Belfield Community School Reopening safely A Guide for

Belfield Community School Re-opening safely: A Guide for Parents As we begin to welcome back more children into school (at the moment Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, plus our Key Worker children), we want to assure you that we have been working hard to ensure school is as safe as possible. Lots of things have had to change to do this. This leaflet aims to tell you about some of these changes. It is vital that if you choose to send your child back to school, you understand these changes and agree to play your part in keeping us all safe. Before your child comes back to Belfield: Talk to your child about how different it is going to be Explain the importance of hand-washing (soap/20 secs) Explain the importance of keeping 2 metres (3 steps) apart from their friends and adults in school Stick to government guidelines before bringing children back to school, by making sure everyone in your home: Stays home where possible Only meets with up to 6 people outdoors, not in each other’s houses Keeps their distance (2 m) if meeting outdoors Washes their hands as often as they can If you and your household don’t follow these guidelines, not only will you put yourselves and your family at risk, but you risk spreading infection amongst all of our children, parents and staff.

Entering and Exiting School There will be different start and finish times for each year group – these will be sent out to you separately You will only be allowed on school premises when it is your child’s drop-off time (bells will indicate the end of each drop-off time). If you are late, you will have to wait outside school until staff let you know it is an appropriate time If you need to wait, this can’t be done on school premises, you can wait on the grass opposite school No cars on Samson St – people need space to walk on the road Keep 2 metres distance from other parents/children at all times Please do not touch fences, gates or play equipment You will be told which gate you need to go through to enter and exit There should only be one parent per drop-off/pick-up Wait on the painted green lines until the teacher is ready to let children in Keep your child with you until they are let into class Do not go into the red boxes near doors – these are to keep our staff and yourselves safe Children can be passed into the red box when the teacher tells them it’s time to come into school We would encourage you to wear a mask If you need to speak to the teacher or a translator, you should phone school. You can not enter the school building.

When your child is in school Guidance tells us that we need to keep class sizes as small as possible to reduce the risk of infection. We have organized the children who are returning into “bubbles”. The government says that there should be no more than 15 children in a bubble. At the moment, our bubbles have (at most) 10 children, with one or two adults to support them. The children and adults in these bubbles cannot mix with other bubbles. Unfortunately, your child won’t be able to play with other children in a different bubble, eat with them in the dinner hall, or walk home with them from school. Your child may not be in their normal classroom with their usual teachers – they may need help understanding this Younger children will be encouraged to play outside, one/two at a time at activities and will engage in lots of water play Children in Y 1, Y 6 and our KW children, will have their own desk at a 2 metre distance from other children. They will have their own tray with books, pencils etc. No one else will touch their equipment, including teachers (as much as possible) No work/resources/books can go home or come into school Lots of learning will take place outside and doors/windows will be kept open Children will be washing hands in between every activity, before moving from one area to another, before and after food Dinner will take place in the hall (no more than 15 chn). There won’t be as much choice as normal (a hot option or sandwiches) Each bubble will only use one set of toilets Each bubble will have their own space on the playground/field Staff will be cleaning throughout the day

Other important information As soon as your child gets home, they need to shower/bathe Their clothes need to go into the washing machine Children need to wear fresh, clean clothes every day Children do not need to wear their school uniform They can bring a packed lunch if they usually do They don’t need to bring a school bag with them They don’t need to bring a PE kit with them We can’t accept cash for dinner payments – online payments only. Please phone school for help if needed. Medical Information If your child has any symptoms of Coronavirus, please keep them at home and phone school - we can organize for them to have a test. We will send children home straight away if ill. Virus symptoms are: - A high temperature or fever - A new cough - Loss of taste or smell However, children can often show less obvious symptoms eg: - a rash, alongside a fever - dehydration - tummy ache/sickness/diarrhea - dizziness We really appreciate your support and understanding throughout this difficult time. We hope that you understand that these measures are designed purely to keep your children, your families and school staff safe. We may need to change these arrangements as the term progresses but we will of course keep you updated. Thanks again, and we look forward to seeing you soon!