Thursday 18th June 2020

Reception Children Returning to School

Dear parents/carers of Reception children,

It is almost time for some of the children to return to school and we are all looking forward to welcoming those who have committed to returning on Monday 22nd June. As we are sure you can all appreciate, it has taken an awful lot of time and effort to alter the school environment so that it is in line with current government guidelines and is as safe as possible for the children to return. We would also like to highlight some important information so that you have a little bit more of an idea of how the next few weeks will work. It is vital that these stringent safety measures are followed.

Firstly, the starting times for those children returning in Reception will differ as there will be two Reception groups. Group 1 will start at 8:45am and finish at 2.45pm and Group 2 will begin at 9am and finish at 3pm. You will shortly receive a message to inform you of the group that your child is in.
Fridays are slightly different. Children in group 1 will finish their day at 12.45pm and those in group 2 will finish at 1pm The school will be deep cleaned every Friday and it is important that these times are strictly adhered to. There can be no exceptions.

Children and their parents should line up by the red markers on the floor next to the Infant hall through the bottom gate. Each marker is placed at an acceptable distance and there is a one-way system to follow. Children will then enter via the Infant Foyer entrance in order to start their day. Senior staff will be on hand to support you with the new routines for entering school. Please do not arrive early as you will not be allowed in the building or be allowed in the yard and arrive on time to collect your child at the end of the day. It is vital that the building is closed promptly for cleaning.

In addition to this, please also be aware that if any children become upset during morning drop off and do not want to come into school, we will reassure them as much as possible in order to encourage them into the classroom as we usually would. However, it is sad for me to say that due to the current guidelines staff will not be able to take them by the hand or take the children from you in order to guide them into school.

Secondly, we are aware that many of you have been asking whether the children will be required to wear their school uniform. The simple answer to this is no. We ask that the children wear their own clothing and comfortable footwear. Clothing must then be washed at the end of each day and the children should attend school in fresh clothing daily. Children ARE NOT required to bring a PE kit into school so their sensible clothing and footwear will ensure they are already prepared for any active sessions. Please be aware that staff will not be able to support any fastening of shoe laces and so any footwear that children wear must be able to be put on, and fastened, independently. Recently we have been enjoying very sunny days, please apply an appropriate high factor sun cream to your child before they come into school to ensure that they are fully protected on days like this. Staff will not be able to reapply sun cream throughout the day.

Thirdly, the only items the children are allowed to bring into school are a coat and any medication that they may require, for instance, an inhaler. Children are entitled to a free school meal (this will be a packed lunch) although you may prefer your child to bring their own. All children can also bring one piece of fruit into school for snack time. Absolutely no other items will be allowed into school. Please do not send school bags. Children will not be able to bring their own books, bikes, scooters, hair accessories (bows) or any other items they may think are acceptable. Should any of these items be brought to school on Wednesday morning, parents will be requested to take them home.

Finally, should any of the children refuse to follow any of the safety measures that staff have put in place, e.g. by not washing hands when instructed or coughing inappropriately, not social distancing, parents will be contacted immediately and the children sent home.

Parents/carers will not be allowed to enter the school building unless collecting a poorly child. Please ring or email the school should you have anything at all to ask. If your child is absent from school, we should be informed in the normal way with a call to the office. If you think any of these are the symptoms of COVID 19, the school MUST be informed immediately and you MUST request a COVID test by ringing 119.
All of the measures put in place are essential to keep children and staff safe and it is imperative that everyone adheres to them.

We are asking that you please reply to the attached survey to say that you have read this letter and agree to follow the measures and sanctions - https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/62TMQ6G
We look forward to seeing some of you soon.

Reception Staff