St Paul's Catholic Primary School

Parent Letter July 2020

10 July 2020 (by admin)

10^th July 2020

Dear parents,

We have now received the final guidance from the government which outlines the expectation that ALL pupils should return to school in September 2020.

The guidance explains the system of controls and includes a number of mandatory elements as well as further points, relating to specific Public Health advice, which builds on measures already taken in Lumen Christi schools. The guidance sets out steps that schools MUST take to safeguard the health and well-being of pupils as well as the wider school and local community.

These steps relate to ‘prevention’ and schools MUST:

minimise contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, or who has someone in their household who is displaying symptoms, must not attend school
insist on cleaning hands thoroughly more often than usual
ensure good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach
introduce enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, using standard products such as detergents and bleach

Schools MUST as far as possible:

minimise contact between individuals and maintain social distancing wherever possible
where necessary, wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)

In response to any infection, schools MUST:

engage with the NHS Test and Trace process
manage confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) amongst the school community
contain any outbreak by following local health protection team advice

Since receiving confirmation that ALL pupils are expected to return to school in September, Lumen Christi leaders and governors have taken certain measures to prepare our sites and review our practices in order to do this as effectively and efficiently as possible. We remain primarily concerned for the well-being and safety of our pupils, staff and families.

A revised risk assessment of all sites and routines is being carried out
One-way systems, playground and toilets have been zoned for different groups of children
Classroom spaces are being cleared and where possible, desks will be forward facing.
Additional resources for cleaning and sanitisation have been purchased
New cleaning rotas and procedures have been drawn up
Staff and parental consultation has been sought to improve systems and provide reassurance

The government has given assurance that the scientific evidence supports its decision to bring all children back to school. They believe it is safe for children to be in school and therefore from September, full time education is compulsory. The government have produced some guidance for you as parents and it can be found via the link at the end of this letter.

Taking on board the new advice, in addition to building on our experience of partial opening during the summer term, we have agreed a set of broad principles that will be followed in each school to comply with the scientific advice available and minimise the risks to our children and families:

Start and end of the school day:

There will be staggered start and finish times
Parents will be advised that only one person should accompany children to school
Public transport should be avoided if at all possible
Parents will not be allowed to enter the building unless they have a pre-arranged appointment with the Principal.
Parents will be asked to observe social distancing and not gather in groups at the gate
Pupils will enter by a specified door and will wash their hands as soon as they arrive
Staff will continue to communicate with parents via phone, email, texts and the school website

During the day:

In reality, when all children return to school they cannot be expected to fully keep to social distancing. However, the principles below will be put in place to ensure contact is minimal and the risks reduced:

Children will be in class or year group bubbles.
The ‘bubbles ‘or groups of children will not be allowed to mix with each other.
As far as possible, the same staff will stay with each group
A one-way system may be introduced to support safe movement around the school site.
‘Bubbles’ will have designated toilet facilities to use.
Staff will manage and monitor children’s toilet visits so social distancing is maintained
Children and staff will have the facilities needed to wash their hands regularly.
Staff will remind pupils about hygiene routines, handwashing and not touching their faces and mouths. We will continue to share the ‘catch it bin it, kill it’ message.
Classrooms and all areas used will be cleaned more regularly and bins emptied frequently.
Where possible doors will be left open (not Fire doors) to avoid contact with handles.
Where possible windows will be left open to improve ventilation.
As far as possible, children will work with the same equipment which will be cleaned regularly

Children will wear school uniform – normal washing routines are now recommended.

What about lunch and breaktimes?

Children will be allowed outside for fresh air and physical exercise.
Lunch and play times will be staggered.
Hot food should be available but may be later in the term for some schools
Some children will eat their lunch in the classroom and some in the hall as usual, depending on the space available.
If your child has an accident or is upset a member of staff will comfort and care for them.

What will the curriculum cover?

In order to avoid mixing children from different bubbles – there will be no whole school assemblies or gatherings. Assemblies may be done remotely with a video link to the classrooms.

To help children to catch up on what they have missed, and so teachers can identify where the gaps in learning might be for each child, there will be focus on the core subjects of RE, reading, writing, phonics and maths.

We need to make sure that the children are happy and reassured so that they can settle back into to their school routines following this challenging and upsetting time. Therefore, during the first term we will also focus on PHSE as well as more creative subjects and activities such as art, music, drama and PE. Weather permitting, we will do lots of work outside and give the children plenty of opportunities to talk about how they are feeling.

We will be reviewing the curriculum during the autumn term and plan to return to the full curriculum as soon as we feel the children are ready to do so. Once we have returned, we will begin to consider plans for our usual exciting trips, visits and experiences, but only when we know it is safe to do so.

What to do if your child is ill:

Pupils and staff will not be expected to wear facemasks
Staff dealing with First Aid matters will wear PPE and this will be provided by school.
If your child displays COVID symptoms, they will be isolated with a member of staff in PPE and you will be called and asked to collect your child immediately. You will be given clear advice and support about what to do next.

Staff at Lumen Christi will not be routinely taking children’s temperature. If you suspect your child has a temperature, or any other COVID-19 symptoms, please do not send your child to school.

All staff and students who are attending an education or childcare setting will have access to a test if they display symptoms.

Please be aware that if a child, or member of staff who has been in school tests positive for COVID-19, the other children and staff members within that class/ bubble will be asked to go home and self-isolate for 14 days.

The government have also advised that there may be a need for local lockdown situations. In the event of this happening, we will follow government advice and inform you immediately of what will happen next.

When should my child come to school?

Each school is making specific plans for the return to school in September. The exact details of

when your child should come to school will be sent out in a letter before the end of term.

There will also be specific details about which door to use and any other arrangements that you

need to be aware of.

Our Lumen Christi Principals, Committee Representatives and Board of Directors will be constantly reviewing any new government advice or decisions over the summer. We will communicate with you as much as possible to keep you informed and up to date.

We are excited to be making these plans to welcome ALL children back into school in September. We have missed seeing their happy eager faces every day during this time. What a strange year it has been!

If you are unclear about the contents of this letter, have concerns or specific circumstances that you would like to discuss then please contact the school. However, please note that as stated, we will confirm these plans and provide more detail shortly.