19 June 2020

 

Dear Parents and Carers

 

I am writing with further information about the planned phased further opening of our schools.  I will keep you updated about any changes by posting information on the school website and by sending out ParentMail texts.

 

The provision that has been running at Foxdell Schools Federation since 23 March 2020 for the children of key workers et al five days a week will continue as normal from 24 June 2020.  

 

We have agreed that initially we will open Foxdell Junior School on Wednesday 24 June 2020 for Y6 pupils only.  

 

No other new groups of pupils will start school on 24 June 2020.

 

Children that attend school will be educated and looked after in a “bubble”.  They will stay with the same small group of pupils and staff all day and will remain in this bubble until the end of this term.  Bubbles will not mix with each other.  The plan is to keep pupils and staff safe and to minimise contact within the school.  We do not yet know how many pupils will return, initially responses indicate that only fourteen children in Y6 are returning to school.

 

Pupils will only start school on a Tuesday.  No pupils will be admitted mid-week, of if they arrive at school after their bubble start time.  This is to ensure the safety of all those on site. 

Across the Foxdell Schools Federation, we expect the whole school community to work together to keep pupils, staff and their families well and safe.

 

School for Y6 pupils will run from Tuesday – Friday Start times for each bubble have been staggered to ensure the safe movement of pupils on and around the school site. You will receive further information before Wednesday informing you of your child’s start time.

 

To ensure the safety of the school community the school will:

• Keep parents regularly informed any changes to the staffing situation and the provision available at Foxdell Schools Federation.

• Educate children in small groups or bubbles with 2 adults (the same adults wherever possible) working with each group.  A small number of additional adults may cover lunch and playtimes.

• Keep bubbles separate from each other wherever possible including at lunchtime, play time and on the way in and out of school.

• Remind pupils about social distancing and good hygiene routines regularly.

• Remind and reinforce the message to always walk on the left hand side.  Put up signage to help pupils.

• Continue to provide online and paper learning opportunities for all year groups not at school and those not attending school when their year groups are open.

 

• Provide a rich curriculum for all pupils at school – this will be based on our online learning programme.

• Encourage pupils to learn and play outside as much as possible (weather depending).

• Share clear rules and expectation about the use of shared resources; support pupils in using any shared resources safely.

• Provide emotional and pastoral support for pupils and their families within the confines of the current situation where face-to-face meetings may not be available.

• Keep classrooms well ventilated.

• Provide opportunities and resources for regular hand washing and sanitising within each bubble space for pupils and staff to use regularly.

• Ensure that there is an adequate supply of tissues and hand towels.

• Contact parents immediately if their child becomes unwell at school.

• Follow Government guidance if a child or member of staff becomes unwell with COVID-19 symptoms on site.

• Ensure that surfaces, door handles and other shared spaces are cleaned regularly throughout the day.

• Carry out individual Risk Assessments with parents over the phone if pupils are not able to demonstrate social distancing, safe hygiene practices or to follow the school rules in a way that impacts on the safety of other pupils or staff.

• Ensure that as few external visitors access the site as possible and those that do so ensure the health and safety of the pupils, staff and school site.

• Direct parents to Government guidance as necessary.

 

To ensure the safety of the school community parents will:

• Inform the school if they wish their child to attend school in a year group bubble, so that staffing ratios can be maintained in line with pupil numbers.

• Send their child to school at the new start time for their bubble and collect their child at their new finish time.

• Not send their child to school without previously notifying the school that they intend to do so.

• Stay outside of the school premises and socially distance while waiting for their child to be called in to school or sent home from school.

• Wherever possible only one adult will drop and collect a child, not a whole family.

• Keep their child at home if they are unwell, particularly if they are showing symptoms of COVID-19, and inform the school of this.

• Inform the school if anyone in the family is showing symptoms of COVID-19 and self-isolate as a family, following Government guidance.

• Send their child in clean, freshly washed clothes each day, this does not have to be school uniform.

• All children should bring a packed lunch where possible in a disposable bag.

• Parents can send in their own hand sanitiser and hand creams if they wish to do so.

• Engage with the school if an Individual Risk assessment is felt to be necessary for their child and keep their child at home if it is deemed not safe for them to be in school.

 

To ensure the safety of the school community the pupils will:

• Listen to their teachers and follow the school rules.

• Try their best to stay 2 metres away from their friends and teachers.

• Wash and sanitise their hands regularly and try not to touch their face.

• Sneeze into their elbow or a tissue and bin the tissue afterwards.

• Stay in their bubble and not leave their bubble space without adult permission.

• Tell the teachers if they feel unwell at any time.

• Use resources as directed by their teachers.

 

• Not share resources unless they are told that they can.

• Not bring equipment in from home or take school books or equipment home.

• Wear clean, freshly washed school uniform every day, this does not have to be school uniform.

• Do their best learning every day, and have fun at school.

• Queue up 2 metres away from their friends when they arrive and leave the school and when they move to and from their bubble.

 

(These expectations will be added to and reviewed regularly)

 

Please contact the Junior School Office should you require any further information.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Ms J Abbott

Executive Headteacher

Foxdell Schools Federation