September reopening letter to parents from Headteacher

Reopening of Educational Diversity on Wednesday September 2nd 2020

You will be aware that the government has recently declared that all schools will reopen for pupils in September, now that the infection rate of Covid-19 has decreased and the NHS Test and Trace system is up and running across the country. The government is also much clearer now about the measures that need to be put in place to create safer environments within education settings.

As you know we have already welcomed back a number of pupils in year 6 and year 10 and we are delighted that we are now able to invite all of our young people back into school following the Summer holidays. Over the next few days before term finishes on the 17th July, your individual Lead Teachers will be making contact with you directly to ensure you have the opportunity to ask any questions or to raise any concerns that you may have.

In order to minimise unnecessary contact between the different year groups within school, we will be introducing a staggered start and end of the school day for the first few days back into school, so that pupils and staff can adjust to the new routines. Details of when your child is expected to arrive and finish school during the first week back are detailed in the table at the bottom of this letter. If they arrive late or at a different time, they may not be able to access the provision for health and safety purposes. I need to remind you though that from September, attendance at school is mandatory for all young people, unless your child is self-isolating as they have symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19, or are living closely with someone who has the virus.

We do not underestimate the impact that school closure has had on our school community and we are concerned about the impact that this may have had upon your child’s emotional well-being. With this in mind, we will be delivering a “Recovery Curriculum” for the first three weeks which will be focusing on re-engaging young people in learning with a real focus on providing them with some emotional support if needed. We understand that our pupils will not be able to learn unless they are in a good place emotionally and pastorally, so this is a real priority for us.

The school day will look a little different for your child when they return, as for the majority of the time they will remain in their form rooms with teachers moving between classes. This is to reduce the movement of young people within the building and limit contact in and around school.

We are trying to discourage the use of public transport, but if your child does have to use this as a method of travel to school, please be aware, that as of the 15.6.20, all those using this method must use appropriate face coverings. This could be a face mask, or another face covering, such as a scarf or a balaclava. Please send children in their school uniform.

We realise that this is a worrying time for everybody and would like to reassure you as much as possible that we have the appropriate safety measures in place. These include reduced numbers in group, staggered arrival and exit times and access to hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities at all times. Staff will model and encourage all children to adhere to social distancing. Please do not hesitate to contact myself or your Lead Teacher in the coming weeks if you have any queries or concerns.

We are asking you and your child, along with our staff to commit to helping us achieve a safe environment for everyone, which may involve us working together slightly differently. If your child has not been attending school since the Lockdown was introduced, you and your child are asked to read and confirm you understand what is expected when they begin to attend school again.

This must be completed and returned by your child on their first day.

Yours faithfully,

Wendy Casson

Headteacher

Educational Diversity

School will commence on September 2nd 2020

	KS2	Year 8	Year 9	Year 10	Year 11
Pegasus	08.45 -13.45	09.00 – 14.00	09.15 – 14.15	09.00 – 14.00	09.15 – 14.15

Student & Parent / Carer Declaration

It is important as Educational Diversity reopens after the period of lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic, that everyone in school is able to be kept safe. For this to happen, it is important that students, parents / carers and staff agree to support each other by following the government guidelines on protective measures, including:

social distancing
good hygiene

To achieve this, we respectfully ask every student and parent / carer to read and agree to the following:

Everything stated below is in line with our Expectations and Values:

Be Respectful Be Safe Be Ready

Student

I will be respectful by:

Listening to and following the safety rules (see below)
Being positive and kind to others
Taking responsibility for my choices and actions

I will be safe by:

Using hand sanitiser as I arrive and washing my hands regularly during the day
Keeping a safe distance of 2 metres from others at all times. (This includes not standing too close when I’m talking to my friends or staff)
Staying in my classroom (unless I am told otherwise)
Working at my own desk, with my own equipment

I will be ready by:

Arriving at my agreed time
Having a positive attitude and being ready to join in activities
Doing my work on the online learning platform and in class

Signed: _______________________________ Date: ___________________

Parent / carer

I will support school by:

Reminding my child of the additional expectations (detailed above)
Being available on the phone while my child is in school
If my child doesn’t comply with the safety and protective measures (detailed above), I will be contacted and my child will be asked to leave the premises and I will come and collect them from school immediately. I understand that if I am unable to do this, the Police may be called.
If my child refuses to leave the premises and continues to pose a risk, key members of the leadership team will use physical intervention to take them to a safe place, such as outside of school and it will be my responsibility to collect them immediately. Physical interventions will only be used in emergencies. Staff have access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
I will keep my child off school if they or anyone else in the home is displaying symptoms of Coronavirus and I will inform school immediately.
If my child behaves in a way that is unsafe and against the government’s advice on protective measures, a review of their place in school may be carried out based on the risks they pose.
If my child has an underlying health condition then I understand that it is my decision and responsibility to place them at school.

I understand that as a parent / carer, I have a duty of care to support school in this way.

Signed: ______________________________________ Date: ______________