Wider opening of schools

What it means for children at Briar Hill and St.Margaret’s

Dear Parents/Carers

Thank you for your patience with allowing us time to formulate a plan for wider opening that best suits the context of our two schools. The surveys completed by Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 parents has been helpful in rethinking and re-shaping the model that will work best for our context.

 

In our letter dated 20^th May we gave some indication of what wider opening would look like and we also stated that, we cannot promise to make school a completely safe place whilst COVID19 remains a global pandemic, with no vaccination and with people still contracting it. We can however put certain measures and principles in place to aim to reduce possible transmission rates, managing and reducing risks to pupils, parents and staff.

 

Risk assessments for our own schools

Our risk assessment is in the process of being quality assured by the local authority and we therefore, still aim to welcome back Reception and Year 6 children from 8^th June.

School will be open for four days a week, Monday to Thursday, allowing for a deep clean on Friday.

School will remain open on Fridays for the key worker/vulnerable children childcare provision only.

 

Our model for wider opening

Our model continues to plan for the identified year group children to return to school on a part time basis. Our original plan was for children to attend 2 consecutive days a week. However, to achieve more days in school with greater continuity, in “bubbles” of no more than 15, the plan has been adapted. See below for each school.

 

In our model, we have used all learning spaces and staff to full capacity. Based on our risk assessment and keeping children and staff in bubbles to reduce transmission rates, along with use of staff to full capacity, should a member of staff become ill, we will be unable to cover staff in the usual way. Therefore, parents will need to be prepared for immediate class closure for a group of children. Should this occur, parents for that group of children will be notified by text.

 

Staff from across the each school will be deployed to support the wider opening to other year groups and to the key worker/vulnerable children childcare provision. Other staff will focus on provision for remote learning.

 

For continuity and safeguarding purposes, will ONLY use our contracted staff, but children will not necessarily be with their class teachers as they will be grouped into a maximum of 10 per group/class.

 

Briar Hill Infant School wider opening

Reception

All children in Reception whose parents have requested for them to return, will attend 4 consecutive days for a block of 3 weeks, starting on 8^th June and ending 25^th June.

Year 1

Year 1 will then start on 29^th June for a block of 2 weeks ending on 9^th July. .

Year 2

It is proposed that Year 2 will be invited into school in the final week of term, 13^th July to 16^th July.

St. Margaret’s CE Junior School wider opening

Year 6

All children in Year 6 whose parents have requested for them to return, will attend 4 consecutive days for a block of 5 weeks, starting on 8^th June and ending 9^th July.

Year 5

In a few weeks we will survey parents in of year 5 children and welcome those children back in the final week of the summer term, 13^th July to 16^th July.

 

What happens next?

• Parents in Reception and Year 6 will receive a letter on Tuesday 2^nd June with greater detail. Parents of Years 1, 2 and 5 will receive their information at a later date.
• This information will include a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions and answers, covering aspects like what happens if a child shows symptoms, how to access the testing and what will happen if a child, parent or member of staff tests positive, staggered start and end of day timings etc.
• Week beginning 1st June a short video will be uploaded to the website for parents to share with children. This is to help parents and children visualise how school may look different. It is also so that parents and children understand that children may not be with all of their classmates or their teacher.
• Week beginning 1^st June parents will be made aware of the group their child is in and who will be teaching them.
• Once we have shared the videos with you, we would appreciate you talking to your child so that they understand that school will be different to their previous experience. We do not want any child's lasting memory of their school year to be negative or to cause any additional anxiety due to how they are able to manage their new socially distanced time in school.
• Once you have had a chance to look at all of the information parents will be asked to notify school only if they have changed their initial decision either way, by Thursday 4^th June at midday.

Is it likely that both schools will be open to ALL pupils by the end of summer term?

This continues to remain highly unlikely if the current social distancing measures are still in place in the weeks to come.

Home learning will continue for those children remaining at home, but some of the learning plans may be adapted.

 

What happens if I choose not to send my child to school and my child is in one of the specified year groups?

Leaders and governors continue to assure parents that we will respect your decisions in these extraordinary times.

Home learning will continue for those children remaining at home, but some of the learning plans may be adapted.

 

Mixing up classes going into Years 3 and Year 5 for next academic year.

In the summer term, we normally begin the process of planning to mix up children currently in Years 2 and 4 to regroup for their start to Years 3 and 5. Due to the current situation this will not happen in preparation for academic year 2020-2021. Going forward we will look into a better time for regrouping.

 

Reports

All year groups will receive an annual report as usual. The school report will take into account the progress children have made in the autumn and spring terms and attainment grades will be made on spring term teacher assessments and predictions for end of year should learning have continued at a similar rate. Unfortunately, we will be unable to hold an Open Evening this year but parents and carers will have the opportunity to respond to the school report in some way. 

Yours sincerely,

 

Sukie Owers

Executive Headteacher