Opening School to Foundation Phase Pupils - February 2021
Safety Information for Parents and Carers
Croeso nôl! I hope that you and your families are well and you enjoyed the half-term break. We are really looking forward to welcoming all our foundation phase pupils back for the next part of the Spring Term.
Please see attached information regarding the foundation phase return to school during the week commencing 22.2.21. Due to Pembrokeshire County Council announcing a planning day for all schools, we need to postpone our planned INSET day to Thursday 25th March, we are adding it onto the already planned Diocesan INSET Day on the 26th March. Therefore, there will now be provision for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers on Monday 22nd February. If you need further clarification please contact your child's class teacher.
Your child’s class teacher will inform you of which group your child is in and therefore which day your child will be in school. We have decided to split each class into four to ensure a smooth transition back to school for our youngest learners. Your child will be reminded of school routines, our expectations and with the main focus being on wellbeing. Our families have had such varied experiences of lockdown; some have had more traumatic experiences than others and we want to ensure every child is cared for, listened to and have the support they need on return to school. We believe this is more achievable in smaller groups. In some classes there will be some new faces, both children and staff, so we would like to ensure all children are comfortable in their new surroundings.
Please find the staggered start and finish times below, they are exactly as they were before Christmas, just a reminder as it was such a long time ago! Please make every effort to arrive at the given time. Arriving too early may cause congestion on site and too late will mean that your child misses the important welcome back and checking in that will take place when all pupils are in class. If your child has been attending the hub provision they may continue to do so if there are no other arrangements for safe supervision at home. Hub arrangements are unchanged and these children will continue to come through the front door. However, as staff return to their classroom duties there will now be a very limited number of children who we can take, and pupils will be prioritised. There is also a plea from the council on the link below:
The staggered start and finish times worked very well before Christmas and we would like to thank you for your co-operation in making this easy to manage. It is really important, due to the restricted space outside school, that you do not arrive too early and take space in the queue if your child’s class is not being admitted/dismissed. We will be adhering to very tight timelines to get everyone into school safely.
A temporary change has been made to the Year 1 pick up and drop off arrangements. We have made this change to comply with Welsh Government guidance and to use all space available to us. As the school population is effectively halved during this time, there is no need for parents of siblings to come later at 3:30pm, they can pick up at the times outlined below. If however, you have made arrangements around the 3:30pm pick up, please let your child's class teacher know and we will support you throughout this time. Please note as soon as KS2 children return to site we will revert to our original plans as they were working so well before Christmas.
During the first week back there will be no online learning for foundation phase learners in addition to the day your child attends the school setting. Therefore, there will be no expectation that work will be completed at home. Staff will be very much focused on the pupils who attend school each day and revising arrangements for the safe return of pupils the following week. From parent feedback we know that the grids of activities provided have been well received. Therefore, the foundation phase staff will send these out in the first week as support to families if you need some activities to maintain a structure. In addition, please find links to various sites on our Spring Term Newsletter that you could use if you wish:
When attending the school site, you are reminded that face coverings must be worn, and every effort must be made to socially distance. There is no requirement for pupils to wear face coverings. There will only be breakfast club for pupils attending the hub during the first week back.
From Monday 1st March all Foundation Phase pupils will return to full days. You may have seen the announcement from Kirsty Williams below. As soon as we hear further details, we will continue to update you.
Thank you all for your efforts in keeping your child/ren engaged with school life during this time. It has been a difficult time for everyone, I continue to keep our school community in my prayers. I am also very thankful for our hard working and dedicated staff; throughout this time, they have continued to put the children above all else. We are very much looking forward to welcoming the children back to school.
There are a number of reminders and updates below as requested from some of our parents. Please familiarise yourself with the following information and send a message to your child's class teacher if you need further clarification.
Revised information February 2021. Changes may occur as further guidance and directives are received from WG and the Local Authority
Travel to and from school
If possible, we are asking parents and children to walk or cycle to school.
Only one adult from each family to bring or collect each child or children from school please.
Unfortunately, during this period we are still unable to welcome any parents into school. If you have any queries, please ring or email the school office.
Under no circumstances should learners attend school if they feel unwell with any of the identified COVID-19 symptoms. They should remain at home and self-isolate and arrange a COVID-19 test. If they have tested positive for COVID-19 or live in a household with someone who has symptoms of, or has tested positive for COVID-19 they should also remain at home.
Contact groups
We will still be reducing the number of people the children and staff have contact with each day.
The contact groups remain the same as before Christmas. There will be no mixing between contact groups. Each class has assigned outdoor areas to increase the opportunity for social distancing.
Drop off and Pick up
We request that children arrive and are collected at the times specified to you. Please adhere to the staggered timings, thank you. Please make every effort to be punctual when dropping off and collecting your child, as late arrivals will impact upon the next group.
Park responsibly off school premises and join the socially distanced queue to enter your entrance into our school building. Staff will be on duty to welcome children into the school. Leave your child with the member of school staff and exit the school premises as quickly as possible. Do not wait for any length of time on the school grounds.
If you need to collect your child early or if on the rare occasion, you find that you are going to be late, please telephone the relevant school site and arrangements will be made for safe collection.
We request that children arrive at your drop off times. If for any reason your child will be arriving late, please telephone the school and you will be given instructions where to wait until you can be greeted.
School Uniform
Children are expected to wear full school uniform. There is some flexibility in the new guidance however in our experience we've found that the fewer changes the better for the children.
PE kit may continue to be worn by pupils to school on the day which their PE sessions are timetabled.
Please send children to school in clean clothing EVERY DAY. Hygiene is key!
As we will be outdoors regularly a coat will be required in inclement weather. It is still recommended that learners limit the amount of equipment they bring into school each day, to essentials such as lunch boxes, a piece of fruit for their snack, hats and coats. Please note that water fountains will not be in use until further notice. Therefore please ensure your child brings a large water bottle each day, which is clearly labelled with their name. Children will not need to bring anything else from home as everything will be provided.
In sunny weather apply the once-a-day sun-cream to your child prior to dropping them off and ensure they have a sun hat.
We request that children do not wear face masks or coverings whilst in school. If masks are worn for the journey to school, we politely request that parents keep the mask at drop off time and that it is not brought into school with the child. Current guidance states that there is no requirement for primary aged children to wear face masks in school.
Social Distancing
Movement around the school is carefully managed to maintain social distancing from other classes and from adults.
Contact groups of children will not mix with other contact groups throughout the day. Children will be allocated their own table and chair within the class. They will not share stationery or frequently used resources with other children. Children will only move from their table when asked by their named adult.
Each class within the contact group will be given their own designated area outdoors. Everyone will be encouraged to adhere to the social distancing policy wherever possible. Whole school activities, such as assemblies and collective worship, will take place virtually only.
Using outside areas
Use of the outdoors will be maximised on return to school. This is good for their physical and mental wellbeing.
There will be timetabled outdoor time both as part of their daily routine and also for break and lunchtimes. Wherever possible, when outdoors, children will only mix with children from their class.
Children will wash their hands prior to going outside and on entry back into the classroom. They will be reminded of the importance of social distancing whilst outdoors too. Each class will be allocated their own resources and these will cleaned between use.
Lunch Time
School lunches are available and if chosen would avoid additional items coming back and forth to school/home. Dietary requirements will be met as usual. The cost of a school lunch is £2.45 for Foundation Phase and £2.55 for KS2. Please see the PCC website regarding how to pay.
If pupils do bring a lunch box, all uneaten food and rubbish will be placed back in the lunchbox to take back home. Please ensure that the children can open and cope with any items of food you include in their lunchboxes.
All pupils and staff will be required to wash their hands before and after eating.
Hygiene and cleanliness
Children will be reminded to wash their hands frequently during the day. There will be sanitiser stations throughout the school.
Tissues will be available should the children need. Classrooms, toilets and doors will be cleaned regularly, throughout the day. Classroom doors and windows will be kept open to aid ventilation (Please allow the children to wear a jumper if needed as the windows will remain open)
Visual reminders, such as songs and videos, will be used too, to reinforce the hand washing message and method.
Use of toilets
Each contact group will use the toilets on their floor. Children will wash hands before and after using the toilet.
Children will use 2m distancing when waiting to use the toilet and there will be 'one in, one out' whenever possible.
Younger children will need to be as independent as possible; it will be good practice!
First Aid
First aiders will be available to be called upon in each of the contact groups.
If children feel unwell, they must let their teacher know. The teacher will follow the appropriate protocol to separate the pupil in order to reduce risk to others.
Separate rooms will be designated and equipped in the event of a member of the school falling ill.
Children falling ill during the school day will need to be collected by their parents immediately.
We will relocate the class to another room, to allow that classroom to have a 'deep clean' before it is reused.
Attendance
All pupils in the foundation phase are expected to return to school in from 1.3.21. If you feel for any reason your child is unable to return please contact Mrs Evans in the office.
No fines will be issued for non-attendance at the moment. (Office staff may ring to confirm absence following our usual procedures).
To help protect the health and safety of all members of the school; parents of any child who is unable to follow guidelines and instructions will be asked to contact the school and we will agree a way forward for your child.
Covid19 Symptoms
Children must not attend school if they have displayed any symptoms in the last 7 days.
If children have any of the following symptoms they must stay at home and you should contact school to let us know:
- Cough
- A high temperature
- New loss of taste or smell
If your child is displaying Covid symptoms, please keep them at home for seven days, whilst the rest of the household must also self-isolate.
It is parents’ responsibility to book a test as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms.
If a positive case is confirmed, then the whole of the classroom including adults, will need to self-isolate for 10 days.
If there appears to be a significant outbreak of the virus within school, then the school will likely close again and deep cleaning will follow.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND IN ANY CHILD TO SCHOOL WHO IS AT ALL UNWELL
Behaviour
The normal school policy on behaviour will apply when the school reopens.
Additionally, we will be operating a pandemic behaviour policy. This will follow the rules as set out in Welsh Government Policy on social distancing during the pandemic.
Pupils who consistently break these rules or fail to follow health and safety procedures and instructions, putting themselves and others at risk, may be asked to stay at home.
Safeguarding
If you have any safeguarding concerns please contact the school on 01437 762324 or email Mrs Evans at admin.maryimmaculate@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
If you fail to contact either of these please contact the Child Care Assessment Team on 01437 776444, out of hours 03003332222 for advice.
Please could you notify Mrs Evans in the school office of any changes to home address or contact details? It is very important that we keep our records up to date in case we need to contact you.
Thank you for your continued support. Please use the following links to keep up to date with what is going on in our school:
Credits:
Created with images by Aaron Burden - "Dandelion in the grass" • Jon Tyson - "untitled image" • Jon Tyson - "untitled image" • Jonathan Borba - "untitled image" • Nathan Dumlao - "untitled image"