Our Ref                   KD/AB

Your Ref                 

Date                       11 June 2020

Please ask for           Karen Dolton

Direct Line               0161 253 5501

E-mail                     k.dolton@bury.gov.uk

Parents/ Carers of Bury primary aged children

Dear Parent/ Carer

OPENING OF BURY PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO MORE PUPILS

I am writing to you about the recent government announcement about the re-opening of primary schools. 

Since schools closed to most pupils in March, families have had to adjust to home learning whilst many have been working from home and others have been furloughed or have lost their only source of income. This continues to be a very challenging time for many families.  

On 28^th May the Prime Minister announced that the government’s five tests had been met and that primary schools could re-open to more pupils from 1^st June.  Bury primary school leaders have been working tirelessly to plan for the re-opening of schools and it is anticipated that all will re-open to more pupils by no later than 22^nd June.  However, please be aware that these plans will be kept under constant review and may need to change at short notice.  The most important consideration is the safety of pupils and staff. 

I would like to thank the headteachers for undertaking robust risk assessments, taking into account regular government guidance updates, prior to re-opening to more pupils.

Every school is different due to the school buildings, including the size of classrooms and entry/ exit points, the number of staff available to work in their schools and also the demand for places.  The vast majority of Bury schools have remained open, including during school holiday periods and Bank holidays, in order to provide for children of critical workers.  Over the last week the number of children of critical workers accessing provision has increased significantly which has affected the number of places that can, under each school’s risk assessment, be offered to year groups.   I am sure that you understand the need for the children of critical workers and vulnerable children to continue to be prioritised.  Parents should therefore be aware that every school’s offer to its community will be different and may not be convenient for all families. 

As our schools open to more pupils in a phased way, teachers will be continuing to offer home learning to the pupils that are not in school.  This places an additional pressure on the staffing given that the maximum group size is 15 pupils and, in many cases, groups will need to be smaller due to the limited size of some classrooms. I know you will appreciate that the level of home learning may be reduced especially as schools open to more and more pupils. 

Our schools will need your continuing support as they move into this next phase of re-opening to more pupils, thank you. 

Yours sincerely

Karen Dolton

Dear Reception and Year 1 Parents and Carers,

I am writing to let you know the arrangements for re-opening St. Margaret’s for Reception and Year 1 children.

As instructed by government our re-opening plan is careful and considered and is based on putting safety at the forefront of our thinking. We hugely appreciate the support from all parents to respect our rationale for this measured and steady approach. These measures are intended to ensure that children and staff keep to small and consistent groups at all times across a day and over the course of a week. These are called bubbles. Mixing between bubbles will be reduced to an absolute bare minimum and will not happen at all where possible. This is easier for the older children to achieve but is almost impossible with the youngest children. We will try our best! This is to protect staff and children from being exposed to the virus outside their group.

Phased return

From June 22^nd Year 1 children will start a phased return in a morning Monday to Thursday.

Drop off time: Year 1 Bubble 1: 8.55am to 9.05am. Pick up time: 11.55am to 12.05pm

Drop off time: Year 1 Bubble 2 -9.05am to 9.15am. Pick up time : 12.05pm to 12.15pm.

Reception children will return from Monday 29^th June.

Drop off time : 8.45am to 8.55am. Pick up time: 11.45am to 11.55am.

On Fridays schools will be deep cleaned by our school cleaning staff and therefore only keyworker children will be in school.

Classroom space and class capacity

Firstly I feel it is important to stress that, as a school, we agree with the government guidance that states;

“Unlike older children and adults, early years and primary aged children cannot be expected to remain two meters from each other and staff.” 

So whilst our plan is to encourage social distancing as far as possible, we cannot guarantee that children will be two meters apart from other children and adults at all times and we wish to make that explicitly clear to parents and carers.

When organising class capacity we have followed government guidelines. Which states ‘Children aged 3 and 5 years need 2-3 metres squared per child’. Therefore Willow Class has been set up with 2m by 2m play areas for each child. We can fit five children in Willow class to facilitate this.

Y1 will be sitting at tables that are distanced 2m apart. There will be five children in Lilac class and five children in Oak.

How will my child enter and leave the school?

Drop off and collection times will be staggered to support social distancing measures. We will ensure that siblings are assigned the same times.

Coming in to School

Year 1 children will enter through the main front door and parents need to observe the tape on the floor and school instructions:

Social distancing measures must be in place for drop off and collection times. Only one person should bring their child to school and this person needs to be the same. Children will come in to school one at a time (like we enter supermarkets).  I ask that parents bring their child up the school path as normal. We need to guarantee that they have socially isolated on the way. There will be tape on the floor to signify social distancing.

Reception parents will need to bring their child to the gate as they usually would where a member of staff will greet each child and take them into school one by one. Parents will then leave through the school car park and down the drive.

Please refrain from socialising at the bottom of the path before or after drop off and pick up, unless you are observing social distancing.

Where parents need to speak to the office, we ask that this takes place by email or by phone. If, in a very small number of situations,  this is impossible then parents will need to wait for the children to be admitted to school and then come into the foyer where there will be clear instructions to follow to keep office staff and parents within appropriate social distance.

The proposed time allocations are to minimise the number of adults on site at any one time. This is subject to trial and we may move to wider staggered times. Please do not gather in groups or stay on site any longer than needed to drop-off. We will not be able to facilitate any face to-face queries with teaching staff during arrival and departure times – if you need to talk to a member of staff please telephone the office or email. Email addresses for teachers are on the class page.
It is vital that you arrive within the allocated time. If you are late, we ask you to wait outside the school
grounds, phone the office and a member of staff will come to meet you.

Will my child be taught by their class teacher

The children will not necessarily be taught by their usual class teacher as we have limited staff who are working on a rota system across the bubbles of keyworker, R, Year 1 and Year 6. They will be taught by one teacher each day, however this might not be the teacher that teaches them for the week. It is important to note that the curriculum will not be the usual Reception/Year1  Summer 2 curriculum. The children will, first of all need a lot of re-assurance and pastoral support. This is not a return to school as we know it. We will not be returning to a school timetable, curriculum or teaching style that was in place prior to school closure.

What should my child wear to school?
Children can wear their own clothes. They must wear clean clothes each day. We intend for children to be outside a large majority of the time so please ensure sun cream is applied before children come to school and they bring a sunhat. Alternatively, if the weather is cooler (as
doors and windows will be left open) or wet, please ensure they have suitable clothing as we will be
outside as much as possible. All long hair should be tied back and no jewellery (including watches) should be worn.

What should my child bring to school?
Children should only bring a full water bottle and a sun hat/weather appropriate clothing. Learning resources will be provided by school. Please do not bring book bags to school.

Lunch arrangements will be explained to you if and when the childrens’ day is extended.

How will school support the increased need to washing hands?

Children will be required to use sanitizer on entry to school. A sanitizer pump has been provided in the entrance area. There will also be hand sanitizer in each classroom. We will encourage children to wash their hands regularly throughout the day. Please do not bring hand sanitizer to school, we must use specific tested sanitizer.

Toilet facilities

Reception children will be in Willow class and will therefore use the Willow Class toilets. They will use the toilet and wash their hands one at a time to ensure social distancing.

Year 1 children will use the girl’s and boy’s toilets as normal, making sure that only one child uses the toilet at a time.

Staff will clean toilet handles, door handles and taps between each child.

What will the classroom look like?

Reception children will be in Willow Class and will have their own allocated learning space. Within the space will be a small table and chair. Familiar play/learning resources will be allocated to each child to avoid cross contamination.

Year 1 children will have an allocated table that they will work at.  They will have their own equipment to use: stationery; pens; pencils etc  These will be provided by school and children must not bring equipment from home.

Will staff be wearing masks/PPE equipment?

Staff  may choose to do so around school.

Staff MUST wear a mask, gloves and apron to administer First Aid or to change a child if needed.

I know that this is a lot of information to digest, but it is there to keep us all safe. We have missed your children and can’t wait to welcome them back to school.

Yours sincerely

Mrs. Perry

Good Afternoon Parents and Carers

I hope you are having a good day.

Here is some additional information regarding re-opening the school to more children. 

For Y1 and Reception children,  if your child is also attending as a KW child. From the date that the year group returns, parents need to choose which bubble they will be in. So for example, if your child is in a Year 1 bubble on Monday to Thursday, then they cannot attend as a KW child on Friday. This is  Government guidance to prevent cross contamination. This is the case even if their brother/sister is in the KW group. (Sounds silly I know!)

Mrs. Perry

Good evening to Parents and Carers

I hope you have all had a good day??

I have been in school today. I took in all the spider plants that I potted for you at the beginning of lockdown. They are coming along quite nicely! :)

The Government is giving new guidance today about re-opening for more pupils. Bury Council is meeting tomorrow after having gathered further evidence from the other Greater Manchester councils. When I have more information I will be consulting with Governors on how to proceed at our school. Please be patient in the knowledge that whatever we do is in the best interest of the children, you as parents and for the staff. The R number remains high in the North West - it is the highest in the country. This will to be taken into account when the Governors meet.

I will keep you posted as soon as I can.

Have a lovely evening.

Mrs Perry

Dear Parents and Carers

I have just come out of the Schools Advisory Group and I thought you might find an update useful. The Local Authority is awaiting further advice from Public Health England and is gathering more evidence about the R rate. This evidence will be put before Cabinet on Wednesday and schools will then be informed of their advice.

The current advice is for schools to keep planning as they are. If there is not a Directive from Public Health England then decisions are likely to remain in the  hands of the schools and their Governing Bodies. I predict that the latter is what is likely to happen. All schools are very different and will be planning in their own way. FOR NOW the aim is still to re-open for Year 6 next Monday and for Reception and Year 1 children from the 22nd. Please be advised that following LA/ PHE advice this may change. 

Miss Glover and I are currently putting together a letter for Reception and Year 1 parents and I will send this out soon. 

I can imagine that it is frustrating to not really know exactly what is going to happen. Believe me.... I understand. the constantly changing scenarios, and I feel the same.

What I do know is that staff are keen to welcome your children back to school, but that it must be done safely. With the high R rate and high infection rate in Bury, then plans must be made carefully.

Take very good care.

Mrs. Perry

x

Good Afternoon Parents and Carers

I hope you are having a good day.

Here is some additional information regarding re-opening the school to more children. 

For Year 6, Y1 and Reception children,  if your child is also attending as a KW child. From the date that the year group returns, parents need to choose which bubble they will be in. So for example, if your child is in a Year 6 bubble on Monday to Thursday, then they cannot attend as a KW child on Friday. This is  Government guidance to prevent cross contamination. This is the case even if their brother/sister is in the KW group. (Sounds silly I know!)

Parents of Reception children and Y1. Please can you inform school by the end of today (the deadline was 12 noon) whether you want a place for your child. Because of the numbers of children we are re-opening for, our classrooms are very rapidly filling up.

So at the time of writing this (although as you know things are changing daily) it is unlikely that other year groups will be able to return this term. I feel that my correspondence is pretty negative this week and this saddens me.

Keep safe and well.

Mrs. Perry

Good afternoon all

I hope you are having a lovely day??

I am sitting in my office on my own feeling rather lonely :(

The school is getting ready to re-open for some of the Year 6 children next week. (Can't wait to see them).

Once they have returned, I will be looking to see how the Reception and Year 1 children can return safely. This is a far more uncertain and complicated prospect because of social distancing with such young children.

I will be discussing with the Governing Body next week, whether they are happy that bringing the children back to school in the current climate is safe enough. I will explain in detail, what systems we intend to put in place. They were very divided on this issue the last time we spoke.

The intention is to re-open to Reception and Year 1 children from 22nd June. It is very unlikely that if all the children return that they will come in to school every day. We will only be able to accommodate return on a rota basis because of lack of space.

School will send further details early next week. You will have plenty of time to plan. What would be helpful is if parents could give a 'first intention' of whether or not you will send your child back to school. Please could you send your Yes/No to the school email address stmargarets@bury.gov.uk, by Friday.

A FURTHER NOTE FOR YEAR 6 PARENTS.

The school intends to open for your children next Monday as you know. Mrs. Barnes has been constantly chasing up our PPE order. It has become apparent that the supply firm has lost our order. They are trying to rectify this asap. However, as it stands at the moment the school has no sanitiser, no aprons, gloves or masks (for First Aid). We are trying our very best to sort this out but if we cannot then the school will not be able to open for your children on Monday.

Let's see what happens later in the week.

Keep safe and well.

Mrs. Perry