THIS LETTER WAS EMAILED TO RECEPTION, YEAR 1 AND YEAR 6 PARENTS ON WEDNESDAY 20TH MAY AND IT ALSO ATTACHED IN A LINK BELOW. 

 

Dear Parents/Carers

VAUGHAN PRIMARY SCHOOL INITIAL REOPENING

PUPILS IN RECEPTION, YEAR 1 AND YEAR 6

I hope everyone remains safe and well, in these challenging times.

You will have heard the Government’s plans to begin phasing the reopening of schools from June.  The school received notification of the plans to reopen school, on Sunday 10^th May, alongside the rest of the nation.

All plans to reopen are subject to three major factors: the government confirming by the end of this month whether reopening will go ahead as planned, whether the school has been able to implement all control measures identified under our risk assessment procedures and whether the school is able to safely staff the number of groups that we will have on site.

At Vaughan, the phased return applies to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils only.  All parents from these year groups will receive a separate letter on Friday 22^nd May which clearly explains the procedures for your child’s return to school and how these arrangements will be implemented.  If you have children in other year groups they CANNOT return at this time.  The Government will release information regarding the return of other year groups in due course.

As parents you need to consider whether you are satisfied with sending your child back to school, in acceptance with these measures.  Senior staff will not be available to discuss parental preferences in terms of groupings of children, assignment of teachers or friendship groups.

Given the complexity of planning and reorganisation to the entire school environment that needs to be in place in order to ensure the health and safety of everyone on site, the school will not be open until Thursday 4^th June (except for those vulnerable and keyworker children already under our care) and this will be to Year 6 pupils only.  It is up to individual schools to decide what is safe and manageable and in conjunction with the Governing Body, the school will reopen from this point.

The timings of the school day will be different when the children return.  A timetable for return, outlined below indicates start dates, start and end of day arrangements for these groups:

Initial Phased Return timetable for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6

Thursday 4th June 2020 and then from this point until further notice	Year 6  welcomed back to school	School start time: 8.50am	School end time: 3.10pm	Alongside vulnerable and key worker pupils
Monday 8th June 2020 and then from this point until further notice	Reception welcomed back to school	School start time: 9.15am	School end time: 3.00pm	Alongside vulnerable and key worker pupils and Year 6
Wednesday 10th June 2020 and then from this point until further notice	Year 1 welcomed back to school	School start time: 9.00am	School end time: 3.25pm	Alongside vulnerable and key worker pupils, Reception and Year 6

These timings are fixed at this point and are designed to ensure that there are fewer individuals on the school site and try to protect the staff and pupils who remain on school premises during the school day.  Parents and carers must adhere to these times, particularly end of day times as we will not have the capacity to keep groups of pupils who are late to be collected.  Parents must ensure that they have clear drop off and pick up arrangements in place before allowing their child to return to school.  Our usual collection of children procedures remains applicable and the school must be informed in advance of any changes to adults responsible for your child’s collection.  However, in light of the current situation we strongly discourage anyone other than parents collecting children.

By Wednesday 10^th June, if all the invited pupils return, the school could potentially have over 300 pupils on site.  We will try to minimise risks as much as we feasibly can but it is impossible, when working with these numbers of individuals on site, to eliminate risk altogether.

I want to be very clear about the decision for your child to return to school – it is YOUR choice and there will be NO penalties for non-attendance.  The school respects the decisions made by all parents during this uncertain time.

As I stated to parents in a previous letter, school will not return as it was before the closure in March, and the school day will no longer look the same as it did for your child.  The arrangements outlined above are subject to change by the Leadership of the school who will assess on a daily basis, with a thorough risk assessment, whether it is safe to continue with these arrangements.  Parents must be prepared for changes and also for partial or whole school closure if the opening of the school is deemed to be unsafe.

Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils will return to school in a very different format so it is important that you as parents are clear about what this new reality is and take the time to explain this to your child, before embarking on plans for their return.  These plans will include:

• Staggered start and end to the school day for all pupils
• Staggered playtimes and lunchtimes
• Implementation of social distancing in the classroom, at playtime, at lunchtime and movement around the school (as far as possible – the school cannot guarantee this at all times)
• Enhanced cleaning procedures throughout the day particularly in potential high use areas
• Pupils not being in close contact with adults, other pupils in their group or other groups of pupils
• All pupils grouped in ‘bubbles’ of no more than 15 – which means that as far as possible, they will be with the same pupils and adults, in the same classroom for an entire week
• Pupils may not be in their own familiar classroom
• Pupils may not be with their teacher
• Pupils provided ‘learning’ activities from an amended timetable
• Staff wearing PPE.

All the staff at Vaughan recognise that children and parents alike may be extremely anxious and need time to readjust to new surroundings and routines.  There are also a range of circumstances that families may have been dealing with during this time. The staff will endeavour to provide a range of pastoral support for pupils.

I hope you can begin to understand the level of difficulty this process entails, but it is vital that we have carefully planned arrangements so that we can do our best to minimise the risks to all.  I hope the content in this communication and the letter for your child’s specific year group supports you to make an informed decision about the best way forward for your family for the foreseeable future.

Thank you again, to all parents and carers for your continued support to your children and the school during this tremendously difficult time for us all.

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Yours sincerely

MRS KAREN JONES
Headteacher

THIS LETTER WAS EMAILED TO YEAR 6 PARENTS ON FRIDAY 22ND MAY AND IT ALSO ATTACHED IN A LINK BELOW. 

 

Dear Parents/Carers

VAUGHAN PRIMARY SCHOOL INITIAL REOPENING

PUPILS IN YEAR SIX
It is a pleasure to write to you in order to share the school’s planned arrangements regarding the phased reopening of the school.  Please find below the arrangements for your child’s return to Vaughan Primary School from Thursday 4^th June 2020.

Initial Phased Return timetable for Year 6 pupils
Thursday 4th June and then from this point until further notice	Year 6 welcomed back to school	School start time: 8.50 am	School end time: 3.10 pm	Alongside vulnerable and key worker pupils

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you decide to send your child in from this date, it is expected that your child is in school full time.  The teaching staff will need a clear indication of how many pupils they are planning for in school as well as continuing to provide activities for the rest of the year group who do not attend.  School will NOT be school in the way that we have been used to, and daily activities including play times, class activities and teaching staff will all be different.  

Entry and Exit of the Site

Year 6 pupils will be admitted to the school site via the MAIN RED GATES ONLY and they will Exit via the BACK GATES ONLY.  This will be irrespective of where families live.  PARENTS OF YEAR 6 PUPILS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED ON SITE.  IF YOU ARE DROPPING YOUR CHILD OFF, PLEASE STAY OUTSIDE THE RED GATES AND IF YOU ARE COLLECTING THEM YOU WILL NEED TO WAIT OUTSIDE THE BACK GATES.  If your child previously walked home and you are happy for this to continue, there is no need to contact the school.  If circumstances change, please contact us as soon as possible.  Staff will be deployed at both gates to receive and dismiss pupils.

A map has been included here.

All correspondence from this point will have to be made via email to the school office or post boxes at designated points on the perimeter of the building. No parents will be permitted into the school building and parents will not be able to request meetings with any staff.

A photograph of the classroom set up is here.

Groupings

Each class will be split into maximum groups of 15 pupils with an adult.  It is important to understand that your child may not be with their friends and it’s likely that your child will not be with their own class teacher.  The groups will be split according to register order.  This group of pupils will remain in this group all week for every activity in the classroom and out, including playtime and lunchtime.  Pupils will take part in activities that require them to remain apart, even at playtime – as per the Government guidance.  Please do not approach the school with personal requests as they cannot be met.  Staff do not have the capacity to make individual arrangements, so please consider the choice to send your child back to school carefully.  Staff will continue to encourage children to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly throughout the day.

Uniform

In order to support your child to get back into a school routine, they will be required to wear school uniform but we do understand that they may have outgrown some of their uniform.  Whether they wear their uniform or their P.E. kit, this will be acceptable.  Trainers will be allowed.  No open-toed footwear will be allowed for health and safety reasons.  Any clothing worn needs to be washed regularly in order to minimise risk of transmission of the virus.

Equipment

Pupils will only be allowed to enter the school building with a waterproof coat, a labelled water bottle and where necessary, a packed lunch.  There will be no backpacks, P.E. bags or bookbags will be permitted in school.  This also extends to pupils bringing in their own equipment from home such as pencil cases.  Anything brought in from home CAN NOT be allowed into the school building.  The exception for Year 6 is their mobile phones which will be placed in an envelope on arrival at school and kept with the adult in charge of their group.

Classrooms

Classrooms will look very different moving forward.  Furniture will have to be removed from classes in order to comply with social distancing.  Rooms will be set out for avoiding contact with staff and between children.  Pupils will have to remain at their tables and keep to their provided equipment.  A vast number of resources will have to be removed from rooms due to the possibility of transmission and the unfeasibility of cleaning all resources that pupils may come into contact with.  A photograph showing the layout of the classroom has been included above.

The Department for Education guidance has stated that social distancing in primary schools is not a statutory requirement, so please bear this in mind that we will be doing our utmost with the measures that we have in place which include:

• avoiding contact with anyone with symptoms
• frequent and thorough hand washing and good respiratory hygiene practices
• regular cleaning of the school throughout the day
• minimising contact and mixing between pupils in class and other groups.

Curriculum

Pupils will be provided with ‘learning’ activities that are linked to their Year Group.  These are also the activities that will continue to be provided for the pupils who do not return to school.  At this point, the school cannot return to proper curriculum teaching as we do not know how many pupils will return to school on a consistent basis.  The current class email addresses for Year 6 will not be monitored once the school begins the phased reopening.  This is because the school does not have the capacity to staff pupil groups and monitor home learning responses.  All correspondence will need to be via email to the school office or post boxes at designated points on the perimeter of the building. 

Fruit and Milk Provision

Milk provision has been suspended and the school will be informed after half term as to whether this offer will remain available for the rest of the term.  Pupils will not be allowed to bring in fruit or snacks from home in order to prevent cross-contamination and transmission of disease.

Playtime

Playtimes will be staggered and in the same groupings as the classroom. Each group will not come into contact with other groups. They will not be allowed to run around the playground area or play with each other as they have been used to but a member of staff will lead a whole group activity. Each group will be assigned an area of the playground that they will use for all outdoor activity.

Lunchtime

Lunches will be staggered and eaten in the same groupings that the pupils have been in all day.  Each group will eat separately in the dining hall and will not come into contact with other groups.  There will be one member of lunchtime supervision staff for each group.  These staff members will be wearing PPE.  Pupils can still have a hot school lunch or bring a packed lunch.  Any lunch boxes brought into school will be stored individually.

Transition

We are still awaiting High School transition arrangements from High Schools and will be in touch with you as soon as know more.

Welfare and Medication

Welfare staff will be wearing PPE for First Aid purposes and in case we have any member of the school community who is presenting with symptoms of COVID-19.  If any member of a class group exhibits symptoms, then parents will be notified and all members of that group will need to adhere to the 14 day whole household self-isolation procedures.

If your child requires regular medication that has to be administered at school, or there is a change to your child’s HCP (Health Care Plan), or a new HCP is required, you will need to complete a medical form in the usual way.  Paper copies of these forms will be available outside the front of the main school office.  Parents are also able to print these forms from the website (see the banner at the top of the front page of the website).  Parents will need the medication and completed forms ready for the school on the first day they are back.  These will be collected by a member of staff outside the front of the main school office.

Absence

If you have taken the decision for your child to return to school and then they are absent, you must call the absence line or email attendance@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk.  Once pupils return, it is vital for the school to track the reasons for pupil absence as it may have a profound impact on staff and other pupils.

Breakfast Club and After School Club

Breakfast Club will be operating from 7.30 am as normal, with parents booking online in advance if possible – so we can gauge numbers.  It will continue to cost £3.00 per child per day.  Parents will be able to exit the school site via the main red gates before 8.25 am, however after this time, exit will only be via the back gates.  Please note that the After School Club provision will not be running.

Thank you again, to all parents and carers for your continued support to your children and the school during this tremendously difficult time for us all.

All the staff look forward to seeing you soon.

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Yours sincerely

MRS KAREN JONES
Headteacher

THIS LETTER WAS EMAILED TO YEAR 1 PARENTS ON FRIDAY 22ND MAY AND IT ALSO ATTACHED IN A LINK BELOW. 

 

Dear Parents/Carers

VAUGHAN PRIMARY SCHOOL INITIAL REOPENING

PUPILS IN YEAR ONE

It is a pleasure to write to you in order to share the school’s planned arrangements regarding the phased reopening of the school.  Please find below the arrangements for your child’s return to Vaughan Primary School from Wednesday 10^th June 2020.

Initial Phased Return timetable for Year 1 pupils
Wednesday 10th June and then from this point until further notice	Year 1 welcomed back to school	School start time: 9.00 am	School end time: 3.25 pm	Alongside vulnerable and key worker pupils, Reception and Year 6

 

If you decide to send your child in from this date, we will be expecting that your child is in school full time.  The teaching staff need to have a clear indication of how many pupils they are planning for in school as well as continuing to provide activities for the rest of the year group who do not attend.  School will NOT be school in the way that we have been used to, and daily activities including play times, class activities and teaching staff will all be different.  We will do our best to ensure that there are a range of opportunities for welcoming the pupils, pastoral and nurturing support, once they return to school.

Entry and Exit of the Site

A one-way system will be in operation on the school site.  Entrance to the school site will be via the MAIN RED GATES ONLY and Exit will be via the BACK GATES ONLY.  This will be irrespective of where families live.  ONLY ONE PARENT OR CARER WILL BE ALLOWED ON SITE.  We strongly advocate that our school community walks, scooters or cycles to school to reduce congestion and bottlenecks on our local roads.  If you have no option other than travelling by public transport, please be aware of reduced services and risk factors related to transmission of COVID-19 whilst travelling.  All parents must adhere to this system in order to protect the health and safety of everyone.

Once entry has been gained through the red gates all Year 1 pupils will enter the school via the WOODEN GATES by the large playground.  Staff will be deployed at this gate to receive pupils.  They will not be engaging with parents and parents will be expected to adhere to social distancing while on site.  Parents will need to collect pupils promptly from the WOODEN GATES at 3.25 pm.  All correspondence from this point will have to be made via email to the school office or post boxes at designated points on the perimeter of the building.  No parents will be permitted into the school building and parents will not be able to request meetings with any staff.

A map has been included here.  A photograph of the classroom set up is here.

Settling

The return to school now may be quite daunting and unsettling for pupils.  Please be mindful that with all staff deployed to receive smaller groups, there will not be the capacity to settle pupils in a 1:1 way.  Please consider if your child will struggle with this and with very different routines and protocols.  If they become distressed on entry, you may want to take them home and try again the following day.

Groupings

Each class will be split into maximum groups of 15 by the school, with an adult in each group.  It is important to understand that your child may not be with their friends.  It is also likely that your child will not be with their usual class teacher.  This group of pupils will remain in this group all week for every activity in the classroom and out, including playtime and lunchtime.  Pupils will take part in activities that require them to remain apart, even at playtime – as per the Government guidance.  Please do not approach the school with personal requests as they will be refused.  Staff do not have the capacity to make individual arrangements, so please consider the choice to send your child back to school carefully if this arrangement may distress them.  Staff will continue to encourage children to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly throughout the day.

Uniform

In order to support your child to get back into a school routine, they will be required to wear school uniform but we do understand that they may have outgrown some of their uniform.  Whether they wear their uniform or their P.E. kit, this will be acceptable.  Trainers will be allowed.  No open-toed footwear will be allowed for health and safety reasons.  Any clothing worn needs to be washed regularly in order to minimise risk of transmission of the virus.

Equipment

Pupils will only be allowed to enter the school building with a waterproof coat, a labelled water bottle and where necessary, a packed lunch.  There will be no backpacks, P.E. bags or bookbags will be permitted in school.  This also extends to pupils bringing in their own equipment from home such as pencil cases.  Anything brought in from home CAN NOT be allowed into the school building.

Classrooms

Classrooms will look very different moving forward.  The youngest children will find this particularly difficult. They won’t have access to all the practical resources they would normally have because they all have to be kept clean to avoid infection.  Furniture will have to be removed from classes in order to comply with social distancing.  Rooms will be set out for avoiding contact with staff and between children.  Pupils will have to remain at their tables and keep to their provided equipment.  A vast number of resources will have to be removed from rooms due to the possibility of transmission and the unfeasibility of cleaning all resources that pupils may come into contact with.  Many outdoor areas will not be in use.  A photograph showing the layout of the classroom has been included above.

The Department for Education guidance has stated that social distancing in primary schools is not a statutory requirement, so please bear this in mind that we will be doing our utmost with the measures that we have in place which include:

• avoiding contact with anyone with symptoms
• frequent and thorough hand washing and good respiratory hygiene practices
• regular cleaning of the school throughout the day
• minimising contact and mixing between pupils in class and other groups.

Curriculum

Pupils will be provided with ‘learning’ activities that are linked to their Year Group.  These are also the activities that will continue to be provided for the pupils who do not return to school.  At this point, the school cannot return to proper curriculum teaching as we do not know how many pupils will return to school on a consistent basis.  The current class email addresses for Year 1 will not be monitored once the school begins the phased reopening.   This is because the school does not have the capacity to staff pupil groups and monitor home learning responses.  All correspondence will need to be via email to the school office or post boxes at designated points on the perimeter of the building.    

Fruit and Milk Provision

The infant fruit provision has been suspended by the Department of Health and it is unlikely that this will be started again before the end of the academic year.  Milk provision is also uncertain and the school will be informed after half term as to whether this offer will remain available for the rest of the term.  Pupils will not be allowed to bring in fruit or snacks from home in order to prevent cross-contamination and transmission of disease.

Playtime

Playtimes will be staggered and in the same groupings as the classroom.  Each group will not come into contact with other groups.  They will not be allowed to run around the playground area or play with each other as they have been used to but a member of staff will lead a whole group activity.  Each group will be assigned an area of the playground that they will use for all outdoor activity.  At this point, pupils will not have access to any play equipment unless the school can risk assess how the equipment will be cleaned adequately in between pupil use.

Lunchtime

Lunches will be staggered and eaten in the same groupings that the pupils have been in all day.  Each group will eat separately in the dining hall and will not come into contact with other groups.  There will be one member of lunchtime supervision staff for each group.  These staff members will be wearing PPE.  Pupils can still have a hot school lunch or bring a packed lunch.  Any lunch boxes brought into school will be stored individually.  At this point, pupils will not have access to any play equipment unless the school can risk assess how the equipment will be cleaned adequately in between pupil use.

Welfare and Medication

Welfare staff will be wearing PPE for First Aid purposes and in case we have any member of the school community who is presenting with symptoms of COVID-19.  If any member of a class group exhibits symptoms, then parents will be notified and all members of that group will need to adhere to the 14 day whole household self-isolation procedures.

If your child requires regular medication that has to be administered at school, or there is a change to your child’s HCP (Health Care Plan), or a new HCP is required, you will need to complete a medical form in the usual way.  Paper copies of these forms will be available outside the front of the main school office.  Parents are also able to print these forms from the website (see the banner at the top of the front page of the website).  Parents will need the medication and completed forms ready for the school on the first day they are back.  These will be collected by a member of staff outside the front of the main school office.  Parents will not be permitted into the school building to administer any medication.

Absence

If you have taken the decision for your child to return to school and then they are away, you must call the absence line or email attendance@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk.  Once pupils return, the school needs to track the reasons for pupil absence as it may have a profound impact on staff and other pupils.

Breakfast Club and After School Club

Breakfast Club will be operating from 7.30 am as normal, with parents booking online in advance if possible – so we can gauge numbers.  It will continue to cost £3.00 per child per day.  Parents will be able to exit the school site via the main red gates before 8.25 am, however after this time, exit will only be via the back gates.  Please note that the After School Club provision will not be running.

Thank you again, to all parents and carers for your continued support to your children and the school during this tremendously difficult time for us all.  

All the staff look forward to seeing you soon.

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Yours sincerely

MRS KAREN JONES

Headteacher

THIS LETTER WAS EMAILED TO RECEPTION PARENTS ON FRIDAY 22ND MAY AND IT ALSO ATTACHED IN A LINK BELOW. 

 

Dear Parents/Carers and children in Reception

VAUGHAN PRIMARY SCHOOL INITIAL REOPENING

PUPILS IN RECEPTION

It is a pleasure to write to you in order to share the school’s planned arrangements regarding the phased reopening of the school.  Please find below the proposed arrangements for your child’s return to Vaughan Primary School from Monday 8^th June 2020.

Initial Phased Return timetable for Reception pupils
Monday 8th June and then from this point until further notice	Reception welcomed back to school	School start time: 9.15 am	School end time: 3.00 pm	Alongside vulnerable and key worker pupils and Year 6

 

If you decide to send your child in from this date, we will be expecting that your child is in school full time.  The teaching staff will need a clear indication of how many pupils they are planning for in school as well as continuing to provide work for those pupils who do not attend.  School will NOT be school in the way that any of us have been used to, and daily activities including play times, class activities and teaching staff will all be very different.  We will do our best to ensure that there are a range of opportunities for welcoming the pupils, pastoral and nurturing support, once they return to school.

Entry and Exit of the Site

A one-way system will be in operation on the school site.  Entrance to the school site will be via the MAIN RED GATES ONLY and Exit will be via the BACK GATES ONLY.  This will be irrespective of where families live.  ONLY ONE PARENT OR CARER WILL BE ALLOWED ON SITE.  We strongly advocate that our school community walks, scooters or cycles to school to reduce congestion and bottlenecks on our local roads.  If you have no option other than travelling by public transport, please be aware of reduced services and risk factors related to transmission of COVID-19 whilst travelling.  All parents must adhere to this system in order to protect the health and safety of everyone.  

Once entry has been gained through the red gates all Reception pupils will enter the school via the GREY GATES by the large playground.  Staff will be deployed at this gate to receive and dismiss pupils.  They will not be engaging with parents, and parents will be expected to adhere to social distancing while on site.  Parents will need to collect pupils promptly from the GREY GATES at 3.00 pm.  All correspondence from this point will have to be made via email to the school office or post boxes at designated points on the perimeter of the building.  No parents will be permitted into the school building and parents will not be able to request meetings with any staff.

A map has been included here.  A photograph of the classroom set up is here.

Settling

The return to school now, may be quite daunting and unsettling for pupils.  Please be mindful that with all staff deployed to receive smaller groups, there will not be the capacity to settle pupils in a 1:1 way.  Please consider whether your child will struggle with this and with very different routines and protocols at this time.  If they become distressed on entry, you may want to take them home and try again the following day.

Groupings

Each class will be split into maximum groups of 15 pupils with two adults.  They will be split alphabetically by register order.  It is important to understand that your child may not be with their familiar friends and it’s likely that your child will not be with their own class teacher.  This group of pupils will remain in this group all week for every activity in the classroom and out, including playtime and lunchtime.  Pupils will take part in activities that require them to remain apart, even at playtime – as per the Government guidance.  Please do not approach the school with personal requests as they cannot be met.  Staff do not have the capacity to make individual arrangements, so please consider the choice to send your child back to school carefully if this arrangement may distress them.  Staff will continue to encourage children to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly throughout the day.

Uniform

In order to support your child to get back into a school routine, they will be required to wear school uniform, but we do understand that they may have outgrown some of their uniform.  Whether they wear their uniform or their P.E. kit, this will be acceptable.  Hopefully, the warmer weather will mean that if they have Summer uniform, they will be able to wear it.  Trainers will be allowed.  No open-toed footwear will be allowed for health and safety reasons.  Any clothing worn needs to be washed regularly in order to minimise risk of transmission of the virus.

Equipment

Pupils will only be allowed to enter the school building with a waterproof coat, a labelled water bottle and where necessary, a packed lunch.  There will be no backpacks, P.E. bags or bookbags permitted in school. This also extends to pupils bringing in their own equipment from home such as pencil cases.  Anything additional to the items mentioned CAN NOT be allowed into the school building.

Classrooms

Classrooms will look very different moving forward.  The youngest children will find this particularly difficult so staff will support them in getting used to the new class routine and environment.  They won’t have access to all the practical resources they would normally have because they all have to be kept clean to avoid infection. Furniture will be removed from classes.  Rooms will be set out for avoiding contact with staff and between children.  Pupils will have to remain at their tables and keep to their provided equipment.  A vast number of resources will have to be removed from rooms due to the possibility of transmission and the unfeasibility of cleaning all resources that pupils may come into contact with.  

The Department for Education guidance has stated that social distancing in primary schools is not a statutory requirement, so please bear this in mind that we will be doing our utmost with the measures that we have in place which include:

• avoiding contact with anyone with symptoms
• frequent and thorough hand washing and good respiratory hygiene practices
• regular cleaning of the school throughout the day
• minimising contact and mixing between pupils in class and other groups.

Many outdoor areas will not be in use as it would not be possible to clean these thoroughly enough between each group’s use.  A photograph showing the layout of the classroom has been included above.

Curriculum

Pupils will be provided with ‘learning’ activities that are linked to their Year Group.  These are also the activities that will continue to be provided for the pupils who do not return to school.  At this point, the school cannot return to meaningful curriculum teaching as we do not know how many pupils will return to school on a consistent basis.  Physical Education (P.E.) will not continue as it did previously, due to strict guidance by the government, but pupils will have regular exercise in their groups.  

The current class email addresses for Reception will not be monitored once the school begins the phased reopening.  This is because the school does not have the capacity to staff pupil groups and monitor home learning responses.  All correspondence will need to be via email to the school office or post boxes at designated points on the perimeter of the building. 

Fruit and Milk Provision

The Infant school fruit provision has been suspended by the Department of Health and it is unlikely that this will start again before the end of the academic year.  Milk provision is also uncertain and the school will be informed after half term as to whether this offer will remain available for the rest of the term.  Pupils will not be allowed to bring in fruit or snacks from home in order to prevent cross-contamination and transmission of disease.

Playtime

Playtimes will be staggered and in the same groupings as the classroom.  Each group will not come into contact with other groups.  They will not be allowed to run around the playground area or play with each other as they have been used to, but a member of staff will lead a whole group activity.  Each group will be assigned an area of the playground that they will use for all outdoor activity.  At this point, pupils will not have access to play equipment unless the school can risk assess how the equipment will be cleaned adequately in between pupil use.

Lunchtime

Lunches will be staggered and eaten in the same groupings that the pupils have been in all day.  Each group will eat separately in the dining hall and will not come into direct contact with other groups.  There will be one member of lunchtime supervision staff for each group.  These staff members will be wearing PPE.  Pupils can still have a hot school lunch or bring a packed lunch.  Any lunch boxes brought into school will be stored individually.  At this point, pupils will not have access to play equipment unless the school can risk assess how the equipment will be cleaned adequately in between pupil use.

Welfare and Medication

Welfare staff will be wearing PPE for First Aid purposes and in case we have any member of the school community who is presenting with symptoms of COVID-19.  If any member of a class group exhibits symptoms, then parents will be notified and all members of that group will need to adhere to the 14 day whole household self-isolation procedures. #

If your child requires regular medication that has to be administered at school, or there is a change to your child’s HCP (Health Care Plan), or a new HCP is required, you will need to complete a medical form in the usual way.  Paper copies of these forms will be available outside the front of the main school office.  Parents are also able to print these forms from the website (see the banner at the top of the front page of the website).  Parents will need the medication and completed forms ready for the school on the first day they are back.  These will be collected by a member of staff outside the front of the main school office.

Absence

If you have taken the decision for your child to return to school and then they are absent, you must call the absence line or email attendance@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk.  Once pupils return, it is vital for the school to track the reasons for pupil absence as it may have a profound impact on staff and other pupils.

Breakfast Club and After School Club

Breakfast Club will be operating from 7.30 am as normal, with parents booking online in advance if possible – so we can gauge numbers.  It will continue to cost £3.00 per child per day.  Parents will be able to exit the school site via the main red gates before 8.25 am, however after this time, exit will only be via the back gates.  Please note that the After School Club provision will not be running.

Thank you again, to all parents and carers for your continued support to your children and the school during this tremendously difficult time for us all. All the staff look forward to seeing you soon.

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Yours sincerely

MRS KAREN JONES

Headteacher