REEDSWOOD E-ACT PRIMARY ACADEMY FULL RE OPENING SEPTEMBER 2020

REEDSWOOD E-ACT PRIMARY ACADEMY FULL RE OPENING SEPTEMBER 2020

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope that you and your family are well and are looking forward to your child returning to school in September as much as we are. I enjoyed welcoming back a small number of children last term and I’m keen to see everyone return in September.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome any new children joining our academy, including the Tiny Twos, Nursery and some Reception children who will be joining in September. I look forward to seeing you develop alongside our existing children.  I know everyone will make you feel very welcome.

We are all looking forward to seeing all of our pupils once again, but I would like to reassure you that the safety of our school community is our priority. We will continue to review the arrangements we have already implemented, and update you with any changes as and when we make them, taking into account any worries or concerns that parents may have.

We now have the government guidance on how we can reopen in September and I would like to outline our plans to reopen for all children.  I’m sure you will appreciate we have made some changes to our school day to ensure a safe return for everyone.  There will some small changes to our school day to ensure we abide by the government requirements and they will ensure your child can return to school in a safe environment.

Following the guidance we have ensure that these key measures below have been implemented:

Staggered starts and ends to the school day

Year group lunch and break times in class bubbles

Additional cleaning in all rooms throughout the day

Reduced movement around the building

Hand sanitisers in all classrooms

Zoned playground spaces for class bubbles

Social distancing drop off and collection

We have created a new video to show you where to come on the first day back to drop off your child and collect. The video also gives you a chance to see the changes we have made within the academy and the how we are organising break and lunchtimes. It can be found on the academy website.

Our academy team have also created a number of very short videos: Welcome back, SEND provision, EYFS transition and an introduction from their new class teacher. I’m sure the children will enjoy watching our welcome back clips.

In September, I can confirm that school will reopen to all pupils on THURSDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER.  We have missed you all very much.  We have carried out a full risk assessment to identify the risks associated with coronavirus specific to our academy and minimised those risks as far as we are able to.

1^st and 2^nd September – staff only – INSET and site preparation

Pupils return Thursday 3^rd September.

You will be welcomed by the class teaching assistant and the class teacher will be waiting in your new classroom.

See below Drop off and Collection Points for your children.  This is to limit social gatherings.

Tiny Twos, Nursery and Reception parents will have received full details in a separate letter/ induction pack of their admission times from Miss Turley – EYFS Leader.

If you have more than one child in different year groups, then please drop and collect all siblings together at whichever is your EARLIEST time slot.  For example, if you have a child in Y1 and Y3 then you would drop both children off at 8.45am at Bentley Drive main entrance and collect at 3.00pm.

If your child is in either Year 5 or 6 their collection time is 3.30pm regardless if they have any siblings who would leave at an earlier time.  So to clarify: Y5&6 children would NOT go home with any siblings who would leave at an earlier time.  We appreciate that this may require a return journey for some of our families and we do appreciate your co-operation during these unprecedented times.  Social distancing and the safety of our children, staff & parents remains our top priority.

Breakfast Club

Our Breakfast club will be up and running in September but there will be a few differences to what parents and children are used to in order for us to reduce contact between our bubbles as much as possible. Children will sit in class bubbles. All children must be booked in advance to breakfast club, unfortunately we will not be able to accept children just turning up on the day.  Please book your space via the school office.  Please also note that spaces are limited.

PE and Uniform

All children must be in full school uniform except on PE days then they should come to school in their PE kits. Jogging bottoms instead of PE shorts is fine on colder days.

Arrangements for break times and lunchtimes

We recognise the importance for all pupils to have a break from learning and to enjoy time outside during the school day. Reconnecting with friends will be an important aspect of pupils settling back into school life, so we have made some adjustments to break and lunch times to ensure they can do so safely. Classes will have the opportunity to play together in bubbles at break times and lunchtimes. Our lunchtimes will be ‘staggered’ between 11:30am and 1:30pm. When children return in September, we will be providing food boxes and hot meals that children will eat in their classrooms.  This will be reviewed in October.

Attendance

From September, the government have stated that attendance will be mandatory for all children and, therefore, all children should return to school. For parents and carers of children of compulsory school age, this means that the legal duty on you as a parent to send your child to school regularly will apply.

A small number of pupils will be unable to attend in line with public health advice because they are self-isolating and have had symptoms or a positive test result themselves, or because they are a close contact of someone who has coronavirus (COVID-19). If your child is unable to attend school for this reason, you should contact school and advice will be given about what support is available in terms of remote education.

Shielding advice for all adults and children will pause on 1st August, subject to a continued decline in the rates of community transmission of coronavirus. This means that the small number of pupils who will remain on the shielded patient list can also return to school, as can those who have family members who are shielding. Some pupils no longer required to shield but who generally remain under the care of a specialist health professional may need to discuss their care with their health professional before returning to school in September. Where children are not able to attend school as parents are following clinical and/or public health advice, the absence will not be penalised although we will need to discuss this with you.

I hope that these arrangements provide you with the information you need to support your child’s return to school. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email Postbox.Reedswood@e-act.org.uk or call the school office on 01922 721323.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for supporting the school over the past months and supporting your child with their home learning, and look forward to seeing everyone in September.

Yours sincerely

Mrs M Lathbury-Cox

Headteacher