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All children to return to school in September
Tue 14 Jul 2020Dear Parents and Carers,
All children to return to school in September
We truly appreciate all your support and understanding during this difficult time. We understand how difficult this has been for our families. We are delighted to be able to welcome all children back to school for a full-time timetable from September.
As you are aware, the Government have released new guidance for how schools can open to all children in September and mitigate the risks of COVID19. This guidance can be found here.
Over the past two weeks we have carefully risk assessed our options against the Government guidance, consolidated and worked with local Headteachers in the Bath Hub, worked with our Local Governing Body and also the Central Team at the Bath and Wells Multi Academy Trust. Our risk assessment will be published by Friday 17th July on our website for you to read, and will be found here.
Each school in the Bath and Wells Trust is developing plans for:
- all children to return to school full time from the start of the Autumn Term
- children to be taught by their class teacher wherever possible
- health and safety expectations to be of the highest standard in line with Government advice and each school’s risk assessment
- curriculum planning to be informed by an assessment of pupils’ starting points and focused on addressing any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills, in particular making effective use of regular formative assessment
- adapting the curriculum to respond to pupils’ learning needs and providing additional support when required
- focusing more time on core skills and providing support for all children to recover any lost ground
- pastoral support for all pupils to:
- rebuild friendships and social engagement
- address and equip pupils to respond to issues linked to coronavirus (COVID-19)
- further improve their physical and mental wellbeing
The plans outlined in this communication could be subject to change if Government guidance changes, or, for example, we experience a ‘local lockdown’.
1. Will the children be in protective ‘bubbles’?
The Department for Education (DfE) states the following:
In this guidance for the Autumn Term, maintaining consistent groups remains important, but given the decrease in the prevalence of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the resumption of the full range of curriculum subjects, schools may need to change the emphasis on bubbles within their system of controls and increase the size of these groups.
The Dfe also says:
‘Both the approaches of separating groups and maintaining distance are not ‘all-or-nothing’ options, and will still bring benefits even if implemented partially. Some schools may keep children in their class groups for the majority of the classroom time, but also allow mixing into wider groups for specialist teaching, wraparound care and transport’.
Bearing these two statements in mind, we are going to create class bubbles groups in the Infant School (this will include, the Nursery as its own bubble and the new Reception unit as its own bubble) and year group bubbles in the Junior School. This means that classes will remain separate from each other for the majority of the day. However, we will bring groups together for period of times, for example, phonics lessons, wrap around care (breakfast and after school clubs) and playtimes. We will mitigate this risk with high expectations for hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and increased cleaning.
2. How will the start and the end of the day work?
In order to ensure reduced ‘traffic’ on our school sites, we will have a gradual staggered start and use multiple entrance and exit points. This will help adults and families social distance when dropping off and collecting their children.
This approach will reduce the number of families on our sites. We understand that children and families from different ‘Bubbles’ will meet, this has been evaluated as low risk by the Government.
Please can families observe the new yellow markings around our school sites, which include one-way systems and social distancing waiting areas.
The plan for this is below:
Infants
Class
Drop off/ pick up point
Drop off time
Pick up time
Nursery
Playground
08:40
15:10
Reception Poland
Car Park
08:55
15:20
Reception Latvia
Playground
08:55
15:20
Year 1 Finland
Playground
08:50
15:15
Year 1/2 Canada
Side gate (one way entry via the main school entrance and exit via the playground)
08:50
15:15
Year 2 Malta
Playground
08:50
15:15
Juniors
Class
Drop off/ pick up point
Drop off time
Pick up time
Year 3
Top door
08:45
15:25
Year 4
Car park
08:45
15:25
Year 5
Bottom gate
08:45
15:25
Year 6
Bottom gate
08:55
15:35
4. Uniform and equipment
The DfE have stated that:
Some schools may have relaxed their uniform policy while only certain categories of pupils were attending. We would, however, encourage all schools to return to their usual uniform policies in the autumn term. Uniform can play a valuable role in contributing to the ethos of a school and setting an appropriate tone.
Uniforms do not need to be cleaned any more often than usual, nor do they need to be cleaned using methods which are different from normal.
With this statement in mind we have decided to reintroduce our normal uniform expectations and are asking children to attend school in uniform and bring their PE kits from September. Information on uniform can be found here.
5. Lunchtimes and playtimes
We are pleased to confirm that both school kitchens will be reopening in September and serving hot food. Playtimes and lunchtimes will be staggered to keep bubble groups separate and children will be eating in the school halls. The timings of lunch will be change slightly for some of the children but we will ensure that lunchtime eating still happens at an appropriate time.
They will be able to order a hot lunch in the normal way or bring a packed lunch. The menus for September can be found here.
6. Home Learning
As part of our planning we are considering how we would respond to another lockdown. We will work hard to be able to respond immediately and will offer a combination of streamed teaching, remote learning and work packs.[CH9] The Government expect all schools to have this in place by the end of September.
The Bath and Wells Trust are interested to reflect on home learning provision across all Trust schools and are currently in the process of creating a Trust wide survey that will be sent to families during the Autumn Term.
7. Curriculum in September
When the children arrive back in school there will be an increased focus on well-being, Thrive and PSHE activities to support all children’s mental health. In line with Government policy we will be teaching our full curriculum from September.
8. Will my child be taught by more than one teacher.
The DfE states:
All teachers and other staff can operate across different classes and year groups in order to facilitate the delivery of the school timetable.
With this statement in mind, we will be asking our staff and other providers that support our curriculum to come into school and work across classes. They will follow our strict hygiene and cleaning systems to mitigate the risk of transmission and where possible they will observe social distancing measures.
9. Breakfast Club and After School Club
Breakfast Club will restart from Thursday 3rd September at both schools.
After School Club (SuperPirates) will restart from Monday 7th September.
Breakfast Clubs can be booked through Schoolcomms (School Gateway) in the normal way and will be run from the two school halls. Children will be in year group bubbles and have set spaces in the halls and outside.
SuperPirates will run one club across both schools with their main base being the Infant School hall. They will change their approach and will be predominantly an outside and adventurous club that will support a ‘bubble’ approach with children in either an Infant, Year 3 & 4 or Year 5 & 6 group. Please make sure your children has the appropriate clothing for the weather. Bookings will be made directly with SuperPirates for September and beyond. More information will be sent out ASAP.
Our other clubs offered by outside providers and school staff will restart as soon as possible after a Term 1 review. The earliest these clubs will return is Term 2.
10. The School Office
Both school offices will be open in September with reduced staffing due to social distancing. There will only be one member of staff available per office at any time. We encourage parents and families to contact the school office by phone or email rather than visiting the office. However, if you do need to visit the office, we ask that you follow the social distancing guidelines and the rules below:
1. As you approach the school please stop at the line outside and wait to be approached by a member of staff. Please be aware that if the office staff are busy, for example, running a message to a classroom, you may have to wait.
2. Please do not approach the door or press the buzzer.
3. A member of the team will come and meet you at the door from a distance of at least 2 metres.
4. Only one family group will be able to wait in the ‘holding area’ so please be prepared to wait outside (even if it is raining).
The office will be able to help you in the following ways:
What the office staff CAN do:
1. Help you with concerns and questions (please email or phone these through if possible)
2. Organise for someone to get back to you if you have a question they can’t answer
3. Allow you into school for a pre-arranged appointment
We hope you understand why we have had to put these measures in place. Please do not hesitate to contact the Office Team if you have questions. We are always very happy to help, but would prefer to do this on the phone or by email during this time.
11. Attendance
The DfE states:
Attendance expectations
In March when the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was increasing, we made clear no parent would be penalised or sanctioned for their child’s non-attendance at school.
Now the circumstances have changed and it is vital for all children to return to school to minimise as far as possible the longer-term impact of the pandemic on children’s education, wellbeing and wider development.
Missing out on more time in the classroom risks pupils falling further behind. Those with higher overall absence tend to achieve less well in both primary and secondary school. School attendance will therefore be mandatory again from the beginning of the autumn term.
This means from that point, the usual rules on school attendance will apply, including:
- parents’ duty to secure that their child attends regularly at school where the child is a registered pupil at school and they are of compulsory school age;
- schools’ responsibilities to record attendance and follow up absence
- the availability to issue sanctions, including fixed penalty notices in line with local authorities’ codes of conduct
We understand that families may be nervous and concerned about their children returning to school. If this applies to you, please contact us as early as possible so we can work with you to overcome your concerns. We will only use fines as a last resort.
Thank You
As always, we thank you for your understanding and continued support. If you have any further questions, please let us know.
The last day of term for the children is Friday 17th July. The first day of term 1 for the children will be Thursday 3rd September (September 1st and 2nd are staff INSET days).
On behalf of everyone at St Saviour’s, I hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable summer and we can’t wait to welcome your children back to school in September.
Best wishes,
Mr Joe Beament
Executive Headteacher
St Saviour’s Infant Church School and St Saviour’s Junior Church School
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stsavioursbath
Twitter: @St_SaviourBath
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End of Term and Summer Support
Wed 08 Jul 2020Dear Parents and Carers,
Following my email last week, please find below information regarding the rest of this term and the summer.
Reports and further transition into new classes
Reports will be sent home on Thursday 9th July. If your child is not in school, this will be posted to you.
This will include information regarding your child’s learning journey this year. Due to lockdown, attainment will be shared from March, when the last formal teacher assessment took place. The Government has removed the statutory requirement for schools to share end of year progress and attainment and attendance information.
This year we have included a transition document with the children’s reports as we want to understand how lockdown and ‘Home Learning’ has been for all children and families. We would encourage all families to complete the transition document sent home with the report. This would ideally be done alongside your child(ren) and would include information under the headings such as ‘things I have enjoyed during lockdown’ and ‘things I am worried about’. This document can be completed over the summer holidays and brought back to school in September to hand to your child’s new class teacher. Your child’s new class teacher will use the form to aid transition into the new school year.
If you would like to discuss the contents of your child’s report further with your child’s current class teacher, or have any questions or concerns relating to the report, we would ask that you email the class teacher directly (teacher’s email addresses can be found on Teams or by firstname.surname@stsaviours.bwmat.org) to arrange a short meeting to discuss this. These pre-booked meetings will be held via Teams, or a phone call, depending on your preference.
Infant School – Teachers will be available to organise a meeting at a mutually convenient time on receipt of your email
Junior School - Teachers will be available between 4pm and 6pm on Monday 13th and Wednesday 15th July and will book in a slot for you on receipt of your email.
Summer Activities and Home Learning
We will keep the ‘Home Learning’ page live on our website over the summer holiday so you can access links and past lessons as you wish. Teams will remain online, however all communications will be muted as contributions will not be monitored during the summer holidays.
We are unable to open our school sites over the holidays as we have extensive building work taking place during August. This includes reinforcing some glass and windows at both schools, new roof at the Infant School and a new hall floor and path at the Junior School. However, there are some summer activities that we are supporting over the holidays and this information will be send out in a separate communication later this week.
Summer Support
We understand that children might feel worried and nervous about returning to school in September, especially if they have not been back regularly since the end of March. To support children through this period, teachers will be running an online session for children on either Thursday 27th August or Friday 28th August (these sessions are optional).
Your child will be sent an invite over Microsoft Teams, by Thursday 16th July, which will appear in their Teams calendar. Please watch this video to find out when your session is and how to access it when it starts.
We are also going to use the two INSET days in September (1st and 2nd) to support vulnerable children or children who are expressing high anxiety about returning to school. If your child falls into one of these categories and you feel that some support during these INSET days would help, can you please email juniors@stsaviours.bwmat.org, by Tuesday 14th July, with the email subject ‘INSET support’ so we can discuss the situation. We might be able to offer a phone call, Teams session or on-site visit.
This can be a difficult time for families and when school closes for the summer there are a number of services you can access if you require support:
See, Hear, Respond carer referral
This organisation want to speak to parents and carers, directly over the phone; to listen to you, understand your situation and make a plan with you about how they can help.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice and support for parents and carers | NSPCC
Websites supporting vulnerable people, including NSPCC.org.uk, will now be free of charge during the pandemic. This means using these websites to access support and advice will not use your phone data.
Support for Parents from Action For Children
Please click the link to find out more: www.parents.actionforchildren.org.uk
September plans – all children to return to school
The official guidance was released last week and we are in the process of updating our risk assessment. We are planning to bring all children back to school full time. We are also looking at how we can offer extended services (Breakfast Clubs and our After School Club) from Term 1.
Before the end of the summer term, we will share the finer details with our families. Thank you for your patience as we work through the government guidance and plan how we can implement it successfully and safely at the St Saviour’s Schools.
As always, I would like to thank you for your support and understanding at this difficult time.
Best wishes,
Mr Beament
Executive Headteacher
St Saviour’s Infant Church School and St Saviour’s Junior Church School
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School updates
Thu 02 Jul 2020I hope this email find you well and that your children are enjoying their transition activities and online sessions.
Below is an update on our current planning in regards to the end of term and the summer holidays.
Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in September
After 4 years at the Junior School, Mrs Eve (Junior School SENCO) will be leaving the school at the end of this school year as she moves to a new job in the Wellsway Multi-Academy Trust in Keynsham. Sara Hibbs (Infant School SENCO) will be taking over the SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) responsibility from September across both schools.
If your child has SEND and you would like an initial or introductory conversation with Sara before the end of term please email infants@stsaviours.bwmat.org and she would be more than happy to organise this with you.
Food parcels
The last food parcels will be sent out from the Infant School kitchen on 14th July.
Unfortunately, we are unable to continue this service over the holiday as the kitchens need to be deep cleaned and prepared for reopening in September.
We have asked FareShare for a larger final delivery so we can issue extra large parcels to our families and community to support them over the first few weeks of the Summer holidays.
If this will leave you in a difficult position over the holiday there are some organisations you can contact:
- The ‘FOOD Club’ – an organization supported by FareShare that offer significantly reduced food. Contact: brightstartcc@bathnes.gov.uk
- 3SG – Compassionate Community - an organisation to connect people who are in need and is supported by Virgin Care and BANES they can support families in a variety of ways https://www.3sg.org.uk/ they also have a direct link to wellbeing support https://www.3sg.org.uk/pages/wellbeing-resources
- Age Concern - 01793 687017 or 01225 466135 they can provide a hot, two course meal delivered to home for £6.50 per meal
Summer Food Vouchers
The Government has now confirmed that all children that are entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) will receive a supermarket voucher to spend on food over the summer holidays. We are currently processing this for all eligible families and you should receive your voucher directly from the Government (likely to be the company EdenRed). You do not need to contact school or make an application for this voucher.
My next communication
I will write to you again in the near future with further information that will include:
- September plans – Government guidance has been published today and we are currently planning to accommodate all children returning to school in September
- Summer Support – Details of support we will be able to offer and organise over the summer break
- End of year reports – Including details of when you will receive your child’s report and what will be included
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.
Best Wishes,
Mr Joe Beament
Executive Headteacher
St Saviour’s Infant Church School and St Saviour’s Junior Church School