Full opening of Fair Oak Junior School: September 2020

I am writing to you as Acting Headteacher taking up the post from September 2020. Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents and carers for your understanding and cooperation during this very challenging period. I know this has been a difficult time for all families, in particular those having to juggle work commitments and manage childcare.

This letter summarises the arrangements for the full opening of school in September 2020 and details how you can help us, by working together.

Term starts for children on Monday 7th September 2020 (3rd and 4th September are INSET days). Here are a few points to note for September (these may, of course, change as per guidance at short notice):

1. The updated guidance states that all children are to return to school from September and in full school uniform.
2. Breakfast club and after school club will run from 7th September 2020.
3. Following government guidance a staggered timetable will be in place for the start and end of school day:

             Start of the day window for entry                    End of the day
Year 3 8.30 – 8.45: Enter from the main green gate      Finish at 3.15: Collect from the main green gate
Year 4 8.45 – 9.00: Enter from the field                       Finish at 3.30: Collect from the school field
Year 5 8.30 – 8.45: Enter from the field                       Finish at 3.15: Collect from the school field
Year 6 8.45 9.00: Enter from the main green gate         Finish at 3.30: Collect from the main green gate

    Parents will need to be mindful of adhering to social distancing as much as possible when they are on school site.

4. Bubbles – given the size of our school, we will define bubbles as Year groups NOT classes. By defining bubbles in this way, we are able to ensure the operational working of the school, including providing parents with Breakfast Club and After School Club.
5. Breakfast club: Breakfast club will run from 7.45 am and children will need to arrive at the hall doors (via the main green gate). Parents/carers are not to enter the hall. When the children are in the hall, they will be split into their year group bubbles. No breakfast will be served and children will not be able to bring their own breakfast, as we
haven’t got provision for the extra cleaning during this morning session.
6. After School club (ASC): ASC will take place in the hall and NOT the Music and Drama room. Parents will need to collect their child from the hall doors, which can be accessed via the main green gate. Parents must not enter
the hall. Food will be provided at ASC.
7. ICON After School Clubs: The working date for the start of ICON is currently 13th September 2020. ICON intend to be running an outdoor after school club with this being reviewed throughout the year. ICON will be offering year group bubble football/multi sports club Monday through to Thursday, which will operate on the new all-weather
surface area on the school playing fields.
• Monday – Year 3 bubble pupils
• Tuesday – Year 4 bubble pupils
• Wednesday – Year 5 bubble pupils
• Thursday – Year 6 bubble pupils

8. Pencil cases: Please do not send your child into school with a pencil case. We have purchased pencil cases for all the children. Please note, that children will be able to share resources within their class (and within their bubbles).
9. Hygiene arrangements:
a. Children will have opportunities throughout the day to wash their hands in their classrooms with soap. Please note that some children have found this difficult due to the frequency of washing. Please do speak to your child about drying their hands appropriately. You may wish to send in a small tube of hand cream.
b. Hand Sanitisers: Each class will have hand sanitiser in it and there are a number of hand sanitiser stations around the school. Please note that our hand sanitiser has a 70/75% alcohol strength.
c. Cleaning: We have recently purchased enhanced cleaning products which have both antibacterial properties as well as providing a coating to surfaces which will eliminate bacteria.
10. Full School uniform is required. From September, all children are expected to be in the new school uniform, as per previous communications. Please do not send your child into school with a large school bag.
11. School dinners: Hot school dinners are available for children to order. These will be delivered to the classrooms and children will eat in their rooms or outside if the weather is appropriate. The menu has been created and will be displayed on the school website. Please note that the menu is not the standard HC3S menu and that the price for lunch remains at £2.40.
12. Parents and visitors: Parents will not be granted access to the school site unless they have an appointment. Please contact the office (adminoffice@fairoak-jun.hants.sch.uk or 02380693195) if you wish to come onto site during the school day or to arrange for your child’s teacher to call you.
13. Parking: Only valid parking permits will enable vehicles to enter the Wyvern Campus. During the lockdown period, this has been relaxed, but will be enforced from September.
14. Break time snacks will not be sold at school, but your child will be able to bring in their own healthy snack.

In addition to the information already shared:

• Government-recommended Posters have also been printed for each classroom
• Fire arrangements have been updated. Clear guidance for evacuation routes will be in each classroom
• New bins have been purchased for each classroom – after each use children are encouraged to wash hands or use hand sanitiser
• Children will have allocated playing zones for lunchtime and playtime
• Children will need to eat their lunches inside their classrooms, or outside in their designated playing space.
• The Physio room has been designated as the space to use if anyone displays symptoms of COVID19.
• The relationships policy (Behaviour) will be followed.
• The marking and feedback policy will be followed after a brief staggered process returning to pre COVID marking expectations by week 4.

COVID19 Symptoms
• A new continuous cough
• A high temperature
• A loss, or change in, your normal sense of taste and smell

You MUST NOT send your child to school if they have any of the above symptoms, or if anyone in the household has the symptoms.

As per government guidance we will no longer be taking thermal temperature checks of all pupils on entrance to school. However, if children arrive at school with symptoms or develop symptoms during the course of the day, they will be isolated and parents will need to collect them. The school will also test the temperature of children returning from a period of isolation. If a child has symptoms, they (and the other members of the household) will have to follow the government’s guidance.

Please do not simply give your child Calpol and send them in.

What if my child becomes ill?

Whilst every effort will be made to prevent your child from getting ill, nothing can be guaranteed as schools often have other illnesses in addition to the current COVID19 pandemic. As much as possible, we will safeguard your child. However, if they develop symptoms at home, we ask for you to follow the COVID19 guidance. If your child (or a member of staff) exhibits COVID19 symptoms in school, they will be sent home and their household will have to begin the process of selfisolation.
All staff and children who are attending school will have access to testing (through the NHS) if they display COVID19 symptoms. If the test is positive, the child’s learning group will be sent home and advised to self-isolate based on advice given to the school from the Health Protection Team. If this is the case, the other household members will not
need to self-isolate unless they develop symptoms. To reiterate, if symptoms are in school, we will liaise closely with the Health Protection Team.

What will my child need to bring in with them?

• PE bag, including PE kit – as per the uniform policy. These can be brought in on the Monday, but will need to go back home on Friday.
• A named water bottle
• Named school uniform – remember that all children are expected to be in the new school uniform
• Should you wish – your child can bring in their own hand gel, but there is no requirement to do so.
• Given the amount of hand washing your child will undertake, you may want to send him/her in with some hand cream, but also remind them to fully dry their hands.
• Lunch box if having packed lunch. Children will be able to order school dinners, but these will be Grab and Go (in food containers). For those bringing lunches into school, please remember that we are a nut free school.

What will PPA look like?

PPA will continue to take place within year group bubbles. Children will sit in rows in all class based lessons. PE where possible, will take place outside and music will continue to take place in the music and drama room but again in forward facing rows of tables. ICT will take place in the library area which has been converted into a larger ICT suite.

Will my child be able to visit the library?

Children will not be able to access the library to borrow/share books. There will be books available within their class that they will be able to use to support reading at home.

Will there be assemblies?

Children will take part in class and year group bubble assemblies; however, there will be no mixed year group/ whole school assemblies until further notice.

If someone is poorly with symptoms in my child’s class, what will happen?

If a child (or a member of staff) exhibits COVID19 symptoms in school, they will be sent home and their household will have to begin the process of self-isolation. All staff and children who are attending school will have access to testing (through the NHS) if they display COVID19 symptoms. If the test is positive, the child’s learning group will be sent home and advised to self-isolate based on advice given to the school from the Health Protection Team.

How will school catch up my child’s learning?

• We have re-stocked necessary resources
• We have looked at different intervention options
However, our key priority is to assess where the children are against their previous year’s objectives so that plans can be put into place to address any gaps in learning.

Will the start and end of school look different?

Yes. The days will need to be staggered so that I can keep your child and my staff as safe as possible reducing the number of people encouraged onto site at any one time.

Have you consulted with the Infant School and Wyvern as to start and finish times?

We liaised with both the Infant School, as well as Wyvern and have tried to keep our times as similar to the normal start and finish as much as possible. The two timings are windows allowing further flexibility to allow for drop off and pick-ups at other sites too, so depending on the year group of the child they can enter between 8:30 - 8:45 or 8:45 - 9 and at the end of the day 3:15 finish or 3:30 finish. We do understand that this might cause some difficulty during the return to full opening of schools but we need to ensure that we are not encouraging large numbers on to our site at one time and at
all times follow the guidance given to schools. We will also be offering breakfast club and after school club, to support parents further with drop off and pick up times and have secured a reduced provision for after school sports through ICON to hopefully help increase flexibility further.

Will my child have to wear school uniform?

Yes. Your child will need to wear full school uniform. Please make sure that you get your child to try on their uniform, to make sure it fits. New uniform is available online at School Kit.

Am I able to drive onto site and drop off/collect my child?

Only cars with permits will be able to access the site.

What if my child’s bubble is sent home for isolation?

We have already planned for immediate home learning, which is ready to go whenever the need arises.

Can you confirm that the school will not allow any children with any symptoms, however mild, to be allowed in school?

Parents should not send children into school if they have any COVID19 related symptoms. At the moment schools have been informed officially that these are:
• A high temperature
• A new, continuous cough
• A loss, change in, your normal sense of taste and smell

If a child feels unwell for any other reason (e.g. tummy aches), we will follow our current medical guidance and procedures (which were in place before COVID19 and haven’t been superseded with anything else due to the official
symptoms of COVID19). These are:
1. Child informs an adult that they are not feeling well

2. Adult monitors the child. If the issue persists for a period, the child is sent to the office
3. The office checks the child’s conditions and, depending on the severity, may call parents for the child to be collected.

If a child is poorly at home with any non-COVID19 related symptoms, parents will need to decide (as they previously did) whether the child will be well enough to come into school.

Is attendance compulsory?

Yes, whilst we understand that these are unprecedented times, attendance is compulsory and all pre COVID 19 attendance procedures will be followed in line with government guidelines.

Can I trust the Government’s scientific advice?

Each individual parent will have an opinion on the scientific advice our country has followed. All I can factually state is:
• We have successfully looked after our Key Worker children and the children who were classified as vulnerable as well as providing ongoing education for our year 6 children and keeping in touch days for our year 3, 4 and 5 children. It has not always been possible for these children to socially distance, yet alone distance of 2m. It is important to note
that we are used to having many children in school, so, whilst there will be even more in school, children will still be in controlled bubbles and will remain with bubble throughout the duration of the school day.
• The Government have stated that all children are to be back in school in September. This is based on their scientific advice. The Government have also made it clear that PPE should only be used for those members of staff who are needing to provide medical assistance to children/staff who have COVID19 symptoms. Of course, if a child or a
member of staff displays said symptoms, they will be sent home.

If you wish to read the school’s risk assessment, please click here.

I’m sure that you will potentially have more questions. If you do, please email into the office at the address above or call into school once term starts on 02380 693195. Some of your questions may be answered in the new prospectus and handbook. Please click on the hyperlinked documents.

Thank you all once again. This continues to be an unusual and ever-changing climate, but I am looking forward to seeing all of our children back in school on Monday 7th September.

Yours sincerely,
Katy Layley
Acting Head Teacher (September 2020)