off school/take them home and remain off for the government allotted timescales if they are clearly unwell or have any of the symptoms of COVID-19
- We will require any children or staff who demonstrate any symptoms of COVID-19 to have a test
What happens if my child shows symptoms of the virus?
If your child or anyone else in the family is showing one of the key symptoms (a temperature, a persistent cough, a loss of sense of taste or a loss of sense of smell) please follow the guidance as below:
What would happen if there was a positive case in school?
We would alert the DfE hotline immediately. They would ask us who was in prolonged contact with the confirmed case, and would explain our next steps: this may be no action or sending individual children, staff or bubbles home to isolate. We would follow their advice immediately and get in touch with any parents that we needed to.
Are face masks worn in school?
The new changes to guidance for face masks is only currently for Years 7 and up. Parents that are entering the school building will be asked to wear a mask. In areas of the school where socially distancing is not able to take place, staff can wear a visor. However, we recognise that guidance can change rapidly – we will monitor this, and if anything changes, we will update you.
What are the systems around arriving & leaving school?
- We have a one-way system in September that applies to all year groups. All parents and children should enter the school site from entrance 1 and walk through the gate on the right-hand side of the school to drop their child at their classroom door. Parents can then continue around the outside of the playground and exit by the gate by Year 6. This means that we can keep a regular stream of one-way traffic flowing.
- If you need to have a chat with your child’s teacher, as it may be difficult on drop off and pick up, so please let the office know, and your child’s teacher will schedule a call with you.
- To reduce the number of people on site, only one parent drops and collects their child from school, where possible.
- Please ensure that if you are waiting to enter school anywhere outside of the school gate, you ensure social distancing is in place.
Do parents/carers who are dropping off and picking up need to wear face masks?
As the adults accompanying the children are outside, general guidance says that there is no need to wear a face mask.
Please do make sure, however, that you keep a 2m distance from others when you are walking around the school. If you are finding this difficult, it would be wise to wear a mask.
We do ask parents to wear a mask if they need to enter the school building.
Can my childminder drop off?
As long as it is (where possible) only one adult dropping off and picking up, that is fine. Please make sure that you feel confident with the arrangements in place at any out of school providers to avoid increased risk of transmission
What does learning look like in school?
We know that for some of our children have spent a long time out of school, and have some anxieties about returning to school – our priority is to ensure that our children are ready to learn, and we will be doing lots of well-being work.
We have already devised our processes to ensure that children catch up as quickly as they can, and are not disadvantaged by school closures, and we will be ensuring that learning is carefully pitched to ensure gaps and covered and rapid progress can be made.
Ultimately, our children will have all of the engaging and exciting learning activities within a broad and balanced curriculum that we always provide! Learning within the school day will feel totally normal for our children!
What will PE be like?
PE will be outdoors for the foreseeable future.
On their PE day, the children will come in their kit to minimise further any risk of transmission through changing.
As PE is outside, their may be times when bad weather means the children do not get their PE session; we are, however, looking at ways to maximise the activity of children throughout the school week in a range of ways.
How will lunches work?
Our catering provider will be offering a range of hot and cold meals for parents to pick on Parentpay. These will be delivered ‘meals on wheels’ style to the classroom, where the children will eat, ensuring that their bubble stays intact.
What can my child bring to school?
Your child can bring their book bag, water bottle, and P.E bag with them, as well as a wipe able lunchbox for those children bringing their own lunch
On the first day, every child will be given their own stationery that will be labelled and kept in their drawer that only they can use.
Is PLACC wrap around care offered?
We recognise that many parents rely on before and after school childcare provision provided by PLACC. PLACC have worked closely with us to ensure they can reopen safely. For further information about their availability and provision please contact PLACC directly on 01604 495937 or info@placc.org.uk
Are there before and after school sports clubs on offer?
We are not starting the year with any external sports clubs in order to evaluate the safest way to provide this. When we feel these are ready to resume, we will be in touch.
What happens if my child is ill?
It is important that we keep our bubbles healthy for the safety of our children, families and staff. If you are in any way concerned that your child may be unwell with the virus, please do not bring them into school. Testing is widely available and is now very fast, so please get your child tested if you are concerned in any way.
We will err on the side of caution here at school, and will expect you to take your child home and shield for the required amount of time if they exhibit any symptoms of the virus here at school. Thank you for your understanding in this.
My child is really anxious – what can I do?
This is a ‘new normal’ for all of us, but we are confident that we have all the processes in place that mean your children can come to school safely. If your child is anxious, share with them all the processes that we have put in place around hygiene and bubbles.
Mrs Zaman will be available to work with children in an afternoon, and each year group gets access to the lunchtime Well-being Club once a week, so if you feel that your child would benefit from this, please let us know.
The most important thing is communication, and if you need some help broaching this subject with your child, the leaflet below may help.
We are here to work with you, so please get in touch if you need any support or guidance.
We will keep this page updated as guidance changes.