Dear parents and carers,
We are all looking forward to welcoming the children back into school next week. I know that you all share my hope that this will mark the end to ‘lockdowns’ and school closures. It is important to remember however, that infection rates remain high and the trend in Tameside across the last week shows an increase. Today, reports of the ‘Brazilian’ variant in a number of districts across the UK is extremely worrying especially as it may prove resistant to the vaccines. This underlines the need for everyone to support the community by continuing to follow the guidance.
Firstly, anyone from your household shows any symptoms (including sickness and diarrhea) please do not send your child to school. Instead, self-isolate and seek a test as soon as possible. Remember, your child should self-isolate and not come to school if they:
- Have coronavirus symptoms or have tested positive
- Live with someone who has symptoms or have tested positive
- Are a close contact of someone who has tested positive
For pupils who are self-isolating or shielding, we will continue to offer remote learning similar to what your child has been accessing during lock down, although staff from other classes may support this.
Our safety measures
Rest assured that we are doing everything we can to make sure our pupils can return to school safely. We will be taking the following protective measures to keep everyone safe:
- Procedures for going to and from school:
- Staggered drop off and pick up times to keep groups apart as they arrive and leave – we will revert to school A, B and C times 8.40am/2.40pm, 8.55am/2.55pm and 9.10am/3.10pm – It is important to follow these times to reduce numbers on the school site and keep everyone safer.
- For the time being, we are not able to offer before and after school clubs, however, Rainbow childcare is operating and is also available during the Easter holiday.
- Nursery times will change to drop off between 8.40am to 8.50am and collection being either 11.50am (15hour children) and 2.40pm / 2.50pm (30 hour children)
- To keep adults to a minimum, please restrict parents and carers to one adult at drop off and collection times.
- All adults (and High School aged siblings) coming onto site must wear a face covering in line with our Covid risk assessment and the policy of The Enquire Learning Trust. This is to protect staff and other parents. If you cannot wear a face covering, please arrange with the pastoral team to drop your child with them. There are no exceptions to this important safeguarding arrangement.
- Please do not come onto site without an appointment.
- Equipment and changing:
- Please limit the amount of equipment brought into school to essentials like lunch boxes and reading books
- Please come to school in PE kits or Forest School clothes on the days when these lessons occur
- Please wear school uniform at all other times
- Class bubbles:
- We will continue to operate a class bubble system to keep groups of children apart
- We have changed our timetables to avoid groups meeting together
- We have arrangements for socially-distanced eating in the hall for our infant children and junior classes will have lunch in their classrooms
- All children and staff use hand-gel on arrival, whenever they come inside from breaks and before going home. The staff give reminders during the day to wash hands.
- All classrooms have tissues and bins to ‘catch it and bin it’ for sneezes and coughs.
- The site staff are following an enhanced cleaning schedule.
You can see our full Covid Risk Assessment on the school website at
https://files.schudio.com/flowery-field-primary-school/files/FF-RA260221.pdf
Lockdown has been a challenging period for all of us, and I would like to thank you for your continuing support during this difficult and uncertain time. If you or your child have any concerns about returning to school, or, if you think your child might need extra support when they return, please get in touch with our pastoral team or your child’s teacher.
I will keep you informed of any changes to our plans that may arise in the light of new Government guidance.
Best wishes,
Mr Fell
PS- On Sunday 28th February, The Government announced voluntary, home testing for primary aged children, including their families. Schools are not involved in the distribution of these test kits. Please follow the link below for further details.