Shiplake in September | 3 August 2020

Shiplake in September Plans for reopening of the school and the safe return of our pupils in light of the COVID-19 pandemic

3 August 2020 1

Contents 1. Introduction 2. What guidance and advice is Shiplake taking?

3. What happens at the start of next term?

4. When do we come back to school?

5. What preparations are the school making for the return of boarders?

6. How will the school respond to a suspected case of COVID-19?

7. How will Shiplake support pupils unable to return to Shiplake?

8. What will be the school routine?

9. What are the arrangements for day pupils travelling to school?

10. What if I need to visit the school?

11. What are the arrangements for lessons?

12. What sports and co-curricular activities will take place?

13. What will happen at meal times?

14. What should pupils wear to school?

15. What are the arrangements for music lessons?

16. What next?

Key Contacts Headmaster Mr Tyrone Howe

headmaster@shiplake.org.uk

Deputy Head and Designated Safeguarding Lead Mr Nick Brown nbrown@shiplake.org.uk Deputy Head Academic Mr Paul Jones

pjones@shiplake.org.uk

Director of External Relations Mrs Katherine Green kgreen@shiplake.org.uk 2

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1. Introduction At the beginning of the pandemic, little did we know about how our lives would be affected and how we would have to adapt to the changing environment. Shiplake College’s response to these unprecedented challenges has been both prudent and pragmatic throughout and we finished the last academic year in the strongest possible way.

I am delighted that we can look forward to welcoming back all the pupils and teachers to Shiplake College at the start of September. Alongside our reputation for first rate educational provision, Shiplake College is also known for the outstanding quality of pastoral care – the welfare of our pupils is our number one priority. This brochure seeks to reassure those within our school community that we will reopen with vigour and purpose, but provide a safe and secure environment for all. The document provides an overview of how the school will operate and also how we plan to deal with a number of potential scenarios.

A further document will be sent out in the week before term starts with a video recording giving a ‘live’

introduction to how various aspects of school life will happen in practice.

As you can imagine, forward planning has been complex and challenging and my thanks go to the Senior Team and support staff who have contributed a huge amount of time, thought, and energy into producing this document.

No doubt there will be further challenges ahead, but Shiplake College is blessed with a dedicated team of highly professional and talented staff and we will respond positively to the ‘new normal’. Above all, this document reaffirms our commitment to provide the best possible learning environment for your children, while looking after their welfare, and continuing to uphold our core values of ‘inclusive, individual, and inspirational’.

The excitement is growing and we can’t wait to get everyone back to Shiplake, but in the meantime I hope that you continue to enjoy the summer.

Tyrone Howe, Headmaster 3

2. What guidance and advice is Shiplake taking?

Ultimately we are guided and bound by the UK government measures that are in place (including the DfE Guidance for Full Opening: Schools, updated 27 July).

We are also following advice from a number of professional bodies: • Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) • Independent Schools Council (ISC) • Public Health England (PHE) • Medical Officer of Schools Association (MOSA) Shiplake College has adopted the BSA COVID-SAFE Charter, which sets out the rigorous requirements that we will comply with, and much of the advice in this brochure is based on that.

The health, safety and wellbeing of our pupils and staff remain our priority.

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We have also signed up to the Safe Schools UK initiative, uniting with other leading schools around the UK to ensure consistent measures are put in place to provide the safest possible environment for our students.

The objectives of this initiative are to: Facilitate our core purpose of education to be continued with minimal disruption Standardise a minimum level of precautionary measures across UK boarding schools Ensure the safest possible environments for our day and boarding students Bring the sector together with a strategic and considered approach

3. What happens at the start of next term?

The Government statement made on 2 July provided guidance on the likely conditions for reopening in September.

Shiplake is planning for all pupils to return at the start of next term based firmly on this guidance.

“It is our plan that all pupils, in all year groups, will return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term.�

The key message we take from this is:

(Source: Guidance for Full Opening: Schools, GOV.UK, 27 July 2020)

4. When do we come back to school?

The arrival times of the year groups have not changed from what has been previously published, as per the below table:

Tuesday 1 September 8.00am:

Year 7 arrive

10.00am:

All Year 9 boarders arrive

10.30am:

All Year 9 day pupils arrive

1.00pm:

All Year 12 boarders arrive

1.30pm:

All Year 12 day pupils arrive

School buses will only run in the evening not in the morning.

Wednesday 2 September 8.00am:

Years 8, 10, 11 and 13 return (buses run as normal) 5

5. What preparations are the school making for the return of boarders?

Boarding Houses

• Government guidance is clear that year group bubbles are the most practical way of organising pupils on their return • Year group bubbles will be created within each house. This will reflect the arrangements for the working day

Flexi-Boarding

• Pre-arranged flexi-boarding arrangements will remain the same • Enhanced cleaning measures will be in place • There will be no ad hoc overnight stays during the Autumn Term

Medical Provision

• A form will be sent to all families in the week commencing 24 August asking for relevant medical (and recent travel) information • Parents/guardians must inform the school if anyone in their household is diagnosed with COVID-19 as soon as this is known • Boarders will regularly have their temperatures tested.

• All our medical procedures will be reviewed on a weekly basis and will be informed by public health updates • A separate protocol is in place detailing the school’s response to a suspected case of COVID-19 6

Cleaning and Hygiene

• All areas of the school will be deep cleaned prior to the start of term. Thereafter, regular cleaning will take place by our dedicated team of cleaners • There will be numerous hand sanitiser stations within each house and around the site • Boarders may like to bring their own hand sanitiser as well if this makes them feel more comfortable • Our on-site laundry will continue to function and enhanced safety measures will be implemented • Boarders can choose to bring in their own (named) mugs, plates and cutlery for use in their houses

Wellbeing and Pastoral Support

• As ever, pastoral support is at the heart of life at Shiplake.

Now, more than ever pupils need access to support, advice and reassurance • Pupils will be reminded that they can ask for help from any member of staff or senior pupil • We follow guidance from Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board • Additional safeguarding policies are in place

Weekends and Exeats

• Shiplake will remain open at weekends and exeats in order to care for those pupils unable to return home or visit guardians. There will be a charge for staying at exeats.

International Pupils

• If quarantine measures are still in place in late August, international pupils who are unable to stay with family or guardians will be able to quarantine at Shiplake at an additional charge. This will begin on 17 August. Designated areas of a boarding house will be made available two weeks prior to the start of term (and cleaned prior to other arrivals) • Pupils must be fit and healthy before travelling • Boarders will be collected from Heathrow in line with

BSA Charter guidelines. A letter will be provided for your journey, with school details and travel arrangements

What if schools are closed again?

• For a localised lockdown (Oxfordshire or otherwise) affected boarders will be able to stay at school during term-time, to continue with remote learning • UK based boarders may prefer to travel home, and some international boarders may prefer to stay with their guardian

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6. How will the school respond to a suspected case of COVID-19 onsite?

• Once alerted, Medical Wing staff will arrange for the unwell patient to be escorted to the quarantine area • Current PHE and Government guidelines will be observed • 111 Coronavirus service will be contacted for the most up to date advice • Parents will be contacted and asked to collect the pupil from the school as soon as possible • In the event of an international boarder being unable to be collected, quarantine arrangements will be made at school • It is likely that the NHS ‘Track and Trace’ Service will automatically be activated if we have a positive test in the school community

7. How will Shiplake support pupils unable to return to Shiplake?

• Government guidance is clear that all pupils should return to school unless there are exceptional circumstances • For those unable to attend school a programme of distance learning will be provided • Pupils will, as far as possible, have access to lessons taught at school • All lesson plans and resources will be posted on Google Classroom

8. What will be the school routine?

• As far as possible we will follow a normal school timetable • Assemblies and Chapel services will be run remotely, with pupils accessing them through their own devices, in their year group bubbles within their houses 8

9. What are the arrangements for day pupils travelling to school?

We ask that parents take care to assess their child’s health each morning before leaving for school. Please take their temperature. If they display any of the symptoms displayed below please do not send them into school. Any pupil arriving at school and developing a temperature of 37.7C or above will be sent home.

The most common symptoms of Covid-19 are: • A new, continuous cough • Fever/high temperature (37.7C or greater) • Loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste (anosmia)

School coaches will run. Hands will be sanitised on entering and leaving the coach and pupils should wear masks on these journeys. Queuing for and boarding coaches at school will be managed. Timings will remain the same (coaches leave at 6.15pm).

For the Autumn Term only day pupils will be given the option of going home at 4.30pm. Parents dropping off and collecting their children are asked to use the two drop areas and not drive through the school site. Parents are requested not to leave their cars.

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10. What if I need to visit the school?

• All visits to the site, other than transporting pupils, should be pre-arranged • A protocol for all visitors, including parents, will be issued in due course

11. What are the arrangements for lessons?

• • • • •

We expect to follow a normal daily timetable of lessons Pupils will be kept within their year group bubbles Classrooms will be rearranged to reflect Government guidance Pupils will be required to sanitise on entering and leaving all classrooms Subject clinics will run from 4.45pm to 5.30pm as usual although these will be organised so that year group bubbles can be maintained

12. What sports and co-curricular activities will take place?

• A ‘hybrid’ programme will be in place with a mixture of traditional summer and autumn sports • Whatever the activity, the College will follow the health and safety guidelines • A bespoke offering of co-curricular activities will be made • All activities will maintain within year group bubbles

13. What will happen at meal times?

• In consultation with our caterers, Thomas Franks Ltd, we have made arrangements to limit the number of pupils eating at any one time • Main meals will be staggered and year group bubbles will be maintained 10

14. What should pupils wear to school?

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Full school uniform should be worn Sports kit should be brought to school No clothes or sports kit should be shared with anyone else Pupils may, if they wish, bring their own face masks and wear them during the school day

15. What are the arrangements for music lessons?

• Following the success of online lessons, in September music lessons will continue to be taught remotely • Pupils will use the practice rooms in the Music Department and link up with their teacher via Google Meets

16. What next?

• A further document will be sent out in the week before term starts containing up-to-date guidance and more detailed arrangements

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Inclusive • Individual • Inspirational Shiplake College Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 4BW 0118 9402 455 www.shiplake.org.uk

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