Please see responses to the most frequently asked questions below. If you have any other queries or concerns please send these to office@marybassett.co.uk
YES - you can find this here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak
YES! There will still be a significant number of strategies in place to keep children, families and staff safe, including ONE WAY routes for dropping-off and collecting pupils and slightly staggered start and finish times for each year group.
The Government has made clear that children ARE expected to attend school in September now the science backs up it is safe to do so. We will need to be informed if your child will NOT be in school for any reason; the same procedure in place before lockdown. Attendance will be monitored as usual and we will respond to falling attendance as we normally would. If you want reassurance about the routines in place at the Mary Bassett Lower School then I am happy to answer any questions you have. Please email office@marybassett.co.uk in the first instance.
The Government ceased the need to shield for the vast majority of the population on 01/08/2020. If you have information (such as a letter from a medical practitioner) about a specific medical circumstance in the household, and related advice, please let us know.
Although we support the principle of social distancing with children, we are realistic this will not be enforceable 100% of the time. Within class 'bubbles' we accept that children will be within 1 meter of other pupils for parts of the day. We will not be placing children in isolated areas alone or creating unnecessary anxiety for children by 'telling them off' for unintended breach of this advice. We will use age relevant approaches to make social distancing possible, including singing songs, encouraging children to devise rhymes and shared expectations. Ultimately, we know all children can learn about ways of staying safe during this strange period of time, but also want children to have a positive experience engaging at school again for their wellbeing and associated learning benefits. We will be sharing a 'touch-free zone' strategy with children to reduce physical contact wherever possible.
Please be reassured that social distancing, although useful in reducing transmission of Covid-19 in school, is only one layer in a school-wide approach to making the environment safe. Deep cleaning, good hygiene routines, and regular hand washing are considered more effective approaches in reducing likelihood of catching the virus and I want to ensure you all these strategies are in place.
You can see a more about our 'Systems of Control' for Covid-19 on the 'Autumn 2020' page of the website.
ABSOLUTELY! - Please see the Map of routes on the 'Autumn 2020' page of the website.
- Adults will have limited access to the school site,
- All adults completing this routine will need to adhere to the 2-metre social distancing advice,
- Only one adult should bring a child to school (avoiding bringing non-attending children where possible),
- We will be instructing you to drop-off/collect at staggered times,
- We will indicate specific gates for you to use, depending on the age of your child (and whether you need buggy access)
The instructions will be specific and non-negotiable, so thank you in advance for your obedience and cooperation!
If you have a concern about your drop-off or collection routine and we haven't contacted you already, please email office@marybassett.co.uk to share your concern/challenge and we will be happy to help.
Normal uniform rules apply from Monday 7 September. Uniform guidance can be found in the 'Parents' menu of the school website. Your child will need a PE kit in school as normal. Please be aware that your normal clothes-washing routine is sufficient, no special plans need to be made for bagging or sterilising your child's clothing because they attended school. NEED NEW ITEMS? We will be offering an opportunity to purchase PE T-shirts and book bags in 'open-air' shops during the first week of term - we will confirm the timings and arrangements before the start of term.
Will the Front Desk be available to visit?
NO - please be aware that the guidance we are following does not allow ad hoc visits into the school. If you have a question or need help please call the school phone line (01525 373017) or email office@marybassett.co.uk. If an appointment is required, this will be arranged for you. We will be offering an opportunity to purchase PE T-shirts and book bags in 'open-air' shops during the first week of term - we will confirm the timings and arrangements before the start of term.
NO. We expect all children to attend school and access learning with ther class teacher(s). In the event of a local lockdown we will have an updated strategy in place to ensure remote learning from home is effective and relevant to this year's curriculum.
Fun Club is re-opening from Monday 7 September. It will operate as THREE Key Stage groups (EYFS/KS1/KS2) to minimise the contact children will have with pupils outside of their 'Class Bubble'. If you wish to book a space please use the electronic Registration & Booking Forms on the Fun Club page of the school website.
It is crucial if your child displays symptoms of Covid-19 they are kept away from school. This is also the case if someone in your home shows these symptoms. You will need to isolate following the government advice.Your child is eligible to get a test to determine whether they have Covid-19 or not. If this test is negative, your child can return to school and your family at home cease isolation. It is possible the school may have a small supply of test-at-home kits that we can supply you with in the event that your child has symptoms.
YES - the kitchen will be open for all pupils to have a hot or cold lunch. Please be aware that the menu is slightly more limited than it has been traditionally. A copy of the menu is available to see on the 'Autumn 2020' page of the website. Parents & Carers must book lunches using your unique ParentPay login. If your child is new to the school, log in details will be generated and sent to you (electronically) to enable you to book lunches before your child starts school. If you do not have log in details by midday on Monday 7th September please call the Front Desk, who will assist you.
YES - from Monday 7 September, we will be required to take the register as normal. This means we will need to know the reason your child is not in school, whether due to illness or otherwise. If we have no explanation for your child's absence we will follow our safeguarding protocol to ensure your child is safe; this may require contacting emergency contacts stored for your child.
We will not be providing face masks for children to wear and as indicated in the advice below we will not be allowing children to wear their own masks from home, due to the added risks that these create for young children.
"Wearing a face covering or face mask in schools or other education settings is not recommended. Face coverings may be beneficial for short periods indoors where there is a risk of close social contact with people you do not usually meet and where social distancing and other measures cannot be maintained, for example on public transport or in some shops. This does not apply to schools or other education settings. Schools and other education or childcare settings should therefore not require staff, children and learners to wear face coverings. Changing habits, cleaning and hygiene are effective measures in controlling the spread of the virus. Face coverings (or any form of medical mask where instructed to be used for specific clinical reasons) should not be worn in any circumstance by those who may not be able to handle them as directed (for example, young children, or those with special educational needs or disabilities) as it may inadvertently increase the risk of transmission."
(Guidance: Coronavirus (COVID-19): implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings, Updated 12 May 2020)
Used PPE and any disposable face coverings that staff or children arrive wearing should be placed in a refuse bag and can be disposed of as normal domestic waste unless the wearer has symptoms of coronavirus.
Any homemade non-disposable face coverings that staff or children are wearing when they arrive at their setting must be removed by the wearer and placed into a plastic bag that the wearer has brought with them in order to take it home. The wearer must then clean their hands.
(Guidance: Safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care, First published 14 May 2020)
Toilet access: Wherever possible groups will have access to their own toilet area. Where toilet areas need to be shared this will be managed using a combination of agreed access times and staff assistance outside of these to ensure access without mixing groups of children. All toilet areas and frequently touched surfaces in shared spaces will be continuously cleaned during the day.
Children will eat and play at the same time as others in their Year Group. This is a temporary increase in 'bubble' size for this part of the day to enable lunchtimes to be practically achievable and safe. Lunchtime is staggered to ensure there is hall space and outside play areas for all children.
Staff teams have been allocated to maintain consistency and to avoid mixing. This means your child will come in to contact with the minimal possible number of children and adults.
Children feeling nervous: Some children may initially feel nervous about returning back to school. Especially if you are dropping them to a different location and unable to enter the room with them. Staff will be on hand to encourage them to leave you if this is needed. We will have limited space around drop off points, it may be that if your child is upset or reluctant we will direct you to a nearby area where you can wait for some additional staff support. Our experience during phased-reopening was very positive and children on the whole were very happy to come in!
We will still be providing the same level of care your child is accustomed to. If they need assistance, we will be there to help them and social distancing will not stop us meeting your child's needs. If there is a situation where we offer to take your child's hand for reassurance, we will simply make sure we visit the hand washing station with them as a precaution. If you child needs assistance with a toileting need, staff would use the same level of PPE as we would typically before lockdown.
Once the academic year starts, we will begin the process of identifying any concerns with each child’s progress. I appreciate that there will be some children who will have found the home learning experience difficult, but I also have a lot of confidence in the ability of children to adapt back into a more normal routine. Our experience since the beginning of June has shown us that children are excited about getting back into learning routines, and are ready to make some good and steady progress with their learning. It has been indicated in the media that the school will receive some additional funding in the next academic year to use to support children’s progress, in light of the gaps that could exist. Although we see many possible models for using some of this funding, we will spend some time with children before formulating a precise plan to spend this money; as we want to make sure it is used as effectively as possible.
Our aim is to provide as close to normal curriculum delivery as possible. We will be making some adaptations in timetables to ensure equipment for specialist subjects (such as science, PE and music) is not shared outside of bubbles without thorough cleaning taking place. Once we have identified specific gaps in pupils' learning we will use the full curriculum offer to support progress in these key areas.
NO. Please send a PE kit into school for your child to keep in their class as they typically would. When they have PE they will change on site. We will encourage you to take PE kits home to wash each 1/2 term (or more frequently if appropriate).
NO. The school will supply all stationery required for learning, and provide personal items, used only by your child, where appropriate (e.g. frequently used items such as pencils and drywipe pens).
Unfortunately not the ones with chocolate chips.
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