Phased Re-Opening Of Schools

Nursery, Reception, Year 1, Year 6 to return on 1st June 

Over the last 48 hours, school leaders, teachers and governors have considered the detailed guidance published by the Department for Education on 11th May and put into place control measures to keep our children as safe as they possibly can be whilst in our setting. Interpreting national guidance and figuring out how it might work in the context of our school is no mean feat; it is far from an exact science but the parent information provided in the link below sets out the school's plan as we begin the first phase of school opening.

As our pupils begin their return to school, I ask all of you to please spend some time preparing your child for the changes that they can expect to see when they come back - the school that some of our pupils return to on 1st June will be very different to the one they left in March and I'm worried that some children may be a unsettled as a result. You will find more information on this in the Parent Information but it is worth bearing in mind that there will be fewer children in school, your child will not be able to interact with children as they normally would do, classrooms will be minimal with limited resources, pupils' movements around school will be heavily restricted, familiar routines will be changed, school assemblies and shared break and lunchtimes will not be possible and school staffing levels may be reduced. Added to this mix is the readjustment after an extended time away from school, children's concerns over coronavirus and perhaps even knowledge of relatives or friends who may be ill. At the same time, some children will no doubt skip happily through the door as if they have never been away! In a world of uncertainty, please do not be in any doubt that the school and its brilliant staff team will be ready to deal with whatever issues present themselves on 1st June and beyond.

I am genuinely very excited about seeing pupils in our school again, as are the rest of the staff. I desperately want our school to be full once again and bursting with the energy and excitement that make it the special place that it is - but only when it is safe to do so. That is why, as you will see when you read the attached Parent Information, the school is implementing a series of painstaking processes which it will enforce diligently and with the support of all members of our community so that our school will be as safe as it possibly can be. The school guidance is honest in its assessment of how far it can go towards minimising the transmission of Covid-19.  

Despite the safeguarding measures put into place by the school, I understand that some parents may choose to keep their child(ren) off school for a variety of reasons. Parents who decide to keep their children at home will not be fined for the non-attendance of their child(ren).

When school does open, children will no doubt take great comfort from seeing and talking to their friends and teachers again, sharing their experiences of the lockdown period and catching up on the time that they have spent apart. The school knows very well that, beyond the number one priority of keeping children safe, a key focus of the phased reopening is to support children's well-being. This will be tailored to each cohort and will include the careful nurture of our younger pupils as they familiarise themselves with school once again and important discussions with our older children around their transition to secondary school. There will be a time very soon to begin identifying and addressing any gaps in learning that may have emerged during lockdown but 1st June is too early for that to start. Initially school staff will spend quality time helping children to re-establish and strengthen the fundamental building blocks of positive mental health and only then will we shift our focus. For some children this may take longer than others but we will treat every pupil with the utmost care and attention. 

The huge caveat hanging over all of the information contained within this newsletter and the associated guidance is that it is all subject to change. The emergence of new scientific evidence and the heated debates between teaching unions and government ministers may yet change the current plans for the phased re-opening of school - who knows? Rest assured that any developments will be communciated to you in a timely way. 

Parent Information On Phased Re-Opening

Click on the blue text immediately above to access the Parent Information document. It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of its contents and follow the detailed guidance within it so that you can support the school to limit the spread of Covid-19 and ultimately keep staff, parents and children safe.

Many thanks in anticipation of your continued support and cooperation.

Key Worker Children Requirement Form

The latest Key Worker Childcare Requirement form is available to download here.

Please return any completed forms to school at  no later than 5pm on Friday 15th May.

This will help us to plan staff rotas and ensure that only minimal numbers of staff attend.