Dear Parents/carers,
I hope you have all enjoyed a lovely Summer break and time with your family and friends. As we approach the start of the new school year I wish to give you some updates especially around Covid 19. The local authority have been very helpful in supporting schools with the creation of a new and updated Risk assessment now we are in Stage 4 of the lifting of restrictions. This can be found on our website on our homepage under Essential links and is entitled September 2021 Covid-19 Risk Assessment. Please can I ask you to look through it so you are aware of requirements and expectations.
We are also required to produce an Outbreak Management plan and this too can be found on our website homepage.
School re-opens for all pupils on Monday 6th September. The start times have now reverted to pre-Covid times which are 8:40-8:50am for morning drop off. Please note the back gate will not be unlocked until 8:40am. Children will be able to arrive at any point in this ten minute window and go straight into class as they have been used to doing. Staff will not be in their classrooms until 8:40am so please do not send pupils prior to this. There is a morning club facility from 8am for anyone who needs to access this at a cost of £2 per session.
Times for the end of the day are now as follows:
Years 3 and 4 will finish at 3:10pm
Years 5 and 6 will finish at 3:15pm
These times are a permanent change following our consultation last year.
Staff are on INSET days on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd September and will be in school as normal on these dates. The office team are also in school and will be happy to help and answer any questions you may have.
Moving to Step 4 means that there will be some noticeable changes in school which I'm sure the children will be really pleased about. Bubbles have now been removed and children can mix with each other once again both inside and outside. Luchtime arrangements will return to pre-Covid status again allowing the children to mix. Whole school assemblies will be re-instated and extra curricular activities will re-start.
However we are being asked to move forward with caution and I ask you to look at the risk assessment regarding this. The LA are asking us to still reduce adults coming on to site and we are going to continue to operate the system for parents whereby you ring the bell by the front pedestrian gate for assistance and a member of the team will come out to help you. Our entrance and office areas are quite small enclosed spaces and so we ask that parents/carers do not come beyond the pedestrian gate as far as possible please. If you do need to come on site we would be most grateful if you could wear a face covering please. Myself and Mrs Walker will continue to be on duty every morning from 8:40am and can also help you.
Headteachers are being called to a further meeting on Friday morning this coming week and if any further information comes out of this I will communicate with you again.
I feel that there will still be many challenges this coming term and school year but as always our commitment will be to your children. The support from our parent community has been fabulous and I know that by continuing to work collaboratively we will get through whatever is to come. I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday 6th September.
Regards
Suzanne Webster-Smith
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