Return to school from 8th March 2021

Dear Parent/Carer

Following the government announcement last week, we are looking forward to welcoming all children back to school from Monday 8^th March 2021.  Many new conditions have to be met for a safe reopening such as setting up on site testing procedures for weekly lateral flow tests. 

The information below sets out our arrangements for reopening from 8^th March 2021.  Please take the time to read through so that you are able to prepare your child for their return.

Attendance at School

• From Monday 8^th March, usual school attendance rules will apply and the school day will revert to its usual time: 8:45 am -2:55 pm Mon-Thurs and 8:45 am - 2:30 pm on Friday.
• ONLY students in Years 7-9 should return to school on Monday 8^th March (this is to allow all KS3 pupils and staff to be Covid tested)
• ONLY students in Years 10 and 11 should return to school on Tuesday 9^th March.
• ALL students in ALL year groups MUST return to school from Wednesday 10^th March and will follow the timetables they were on before the Christmas break.
• We understand that children and families may be anxious or reluctant about returning to school, but we can assure you that there are many measures in place to reduce the risk in school.
• Please do contact us if you have any concerns about your child returning or if your child has been advised on medical grounds not to return yet.

Morning ‘Drop Off’ Arrangements

• To support social distancing and easing congestion on a small site, and to ensure Covid-19 compliance, we will be making changes to our morning and end of the day arrangements.
• All students will be temperature checked BEFORE their cabs, minibuses or parents’ vehicles leave site.  Children with high temperature (above 37.5C) will not be permitted on site and must return home.
• No child exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms will be permitted on site.
• All drop offs must be kept as short as possible.
• KS3 pupils will be allowed into the building 8:40am -8:50 am and KS4 pupils 8:50am -9:00 am.  This is to avoid overcrowding during scanning/morning searches. 

To support social distancing during ‘drop off’, collection and meetings

• Thank you for your co-operation in supporting social distancing at all times and the wearing of a face covering when on site
• Bus drivers and escorts can no longer use school toilets as they are outside the school bubble.
• Parents will have to wait outside the green gates when collecting their child.
• The main school office will be closed to visitors, but is contactable by phone/email.
• Any messages for the teacher should be sent to the Oak Hill Office email address, where it will be passed on (office@apoakhill.org.uk).

Curriculum/Learning

• The curriculum will continue to be broad and ambitious with children experiencing a wide range of subjects upon their return.
• Teachers will be covering the most important missed content and will address any significant gaps in children’s knowledge.
• Curriculum planning will be informed by an assessment of children’s starting points, making use of quizzes, observations, discussions with children and scrutiny of work.
• We will also incorporate lots of wellbeing and support opportunities to cater for the range of emotions that children may be experiencing upon return.
• Trips will commence once government guidance states that these are permitted and it is deemed safe to resume

School uniform

• All children are expected to return wearing their school uniform.
• Please can we remind all our families that children should wear plain black shoes or plain black trainers for school. Brightly coloured trainers, bright astros or heavily moulded astros are not permitted.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Wearing of face coverings is mandatory in communal areas and in classrooms – except for pupils with medical exemptions for example asthmatics.  
• We recommend that children bring their own face coverings from home and do not share them with others. 

Covid-19 Testing

• All pupils and staff will be tested for Covid-19 weekly
• Tests are not mandatory and we cannot deny your child access to education if they refuse.  However, it is beneficial to all stakeholders (including family) if everybody on site is being tested in order to avoid unwitting infection of wider social groups.
• Parents will be provided with test kits to be administered at home.  We are not yet sure how and when these will be distributed but will share information on them when we get it.

Keeping Safe Through Good Hygiene

• Good hygiene practice will be in place: cleaning hands more often than usual; washing hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water and soap; promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach and frequent cleaning of touched surfaces and resources.
• Daily cleaning will take place throughout the school day with a particularly thorough clean of classrooms, corridors, staircases and toilets after school.
• Class based resources that are shared will be cleaned regularly.

Confirmed cases of coronavirus

• If a child or staff member develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus, they will be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 10 days and arrange to have a test to see if they have coronavirus (Covid-19). Other members of their household (including any siblings) should self-isolate for 10 days from when the symptomatic person first had symptoms.
• Where the child or staff member tests negative, they can return to school when they feel well enough and no longer have symptoms similar to coronavirus (Covid-19). Fellow household members can also end their self-isolation
• Any members of staff who have helped someone with symptoms and any children who have been in close contact with them do not need to go home to self-isolate unless they develop symptoms themselves (in which case, they should arrange a test) or if the symptomatic person subsequently tests positive or they have been requested to do so by NHS Test and Trace.

As always, all of the above will be kept under continual review and subject to change. I would like to thank you for your continued support and I am looking forward to seeing you all from Monday.

Kind regards

Kevin Grant

Headteacher