Dear Parents

Re-opening Plan for 8 March

I am writing to you to explain our operational arrangements from next Monday, 8 March as we once again are able to welcome all children back to school.

I would like to start by thanking our parents and carers for your fantastic support with your children’s home learning during this current lockdown. The use of Google Classrooms has been so different to the previous lockdown and we can see how much support and time parents have given to supporting your children’s learning. Children’s engagement has remained high and we do thank you sincerely for all that you have done to achieve this. We do not underestimate how difficult this has been for everyone. Thank you.

The operational guidance for our return on Monday is broadly in line with the arrangements which were in place for the autumn term reopening. Please do read the content of this carefully and please do share it with your child/ren. I hope that by discussing this with your child it will help give reassurance as we prepare to come back together in class groups once again. Hopefully lots of the detail in this letter will be familiar and this will help children as they adjust to the return to full time school again from Monday.

Staggered starts

At Ravensmere, we need to minimise the impact of all of our children and families arriving and leaving our school site at the same time together and in order to achieve this safely, we will continue with the staggered starts and ends to the school day which were in place last term. The times below are as near as possible to the school day and also help us to consider families with siblings and families who have children at both The Albert Pye and at Ravensmere schools.

Please bring your child into school at the following times according to your surname:

Both gates at each end of the playground will continue to be locked from 9am.

We ask that strictly just 1 adult per family brings your child/ren to school as we need to reduce the numbers of adults on our site as far as we can. We are restricting adults coming in to school and any visits must be made by appointment only.

Arrangements for children coming into school will be the same as they were for the autumn term. Children in year 2 children will enter via the front door and will use these coat pegs; children in year 1 will enter via the lower door and will use these coat pegs; Reception children will enter via the double doors to their classroom and will use the coat peg storage next to their double doors. 

One-way system

We will continue to use the one-way system in place last term, because this has worked well. Parents please should enter via the main school gate and then leave via the lower end gate. This means all of our families will move around the site in the same direction. Signs are in place to remind you.

Lunchtimes

Organisation will continue as it was in the autumn term. Children in afternoon Class 1 will eat in the hall and children in afternoon Class 2 will eat in Class2. Once they have finished eating they will have some outdoor play time and each Class will remain in their Class Bubble and have their own identified area of the playground. The Trim Trail will be rotated and each Class will have access to it for a week at a time in rotation.

Caterlink will provide all children at Ravensmere with a school lunch and there will be a hot and a cold option to choose from each day. A lunch menu will be available and meals can be ordered as before.

Each year group will have their morning playtime at a different time so that these are staggered throughout the morning.

Morning and Afternoon Clubs

We are able to offer Morning and Afternoon Clubs for children at Ravensmere because our small school operates as one Bubble. This will be led by Mrs Reeder (Mornings) and Mrs Woods (Afternoons). The Club will only be available for children at Ravensmere so that it does not bring children together from across two schools. This will enable us to minimise the need for mixing or increasing contacts as outlined in the System of Controls which schools must follow. Bookings will be available on Parentmail from Wednesday 3 March. Please can I ask that parents only book places to support working patterns and only if there is no other support available to you. Before and After school clubs at Albert Pye will remain suspended for the next three weeks whilst we are in Step 1 of the Plan.

Sports Clubs

We will not be offering any after school sports clubs for the next three weeks. We hope that these will be able to operate again from the start of the summer term and will keep parents updated.

School Uniform

We will be reinstating our uniform policy and from Monday 8 March we ask that all children wear school uniform please. Guidance is that clothes should be laundered as you usually would do. Please do bear in mind that windows and doors will be open wherever possible to ensure good ventilation so children should wear extra layers if the weather is colder.

Belongings

As before, children should bring as little with them to school as possible. They may bring a bag and bookbag, water bottle, hat and coat. We will not be changing for PE so full kit is not needed but a change of footwear is essential please. This can be left in a bag on their peg. We will begin sharing reading books once again and children will be able to bring their reading book home. We will keep items going between home and school to a minimum and please do not let your child bring in items from home unless specifically asked to do so by their class teacher.

Attendance

Government guidance states that from Monday attendance is mandatory again and it makes clear that education is not optional. We will continue to work with children and with families to ensure a smooth return again to school but children will be expected to be in school every day.

Laptops

If your child was allocated a school laptop then these need to start being returned to school please. Mrs Riches in the Office will contact you and agree a date and time for you to return the laptop. I ask please that parents do not return them until you have been contacted so that we can manage this process and avoid having too many adults arriving to the Office at the same time. Please wait to hear from Mrs Riches who will be in touch.

COVID

The system of controls asks schools to minimise contact with individuals who are required to self-isolate by ensuring they do not come to school. Children, staff and other adults must not come to school if:

• They have one or more Coronavirus symptoms
• A member of their household (including someone in their support bubble or childcare bubble) has coronavirus symptoms
• They are required to quarantine
• They have had a positive test

If your child develops symptoms whilst at school we will send them home and advise you to follow the guidance and to book a test.

An adult must be available to come and collect a child immediately if school is requesting that they are sent home so please make sure there is an adult available if you are requested to collect your child.

Staff are engaging with the asymptomatic testing programme twice weekly but children in Primary schools are not part of this testing programme.

Face coverings

Parents are strongly advised please to wear a face covering whilst on our school site. Children in Primary schools do not need to wear a face covering.

We all look forward to welcoming your child back to school on Monday and very much look forward to seeing all the children once again.

Yours sincerely

Mrs M. Mills

Headteacher