Plans for the Safe Reopening of OA boulton

Dear Parents/Carers,

Plans for the safe re-opening of Oasis Academy Boulton

Further to my message to you last week, I am writing to you today as a parent or carer with a child in nursery, Reception, Year 1 or Year 6 with information about the preparations we are making for the gradual return of pupils to the Academy next month.

The Government would like children of your child’s age group to return to school from 1st June, after the half-term holiday. This is in addition to the children who are able to attend now (children of key workers and other eligible children).

We plan to open on Monday 1st June for your child. The re-opening will only happen if the Government and the medical experts say that it is safe to do so, and once we have made all the necessary arrangements to keep your child and our staff safe as possible.

Our number one priority is the safety of your child, your family and of our staff.
The details over leaf set out when we would like your child to attend the Academy together with the detailed arrangements we have put in place to ensure a high a degree of safety as possible.

Questions and feedback
I know that you will have many questions about returning to school and about how things will work in this ‘new normal’ environment.

We understand that you will need to feel confident about the arrangements. To help address some of these questions I have provided a frequently asked questions document also over leaf along with this letter. If you have further questions or concerns you would like addressed, please contact us at enquiry@oasisboulton.org .

We will also be providing a PowerPoint showing the arrangements we have made in the Academy later this week on the website.
We will keep all aspects of our school preparations under review and take feedback from staff, parents and carers.  

What do I need to do now?

There is a lot of information here, but I wanted you to have the full details of what we are doing to make the Academy safe and welcoming for our pupils. While it will be a little different to normal, we will of course take as long as it takes to introduce the changes to the children and make sure they are calm and happy when we welcome them back.

While our aim in writing to you is to provide you with as much clarity as possible about the reopening plans, of course, as things stand, we still do not know whether the Government will confirm its recommendation that schools should reopen from 1st June. This has always been dependent on the R factor but we have now been advised that this decision will be made next Thursday, 28th May. If you do not hear from me, please assume that these arrangements stand. If however things change we will be in touch with you on Friday, 29th May.

Thank you as always for your patience and understanding during this time, and the support you are showing the team who are working exceptionally hard to do all they can for the pupils.

Yours sincerely,
Mrs Shilpa Rathore
Principal, Oasis Academy Boulton.

Details about arrangements

1) Attendance
We will be implementing the 2 square metre social distancing rule everywhere for everyone. We have completed a careful evaluation of the space and our staff capacity and have established that we can safely accommodate between 4-6 children per class.  As a result we have had to implement rotas, where necessary, to ensure that every child gets fair entitlement.

Here are the arrangements for your child:

• Staggered start and pick up times will be sent directly via an email by your teacher every Friday
• Nursery will be on a 2 week part time rolling programme (3 days in one week and 2 days in the week after) This will be sent out via email from the class teacher.
• Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 will be in full time – 5 days

2) Drop-off and pick up and communication through the day
As you can imagine, dropping off and picking up poses a challenge for managing social distancing for you and other parents and all the children being outside does significantly reduce the risk but we will be asking parents to drop off their child at the gate on Victoria Road or Nursery entrance by the main office. Please be aware that only one parent can do this. There will be sanitiser to use at the gate. To reduce the risk of spreading the virus, parents will not be able to access the playground as normal.

• There will be line markings/cones etc which will be placed 2 metres apart, please stay at these points and move forward one at a time.
• Your child’s temperature will be taken at this point and anyone who has a temperature or a cough or runny nose will be sent home immediately
• There will be allocated drop off and pick up times, if you miss your allocated drop off time then we won’t be able to take your child that day due to the safety of the other
• adults and children – These allocated times will be sent via an email by your teacher later this week
• If you are late then you will need to ring the office
• During the day, we ask that you communicate with us only via the telephone (0121 464 4228). To reduce any risk further, parents, and all other external visitors to the Academy, will not be allowed onto school premises for the time being.

3) Temperature Testing and Testing for Corona Virus
While it is not a requirement, each child will then have a temperature check with a thermal (non-contact) thermometer. If your child has a temperature we will ask you to take them home to reduce the risk of someone who may have the virus from entering the Academy.  Please be assured that staff will be undergoing the same checks.  If you think your child is displaying symptoms of the virus it would be helpful to get them tested. You can do so by checking here for the nearest centre (https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test). If they are positive we depend on you to alert us at the soonest possible moment so that we can advise other parents and take the necessary steps to isolate children and staff.

4) Risk Assessments
We have completed a thorough risk assessment following guidance from the Government (you can read this guidance and the guidance from the Government to parents by searching for ‘Opening schools guidance for parents.’ and detailed guidelines from the Oasis Community Learning Trust).
We have reviewed every procedure in the school in the light of the virus including how we will set out classrooms, the use of PPE by staff, how to manage drop-off and pick up, the use of temperature checks, how the children will have access to hand washing, how they will move around the Academy safely and many more issues etc.  The risk assessment will be signed off by the Oasis national leadership team along with myself as Principal and will remain under constant review as we monitor our progress and as the country’s situation changes.

5) Social Distancing
As indicated above, we have created social distancing routes around the Academy and we have rearranged classrooms to meet requirements for social distancing. We have prioritised the use of classrooms with sinks, or nearby washing facilities.

It is important to say that we fully understand any anxiety you may have about young children not being able to manage social distancing.  With this in mind, we will be developing strict routines for the children to follow and we have kept the ratios of children to staff very low. We will keep them in small groups which will remain the same throughout the time they are in school as much as possible depending on staffing. They will stay in one classroom with limited movement around the Academy. Where possible they will have their food and drinks brought to them in class. Children will have access to their own individual resources/stationary and these will be sanitised after use. If they use any equipment it will be washed down afterwards.

 

• Children will have their lunch in the same room with the allocated group leader
• Siblings will be in the same group wherever possible to reduce the spread of infections and for ease of drop off and pick up times
• Children will go out to play but will go out with their small group and will be kept 2 metres away from each other – there will be no mixing or use of equipment
• Sharing of food or drink is NOT allowed

6) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
We have a stock of PPE within the Academy, including face-masks, disposable gloves, disposable aprons, hand sanitisers and soap. While we are not expecting to have any shortages of PPE, we will only remain open if we have enough equipment.  Please note that the latest Government guidance is that wearing a face mask in schools is not recommended; effective cleaning, excellent hygiene and developing new routines are deemed the most effective way to control the spread of the virus. However, we have agreed that if staff wish to wear a mask they have the opportunity to do so. Masks for children, particularly young children is considered unsafe.

7) Uniform
In order to take every opportunity to limit any spread of the virus we respectfully recommend that you wash your child’s clothes which they have worn to school at the end of every day. In order to make this easier to cope with we are happy for the children to wear easily washable clothes of their own and not school uniform.

 

• Only sensible and comfortable footwear (No sandals, flip flops, heels or open toed shoes)
• No make-up or jewellery
• No fancy dress outfits i.e. party dresses or costumes
• We recommend children wear a top, trousers/skirt, jumper
• They will not need their PE kits

8) Hygiene
We have increased cleaning across the Academy, with a focus on regularly sanitising/disinfecting door handles and hard surfaces. There will be disinfectant sprays and paper towels/cloths for cleaning purposes in each classroom. The school will be thoroughly cleaned each day and will have been thoroughly cleaned before the children return. We have established routines for hand washing on coming into school and leaving and also before and after breaks. There are hand sanitisers around the academy. We will encourage the children and staff to wash their hands every 30 minutes.

9) Getting to and from school
The latest advice from the Government is that you should try to avoid public transport especially at peak times and, where possible, travel to and from the Academy by walking or cycling. We have tried to stagger arrival times with this in mind.  We know that this will not always be possible, so please let us know any concerns around this.

10) Equipment
Please do not allow your child to bring any equipment into school including any school bags. See the next paragraph about school lunches. If your child can bring their own water bottle without using a bag that would helpful and please can this be clearly labelled with their name.  Anything brought in by the children from home and left at the end of the day will be thrown away prior to a whole academy clean.
We will be giving the children their own pens and pencils etc to use while they are at school and these will be dedicated for their use.

11) School lunches
All students who are able to attend school will be provided with a free school lunch. Therefore, there is no need to bring food into the Academy.  If you are eligible for the government’s food voucher scheme, run by Edenred, then you will continue to receive a voucher in the usual way even if your child attends the academy and receives a meal there.

12) Curriculum planning and online learning
Online learning will continue for:

• Those year groups who are not in school
• Those children who cannot come into school because they need to be shielded or are shielding others
• Those we cannot currently accommodate due to space restrictions.

Arrangements are different for each year group, but our teachers will be sharing the teaching and learning. Some will be providing the teaching within school, while others will be providing the online learning from home.  From the 1st of June we will have new home learning expectations, a timetable for the week will be on the website every Monday morning for the children to follow and there will be links to access the lessons. There will also be a PowerPoint presentation for the children to work through at home. The children will be doing the same in school.

It is really important that your child engages in home learning otherwise they will fall behind.
Children that are attending school on the 1st June will not be bringing reading books or homework books home, instead there will be plenty of work on the website for the children to do. We have purchased a library of books for the children in Year 2-6 to access from home – please email your child’s class teacher if you do not have a log in and password.

All work set for home learning will be monitored by the teacher and you will receive a ‘Learning Report’ every Friday from the teacher via an email.

Frequently asked questions

I know that you will have many questions about returning to school; I have tried to anticipate some questions, and also reproduced some of the Government’s latest advice:

Can my child return to school?
From Monday 1st June, we will be inviting children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 to return. We will also continue to provide childcare to the children of key workers and other eligible children.

What if my child is eligible but has siblings who are not?
We are only able to welcome back children in the above groups. This does not include siblings in different year groups unless those siblings are in a priority group, for example, the children of key workers.

If my child is eligible, is it compulsory for them to attend school?
The Government strongly encourages children in the eligible year groups and priority groups (such as children of key workers) to attend, as requested, unless they are self-isolating or there are other reasons for absence (such as shielding due to health conditions).  Parents will not be fined for non-attendance at this time.

Do all children eligible for childcare who are not currently attending have to go back to school?
The Academy remains open for all those children who are eligible for childcare, in every year group, and attendance is strongly encouraged.

Should I keep my child at home if they have an underlying health condition or live with someone in a clinically vulnerable group?

• Children and young people who are considered extremely clinically vulnerable and shielding should continue to shield and are not expected to attend.
• Clinically vulnerable (but not clinically extremely vulnerable) people are those considered to be at a higher risk of severe illness from corona Virus. A minority of children will fall into this category, and parents should follow medical advice if their child is in this category.
• Children who live in a household with someone who is extremely clinically vulnerable and shielding should only attend if stringent social distancing can be adhered to and the child or young person is able to understand and follow those instructions.
• Children and young people who live with someone who is clinically vulnerable (but not extremely clinically vulnerable) as defined in the social distancing guidance and including those who are pregnant, can attend.

What happens if there is a confirmed case of corona virus at the Academy?
If a child or staff member develops symptoms compatible with corona virus, they will be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 7 days. We need you to ensure that your child can be collected as soon as possible. Those they live with should also self-isolate for 14 days. As you know, tests are available for anyone who displays symptoms.  Where the child or staff member tests positive, the rest of their class/group will be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days. The other household members of that wider class do not need to self-isolate unless the child or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms.  As we are observing guidance on infection prevention and control, that reduces the risk of transmission, closure of the whole Academy will not generally be necessary.

Can you guarantee my child’s safety?
No, this is an invisible virus. We have put control measures in place and followed government guidance, but we cannot guarantee anyone’s safety.

Do I have to send my child to school?
No that is your choice. You need to decide what is the safest thing for you and your family

Will I be fined for not sending my child to school?
No the government has suspended all fining for the foreseeable time

I want my children to socialise with others as they are missing their friends
Sadly this will not be possible as social distancing guidance states that they must stay away from others and would be in very small groups. They will be encouraged to practise social distancing from that small group

Will my child be in their normal classroom?
Not necessarily, only 6 children will be in their normal classroom, the rest of the children will be split into rooms right across the school

My child wants to see their teacher
Their teacher may or may not be in school and would be allocated one small group. As a result, the other children would not be with their teacher

What if my child hurts themselves?
If your child hurts themselves, staff will then wear full PPE to treat them. Your child needs to be aware of this

What if my child gets sick? – if your child gets sick then you will be called to collect them immediately. They will be isolated from the rest of the children until your arrival.

How will we pick up and drop off our child?
Children will be brought to an allocated gate. Government guidance is that only one adult brings the child to school to minimise the risk to other families. They will have their temperature tested, if raised – you will take your child home. If the temperature is OK, they will be let into the premises and guided to their group by school staff. You will have allotted times. For collection, you will need to arrive outside of the premises at your allotted time. Your child will be released to you from your allocated place

Can my child bring things into school like book bags and toys?
No your child does not need to bring anything from home as this can increase the risk of infection and cross contamination

Can my child play with their friends at playtime and lunchtime?
No they will need to stay with their small group and play on their own. There will be limited play equipment outside due to cross contamination risks and the inability to decontaminate certain items

Will my child be learning outside?
We will use the outdoor spaces as much as possible however we cannot control the British weather

What learning will they be doing?
The teachers will not be able to deliver the full curriculum as in the early years the vast majority is regarding socialisation, cooperation, building relationships and good learning habits. Staff will do their best to keep your child learning, but school will look very different

My child has SEN needs, will these be catered for?
We will try our best to cater for their needs however we cannot stray from the government social distancing guidance. Your child would not receive 1:1 support and may not have their full EHC targets provided for due to the safety restrictions. We want to keep your child as safe as possible. School will be a very different place to the one they left so they will need to be made aware of this

What if my child misbehaves?
If your child misbehaves and is unable to follow the social distancing guidance and instructions given to them by the teacher, you will be asked to collect your child as we cannot compromise the safety of others

Can my child wear a face mask?
Government guidance is that these are not needed in school for your children and can become a contamination hazard as the government thinks that children are more likely to touch their face with a mask on. The current guidance is that they will need to wear one on public transport but that this is not worn in school.

Can I speak to the office staff?
If you have any questions or concerns then you can call the school office. Entry to the school office will be very limited and pre-arranged by appointment only

I have medication for my child?
If your child has regular medication, check that it is safe for your child to return to school. If so, that medication can be passed on to the member of staff on the school gate. Please make sure it is labelled with your child’s name and class

I have other children at home in the other Year groups the government has not mentioned, can I bring them in?
Sadly no, we are following government guidance and starting with our youngest children first. We would not be able to accommodate your other children

I now have to return to work, so I need my children in school
Sadly the critical key worker list and definition has not changed. If you were attending school as a key worker family prior to our complete lockdown then your children would be able to return, if you were not then I am afraid that you would not be able to bring them

Will the school hours remain the same?
Starts to the school day will be staggered with the first group arriving at 9:00am. The end of the day for that first group will be approximately 2.30. You will be allotted a time

If the children are outside will they need sun lotion?
Please apply sun lotion at home as you normally would. The children would be responsible for topping this up themselves during the school day dependent on the weather

What if I change my phone number?
Please make sure that you keep the school office up to date with any change in number, email or address. We will not be able to have your child on site if we cannot contact you.  School office number 01214644228.