Welcome Back

Important Information

Drop Off

Taxi Drop off – 8.55am                              Car / Drop off – 9:15am

Pick Up

Taxi Pick up – 3:00pm                              Parent / Carers  Pick up – 3:15pm

 

Dear Parents/Carers

Classes and Groups/Bubbles.

To limit the number of pupils in contact with each other we are retaining the principle of the groups or bubbles, so the same pupils and staff are working with each other throughout the day. In a large number of cases, this will mean your child/young person will stay in their class with the same children in the same environment for most of their learning. They will be with the same children/young people for break times and at lunchtime. For most children and young people the group/bubble will be their class.

In most cases subject specialist teachers will move around to the groups/bubbles, ensuring they sanitise any equipment and following our guidance regarding interacting with the pupils (frequent hand sanitation, avoiding close direct face to face interaction and limiting cross zonal work wherever possible).

The largest groups/bubbles we have are in Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) and in Key Stage 5 (Sixth Form) because they are taught in option block as and the curriculum would be too severely disrupted

There will be no swimming or offsite activities in the first two weeks of term to allow us time to assess the risks posed to our pupils at that time.

Confirmed cases

We have not had any direct school based confirmed cases of CV-19. IN the suspected cases Public Health England have been very clear that the groups/bubbles do not need to isolate until a case is confirmed.

We ask that you act as the first line of defence and do not send your child/young person into school if you have any suspicions that they have CV-19 and they are showing one or more of the following symptoms:

IN this case please infrom us via the school reception as a priority and will contact public Heath England to register the possible case.

Your child/young person would have to isolate for 7 days or longer (7 days minimum and until they are two days clear of the symptoms)

If we do have a confirmed case of CV-19 then we will have drastically reduced the transmission and impact by retaining this principle. It will mean that we have to suspend a bubble in this scenario, pupils and staff who have had direct contact will be have to quarantine for 14 days.

 

Distancing

The groups/bubbles will be kept apart from other groups where possible and pupils that are able will be encouraged to keep their distance within groups. The DfE recognise that younger children and those pupils with complex needs will not be able to maintain social distancing and have deemed it acceptable that they will not be distancing within that group.

We will endeavor to keep these groups at least partially separate and minimising contacts between pupils will still offer benefits as it reduces the network of possible direct transmission. It is not a case of all or nothing.

Where social distancing cannot be maintained the other control measures will be even more important, such as frequent hand washing and the cleaning regimes.

Pupils and staff will not be able to congregate communal spaces except for transitioning to and from classes or when they have booked the use of the area. This will ensure we limit interaction, sharing of rooms and social spaces between groups as much as possible.

Outdoor times (learning) will be onsite (including the Forest School) and will be staggered to ensure limited numbers of pupils and staff are coming into contact with each other.

 

Transport

As you will already be aware we do not have any control or authority over the transport procedures (This is a central service managed by Kent County Council).

We have asked for assurances that all taxi and transport provisions are cleaned prior to the first pick up and once our children/young person have left the vehicle.

Our pupils are not required to wear face masks for dedicated school transport journeys, they are exempt.

 

Arrival at school (drop off)

To reduce crowding at the building entrances during drop off and pick up, the timings and locations will be staggered:

  • Pupils arriving by taxi should arrive at 8.55 am and will be collected directly from the vehicles as part of our normal handover routines. They will remain in the vehicles until collected by a member of staff.
  • Pupils brought by parents or carers should arrive at 9.15 am, please do not arrive earlier than this as we will not have capacity to admit your child before then and it will result in you having to wait and increase the risks to our community.
    • The designated handover and waiting points will be marked starting from underneath the canopy area working back along the side of the building.
  • Parent/carers can arrive in cars and handover in the bays at the front of the school in the same way as the taxis, just at the later time from 9.15 am onward. Pupils should remain in their cars until collected by a member of staff.

No parent, carer or escort will be allowed to access the main body of the building unless they are attending a pre arranged appointment. The Café will remain closed to outside visitors/guests.

The only exception regarding parents /carers entering the building at drop off time will be for Reception children in September. They will have a staggered start time (later than 9.15 am). If the children find it distressing at handover, a member of staff can allow a parent/carer into the entrance area to help with the transition. They will not be allowed beyond the entrance area and will be screened to ensure they have no symptoms prior to entering the building. They will be asked to leave immediately after dropping their child off.

Parents/carers and personnel from KCC transport must adhere to social distancing guidelines displayed within the school grounds, only entering the building if it essential that they do so (for an pre-arranged appointment). They will be expected to leave the school premises as quickly as possible.

All adults and pupils entering the school building must use the hand sanitiser provided and following our signing in screening procedures.

Any exceptional circumstances should be approved and recorded by Ali Cole (Deputy Headteacher) – to ensure we can maintain the safest environment possible.

 

Departure from school (pick up)

To reduce crowding on leaving:

  • Pupils collected by taxi will leave at 3.00 pm and be escorted directly to the taxi once they are called for (via our radio system).
  • Pupils being collected by parents or carers will be collected from school at 3.15 pm, with handover in a social distancing designated area. Or they will be escorted to the front parking bays if the parent/carer remains in their car.

All adults and pupils leaving the school building must use the hand sanitiser provided.

All adults and pupils entering the school building must use the hand sanitiser provided and following our signing in screening procedures.

Any exceptional circumstances should be approved and recorded by Ali Cole (Deputy Headteacher) – to ensure we can maintain the safest environment possible.

Communication

Pupils will be expected to wash and /or sanitise their hands frequently during the day. This will include before entering and exiting the school. IM sure you are already following similar regimes and we would would be grateful if you work with your child to remind them this will happen frequently at school.

Can we ask that if your child/young person has PE that they attend on that day in their PE kit, wherever possible. This will avoid difficulties with social distancing whilst they are changing.

We will be using home to school communication books as the hard surface covers can be wiped down and cleaned.

Bags and Coats are absolutely fine to bring into school but we kindly ask that any only toys or items that are essential to support your child will be accepted in school and these will need to be hard/solid surfaces that can cleaned.

Every child/young person will wear his or her uniform as normally expected in September.

EHCP’s schedules of review will resume fully in September. We will be using a combination of methods to ensure this happens, for the vast majority of meetings in Term 1 this will be via zoom or a similar system to ensure we can the fullest attendance and input.

 

Cleaning

You will see an increase in the hand santitation stations at the different entrances to the school. This is also the case through the school.

We have a team of cleaners who will be working through a constant cleaning schedule throughout the school day. This includes a santitation of the dining hall between lunch sitting and cleaning outside play equipment.

Every classroom and office has their own cleaning kit as well as the routine cleaning at the end of every day and a minimum of one “deep clean” every week.

Toilets will be accessed across different groups but will be cleaned frequently throughout the day as part of our ongoing cleaning commitment.