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Coronavirus

Rayne Primary and Nursery School is open to all pupils in line with government guidance.

 This Guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.  Many of you will have read the guidance or heard about what we should be doing to keep our community safe and reduce risks.

Outlined below are the key pieces of information we feel will explain how the government guidelines will impact on the children’s attendance at the school and new procedures that will be place for the safety of the children and staff. Our priority is, and always will be, the Health, Safety and Wellbeing of the entire community and although we cannot guarantee that we can keep everyone safe from catching Covid-19, we can and will take a wide range of steps to minimise the risks and meet the priority. 

Attendance

ASchool attendance will be mandatory, which means that the usual rules of school attendance will apply:

  • Parents have a legal duty to ensure their child regularly attends school
  • Schools have a legal responsibility to record attendance and follow up absences
  • Schools have a legal responsibility to issue sanctions, including fixed penalty notices with Essex County Council’s codes of conduct.

Returning to school is very important from both an academic and social point of view.

However, children must not attend school if they have Coronavirus or are showing symptoms of Coronavirus (however mild). They must also not attend school if a member of their household has Coronavirus or is showing symptoms of Coronavirus.

There is an expectation that parents/carers will engage in the test and trace programme, please visit  NHS test and trace: how it works - GOV.UK for more information. A negative result would be required before a child was able to return to school.

Bags and equipment

Children should bring a named water bottle with fresh water to school every day as drinking taps/fountains are not allowed to be used, in line with our detailed risk assessment. 

Children will need a small bag for their reading book and/or packed lunch. Equipment should be kept to a minimum

Behaviour

Our expectations of behaviour will remain high and even more important than ever to keep our entire community safe and able to focus on their learning. These expectations will be shared regularly with the children and will apply both on site and on remote learning, in line with the school's Behaviour Policy.

Bubbles

Bubbles are no longer required in schools, and children and staff are no longer required to be kept separate.

However, the school may be advised to reintroduce the use of bubbles should the number of Covid-19 cases reach levels indicative of an outbreak. in line with the school's Covid Outbreak Management Plan.   The aim of this measure would be to prevent the whole setting having to isolate and close and to reduce any potential spread of the virus. 

Any decision to vary this provision will be made based on the best interests of the health and safety of the whole school community.

Catering

Hot school dinners will be available daily from the school kitchen.  Children entiltield to Free School Meals (FSM) or Universal Infant FSM can have a hot meal (that includes Reception, Y1 and Y2) if required.  Any KS2 child can order a hot meal and this will be paid for on SIMS Pay in the usual way.  There will be a two-week rolling menu which will include a vegetarian option daily.  The catering team will be following very robust hygiene procedures and wearing PPE when handling food and serving meals. Menus can viewed here.

Parents and Carers can check eligibility for Free school Meals through the LGfL FSM Eligibility Checker. You will need to provide your name, date of birth and National Insurance Number or Asylum Seeker Reference to check.

Cleaning

Our cleaning protocols and regularity of cleaning have increased significantly and will continue to do so in all areas of the school, toilet facilities, hall, door handles, classrooms etc. cleaning materials will be available in each room.

Clubs and Wrap Around Care

We are able to offer both a breakfast and after school Acorns provision. Further information on the provision is available here. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. However this may change if government guidance changes.

Any children attending wrap around care or clubs will need to be collected by an adult.  If someone different/unknown is collecting your child please ensure this is communicated to the school in advance.

The school will will organise lunch time clubs and sports clubs each week through Premier Sport, where possible. Details of any clubs and how to access them will be made available to parents.

Drop Off and Collection

Drop off and collection will be as outlined below unless notified otherwise by the school.

Arriving at school

Gates will open at 8:40am and close at 8:55 am. Registration will be at 8.50am and any child arriving after this time will be marked as late.

Children should go straight to class and parents must not enter the classroom.

End of day pick-up

Gates will open at 3:10 pm

At the end of the day Reception parents / carers may collect their children from the door, all other parents parents / carers will have an allocated place in the playground to receive their child(ren). 

Year 6 children will be allowed to walk home independently however the school will require written parent/carer permission.  All other children will be required to be picked up by an adult 16 yrs and over. 

We ask that only one adult per family drops off and picks up their child(ren) to reduce the number of persons on site at any one time. We also request that everyone leaves the school site immediately after drop off and collection.

Speaking with Staff

Class teachers will not able to speak with parents at drop off or collection time. If you need to speak to a member of staff there are a number of ways in which you can communicate safely. These include
  • via a request using the admin email,
  • by phone or
  • if necessary via a face to face socially distanced meeting.  Meetings in person must be arranged in advance and will only be offered if absolutely necessary.

Emergency Closure Procedures

In the event of school closure or the requirement for a class to self-isolate, we will notify parents and carers as soon as possible via Parentmail. If you are not registered for Parentmail please enquire at the school office. 

Helping to keep our school community safe

If your child has symptoms of Covid 19 you must keep them at home and not send them to school. The government advice is clear - 

Symptoms
The most important symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of any of the following:

  • a new continuous cough
  • a high temperature
  • a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness. However, if you have any of the symptoms above you must stay at home and arrange to have a test to see if you have COVID-19 – go to testing to arrange.
For more information click here.

Due to the expanding list of symptoms being reported, if your child displays any of the following symptoms you will be required to collect them and take them, along with any siblings, home:

  • new continuous cough, high temperature, loss or change in sense of smell or taste, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle/body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion/runny nose and/or nausea/vomiting.

For guidance on testing please click here 

To request a test click here or call 119

If a child is displaying any of the published Covid symptoms whilst at school the Headteacher has the right to isolate the child from the rest of the class and ask the family to take the child home. We would ask for your full co-operation under these circumstances as this is not optional. If your child is sent home for this reason you will be asked to arrange a PCR Covid test for them and to report the result to the school.

Asymptomatic Testing

We continue to strongly encourage staff and all households (including primary aged children) to take part in regular testing if they are not showing symptoms. This will help to reduce the risk of the virus unknowingly entering the school community. You can access a free LFD in a number of ways, including at the local LFD site in your district, by collecting a home LFD kit from a test site, or by ordering a home test kit online. More information about these options can be found here: Regular Rapid Lateral Flow Coronavirus (Covid-19) Tests.

Self-Isolation

It is important for individuals exhibiting symptoms and / or a positive LFD or PCR test to self-isolate immediately. Self-isolation may end after 7 days following 2 negative LFD tests taken 24 hours appart. The first LFD should not be taken before the sixth day.  Individuals identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19 and told to self-isolate by NHS Track and Trace must do so for the period advised.
 

Close Contacts

Individuals identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19 and told to self-isolate by NHS Track and Trace must do so for the time specified.

Individuals living in the same household as someone with COVID-19 are at higher risk of becoming infected and should follow the following guidance:

  • if they are aged 18 years 6 months or over and not fully vaccinated they should stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days. 
  • if they are fully vaccinated or aged under 18 years 6 months they do not need to self-isolate. However they shoud take a LFD test everyday for 7 days and self-isolate if any of these test results are positive or they develop symptoms.

The following image provides examples of when to end self-isolation if you have had COVID-19 symptoms or have received a positive COVID-19 test result:

Remote Learning

Should any child need to self-isolate at home for any reason remote learning will be put in place by the schoo via our DB Learning Platforml. This will be available on DBprimary.  Laptops will be available to borrow for families without a laptop, tablet or PC.  

Risk Assessment

The academy carried out a thorough risk assessment prior to reopening the school in line with government guidance. This risk assessment is under constant review to ensure  its effectiveness. The current version of the risk assessment is available on request from the school office.

Social Distancing and Hygiene

Maintaining hygiene is of the utmost importance. We will continue to preserve a rigorous routine of cleaning and sanitising at school as last year and we will be reminding your children about the importance of thoroughly washing their hands and other relevant personal hygiene expectations e.g. covering their mouth when they sneeze or cough

Whilst social distancing is not currently a legal requirement we would ask for your care and cooperation when dropping off and picking up your children and/or visiting the school. We would appreciate it if anyone with any possible symptoms stays away from the school and seeks a Covid test.

Social distancing is not a requirement for the children, however the school may be advised to reintroduce measures to assist with social distancing in order should an outbreak be declared at the school. This could include reintroducion of bubbles, playground zones and the avoidance of any large gatherings, such as assemblies.

Government advice is that face masks or PPE are not necessary in schools as it interferes with teaching and learning.  However, the wearing of face masks or PPE may be re-introduced for adults should government guidance change or should an outbreak be declared at the school. 

Should your child use a mask travelling to and from school they will be asked to keep the mask in their school bag for the duration of the school day.

All adults over 12 years of age visiting the school will be expeced to  wear a face mask whilst on school premises.

Uniform

All children will be required to wear well presented school uniform. There is no requirement to wear a new set of uniform each day or wash this daily but personal hygiene will be necessary to minimise the risk of spreading the virus.

Due to increased ventilation in the school you may wish to send your child in a vest or plain white t-shirt under their uniform

Uniform can be ordered directly from the school trends website. School ties (including prefect ties) are available from the school office.

Physical activity plays a vital role in both healthy development and well-being.  Children will be encouraged to have plenty of outdoor exercise daily and will need a full kit to change into.  Details of our requirements are on the school website. (NB: Please ensure earrings are removed for allocated PE lessons).  PE kits will be sent home for washing on a regular basis

NB: Reception children need to wear comfortable clothing which is suitable for both PE and Forest School on a Friday.

Visitors

Visitors, including volunteers, will only be allowed on site when absolutely necessary and by prior appointment. This will be kept to essential persons only to minimise the risk to the school community. All adults over 12 years of age visiting the school will be required to wear a face mask whilst on school premises.

Further Information

Further guidance and information is available via the links below should you wish to read more about the government plans to reopen in September:

Rayne Primary and Nursery School | Hosted by New Era Technology | DB Primary | DB Learning Library

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