INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND CARERS

AUTUMN TERM 2020

START OF TERM ARRANGEMENTS 

You will remember from my previous letters in July that all children start in the same class as last year on Thursday 3^rd September.  This is part of the plan to allow children to settle quickly with their class, their teacher and to reconnect with the normality of school. 

For classes entering via Bidston Avenue Playground… when the gates open to your year group, children will be asked to enter the yard and stand on one of the painted spots as directed by the teachers (the same procedure we’ve used since March 2020, but with more children) and parents follow the arrows in the one way system and leave the playground.

If you are entering via the main office/reception area then there are painted spots every 2 metres for you to queue up with your child. The first spot is situated by the gate outside the parent support adviser office (now Place2Be).  The spots start at that gate and lead all the way back past the office and up the ramped walkway.  Please ensure children are stood with you and please don’t line up until it is your child’s year group time as there is limited space.  When it is the school opening time the children will walk straight into the building/gate guided by the staff.  Please do not hold up the line by trying to speak to the teacher/TA, we only have 5 minutes until the next group are due to enter.  Any urgent messages must be emailed or telephoned before school or after you have dropped off.  Please do not return from the way you entered – there is a strict one way system in place.  Parents then leave via the slopped entrance off the top Tollemache Road playground.

We are trying to keep our school COVID free, so please don’t gather around the entrances and exits to speak with other parents and please leave the areas as soon as possible.  We encourage all parents to wear a mask when on site for their own safety and of those around them.

**There will be a road closure at the top end of Bidston Avenue to provide parents and children space to wait between drop-off or pick up times.

**The entry place given now is the entry place that will stay when they change to the new year group on 17^th September 2020.

**At this time, we cannot arrange for siblings to leave at the same time as this increases the risk of spread across the school and our site layout does not cater for this amount of children leaving at once during this set of circumstances.

LUNCH ARRANGEMENTS 

All children will eat a packed lunch each day.  A packed lunch will be provided for children in receipt of Free School Meals or if they are in foundation stage and year 1, unless you let us know otherwise.

PLEASE NOTE: Year 2s (year 3 for 2020-21) are no longer eligible for a free infant meal unless they are eligible for free school meals.

All children who are not in F2, Year One or are on free school meals will be able to purchase a meal.  Please let us know by email ASAP if you wish to buy a packed lunch, this will enable the kitchen to order enough food.  There is a daily hot packed lunch option.

Each day, children will be asked to choose what they wish to eat – the menu was sent in July. Please access it on the school website with the ‘End of Year’ letter.  They will be reminded of the menu daily by the class teacher.

TRANSPORT TO SCHOOL

We will close the Bidston Avenue road each morning and afternoon for drop-off and collection, so please make the necessary parking arrangements and please stay off the zig zag lines in Tollemache Road (or if they haven’t been repainted then the space they should be on).

If you do not arrive on time then it will cause huge difficulties and we do not wish your child to have to walk around school to their classroom by themselves – it could endanger your child, other children and our staff.

If you are travelling via public transport then please ensure that you take all safety precautions to keep you and your child safe on the bus/train.

PROVIDING A COVID-19 SECURE ENVIRONMENT

Our aim is to provide a safe environment in line with DfE Guidelines and in planning for a safe environment we will be implementing the following measures:

• Children will be taught in the same classroom throughout the day. The concept of these ‘class or year groups bubbles’ is to minimise contact with any other year group and class groups, where possible. Teachers will maintain a distance of 2 metres at the front of the classroom, where possible.

• Different year groups will enter and exit the building at different times and locations. We recognise that many of our children are siblings, but we do ask you to support us where possible with these staggered start and finish times.  

• Parents or carers collecting their child for medical appointments or accidents in school must walk to reception where they will be able to collect their child from outside the building.  Parents/carers should call reception to notify staff that they have arrived.  In the case of any student needing additional help, there will be additional support available from our staff.  At no point must parents wait inside the reception area.

• Please only bring a bag to carry packed lunch.  All equipment will be provided, so no pencil cases or additional items including toys/soft toys.  All bags and coats will be kept under or on their classroom chairs, where possible.

• Parents or carers will not be allowed to drop off PE kits or packed lunches into reception, so please be organised.

• Parents or carers collecting their child with coronavirus symptoms will be contacted and given instructions on how to collect your child safely.

• Our children with special educational needs and disabilities will remain fully supported.

• Students will be asked to wash/sanitise their hands upon entering the building and these routines will be (re)established during the first day.  Good hand hygiene continues to remain one of the most effective control measures in place and handwashing and sanitising will be undertaken throughout the day.

• Physical Education will still be timetabled and children will be permitted to wear their PE kit to school on that day.

• We have arranged for enhanced cleaning of the school during the day.

• Staff will be wearing visors and masks when dealing with first aid issues. 

• Specialised PPE will be used by our trained first aid staff and if it is needed to provide close personal care to anyone. 

• There will be no extracurricular clubs during lunchtime or after school in the first instance, but we will update you on this as the term progresses.

• There will be no educational trips this term, but this will be reviewed as the term progresses.

• There will be no evening events for parents or carers this term and we will use other methods of communication to update you on anything that is crucial or necessary.

BEHAVIOUR, CONDUCT & EXPECTATIONS 

As we regroup as a community and settle into new routines it will be even more important to respect each other and our environment and we will continue to expect the highest standards of behaviour from every single child at all times.

Our core Behaviour Policy remains in place and we expect all children to show respect to each other and all staff, move sensibly around the building, wear the correct uniform, accept sanctions when given and refrain from behaving in any way that would bring the school into disrepute. 

No mobile devices are permitted on site for children.  We usually make arrangements to store year 6 phones during the school day, but we cannot handle other people’s mobile devices at this time/

ATTENDANCE

The Secretary of State has made it clear that from September, all students are legally required to return to school full time and we will work closely with families who have individual concerns or where students may have to self-isolate.  For anything related to attendance, you will call the office and speak to Mrs Bell on 0151 652 1594.

UNIFORM 

All children are expected to wear full uniform in line with our expectations.  We really appreciate your support in this matter as all of our children look incredibly smart.

Children may wear PE kit on PE days for the full day to reduce changing issues in the classrooms.

COVID-19 SYMPTOMS / TEST & TRACE PROTOCOLS

Any child or adult who develops symptoms of coronavirus must stay at home and not attend school. Absence should be reported as soon as possible on the usual school number, 0151 652 1594.  The child must be tested for coronavirus.

If a child or anyone in your household is exhibiting Covid 19 symptoms, self-isolation and testing must be undertaken. Children must not attend school in these circumstances and you must follow all the procedures.

If a child presents with any Covid 19 symptoms in school they will be allocated to an isolated room and you will be called to collect them. The child must self-isolate and testing must be undertaken. 

If there is a positive case of Covid 19 within the school community, as Headteacher I will be communicating directly with the local Public Health England Team and they will advise of the procedures we must follow. 

COMMUNICATION 

The first point of contact will be to the class teacher via email/telephone call to the school, however, with the increased use of this means of communication we will aim to respond within 4-5 working days, unless it is a child protection issue. 

In the current climate, parents and carers will not be able to access the school premises at any time and we will not be inviting any parents or carers into school unless at the request of the Senior Leadership Team. In these exceptional circumstances, only 1 household member will be able to attend school and we ask that hands are sanitised on entry, personal details are taken for test and trace purposes, social distancing measures are followed and face masks must be worn throughout the visit.

Effective communication and partnership between parents/carers, your child and the school is even more crucial during this unprecedented time to ensure your child has the best possible education at Bidston Avenue.  Email communication over the last 6 months has proved absolutely vital, so please make sure we have your most up to date email address on our system and let us know if it changes at any time (all updates to schooloffice@bidstonavenue.wirral.sch.uk ).

Thank you for taking the time to read all this information and remember that important information can be found on the school website.  This will be updated as necessary and we will continue to keep you informed of any changes.