IMPORTANT FAQ FOR PARENTS - St Bartholomew's CE Primary School

Important FAQ for parents of children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and 6

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for parents/carers

St Bartholomew’s C E primary School and Nursery

Back to School Plan week beginning 1st June 2020

How will the school be managing risk of infection?	The school will be following all Department for Education (DfE) and Worcestershire Children First (WCF) guidance. In addition, we continue to work closely with all school and academy leaders in our multi-academy trust (SAET). Every effort will be made to adhere to clear rules for hygiene and social distancing by ensuring pupils and staff stay in ‘family learning groups’ throughout the day and have designated classrooms and areas of the school.Toys/resources e.g. glue sticks, crayons, etc will be organised and kept separately and not shared with other groups.
What control measures will be in place to manage the risk of infection?	A comprehensive risk assessment will be in place identifying potential risk factors for pupils and staff.The risk assessment and planning document outlines thorough detail in relation to class sizes, social distancing protocols e.g. no more than 15 children in a class, drop off and pick up procedures, designated lunch areas and toilet facilities. Cleaning procedures including hygiene and hand-washing rules will be reinforced by all staff and toilets will be regularly refreshed throughout the day. Thorough cleaning regimes will take place before and after school as they always are.
Will nursery children follow their usual routine?	We will be able to accommodate nursery children throughout the day in line with current morning, afternoon and all day slots. There will be a slight change to some times. Children in Little Acorns and Acorns will be accommodated in the Acorns classroom although they will be separated and use different equipment, toys and resources. Please encourage your child to go to the toilet before they arrive at school.All day children (9.00 to 3.00). There will be no option for an additional half hour until further notice. If your child does not need to be in school every day for the full day please let us know.Half day morning children (8.30 to 11.30)Half day afternoon children (12.00 to 3.00)
Will my child receive free school meals (Y3 to 6) or Universal free school meals (Reception to Y2)?	FSM and UIFSM will be provided. All other children are asked to bring a packed lunch in the first week back please. Parent Pay and bookings for lunches will begin again w/b 8^th June.
Will parents be asked to follow social distancing rules whilst dropping off and picking up?	Yes. Parents are to keep to the 2m social distancing rules at the start and end of the day please.Start times will be staggered and will also be within a time window to avoid any congestion when dropping off (times to be confirmed next week). In addition, each year group will arrive and depart from different areas of the school.Please can children only be brought to school by one parent/carer to minimise the number of adults coming into school. Senior leaders will present to support and direct parents and pupils.
Who do I speak to if I have any questions or concerns?	Please contact the school or speak to senior leaders in the first instance regarding any questions or concerns or might have. Please note that staff will not be able to speak to parents / carers at length at the start and end of the day. You can of course arrange to speak to teachers and staff at a mutually convenient time.The school office will be open to deal with all general enquiries via telephone, text or e-mail from 8.00 to 15.00. However, face to face contact will not be possible.
Will staff be wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?	The government has advised that PPE is only required for staff who normally use personal protective equipment in the job e.g. first aid/site team/kitchen staff where necessary and appropriate.
If I also have children in years 2, 3, 4 or 5 can I send them to school?	Unfortunately, this will not be possible at the moment.. The government guidance is for children in the designated year groups only unless you meet the criteria for critical workers or vulnerable children. Should this change we will of course ensure you are made aware.
Will the school be open for Breakfast Club and After-School Care?	Unfortunately, we are not able to offer this service at the moment.
Attendance – do I have send my child to school if they are in nursery, Reception, Year 1 or Year 6?	No. You are entitled to send your child to school but it is your decision. Please keep in touch so that we are fully aware of your intention.
If I decide not to send my child(ren) to school for the time being will I be able to change my mind?	Yes. Should the number of children increase dramatically we may have to review staffing requirements and protocols however, this is our problem and we will endeavour to accommodate all children even if we have to adapt our procedures. Please keep in touch.
Will I be fined if I do not send my child to school?	No, the government has said that this will not occur.
What do I do if my child is showing any signs and symptoms of a cold or cough?	Children with COVID 19 symptoms should not attend school for any reason. Whilst we recognise that it is possible that coughs and colds may not in fact be COVID 19 we ask that no risk is taken. Please keep your child at home follow medical advice.
Will teachers still set work for my child if they are not in school?	Every effort will be made to set work however, teachers will be required to be with other children who are in school. This therefore will make it more difficult to set work as frequently as been the case up to now. Teachers have worked tirelessly to produce learning packs for all children and the website also outlines a wide range of learning resources and activities. Teachers have been in regular contact with each pupil in their class and will therefore be best placed to know what work they have currently completed and what their additional learning needs will be. You can of course, as always, contact your child’s teacher to discuss the work and to request support and additional work.
How will social distancing be enforced especially with the youngest children?	Every effort will be made to get children to follow hygiene and social distancing procedures however, it will be very difficult to enforce without children feeling like they are being told off. Therefore, all children will be together in small ‘family groups’ along with designated staff. They will do everything together as a group and not mix with other groups outside of their group as a way of minimising contact. We will not be drawing squares on the playground and asking children to play in their own square as seen in the news recently; this is against our nurturing and pastoral principles and could be damaging to health and well-being. Staff within the ‘family group’ will comfort children if they are upset or hurt, etc, as they always do, whilst being mindful of the current situation. First Aid will administered in the usual way and qualified staff will deal with any injuries using PPE as necessary.
Will there be Collective Worship / assembly?	Children will not gather as a whole school in the near future although collective worship will still take place within family groups as part of the structure of the day. This will include spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, prayers and mindfulness.
What will the structure of the day be like in school?	It is our intention to have a clear and familiar structure to the day to help all children to feel safe, happy and ready and able to learn. We are aware that children will have had a varied experience in the past 8 weeks and many have had to cope with different emotions and situations. Therefore, we will place considerable emphasis on helping children to settle back into the school routine. As you know, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding pastoral care and this will be very important at this time. There will need to be period of integration and revisiting previously taught work. The mornings will include literacy and maths work whilst the afternoons will include more practical, outdoor and creative work.
Will children be expected to wear school uniform?	Pupils will not be expected to wear school uniform when they return although this may change as more children start to come back to school. We will be incorporating lots of practical, creative and enriching activities in our learning which will include lots of outdoor activities. Pupils are asked to wear comfortable clothing and footwear which will enable them to access different physical activities and Forest School.

The questions above have been raised by parents and staff but is not an exhaustive list. Please contact the school should you have any further questions or concerns. Please continue to check our website and your e-mail for further information.