July 19th

I have thought long and hard about July 19^th ‘Freedom Day’, and how this might translate into what happens in school on the final week and want to let you all know my intentions as soon as possible.

Regardless of the announcement made by the Prime Minister, things will remain the same in school until the end of term.

This means

• Bubbles will still be in effect,
• Staff will continue to wear masks when moving around school
• Drop off and collections windows will still apply
• Children still in PE kits
• Adults still need to socially distance and wear masks on site
• School events will be pupils only

Out of all of these, it is the last one that is the most emotive.

Even though restrictions are lifted, it does not change my mind with regard to the risk vs reward for the final three days of school.  There is also very little time to safely amend the risk assessments in school to reflect the changes, which will of course have a number of conditions attached to them.

The thought of opening up fully and having a packed hall or Church for the Y6 events, and then staff conducting their regular LFD tests on Thursday night is too worrying.  We would all be horrified to receive a text, from me, on Thursday night to say ‘following a positive test, Years X,Y and Z need to self-isolate pending a PCR’, to then have it confirmed the following day (maybe even Saturday) is not the right start to the holidays.

I know many of you are looking to head-off on that first Saturday; not if the above scenario plays-out you’re not.  10 days isolation due to being a contact trace will put paid to the first week.

My heart goes out to the Y6’s and to all of the families of these children, as their (your) last days will not be the promised fanfare.  Instead, we will end with quiet dignity, a safety-first attitude and respectful actions to make it work.

Things may be different at other schools, and my sentiments are ‘Good luck; I hope it works’.  For me, I cannot, in all good conscience, risk it for the sake of three days.

I hope that my decision is met with understanding and that you appreciate that I have to look at the wider picture and how the whole of the school community is impacted.

Stay safe and stay well

SEPTEMBER OPENING

This page is dedicated to all the logistical decisions associated with opening in September.

The information on this page will be updated as often as possible to keep you as up to date as as I can.

There are likely to be some updates over the summer holiday and over the first two INSET days in school 1st and 2nd of September, so please check back regularly.

It is very important that you use this page to plan ahead.

Information from The July Newsletter

We are open!!  Not just to certain groups, but to everyone!  We all could not be happier. However, as you are all aware, the Government has sent out more guidance, with more rules, advice, helpful hints and tips to make opening as easy as possible.  This means that some of the changes in school will remain, and some will go.  As of yet, I cannot give you a full list of what school will look like, other than to say we will  be open as normal from 8.55am to 3.15pm. 

DCC sent through their paperwork this morning (10/7) to help ‘guide us through reopening’.  This will no-doubt be full of important information, but the following list one for you all to be mindful of for the start of next year.  Please plan for these things:

• Social distancing will still be in place to some degree – likely to be 1m+.
• Hand Washing and hygiene is still important – keep humming those tunes.
• Hand sanitiser will be used frequently – please check if your child is allergic and let us know.
• Tables may need to be forward facing – especially in KS2.
• Lunchtimes may take longer as a whole, or be staggered – but there will be no loss of learning.
• Staggered starts may be in effect or a drop-and-go system – siblings in different groups are an issue.
• Class Bubbles will need to be organised and evaluated – possibly combining two classes at certain times to create a ‘Phase Bubble’ during lunch and play.
• Stationary may need to be provided – pens, pencils, rubbers, rulers BUT NOT books

As soon I have dissected the Risk Assessment, I will communication the headlines to you.  There is a chance that this may be during the first week of the holidays, or very early in September. Whatever happens, the decisions made will be done with the same children-first approach as all decisions are in school.  Their safety, well-being, education and happiness remain at the forefront of everything we do.  I know some of these will be an inconvenience, but at this stage we have to take a cautious ‘core-offer’ approach.

In the questionnaire mentioned earlier, there will be a ‘how can we improve’ section.  It is useful to give us your thoughts.  There is always the possibility, as in Leicester, that a local lockdown will be enforced.  If this happens, then school would probably revert back to the limited operation we saw in March, which includes uploading information to the website.

If you have suggestions that can help us deliver things better then please make suggestions.  We can only work within the constraints of Derbyshire County Council, but where improvements can be made, we will endeavour to do so.

Questionnaire linked here. 

BREAKFAST AND AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS

Breakfast Club and After-School Clubs will not currently be available.  We will need to make sure the normal school day is safe and secure before offering wrap-around care.

This will be reviewed during the term with a view to restarting them after half-term.

I apologise to anyone who uses these services and know that they are an integral part of our offer as a school.

However, until I am confident that the procedures in school are effective in delivering our core function, then I cannot extend this to other services at the moment.

September Open Plans - Wider Community Document

This document aims to highlight that processes we are adopting in September to reduce risk and make school as safe as possible.

This is a hefty document, so I would suggest NOT printing and viewing on a large screen.