Below is a range of information that will help you get a better understanding of what a return to school on March 8th will look like and will outline the measures we are putting in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of pupils, staff and our whole school community. It is very similar to how we worked in September and we found that everything ran very smoothly.
Dates for pupils returning
All pupils: Monday 8th March
Start and End of the School Day
Entering school
As we did in September, all pupils will enter school through two separate entrances, the usual pedestrian gate and the car park gate. To ensure safety, one of the car park gates will be closed to prevent vehicles entering the site when children are around. We ask that parents leave children at the main gates and do not enter the school premises. Both gates will be monitored by staff and additional staff members will monitor internal gates and the playgrounds.
Timings have been staggered so that not everyone is trying to enter the site at the same time and so minimising contact between parents, staff and children. We ask that parents do not arrive at school too early and wait outside of school for their time slot but try to arrive within their time allocation and to leave children at the gates and move away quickly to reduce congestion.
| Time | Car Park Gate | Pedestrian Gate |
|---|---|---|
| 8.45 | Y6 + siblings | |
| 8.50 | Y5 + siblings | Y2 + siblings |
| 8.55 | ||
| 9.05 | Y4 + siblings | Y1 + siblings |
| 9.10 | Y3 | YR |
In the centre of the school’s playground will be a ‘sibling zone’ this is to make it easier for parents bringing children from different classes at the same time. Siblings will wait, socially distanced from others until their class enters the school. This zone will be monitored by a staff member. The same system can be used for grandparents or parents bringing cousins to school.
Leaving school
Only one parent should collect children. Year 6 pupils should be encouraged to walk home if at all possible. Year 5 pupils are able to walk home if parents choose.
We plan to operate a one way system when parents are collecting children to avoid the crossover of people leaving with other arriving – especially in the gateways. The Pedestrian gate will be opened at 2:55 pm, this will ensure that the footpath outside of school does not become over congested.
YR children will be collected from the reception class side door – we ask that parents stand away from the footpath to allow others to access the rear playground. They will move onto the rear yard and exit via the car park gate.
Year 1 – 6 pupils – parents are asked to wait at the rear of the yard (near the field) and maintain distance from other parents and children. Once children have been collected we ask that everyone leaves the school site as quickly as possible by the car park exit.
| Time | KS2 door | KS1 door | Reception door |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.00 | Y6 | Y2 | YR |
| 3.10 | Y5 | Y1 | |
| 3.15 | Y3 | Y4 |
These procedures will be monitored and reviewed regularly. We ask for parents support in making sure arrival and collection times are as smooth and safe as possible.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory from March 8th.
Government have made it clear that it is a parents’ duty to secure their child’s attendance at school. The school will be working in line with Local Authority guidance and this means the return of sanctions, including fixed penalty notices for non-attendance. If, you have concerns or queries around attendance then please contact Mrs Stobbs or Mrs Nesbitt to discuss asap.
Classes
Children will continue to be taught with the rest of their year group and will remain in this ‘bubble’ for all activities. Mixing of groups is not yet allowed. Children will be seated shoulder to shoulder (except the very youngest where this is impossible) to prevent any spread of infection. Staff and visitors will wear face-coverings in the corridor and communal areas e.g. the hall, but not in classrooms (this is in line with government guidance).
Curriculum
The Government has made their expectation clear – we are required to teach an ‘ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects’. Teachers will be planning this over the next few weeks. We will also be focusing on the basics of phonics, reading, increasing vocabulary, writing and maths to ensure gaps in children’s learning are identified and filled as well as ensuring that we focus on our children’s physical and mental well being.
Breakfast and After School Club
Wrap around care continues to be available. We are following Government Guidance for schools and after school providers. Space in our school is limited and because of this fact we need to keep numbers in breakfast and after school club as low as possible in order to keep children and staff as safe as possible. In the government’s new guidance it states:
You should advise parents that where they are accessing this provision for their children, that they must only be using this, where:
• the use of the provision is reasonably necessary to support them to work, seek work, undertake education or training, attend a medical appointment or address a medical need or attend a support group.
We ask that parents continue to adhere to this guidance.
Places need to be booked. Breakfast Club will start at 8:00 and after school care will run until 5:30. Children will be kept in their class groups and they will share items only with their class members. Activities have been altered to enable children to work on a table top.
Bookings:
Please contact:
· Mrs Stobbs via Class Dojo · Email school on tofthill@durhamlearning.net marking your email ‘breakfast club or after school care’
· Telephone the school office on 01388 832393
Payment:
Accounts are now managed by the school office. Payment can be via Parent Pay or if you prefer to use cash, it must be sent to the school office in a sealed envelope, clearly labelled.
Arrival at breakfast club
Children can enter school through the main office. Ring the buzzer and staff will release the door for children to enter. Parents are
requested not to enter school. Please ensure children arrive before 8:30.
Collection from After School Care
Children can be collected from the main office. Ring the buzzer to alert staff. Children will be brought out to parents. Parents are requested not to enter school. There will no longer be any need to sign on collection.
Please note: We are unable to put uncollected children into after school care.
Uniform and Equipment
We would like to see children return to school in school uniform. The order form to buy Toft Hill Primary jade green polo shirts and red sweatshirts/cardigans embroidered with the school logo can be found here. A white/jade green polo shirt and plain sweatshirt bought from a supermarket is perfectly acceptable.
Footwear – Children will still be unable to get changed for PE lessons. We ask that shoes are sensible: no heels, with good grips (trainers are a sensible choice) and easy for children to manage. (Children need to be able to tie their own shoe laces. If they cannot do this the Velcro fasteners will be best).
School will provide all equipment that children will require. We ask that children only bring:
· A water bottle
· A packed lunch (in a wipe clean bag/container or disposable packaging)
· Sun cream (weather dependent)
· Coat (weather dependent but remember this is Toft Hill and we have our own weather system which is often different to the surrounding area).
Lunches
Packed Lunches
All packed lunches will be eaten in the classroom (except for children in reception class who will eat in the hall).
School Meals
All school meals will be eaten in the hall. A rota system will be in place.
Hygiene
Hand hygiene
All children will be encouraged to wash their hands at regular intervals throughout the day for example, on entry to school, before lunch and after using equipment such as iPads and play equipment. Three hand gel dispensers are positioned outside of the main entrances. Hand gel and hand wipes are also available and these will be used under supervision of class teacher or teaching assistant. When the weather improves, the mobile handwashing kits can be brought back into use.
Cleaning
Additional cleaning will occur throughout the day. Our cleaner Ms Gibson will also complete spot cleaning during the lunch period e.g. toilets, door handles, light switches etc
First Aid/Illness
First Aid
We have four paediatric trained first aiders in school:
Mrs Lynne Tully
Mrs Joanne Stones
Mrs Gemma Jones
Mrs Janice Bedford
All staff are trained in First Aid at Work (including lunchtime supervisors). Mrs Tully and Mrs Stones are the designated first aiders.
If the injury is minor e.g. a scrap or small cut, then the child will be supervised to clean the injury with an antiseptic wipe and apply a sticking plaster. Where a child requires close contact first aid staff can wear whatever PPE they feel comfortable with. First Aid kits are available throughout the school and these contain: gloves, plastic aprons, facemasks, visors and eye protection. A spillage kit for when vomit or other bodily fluids are present is available (this also contains a range of PPE). For more serious accidents or illness, you may be contacted to take your child home.
Suspected COVID 19
We ask that your child does not come to school if they are ill or are displaying any symptoms of COVID 19. The symptoms are:
· a high temperature
· a new, continuous cough
· a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
To protect others, keep your child at home and inform school as soon as possible.
If your child takes ill when at school with suspected COVID 19 they will be isolated in the summerhouse until a parent can arrive to take them home. Parents will then be expected to follow government self-isolation guidance and seek a test to ascertain a diagnosis.
Contacting school
In order to reduce the number of contacts that children and staff have with others, parents will still not be able to speak to teachers in person or call into the school office (it only has the capacity for one person at a time). We ask that parents phone, email our use Class Dojo message facility if they wish to contact school.
We have put extensive measures in place to make is both safe and enjoyable for pupils returning to school. If you have an queries please contact me at tofthill@durhamlearning.net
Our latest risk assessment, which has been agreed by staff and Governors, is shared below.
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