FAQs

Autumn Term 2020 Re-opening – Wednesday 26^th August

A summary of the arrangements for parents and families

We know that parents and families will have lots of questions about the reopening of school in September. We have used the Government Guidance to develop an action plan and carry out a risk assessment. This is available on our website, in the ‘Classes’ section, in the ‘Covid’ section. Each class has their own information page:

Pre-School

Fox Cubs

Class 1 (Year 1 and 2)

Class 2 (Year 3 and 4)

Class 3 (Year 5 and 6)

To help parents and families understand the actions we are taking to help keep everyone safe and our expectations of everyone, the information below summarises the main points in the risk assessment. We hope you find this information useful:

When will the children start back at school?

Children in Years 1 to 6 will start back at school on Wednesday 26^th August. The new children who are joining Fox Cubs will be in two groups either starting school on Wednesday 26^th August or Thursday 27^th August. This is because we have arranged some short ‘getting to know you’ sessions for all the new Year 1 children on Wednesday 26^th, Thursday 27^thand Friday 28^th August with Mr Lambden, Mrs Bellamy and Mrs Foster. Additionally, some of the new Fox Cubs children have never been to our school before so we want them to feel happy and comfortable starting school in a place that is familiar to them.

How will the classes be organised?

Pre-School
Leader	Mrs Bratu
Assistant	Mrs Lawrence
Start of the Day	From 8:40am – Walk around to the Hall Door. Exit through the car park.
End of the Day	11:40am – Collect from usual entrance gate.

Fox Cubs
Teachers	Mrs Bellamy (M,T,W) & Mrs Foster (T,F)
Assistants	Mrs Smith and Mrs Cole
Midday Supervisor	Mrs Lawrence
Lunchtime	Noon – 12:30pm Hall 12:30pm – 12:55pm Outside
Start of the Day	From 8:45am – 9:00am – Fox Cubs Single Door.
End of the Day	From 3:00pm – Fox Cubs Double Door.
Playground / Field	10:15am Front Playground / Near Half Field.

Year 1 and 2
Teacher	Mr Lambden
Assistants	Mrs Thurlby and Mrs Bratu
Midday Supervisor	Mrs Bratu
Lunchtime	Noon – 12:30pm Classroom 12:30pm – 12:55pm Outside
Start of the Day	From 8:45am – 9:00am – Year 1 and 2 Cloakroom.
End of the Day	From 3:00pm – Side of the Front Playground.
Playground / Field	10:40am Front Playground / Near Half Field.

Year 3 and 4
Teachers	Mr Clark, Mrs Hickie, Mrs Foster (W am) & Mr Evans
Assistants	Mr Cruickshank (M,T,W,T) & Miss Warwick (W,T,F)
Midday Supervisor	Mrs Soper
Lunchtime	Noon – 12:30pm Outside 12:30pm – 12:55pm Classroom
Start of the Day	From 8:45am – 9:00am – Year 3 and 4 Cloakroom then outside and in through Year 1 and 2 Cloakroom.
End of the Day	From 3:20pm – Side of the Front Playground.
Playground / Field	10:15am Back Playground / Far Half Field

Year 5 and 6
Teachers	Mrs Frow, Igor & Mrs Hickie
Assistants	Mrs Oakden, Mrs Silber (M,T,W,T) & Mr Cruickshank (F)
Midday Supervisor	Mrs Silber
Lunchtime	Noon – 12:30pm Outside 12:30pm – 12:55pm Classroom
Start of the Day	From 8:45am – 9:00am – Year 5 and 6.
End of the Day	From 3:20pm – Side of the Front Playground.
Playground / Field	10:40am Back Playground / Far Half Field

Do they need to wear uniform?

Yes, we always expect all children to wear full uniform.

Grey trousers / shorts, skirt or dress (not black)
White polo shirt / shirt
Red sweatshirt / red jumper / red cardigan
Red & white gingham dress for the summer
Red or grey tights
Black school shoes
Black Indoor footwear

School will be open on Monday 24th August and Tuesday 25th August from 8am until 5pm should you wish to purchase uniform.

Children in Year 5 and 6 will need to wear their P.E. kit to school on Mondays.

Children can bring a bag to school, however, they are not allowed to bring unnecessary items from home. They must only bring things like a water bottle, P.E. kit, sunscreen, sunhat and reading book and planner. All items MUST be named clearly. No pencil cases.

What measures are in place to reduce mass gatherings of parents and children at the start and end of school?

Flexible start times from 8:45am – 9:00am and staggered finish times will be applied for all children. Fox Cubs and Year 1 & 2 finish at 3:00pm. Year 3 and 4 and Year 5 & 6 finish at 3:20pm.

All adults must always maintain social distancing to reduce the chance of transmitting the virus. Adults waiting to collect children from Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 can wait on the front playground or pavement along the front of the school.

Where will I drop-off my child from?

Older children can be dropped off on the pavement alongside school and walk in by themselves. Or at the cloakroom doors specified in the class information.

What hygiene measures are in place? What are you doing to keep the school clean?

We have hygiene kits in each classroom, including cleaning products and equipment.

Surfaces are cleaned regularly and all equipment is cleaned in between use.
Toilets are cleaned three times a day.
Whole school gets a thorough clean in the morning.
We have removed lots of the equipment and items from the rooms to ensure surfaces are easily cleaned.
Children are expected to wash their hands multiple times throughout the day, staff will support and supervise handwashing where it is appropriate, and we have visual reminders in all the toilets and sink areas about good handwashing.
We have plenty of tissues and remind children about good hygiene.
We have supplies of hand-gel throughout the school and hand sanitiser in each class. children are expected to use this regularly (in addition to handwashing).

How will you make sure children are socially distant with each other?

Children have been organised into class groups that will stay with each other for their time in school. You may have heard them being referred to as ‘bubbles’.

Break times will be staggered so that fewer children are outside the classrooms. This way, the groups will not routinely mix with each other.
Each group will have their own play equipment in their zone.
Children will not move around the site as much as they used to, for example, an electronic register will be taken rather than paper registers taken to the office.
The government guidance states that schools do not need to insist on social distancing with the younger children.

How will staff social distance?

Staff will continue to maintain 2m+ social distancing wherever possible.
We will not allow visitors or parents into the school building to maintain good social distancing, however, we are still available to talk to parents either over the phone, email or online meetings such as Zoom.

What will the classrooms look like?

The classrooms do look a bit sparser than they usually do, this is so that the surfaces are easily cleaned.
In Years 1 to 6, the desks have been arranged into front facing rows.
Teachers are planning learning activities that reduce the need for close face to face interaction.
Adults will give feedback to the children at the adults’ level rather than the adult moving to the child’s level.
In Fox Cubs, have a more’ free flow’ approach to the provision so that the children can learn through play. They will be allowed to sit on the carpet in small groups but will be expected to distance themselves as much as possible.

What equipment will be available to the children? What will they need to bring from home?

All children will be given their own equipment because we are not allowing them share equipment such as pens and pencils.
Any equipment that does need to be shared will be cleaned thoroughly in between uses.
Children will be expected to bring a named water bottle to school. This will stay on their desk to reduce movement around the classroom.
Reading books will be sent home and they will be cleaned after they have been returned and will only be permitted to go back onto bookshelves after 72 hours.
Children must bring a pair of indoor shoes to change into when inside school, these are to be kept in school.
PE Kit is required: white T-shirt, plain black shorts, tracksuit for when it is cold outside and outdoor trainers. Children MUST have all the kit for PE.

Do the normal rules and expectations still apply?

Absolutely! We have very high expectations for behaviour and attitude and we expect all children to meet our expectations:

1. We listen to and follow instructions.

2. We are always positive, honest and helpful.

3. We keep hands, feet, objects and unkind words to ourselves.

4. We look after our school.

Some children may need additional support and guidance to meet the expectations so we will continue to use our behaviour systems.

Rewards

The school employs the following range of rewards:

• Praise, both formal and informal.

• Dojo Points towards Golden Time.

• Material and token rewards (stickers/stars, certificates, monthly class trophy, end of year shield, prize box).

• Exceptional Work Stamps and acknowledgement in Achievement Assembly.

• Opportunities for greater possibilities (library monitor, head boy/girl).

Sanctions

• Verbal warning.

• Red card – 5 minutes off the next break time or lunchtime.

• 10 minutes time-out with another teacher (quiet reflection/complete work).

• Withdrawing participation in a school trip or sporting event.

• Kept in at break and/or lunchtime.

• Sent directly to the Head Teacher.

It would be very useful for parents to begin to talk to their child about the school expectations and routines before the start of the Autumn Term particularly if the routine at home has not been maintained during the recent closure.

If the bedtime routine has not been maintained, we strongly recommend parents begin to re-establish this important routine as soon as possible.

Click for ‘Tips for Parents and Carers – supporting children as they return to primary school’ developed by Leicestershire Educational Psychology Service.

How will you make sure the children settle into their new class and teachers? How are you going to support their wellbeing after such a difficult time?

Transition arrangements for the new Fox Cubs are in place – Mrs Bellamy has communicated this their parents. New Year 1s will spend some time with Mrs Bellamy/Mrs Foster/Mrs Smith before moving to their new class. The activities for the first two days of term will be planned to support the transition for everyone. We understand lots of our children will not have been in school for over five months, so the teachers are planning to take their time to make sure the children can settle in. Teachers have spent time talking about the children who are moving into their classes.

How will you help the children to ‘catch up’?

We understand lots of our children will not have been in school for over five months, so the teachers are planning to take their time to make sure the children can settle in.

When the children have settled in, their teachers will assess the them all over the first few weeks and will plan support for anyone who needs additional help in Reading, Writing and Maths.

Lots of discussions and activities will take place to give pupils the opportunity to share and explore their experiences over lockdown or any concerns they may have about restarting school.

What will happen at lunchtime?

Lunchtime will be organised into two sittings with the children will staying inside to eat for 30 minutes and have 30 minutes outdoor playtime either way round.

Our normal lunch menu is on offer. Hot lunches will be served to the children from the school kitchen and they will eat with the rest of the children in their class in their classroom. Except Fox Cubs who will eat in the hall.

As normal, lunches can be ordered on the day and, for children in Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 with a cost of £2.30 per day. Children can bring a packed lunch.

Like at morning break time, each class will have their own section of the field or playground and they will not be allowed to mix with other groups of children.

What is happening about Breakfast Club and After School Care?

We need to survey to find out the demand – numbers from which year groups and what days. We will then be able to plan space and staff. Therefore, I propose that if Breakfast Club and After School will not start until Tuesday 1^st September at the earliest.

At this time, we can only offer breakfast and after school places to parents who rely on them for childcare.

Parents who will use the Breakfast Club and/or After School Care around provision for childcare must understand that if any child tests positive for Covid-19, then both their class AND their breakfast club/after school care group will be closed down and all children in those groups would be required to self-isolate.

What happens if a child gets ill in my child’s group?

No child or adult showing signs of infection are allowed on the premises. Staff and pupils are required to have immediate tests if they show symptoms. If a child is sent home with symptoms, we expect parents arrange a test for the child. We will request evidence of a negative test result (i.e. the text message from the NHS) before the child is allowed back to school.

A thermometer will be used if any child or adult displays symptoms and their temperature will be recorded.

Any child who displays any symptoms of Covid-19 must be collected immediately. When the child is awaiting collection, they will be moved to a room where they can be isolated behind a closed door with a window. We will use old music room depending on the age of the child with appropriate adult supervision.

The adult supervising the child will wear PPE clothing when dealing with a suspected case; this includes a face mask, face shield/visor, apron and gloves.

What if my child, or one of our family members, becomes ill?

If any child in school tests positive for Covid-19, every child and member of staff in their group will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

If a member of a child’s household tests positive for Covid-19, the child and the household members must self-isolate for 14 days. The other children and staff in the child’s group do not have to self-isolate.

What if I live with an extremely clinically vulnerable household member? What if my child is still shielding?

The government guidance states that all children will be expected to attend school from the Autumn Term and we want to work with any parents who are worried to reassure you that we are taking every precaution to keep our school safe.

If any parents have any questions, please contact the school office and we will endeavour to answer your queries.

Everyone’s health and safety is our priority and we hope that, by reading this document, all parents and families are reassured that the school staff are taking every possible measure to create a happy, healthy and safe learning environment.

Will the school have assembly?

Classes will have an opportunity for reflection within their daily session, but there will be no mass gatherings or assemblies as a school. Therefore, the scheduled Achievement Assemblies with parents will not take place until further notice.

Will children’s achievements still be acknowledged?

Weekly in class achievements will be awarded with Team Points and at the end of the month with the Year Group cups will be presented.

Can the children arrive and depart on scooters and bikes?

Yes, as long as they are not shared

What are the fire alarm arrangements?

If the fire alarm sound these are the instructions for the different areas of the school:

Children in the Hall

Exit through the Hall door.

Congregate on the field near the Fox Cub’s shed.

Children in Fox Cubs

Exit through the double doors.

Congregate on the front playground near the shed.

Children in Class One

Exit through the Hall door.

Congregate on the field near the Bike Shelter.

Children in Class Two

Exit through Class One Cloakroom.

Congregate near the Ball Wall.

Children in Class Three

Exit through Class Two Cloakroom.

Congregate near green gate.

Office

Exit through the Front Door.

Wait outside green fence, near office door.

Kitchen

Exit through Kitchen Door.

Wait near Front Door.

A Fire Drill will take place week beginning 7th September.

If any parents have any questions, please contact the school office and we will endeavour to answer your queries.