Two Ealing schools have been forced to partially close less than a week after opening. This is a timely reminder for all of us that coronavirus infection remains a risk.

We are doing everything we can to keep our pupils and staff safe, to stay fully open and offer pupils our high quality education. This week, we have:

• changed drop-off and/or collection arrangements for two Year 4 classes and two Reception classes so that there is less congestion and parents can better socially distance;
• thought about asking parents to wear a face-covering while on the school site but are happy that social distancing is sufficient to reduce the risk of virus transmission, for now;
• talked to pupils, by video conference assemblies, about keeping safe in class. This includes facing-forwards and not turning around, staying at least 1m+ from their class teacher and 2m from other teachers and adults who work across bubbles;
• told teachers to be strict with pupils about hand-washing and keeping to our rules to stay safe in class. Teachers are worried that hand-washing is taking lots of class time and we are trying to find ways to do this better;
• relaxed our emphasis on attendance at school by avoiding celebrating the highest attending class each week and postponing individual attendance certificates. It continues to be important that pupils attend regularly but only when they are well. Pupils with coronavirus symptoms, those who are in quarantine as a result of travel or isolating must not attend school.
  • Parents, COVID-19, Ealing flowchart. Use this guide to help your decision-making about coming to school.
• sharpened our expectations about staff keeping their distance from one another while at work in school and in their home lives;
• checked that teachers and pupils are following our expectations by walking through the school several times a day;
• teachers continue regular hand-washing routines as part of our school day;
• site staff continue regular and frequent cleaning of shared areas and surfaces that are touched most often;
• switched some things, like Star Leader hustings / voting, assemblies and class sharing assemblies, to video conference by Microsoft Teams so that pupils don't miss out and have a similar experience;
• behind the scenes, teachers are getting used to working together remotely by Microsoft Teams rather than working collaboratively face-to-face. This includes working from home for half-a-day each week for their planning, preparation and assessment time, and all other staff training and meetings.

I appreciate the way that parents are managing to keep to social distancing at drop-off and collection time. Many parents in Year 6 and Year 5 are staying away from the school site, letting their children walk to and from school alone. This helps reduce congestion and the number of adults on site.

I do not want to close a class or year group 'bubble'. We are likely to close a bubble if there is just one confirmed case of COVID-19. Please continue to follow all government guidance and rules at home to keep our pupils and staff safe, protect our bubbles and helping us to stay fully open:

• Government, Meeting people from outside your household, 2 September

Cases of coronavirus are rising in Ealing. We might be forced to close a bubble for 14 days of self-isolation. Please get ready now with Microsoft Teams so that learning continues at home:

• Your child's Microsoft Teams username and password