Headteacher's Update - 21st May 2020

Birkrig, Skelmersdale, Lancashire WN8 9BN. Telephone: 01695 724730.

www.bishopmartin.lancs.sch.uk Headteacher: Mr IJ McDonald

Headteacher Update: 21/05/20 Phased Re-opening Strategy and Parental FAQs Introduction I would like to thank those parents who replied last week to my request for questions etc. in my Headteacher update. You raised completely reasonable questions and concerns. I have included a ‘FAQs’ at the end of this letter where I have attempted to address them as fully as I can.

The phased re-opening strategy for Bishop Martin has been drawn up by the Senior Leadership Team and then refined after consultation with teachers and support staff. It received approval from the Governing Body on Monday of this week (18/05/20).

I have also met with Teaching Union representatives within the school, to go through it step by step, and am satisfied it meets the NEU checklist which was published on Monday.

The plan is that when we reopen, be it 1st June or another later date then this will be strategy we use to re-open school in a gradual, phased and most importantly safe manner. In this strategy, I would expect and look forward to welcoming back all Ladybird children, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils. We have the site capacity, space and staffing levels to do so but also fully understand and respect parents will make their own choices and decisions at the time.

The Strategy Plan Overview/Cohorts/Pods The school will look and be structured very differently under this model (there is no getting away from that) but the Core Values and child-centred culture of the school still remain and have been at the forefront of all planning.

The school site will be divided into four separate ‘Cohort’ areas and these areas will not mix AT ALL through the school day. The cohorts will be: 1.

2.

3.

4.

The Ladybird Nursery children The Reception children Year 1 Year 6

Each of these cohorts will be split into ‘Pods’ (numbering no more than 15 pupils in the Y6 Pods and no more than 12 pupils in the Y1, Reception and Nursery Pods). There will be two Pods for Y6, 3 for Y1, 3 for Reception and 3 for Nursery. The Key Worker and Vulnerable Children in Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 will all still be able to access school provision and will follow their own timetable too.

Each ‘Pod’ will follow their own structure through the day which keeps them separate from the others. They will have their own school entrances, exits, timetables, outdoor play areas, classroom equipment etc. and mixing between these Pods will be kept to the absolute minimum.

Pupils will have separate work areas (desks) set up to reflect social distancing guidelines and each child will have their own supply of all the equipment they need for the day. Each Pod will have a teacher and a TA attached to them as follows: Y6 Pod Teachers:

Miss Bond and Miss Johnson

Y1 Pod Teachers:

Miss Casey, Miss Rowat and Miss Rankin

Reception Pod Teachers:

Mr Dawe, Mrs Firth and Miss Johnson

Nursery Pod Teachers:

Mrs Henshall, Mrs Milward and Mrs O’Callaghan

Key Worker/Vulnerable: Pupils (Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5)

Mrs Maley

Timing/Structure of the Day There will be no Breakfast Club or After-School Club provision initially under this phase of reopening.

Opening times for the school will be as normal (8:40-9:05am). I would ask that only ONE family member brings the child to school if possible to make Social Distancing easier to manage around the school gate.

At this time the decision is that no parents will be allowed onto the school site (at least initially). Pupils will be dropped off at the school gate and a member of the Senior Leadership Team will welcome them. They will then be directed to their ‘Pod’ teacher, who will also be outside and guide them to their allocated outdoor playground: Nursery:

EYFS Outdoor Area

Reception Cohort:

Infant Playground

Year 1:

Junior Playground

Year 6:

School Field

From here they will go straight to their Pod classroom where the TA will be waiting to welcome them.

All timetabled lessons will take no more than 45 minutes and then there will be an opportunity for outdoor break (with only the pupils from the Pod outside and supervised at all times). There will be NO chalk squares, taped out areas in classrooms as it will not be required to manage Social Distancing. Under this model, there will only be 10-15 pupils on the playgrounds at any one time so safe social distancing can be maintained during outdoor activities.

There will be signage throughout school and there will be lines on the playground marked so that when the children line up they are reminded to do so at social distance.

The school will close at 1pm on a Friday for a deep clean and reset for the next school week. Only Key Worker/Vulnerable families will be able to access provision during Friday afternoon (1pm-3:10pm).

There will be staggered collection times for each cohort at the end of the day. In timings of 10 minute intervals, each cohort will be dismissed to avoid unnecessary crowding at the school gate.

We ask parents to follow safe social distancing while waiting, not stay longer than required and exercise role modelled behaviour so that we can give consistent messages from home and school.

Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 Provision Under this model, these Year Groups would not be returning to school at this time (unless they fall under the Government’s Key Worker/Vulnerable Child Categories).

The Class Teachers for Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 will continue to plan and post online content (as they have done since 23/03/20) for those pupils still remaining at home during this Phase.

Site Cleaning/Hygiene I would encourage parents to send their children in a clean, washed uniform each day if at all possible (but understand as a parent of school-aged children how difficult this can be as well!)

Supervised Hand washing at least every hour will take place in each Pod and the teachers will reinforce this and plan for it to happen throughout the day.

There will be three, increasingly deep levels of cleaning taking place during this time: 1. Support Staff attached to Pods will clean during and throughout the day after surface use etc. within their Pods.

2. Full daily cleaning of all classrooms before the children arrive at school.

3. Friday afternoon (after pupils go home at 1pm, except for Key Worker/Vulnerable pupils) will be a ‘Deep Clean’ of the school site to be fully prepared for the next school week School will follow DfE advice on PPE. The guidance currently states that unless people are spending a sustained length of time in a confined indoor space then PPE is NOT recommended. The classrooms are not defined as ‘confined spaces’ and are well ventilated and every 40-45 minutes there will be an outdoor activity so no one will be remaining inside for more than 40-45 minutes.

PPE (disposable aprons, gloves and face masks) will therefore only be used by staff during intimate care (i.e. Nappy Changing etc.) and if there is the need for significant First Aid (cuts and scrapes etc.).

School Response to any Suspected COVID Cases This strategy is based on Cohorts not mixing at all and mixing between Pods kept an absolute minimum.

If an adult, child or family member attached to any Pod starts showing symptoms of Coronavirus then the entire Pod (including staff) would be closed and children sent home until the individuals showing symptoms can be tested. If the test outcome is negative the Pod would reopen as normal, if it is positive then the 14 day self-isolation guidance would be followed for everyone.

Parent FAQs Question:

How can the youngest children be expected to Social Distance when they just want to play with their friends?

Response:

The expectations around Social Distancing will be taught directly (just as any behavioural expectations) upon return to school and continually reinforced by school staff throughout the day. The hugely reduced class (Pod) sizes will also ensure that only 12-15 pupils will be ‘playing out’ at any given time making supervision of Social Distancing much more manageable.

Question:

Do the children require Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?

Response:

There will be no requirement for children to wear PPE during normal school routines (and staff won’t be wearing PPE either). The current advice is that PPE is only required if children are spending sustained periods of time in confined indoor spaces and this will not be happening in school.

Question:

Will the children be able to play together?

Response:

The children will be able to play with each other while being supervised and exercising safe Social Distancing.

Question:

Will they have to stay inside Chalk Squares (like I have seen in some schools)?

Response:

The only floor markings in school will be on the playgrounds to assist children to maintain distancing when lining up.

Question:

My child picks up infections really easily and I don’t think it’s safe.

Response:

I’m sure that parents and carers can appreciate that a school setting cannot be made completely risk and germ free. However, I am confident that this strategy is detailed, comprehensive and makes the school as safe as is reasonably possible. I have already said I fully respect parents and carers will want to make their own decisions regarding sending children in during this Phase. However, Bishop Martin WILL open for all pupils in these cohorts and I leave the final decision to yourselves as parents/carers.

Question:

There is another virus linked to Coronavirus that does affect children going around I am worried about.

Response:

I am not a Doctor or medical expert and am following the most up to date NHS, Public Health England and Government advice. Any parents with concerns of this nature should visit the NHS website and see their advice regarding Kawasaki Disease (which I am assuming this question refers to): https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Kawasaki-disease/

And Finally…

I am sure and fully expect that parents will continue to want to raise questions regarding the re-opening of the school (whenever this will happen) and would encourage you to keep sending any in for me to try and address.

I will write to you all with a further update next week and my intention is to set up a Virtual Parent’s Meeting (using ‘Zoom’) on Sunday 31st May where the School Leadership Team will be available online to discuss this strategy with any parents and try to address on-going questions/concerns. I will give more detail on this meeting next week.

Many thanks for your on-going support

Mr McDonald