September Opening
We look forward to welcoming all children back.
We hope you find this page helpful in preparation for this return.
Children are to be dropped off and collected at the following times:
Reception classes (R3 and R4)
Children will be dropped off at 9.15 am and collected at 3pm on Roundwood playground.
Year 1 (R5 and R6) and Year 2 classes (R1 and R2)
Children will be dropped off at 9.05 am and collected at 3.10pm on Roundwood playground.
Year 3 (B3 and B4) and Year 4 classes (B1 and B2)
Children will be dropped off at 8.55am and collected at 3.20pm on Hemstalls playground.
Year 5 (H3 and H4) and Year 6 classes (H1 and H2)
Children will be dropped off at 8.45 am and collected at 3.30pm on Hemstalls playground.
Letters from school
Returning to school in September 2020 information view here
Preparing your child to return to school
It’s really important to talk to your child about returning to school and to discuss some of the changes that have taken place.
In school we will further support this transition.
In the meantime spend some time watching the videos above and take a look at the PDF attached here.
All desks have been arranged to face the front of the classrooms.
Children will have their own equipment to use.
FAQ’s
Please contact the school office if the below Q&A’s do not answer your questions.
Which year groups are returning to school?
The Government has asked primary schools to welcome back all children.
Does my child have to attend?
No-one with symptoms should attend for any reason.
Government guidance
It is vital that children and young people return to school and college, for their educational progress, for their wellbeing, and for their wider development. School attendance will be mandatory from the beginning of the new academic year. This means that it is your legal duty as a parent to send your child (if they are of compulsory school age) to school regularly.
There is not a corresponding legal duty for post-16 education but if a young person fails to attend, their college may believe they have left the course.
Local authorities and schools have a range of legal powers to enforce attendance if a child or young person misses school without a valid reason.
If children and young people have found lockdown exceptionally difficult, then their school or college may suggest a brief phased return. This will only be if it suits the needs of your child, and is agreed with you in advance. Your child will be supported to return to full time attendance as soon as they can.
If you have concerns about your child returning to school or college because you consider they may have other risk factors, you should discuss these with your school or college. They should be able to explain ways they are changing things to reduce risks.
How big will the classes be?
Your child will be in a bubble of 30 children.
How will you guarantee that social distancing takes place e.g. keeping children 2m apart?
We will of course do our best to support distancing, but parents must understand that in returning to school there is a very real likelihood that children will touch adults and one another and come into close contact. The nature of the school site and the age of our children is such that this is unavoidable and we cannot be expected to respond to complaints around this when it inevitably happens. We cannot alleviate every risk and parents must understand what we are able to do and use this to inform their decision making.
How do I explain social distancing to my child?
Be open and honest, using language they will understand. Explain that they are helping others by their actions. Use drawings if needed and use a positive tone. Try to make the children feel safe.
What hygiene measures will be in place to keep my child safe?
We will
- follow the COVID-19: cleaning of non-healthcare settings guidance
- ensure that sufficient handwashing facilities are available.
- clean surfaces that children and young people are touching, such as toys, books, desks, chairs, doors, sinks, toilets, light switches, bannisters, more regularly than normal
- ensure that all adults and children: frequently wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and dry thoroughly.
- clean their hands on arrival at the setting, before and after eating, and after sneezing or coughing
- are encouraged not to touch their mouth, eyes and nose
- use a tissue or elbow to cough or sneeze and use bins for tissue waste (‘catch it, bin it, kill it’)
- ensure that help is available for children and young people who have trouble cleaning their hands independently
- consider how to encourage young children to learn and practise these habits through games, songs and repetition
- ensure that bins for tissues are emptied throughout the day
- where possible, all spaces should be well ventilated using natural ventilation (opening windows)
- prop doors open, where safe to do so (bearing in mind fire safety and safeguarding), to limit use of door handles and aid ventilation
Will children be confined to the same classroom environment most of the day?
Government advice on the Scientific evidence shows that the outdoor environment is much more manageable in terms of virus transmission. We will be moving towards more of an outdoor learning approach, where possible. However outside of this we will keep children where possible within one set classroom for the day.
How will lunch time work to ensure children are safe?
The school will run a staggered lunchtime to maintain as much spacing as is possible.
Children will eat their lunches in their classrooms.
How will you make school safe for my child?
In addition to social distancing and hygiene measures mentioned above, we will
- give children a designated classroom and group (which we are going to refer to as their bubble) for lessons and play, to minimise the opportunity for mixing.
- regularly clean the setting and resources
- regularly clean the children’s personal resources (pencils etc)
- not allow children to bring in their own resources such as pencil cases.
- use PPE such as gloves, aprons, masks, hand sanitiser and anti-bac wipes as identified in our Risk assessments.
- confine resources to rooms to minimise sharing and when sharing is essential, clean resources before transference
- organise lunchtimes and playtimes differently
- carry out a corridor protocol- one way system and keep clear corridor spaces as far as is practical to allow maximum width space for walking
- be vigilant in identifying children with symptoms, isolate them and ask parents to collect them
- removal of unnecessary items from classrooms
- removal of soft furnishing, soft toys and toys that are hard to clean.
Will my child be expected to share resources, such as pens and pencils?
Where possible, children will be given their own equipment, which they must not share with anyone else. They must not bring any equipment in from home. Any resources that are shared (e.g school laptop) will be thoroughly disinfected after use.
Will everyone arrive at school at the same time causing an increase in risk?
The school will organise a staggered drop off and collection time for pupils. The approach to classrooms will be marked out with a 2m queue and drop off zone from where the teacher will invite pupils in. We will be familiar with the queueing systems from visits to the supermarket.
Only one parent or carer should accompany the child to school to minimise risk. Parents will not be invited to enter classrooms but will drop off on the playground.
Will the school have assembly/acts of worship?
Little groups will have an opportunity for reflection within their daily session, but there will be no mass gatherings or daily acts of worship as a school.
My child is feeling anxious about coming back to school, how can I prepare him/her?
You will need to prepare your child by talking about what school was like and what it will be like now. It will be different. We will help you to prepare for this by putting pictures and videos on our website to show what you and your child can expect.
Sharing social stories can be really helpful for young children and help to express the situation in a clear factual way, reducing emotional responses.
It will be important to encourage your child to talk about their experiences in ‘lockdown’ and that this period is now ending.
Will children go straight back into normal lessons following the national curriculum?
The school will be implementing a recovery curriculum with the focus being on how to support the reintroduction of children back in to school. They have all gone through an incredible period of change and experienced loss on a number of different levels. All have had changes in routine, loss of communication etc and some may have sadly even experienced the loss of a family member.
The recovery curriculum is designed with our children’s well-being at the centre – supporting the emotional, social, physical and academic needs.
Will staff and children wear masks or PPE?
The Government guidelines state, ‘The majority of staff in education settings will not require PPE beyond what they would normally need for their work, even if they are not always able to maintain a distance of 2 metres from others. PPE is only needed in a very small number of cases including:
- children, young people and students whose care routinely already involves the use of PPE due to their intimate care needs should continue to receive their care in the same way
- if a child, young person or other learner becomes unwell with symptoms of coronavirus while in their setting and needs direct personal care until they can return home. A fluid-resistant surgical face mask should be worn by the supervising adult if a distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained. If contact with the child or young person is necessary, then disposable gloves, a disposable apron and a fluid-resistant surgical face mask should be worn by the supervising adult. If a risk assessment determines that there is a risk of splashing to the eyes, for example from coughing, spitting, or vomiting, then eye protection should also be worn.’
Will my child need to wear a school uniform?
Yes, all children will neeed to wear their school uniform. On PE days children will need to come into school dressed in their PE kit.
Information to follow.
Will the breakfast club and after school club be open?
Yes, contact the school office for more information and to book your child a place.
Will we allow visitors and volunteers into school?
Not until the situation is deemed to be safe, we would prefer to minimise additional adults coming in and out of school.
Will extra-curricular clubs run (football club, dance club etc)?
No. These bring too many children into contact and mix the school groupings.
Will the school office be open?
Yes. However, you will not be able to visit the main reception area, as this will be closed. Please contact the school office via telephone or email.
What will happen if a child in the class shows symptoms?
We will follow the Government guidelines set out below.
If anyone becomes unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature in an education or childcare setting, they must be sent home and advised to follow the COVID-19: guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection guidance.
If a child is awaiting collection, they should be moved, if possible, to a room where they can be isolated behind a closed door, depending on the age of the child and with appropriate adult supervision if required. Ideally, a window should be opened for ventilation. If it is not possible to isolate them, move them to an area which is at least 2 metres away from other people.
If they need to go to the bathroom while waiting to be collected, they should use a separate bathroom if possible. The bathroom should be cleaned and disinfected using standard cleaning products before being used by anyone else. PPE should be worn by staff caring for the child while they await collection if a distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained (such as for a very young child or a child with complex needs). In an emergency, call 999 if they are seriously ill or injured or their life is at risk. Do not visit the GP, pharmacy, urgent care centre or a hospital.
If a member of staff has helped someone who was unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, they do not need to go home unless they develop symptoms themselves (and in which case, a test is available) or the child subsequently tests positive (see ‘What happens if there is a confirmed case of coronavirus in a setting?’ below). They should wash their hands thoroughly for 20 seconds after any contact with someone who is unwell. Cleaning the affected area with normal household disinfectant after someone with symptoms has left will reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people. See the COVID-19: cleaning of non-healthcare settings guidance.
Above links to .gov.uk government website
What happens if there is a confirmed case of coronavirus in school?
We will follow the Government guidance set out below.
When a child, young person or staff member develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus, they should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 7 days. Their fellow household members should self-isolate for 14 days. All staff and students who are attending an education or childcare setting will have access to a test if they display symptoms of coronavirus, and are encouraged to get tested in this scenario.
Where the child, young person or staff member tests negative, they can return to their setting and the fellow household members can end their self-isolation.
Where the child, young person or staff member tests positive, the rest of their class or group within their childcare or education setting should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days. The other household members of that wider class or group do not need to self-isolate unless the child, young person or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms.
As part of the national test and trace programme, if other cases are detected within the cohort or in the wider setting, Public Health England’s local health protection teams will conduct a rapid investigation and will advise schools and other settings on the most appropriate action to take. In some cases a larger number of other children, young people may be asked to self-isolate at home as a precautionary measure – perhaps the whole class, site or year group. Where settings are observing guidance on infection prevention and control, which will reduce risk of transmission, closure of the whole setting will not generally be necessary.
How can I speak to the class teacher if we are socially distancing?
You can contact your child’s class teacher by emailing them on hw@new-ash.kent.sch.uk or contact the school office.
What should my child bring to school each day?
No equipment or any extra items will need to be brought in from home.
Children are permitted to bring in their own bags to carry their reading book, contact book, lunch box (if required) and water bottle.
A water bottle for your child is essential and MUST be clearly labelled.
Children will be bringing reading books and contact books as usual, from the start of term.
Where can I find more information about returning to school?
The Government information is provided here
