Message for ALL parents Re: Reopening of OAC on 1st June 2020

Dear Parents/Carers,

Plans for the safe re-opening of Oasis Academy Connaught

I am writing to you today as a parent or carer with a child in nursery, Reception, Year 1 or Year 6 with information about the preparations we are making for the gradual return of pupils to the Academy next month. Children will come to school Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The Government would like children of your child’s age group to return to school from 1^st June, after the half-term holiday. This is in addition to the children who are able to attend now (children of key workers and other eligible children). 

We plan to open on Monday 1^st June for year 6, Wednesday 3^rd June for year 1, Thursday 4^th June for Nursery and Monday 8^th June for reception. The re-opening will only happen if the Government and the medical experts say that it is safe to do so, this will be on the 28^th May, 2020, and once we have made all the necessary arrangements to keep your child and our staff safe.

Our number one priority is the safety of your child, your family and of our staff.  Since the lock down began, we have remained open to provide childcare for the children of key workers and other eligible children.  They have shown us that with care and sensible planning and strong teamwork the students in their care are safe. Our plans will build on their successes.

The details overleaf set out when we would like your child to attend the Academy together with the detailed arrangements we have put in place to ensure as high a degree of safety as possible.    

Questions and feedback

I know that you will have many questions about returning to school and about how things will work in this ‘new normal’ environment. We understand that you will need to feel confident about the arrangements. To help address some of these questions I have provided a frequently asked questions document also overleaf along with this letter. If you have further questions or concerns you would like addressed, please contact us on info@oasisconnaught.org, via your year group Facebook page or on the phone 01275 894 590 from 1^st June, 2020.

We will keep all aspects of our school preparations under review and take feedback from staff, parents and carers. We will call you and see if you plan for your child to come back.

Thank you as ever for your patience and understanding during this time, and the support you are showing the team who are working exceptionally hard to do all they can for the pupils.       

Yours sincerely,

Mrs G Fraser

Principal, Oasis Academy Connaught

 

1) Attendance

We will be implementing the 2 square metre social distancing rule everywhere for everyone.  We have completed a careful evaluation of the space and our staff capacity and have established that we can safely accommodate 8 children   

2)  Drop-off and pick up and communication through the day

As you can imagine, dropping off and picking up poses a challenge for managing social distancing for you and other parents and all the children  Being outside does significantly reduce the risk but we will be asking parents to drop off their child at the top gates. Please be aware that only one parent can do this. To reduce the risk of spreading the virus, parents will not be able to access the playground as normal. Year 6 will be expected to come and leave alone and Nursery have a one way system to their door. No late children will be allowed.

Pick up for year R and 1 will be in the playground with parents expected to social distance then Nursery children can be collected. Gates will open at 2.15 to 2.30 after that you will need to wait. Collect older children first.

Age Group	Drop-off time	Pick-up time
Nursery	8.30-8.55	2.15 - 245
Reception	8.30-8.55	2.15
Year 1	8.30-8.55	2.15
Year 6	9.00-9.15	1.55-2.15

 During the day, we ask that you communicate with us only via the telephone 01275 894 590  To reduce any risk further, parents, and all other external visitors to the Academy, will not be allowed onto school premises for the time being unless collecting work packs and vouchers.

3) Temperature Testing and Testing for Corona

While it is not a requirement, each child will then have a temperature check with a thermal (non-contact) thermometer.  If your child has a temperature we will call you and ask you to take them home to reduce the risk of someone who may have the virus from entering the Academy.

Please be assured that staff will be undergoing the same checks. 

If you think your child is displaying symptoms of the virus it would be helpful to get them tested. You can do so by checking here for the nearest centre (https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test). If they are positive we depend on you to alert us at the soonest possible moment so that we can advise other parents and take the necessary steps to isolate children and staff.  

4) Risk Assessments

We have completed a thorough risk assessment following guidance from the Government and detailed guidelines from the Oasis Community Learning Trust. 

We have reviewed every procedure in the school in the light of the virus including how we will set out classrooms, the use of PPE by staff, how to manage drop-off and pick up, the use of temperature checks, how the children will have access to hand washing, how they will move around the Academy safely and many more issues etc

The risk assessment has been signed off by the Oasis national leadership team along with myself as Principal and will remain under constant review as we monitor our progress and as the country’s situation changes.

5) Social Distancing

As indicated above, we have created social distancing routes around the Academy and we have rearranged classrooms to meet requirements for social distancing.  We have prioritised the use of classrooms with sinks, or nearby to washing facilities.   

It is important to say that we fully understand any anxiety you may have about young children not being able to manage social distancing. 

With this in mind, we will be developing strict routines for the children to follow and we have kept the ratios of children to staff very low. We will keep them in small groups which will remain the same throughout the time they are in school. They will stay in one classroom with limited movement around the Academy. They will have their food and drinks brought to them. If they use any equipment it will be washed down afterwards and before it is allowed to be used by others.

6) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

We have a stock of PPE within the Academy, including face-masks, disposable gloves, disposable aprons, hand sanitisers and soap.  While we are not expecting to have any shortages of PPE, we will only remain open if we have enough equipment.

Please note that the latest Government guidance is that wearing a face mask in schools is not recommended; effective cleaning, excellent hygiene and developing new routines are deemed the most effective way to control the spread of the virus. However, we have agreed that if staff wish to wear to a mask they have the opportunity to do so.  Masks for children, particularly young children is considered unsafe.

7) Uniform

In order to take every opportunity to limit any spread of the virus we respectfully recommend that you wash your child’s clothes which they have worn to school at the end of every day. In order to make this easier to cope with we are happy for the children to wear easily washable clothes if it is not possible to change their uniform daily. Your children need to be in different clothes each day.

8) Hygiene

We have increased cleaning across the Academy, with a focus on regularly wiping down door handles and hard surfaces. There will be disinfectant sprays and paper for cleaning purposes in each classroom. The school will be thoroughly cleaned each day and will have been thoroughly cleaned before the children return. We have established routines for hand washing on coming into school and leaving and also before and after breaks. There are hand sanitizers around the academy and on each desk for older children. You may provide your own but it will need to stay in school.

9) Getting to and from school

The latest advice from the Government is that you should try to avoid public transport especially at peak times and, where possible, travel to and from the Academy by walking or cycling.

We know that this will not always be possible, so please let us know any concerns around this.   

10) Equipment

Please do not allow your child to bring any equipment into school including any school bags.  See the next paragraph about school lunches. If your child can bring their own water bottle without using a bag that would helpful and please can this be labelled with their name.

 We will be giving the children their own pens and pencils etc to use while they are at school and these will be dedicated for their use.

11) School lunches

All students who are able to attend school will be provided with a free school lunch. Therefore, there is no need to bring food into the Academy. 

If you are eligible for the government’s food voucher scheme, run by Edenred, then you will continue to receive a voucher in the usual way even if your child attends the academy and receives a meal there.

12) Curriculum planning and online learning

Online learning will continue for:

·         Those year groups who are not in school

·         Those children who cannot come into school because they need to be shielded or are shielding others

·         Those we cannot currently accommodate due to space restrictions.  

Arrangements are different for each year group, but our teachers will be sharing the teaching and learning. Some will be providing the teaching within school, while others will be providing the online learning from home.