School Update - Friday 18th September 2020
18th September 2020
Dear parents and carers.
Important Update
Pleased to report no new cases in school. Children are settling well into new classes and everyone is being super careful.
We are making some changes to morning drop off from next week. From Monday, all gates will open at 8.45 am and close at 9.00 am. Children can enter school any time between 8.45 and 9.00 when the gates will close. Children will not have to wait in the playground for everyone to arrive but instead will walk straight to their classrooms where their teacher will be waiting, ready to start the day. If you have more than one child, they can enter via any gate so that you don’t need to walk around the school to drop different siblings off at different places.
Adults will be available in the playground to ensure children get to their classes safely. We are asking that you line up at the school gates if you arrive before 8.45am, forming a ‘socially distant queue’. Do not gather in groups outside the school gate – this is putting our community at risk. Once the gates open, please say goodbye quickly to your child and leave immediately. Please remember that your child can come in anytime between 8.45 am and 9.00 am .
Please don’t worry about this arrangement if your child has just gone into Year 1 and is having to self-isolate – we will of course put things in place to help them find their teachers and classes when they return to school.
End of day arrangements will stay exactly the same for now. We would appreciate that you do not arrive before your time. However, if you do, please stay away from the school gates, preferably on the other side of the road or on the grass area on Elphinstone Road. It is really important that this happens and you only come to the gate when it is your child’s pick up time. Please wear a mask if you can.
A number of parents have requested home learning packs. Home learning will be provided for children who have been told by the school to self-isolate, have been contacted by test and trace and asked to self-isolate or have a doctor’s letter to say they shouldn’t be in school. Teachers are not able to provide home learning for children who can be in school.
In terms of attendance, the only children who should be at home are those who have been asked to self-isolate or have a letter from their doctor saying they should not be in school. Children have already missed huge amounts of learning time and we are now trying to ensure we support them to catch up. We understand you may be anxious. However, there is a real risk that if children miss any more schooling, it will be very difficult for some to catch up. If you want to discuss the situation in school and to talk through what we are doing to keep children safe, please do call us.
Thank you for your support
Kind regards
Fiona
Fiona Judge
Headteacher