It was lovely to see everyone back at school today, smiling and eager to start learning once more.

As you know, a detailed reopening plan was written before the summer break, outlining how we would arrange the school into 'bubbles' with staggered starting times, breaks, lunch time and collection. It is extremely important that these timings are adhered to so that we do not have crowds congregating at the school gate, as happened this morning. It was clear this morning that some parents were unaware of our structured plan and that a number of children were not sure of which class they were in. Please ensure that your child accesses Teams, our online learning platform that was established in March 2020, as important information is shared on here. Also, please be sure to read the reopening plan, which is on my blog and in the important information section of the school website. I have done all that I can to keep everyone safe, but I cannot do this without the cooperation of families.

From tomorrow, children need to be dropped off at the gate at their allotted time and they will go straight to their classroom without lining up. Please do not wait at the gate to see them in - they will be safe as I will be at the gate. This will ensure a calmer, safer, start to the day. It is important that adults continue to social distance - reducing the number of people at the school entrance at any one time will help everyone to do this. 

If you have more than one child, your older child/ren may go straight to their classroom at the same time that your younger child goes into school. This, again, will reduce the amount of people at the gate at any one time.

I look forward to seeing a much safer and calmer start to the school day tomorrow and thank you for your ongoing support.

Here is an extract from our reopening plan re arrival and departure times and arrangements:

There will be staggered timings for each bubble’s arrival and collection. We request that only one adult come to school to drop off / pick up at the gate, please, to reduce the number of people near the school gates at any one time, thus allowing space for social distancing. Parents MUST adhere to their child’s arrival and departure times in order to ensure the safety of all, please - this is also in the behaviour policy May 2020.

 

8.45am arrival  2.50pm departure

Bubble 1: EYFS Mrs Barker’s Class

Bubble 2: Y1 Miss Lindo’s class and Y2 Mrs Kearns’ class

 

8.55am arrival   3.10pm departure

Bubble 3: Y3/4 Mr Moore’s class and Y3/4 Mrs Charlton’s class

Bubble 4: Y4/5 Miss Harmar’s class

 

9.05am arrival  3.20pm departure

Bubble 5: Y5/6 Mrs Meadows’ class and Y6 Mrs Murton’s class

 

Upon arrival at the pedestrian gate, Mrs Channing will direct your child to where they need to go – EYFS (Bubble 1) will go to Mrs Barker, who will be waiting with the ‘magic rope’ for children to hold so that they all walk into class together. Years 1 and 2 (Bubble 2) children will be directed down the main path, into the front entrance and straight into their classroom. Bubble 5 will be directed to the lower school Y5/6 side entrance. Bubbles 3 and 4 will be directed to the upper school side and front entrance.

 

At collection time, teachers will escort children out of the building(s). Parents of EYFS (Bubble 1) children to wait in a socially distanced queue along the main entrance path next to Little Bears’ fence, parents of Y1 (Bubble 2) children to wait in a socially distanced queue along the side of the main entrance path nearest to the car park and parents of Y2 (Bubble 2) children to wait in a socially distanced queue along the path next to the school office windows. Children will be brought out to parents and handed over.

Parents of children in Bubbles 3 may wait on the entrance path into school, once clear of children and adults from Bubbles 1 and 2. Parents of children in Bubbles 4 and 5 are politely requested to wait outside the school gates. 

 

If it is raining, children who have siblings in bubbles entering school before them will be able to enter school at 8.45am.

 

Children attending Breakfast Club will go to their classes at 8.45am (Bubbles 1 and 2 will be taken to their classrooms by Miss Charlton). All other children will leave and go straight to their own classroom at 8.45am, when Breakfast Club ends. Their teacher will be in their classroom upon their arrival. NB Breakfast Club will be set out in bubbles (5 tables).

 

Parents have a responsibility to maintain social distancing on school journeys and cross the road to avoid passing next to people queuing to come into school.

 

In exceptional circumstances when a child is late, they are to request access via the main gate entry system. The child only (no adult) will be granted access through the gate and be asked to go to the main entrance of the lower school to be signed in. If parents wish to speak to staff, this must be done via telephone wherever possible and not face to face.