Dear Parent/ Carer

I hope you are all well. As you will know, the government announced that schools should aim to reopen for Early Years, Year 1 and Year 6, in addition to the children of key workers and vulnerable children. Due to important safety considerations, Durham County Council made the decision not to begin this process until the week beginning 15th June.
 

We have completed a risk assessment and have made the decision to begin integrating RECEPTION, ON THURSDAY 18th JUNE.

The last survey helped us to understand how many children would be returning and helped us to plan – thank you. The overwhelming majority of parents told us that they would not be sending their children back to school yet. However, things may have changed since then and we need to know DEFINITE numbers so that we can make the school as safe as possible. Therefore, we would be very grateful if you could please read the following and then complete this survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GPC69MW

Before your child returns:

• Please read this information and complete the survey – we cannot plan without your response. If we do not get a response, we will not have planned for your child to return and they will need to wait until the necessary arrangements have been made before they can be admitted.
• Please maintain social distancing outside of school. If you don’t, you are putting our children and staff at greater risk. If we are aware of any family who do not socially distance outside of school, your child will not be admitted back into school at this point.
• If your child or someone in your household is extremely clinically vulnerable, do NOT send your child back to school yet.
• If your child or someone in your household is clinically vulnerable, please consult your doctor and get their advice about your child returning to school.
• Guidance on vulnerable groups can be found here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/whos-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/
• Please talk to your child about washing hands, using a tissue when they cough or sneeze, disposing of it hygienically and social distancing. It would be very helpful if they have some understanding before they come back to school.
• Please think about the route to and from school to minimise contact and be aware that from 15^th June, face masks are compulsory on public transport.
• We would like to reduce the risk to staff by minimising the need for intimate care. Please try to ensure that your child is toilet trained and please call us if there is a particular issue that would require intimate care.
• You will need to be prepared for your children to wear clean clothes every day. This is because clothes should be washed when children return home fro school.If your child is not wearing clean clothes, they cannot be admitted. We would prefer children to be in uniform but we understand that this may not be possible when requiring children to wear clean clothes so our uniform policy will be relaxed.

Arriving and picking up from school

• Children will attend on either a morning or afternoon session. We will tell you what session we have allocated to your child. It may not be the same session you had before.
• Only ONE parent/carer will be able to drop off and collect your child. It must be an adult from their household and be on the child’s collection list.
• A school leader will be on the gate to direct you.
• Parent/carers will not be able to enter the building. If it is absolutely necessary for you to enter the building, it must be prearranged and you must wear a face mask. We will not be able to provide them for parent/carers so please bring your own.
• Arrival and pick up times will be staggered. We will send you the exact times and you will need to adhere to these so we can ensure social distancing. Please do not be late or early.
• We will allocate an entrance and exit point – it may not be your child’s usual entrance.
• Social distancing must be maintained at all times.
• You and your child will be asked to wash your hands on entry into the building.

When in school:

• Your child will be in a small group that we are calling a ‘bubble’. Bubbles will have a small number of children and one member of staff (or two members of staff if they work part time). On the basis of the last survey, we anticipate these bubbles to have 3 children. However, this may change when we have definite numbers
• This member of staff may not be your child’s usual key worker. This is to keep numbers as small as possible.
• A space for your child’s bubble will be allocated. This may not be the whole classroom.
• Resources will be reduced. There will be no ‘soft’ resources that cannot be cleaned regularly. Wherever possible, your child will use their own resources.
• Your child will wash their hands regularly throughout the day.
• They will be encouraged to maintain social distancing. We understand that for very young children this is very difficult and so it cannot be guaranteed.
• The member of staff working with your child will maintain social distancing wherever possible. There may be times that this is not possible, for example when they are providing intimate care or first aid. In these circumstances, they will wear PPE including gloves and masks.
• Your child will need to bring their own snack and water bottle. Please use containers and wrappers that your child will be able to open themselves.
• The curriculum priority will be mental health and well-being. Please do not expect for teaching and learning to be how it was before the school closed.
• Children will be outside as much as possible in an allocated space. Please ensure that they have suitable clothing for the weather and have sun cream applied when it is sunny. Staff will not be able to apply suncream

Additional safeguards

• The school, particularly high touch areas, will be cleaned every morning and midday.
• Children will not move around the school.
• The windows will be open to help ventilation.
• Cleaning materials, tissues and antibacterial gel will be available in all classrooms.
• If any child or member of staff exhibits symptoms of Covid-19, they will be isolated within the school until they can be picked up. The parent/carers of the whole bubble will be informed and asked to self-isolate for 14 days. The child or member of staff exhibiting the symptoms must access a test to confirm or rule out Covid-19. If the test is negative and there is no other reason they cannot be in school, they (and the rest of the bubble) can return.
• When your child returns home, we advise you to both wash your hands and wash their clothes.
• There will be office staff on duty. Please use telephone or email as your first point of contact with any member of staff. Keep the contact between you and staff at drop off and pick up to the absolute minimum. This is so the staggered drop off and pick up times work and to maintain social distancing.
• We will review procedures continually and they may change in order to improve safety.
• If you decide you do not wish to send your child back on the 19^th June but later change your mind, you must contact the school in advance. Please do not come to the school until we have made the necessary arrangements.
• Please respect the arrangements we have made. The health and safety of our children and staff is our first priority and we must all do everything we can to minimise the risk to them.

Thank you for your continued support and please don’t forget to complete the survey.

Kind Regards,