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15th July 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are writing to let you know about our organisational arrangements for September. We are very excited to be welcoming back all the children. Following the recently published Government guidelines we are working very hard to make this as safe as possible.
There will be much more information to follow in September regarding the control measures that we will have in place to ensure the safety of our school community. However, at this point, we hope to reassure you in the first instance whilst not overwhelming you with too much information.
Here are a few key points:
- Children will remain in their class bubbles of no more than 30 children at all times throughout the day. Class bubbles will not mix
- Staff will work in a class or a year group bubble
- Classrooms have been set up to support social distancing
- Class bubbles will have their own playground area and equipment
- Frequent handwashing will be encouraged at all times
- Additional cleaning of classrooms and resources will continue
- Staggered drop off and pick up times will continue to ensure social distancing at busy times of the day
After these extraordinary few months, we want to do all that we can to ensure a smooth and happy start for the children and our families as we return in September. Whilst it is very important that our children are safe, it is equally important that they feel happy and secure on their first day of school in their new class. This will be a momentous day for everyone.
Outlined below is other information which you will need to know for the first week of school.
Sharing this information with your child will help to reassure them, as you will both know what to expect on this first day.
Start of Term: Monday 7th September
We are delighted that Y1 and Y2 are returning to school on Monday 7th September. Information regarding YR start dates have been shared separately. Please contact our offices if you are unsure of your start date.
Timings are staggered to allow for social distancing to reduce mixing of year group bubbles at pick up and drop off. Please see below.
Please arrive at the school gate promptly for both drop off and pick up and wait until your child’s class is called. Please enter and exit via the double gates and proceed to your child’s class entrance which will be clearly labelled. (Signs will be on the external doors and a map of the School Road entrances can be found here.)
Children will be welcomed into their classroom by a member of staff. Children will also be dismissed from this door by their class teacher at pick up time. Due to social distancing guidance, we are unable to allow parents and carers to enter the school building without a prior appointment.
We also request the following to ensure the safety of our whole community:
- Only one parent/carer is allowed onto the playground to minimise contact. (If at all possible, no pre-schoolers or older siblings on site please)
- Please ensure that NOTHING is brought into school except PE kits at the beginning of term, home packed lunches if chosen, book bags and named water bottles each day
- Please do not congregate on the playground and maintain and model social distancing at all times
- We are operating a one-way system. Please follow the playground markings and signage.
- Families should avoid the use of public transport to school where possible. If it is necessary to travel on public transport, government guidelines should be adhered to
Any children who are collected late will wait with their class teacher in their classroom. As our external gates will be locked promptly, please go to the front office to collect your child who will be brought to you.
Drop off and pick up times will be as follows:
| Class | Drop off | Pick up | |
| Time | Time | Place | |
| Dolphins | 8:50 | 3:05 | Classroom external door |
| Seahorses | 8:50 | 3:05 | Classroom external door |
| Sea Lions | 8:55 | 3:10 | Classroom external door |
| Turtles | 8:55 | 3:10 | Classroom external door |
| Bumblebees | 9:00 | 3:15 | Classroom external door |
| Caterpillars | 9:00 | 3:15 | Classroom external door |
| Dragonflies | 9:05 | 3:20 | Classroom external door |
| Grasshoppers | 9:05 | 3:20 | Lizards’ entrance |
| Marmosets | 9:10 | 3:25 | East Entrance (opposite Hut) |
| Toucans | 9:10 | 3:25 | Back Playground Entrance |
| Tree Frogs | 9:15 | 3:30 | North Entrance |
| Lizards | 9:15 | 3:30 | Lizards’ entrance |
| Angelfish | 8:50 | 3:05 | External door near lift |
| Clownfish | 8:50 | 3:05 | North stairwell external door |
| Crickets | 8.55 | 3:10 | South stairwell door |
| Fireflies | 8.55 | 3:10 | Main building hall door |
| Panthers | 9:05 | 3:20 | Classroom external door |
| Jaguars | 9:05 | 3:20 | Y2 block hall door |
| Chameleons | 9:05 | 3:20 | South stairwell door |
Connaught/Holland Road Children only
We fully appreciate that the staggered drop off and pick up times will be a challenge for our families who have siblings at both sites.
As we have children in all year groups and classes across both sites, we have been unable to sychronise timings to suit everyone.
If this causes difficulties, parents and carers will need to either drop off their junior child at the agreed time and then drop off their infant child later, via the front office. Or vice versa. At the end of the day, parents and carers will need to either pick up their junior or infant child early.
We ask that parents chose to either drop off their child late OR pick up early in order to minimise any disruption to the children’s learning.
Please let your child’s teacher know what your plans are.
Breakfast Clubs
We are able to operate breakfast club for YR and Y1 only in the first instance because of staffing and space restrictions.
Children will be in organised in their year group bubble and be looked after by a member of staff who is from their year group bubble. Bubbles will be no more than 15 children at all times.
Breakfast club will run from 8.00am – 9.00am at both sites.
The club will be available for YR children from Wednesday 23rd September.
Y1 children can begin on Monday 7th September.
To book a place, you need to be registered on Magicbooking. Details have been sent via School Ping.
Drop off will be as follows:
SR: Please wait on the path by the main office using the socially distanced markings. A staff member will greet children at the external door. No adults will be allowed into the building. Please ensure your child is dropped off promptly.
CR: Please use the North playground gate which will be open at 8.00am. Please take your child to the Y2 block where the club will be held. No adults will be allowed into the building. Please exit the same way. We will secure the school at 8.10am. Please ensure your child is dropped off promptly.
After School Clubs
Staff-run and other activity-based after school clubs will not operate for the time being because of the requirement for children to remain in their year group bubbles.
Our childcare provider, Class of their own (COTO), will be operating from Monday 7th September as usual. Children will be organised into year group bubbles and the club will follow the cleaning and hygiene of the school to ensure the children’s safety. Further information, including booking places, will be shared by COTO and will be published on their website.
Lunches and Mid-Morning Snacks
Our lunch time arrangements will continue as usual. Children will be offered a choice of a hot meal or school packed lunch. Alternatively, children may bring their own packed lunch.
Staff will help children make their selections on arrival in school.
We are currently unsure if the children will continue to receive free fruit each morning. In the meantime, the school is providing a mid-morning fruit snack from a local greengrocer.
Book bags, water bottles and PE kits
In order to support children’s reading, children will be allowed to take home reading books in September. Children are also now allowed to bring their book bags into school.
Please also ensure your child brings a named, filled water bottle on Monday each day.
Children will need to bring their P.E. bags on their return to school. These will stay in school until half term. It is very important that children bring their kit to school as we will no longer be able to provide spare kit. It is uncomfortable and unhygienic for children to wear their school uniform during P.E. lessons. Where possible, children will be undertaking P.E. outside, so your child will need to bring plimsolls to school.
School Ping
The school uses a communication app called ‘School Ping’. It is very important that we have your email address to provide you with a sign in, as we do not send paper copies home. This is our only way of communicating with parents.
This letter only covers the information which we feel you will need to know in the first instance for our return to school in September.
In the meantime, may we take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer holiday. We are very much looking forward to seeing you all again in September and we cannot wait to have all the children back.
Yours sincerely,
Wendy Harkness Ben Massey Louise Smith
Executive Headteacher Head of School, School Rd. Head of School, Connaught Rd.
A printable version of this information can be downloaded here
