Over two-thirds of Reception and Year 6 pupils returned to school today. Most Year 6 classes welcomed nearly every pupil back to school. Typically, 10-14 pupils returned to each class.

 

A longer 'soft-start' time of half-an-hour enabled parents to stagger arrival time and keep to social distancing. Teachers greeted pupils on arrival with half welcoming pupils to new rooms and a new teacher. Everyone found their new classroom, joining their 'Sirius' or 'Canopus' class group. Thanks to all parents who arrived on time, kept to social distancing and helped children remember everything that they needed for a day at school.

 

Children of key-workers and those who are vulnerable joined new childcare groups, named after planets. Each group now has its own teacher and will follow the same organisation as the rest of the school. More children have started coming to COVID-19 childcare, up to around 90 pupils today from 30-40 when the school was first closed.

 

Pupils stay in their class group 'bubble' with their teacher and teaching assistant (for some classes where pupils have additional needs). Class group 'bubbles' of up to 15 with staggered breaks, own play zones, lunchtimes and own resources help reduce the risk of any coronavirus infection spreading.

 

Parents make a judgement about risk and decide whether to send their child to school. There maybe higher risks where families are from a black or minority ethnic group background and/or live with vulnerable family members in the household. There are no fines for pupils who are persistently absent from school. Pupils in Reception and Year 6 can return to school from any day.

 

Pupils in school and at home follow a similar curriculum, based around the Oak National Academy, to minimise gaps between pupils. In school, there is an increased focus on personal hygiene, including regular hand-washing and 'catch-it, kill-it, bin-it' when sneezing or coughing. All pupils, those in school and at home, are encouraged to watch the return to school assembly on our YouTube channel:

• Year Group Noticeboards, Whole school assemblies

 

We look forward to Year 1 pupils returning to school from Monday 8 June.

 

School closes to all pupils at Friday lunchtime, every week, for cleaning and to give teachers their statutory release from class for planning, preparation and assessment.