1st March 2021
Dear parents/carers,
As you’re likely aware, the government has announced that schools will reopen to all pupils on Monday 8th March. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming back all of our children and seeing them face-to-face. We are so grateful for the support parents have given with remote learning during lockdown.
From 8th March, school attendance will be mandatory and our usual rules on attendance will apply. However, as a reminder, your child should not come to school and self-isolate if they:
- Have coronavirus symptoms or have tested positive
- Live with someone who has symptoms or have tested positive
- Are a close contact of someone who has tested positive.
In line with the latest government guidance, pupils who are clinically extremely vulnerable should not attend school. If your child is in this group, they should continue to learn from home until further notice. Please contact your child’s class teacher to arrange for work to be set.
Rest assured that we’re doing everything we can to make sure that your children can return to school safely and we will be taking the following protective measures to keep everyone safe:
Drop off / collection procedures
- An extended window for drop off (8.30 – 9.00) and collection times (3.00 – 3.15) is in place to avoid all parents being on site at the same time. We encourage parents to take advantage of this window and not all turn up at 8.30am and/or 3.00pm. Because not all of their classrooms have direct access to the playground, children in years 1, 3 and 4 will not be available for collection until 3.15pm.
- Regular reminders will be sent to discourage parents gathering at the school gate and to utilise the extended window (details above) to arrive at school at a different time to others.
- Parents and visitors will be asked to wear a face mask on the school site.
- We will be insisting that only one adult from each family comes onto the school grounds.
- Please respect others and stay 2m away from other adults at all times.
- Please follow the arrows and respect the one way system that is in place.
Rules on what pupils can take to and from school
- Children are asked to limit what they bring in from home. We ask that only coats, lunch boxes and home reading books are taken to and from school each day. Each child will have access to their own stationery when in school.
- We will avoid any unnecessary sharing of items.
- Bags and coats will be stored in individual lockers.
- On the days they have PE, children should come to school already dressed in their PE kit.
Keeping pupils safe in school:
- Individual year groups will form ‘bubbles’. These bubbles will be closed / partially closed if children come into contact with someone in the setting who tests positive for Covid-19.
- Year 1 and 2 will combine to form a bubble because of the relatively small size of the year groups and the fact that some children mix for elements of their learning.
- Nursery and Reception will combine to form a bubble so that staff can be shared between settings.
- Bubbles have their own zones in school which will not be accessed by those from another bubble.
- Year groups will have break and lunch on their own and will not be mixing with others.
In addition
- Children and staff will uphold high levels of personal hygiene by following the directives outlined in the school’s Covid-19 risk assessment and washing hands and/or using alcohol gel regularly and wiping down regularly used surfaces and resources throughout the day.
- Staff will socially distance from each other and, wherever possible, keep their distance from the children in their setting.
- Staff will be wearing masks when moving around both inside and outside of the school.
- School staff are engaging with the rapid lateral flow testing programme, taking asymptomatic tests twice weekly, and the NHS Test and Trace service.
The school’s Covid-19 Risk Assessments for both the school and nursery settings and materials to support parents returning their children to school can be found on the school website at https://www.drapersmillsprimary.co.uk/covid-19-updates/
We understand that some of you and your children will be anxious about returning after an extended period away from school. Please be reassured that we are taking exceptional measures to make our school as safe as can be. If you or your child have any concerns about returning to school, or if you think your child might need extra support when they return, please get in touch with your class teacher or contact the office directly on office@dmpa-tkat.org or (01843) 223989.
We’ll continue to keep in touch if we update our plans or if we need to make changes due to new government guidance.
Warmest regards and we all look forward to seeing you on Monday.
Mr J Manclark
Headteacher