The Returning to School page!

Welcome back to St Thomas!

The aim of this page is to bring together all the information you will need to help your child make a happy and successful transition back to school.

The principles that we are working by are those shared across the whole Xavier Catholic Education Trust of which we are a part:

1. To do our utmost to ensure everyone attending our schools is kept safe
2. To focus on the emotional, spiritual and physical well-being of our children
3. To support the well-being of our staff and our community
4. To be aware of, and adapt to, the challenges each family face
5. To prioritise any gaps in learning whilst ensuring all children make progress
6. To ensure proper transition arrangements are in place for each year group 

We are very conscious that every child returning to school will have had a different experience of home schooling and will have different sensitivities around returning to school and will have started from a different starting point back in March as well. So, our number one priority is their wellbeing and safety. We will be worrying about the gaps when everyone is back in school and we will then implement a full and robust “gap-plugging” curriculum programme which will run through the years ahead, but not just now. Now is the time to start to return to a routine, to being social again, to interacting and to re-finding our feet in the school environment which will feel very different to the one we left behind on March 20^th.

If, having read everything at least twice(!), you still have a question please do contact me in the first instance: mrlewin@st-thomas.surrey.sch.uk

Please remember, we have put all of these plans in place but they may need to change at very short notice if circumstances change.  Please bear with us and obviously I will communicate any changes with you if the need arises.

Thank you again for all your support and encouragement and for doing such a great job with your children throughout this strange, strange time. This now feels like a big step back towards the old normal and we will embrace it with a smile and plenty of virtual hugs!

With my love and prayers

Neil Lewin

Headteacher

May 27^th

Dates of return

EYFS children                   Monday 1^st June.

(The critical worker/vulnerable children group would be here as normal)

Year 6 children                 Wednesday 3^rd June.

Year 1 children                  Monday 8^th June.

Travelling to and from school

We encourage you to walk, cycle or scoot to school. If you do scoot or cycle, please lock your bike or scooter against the fence between the field and Horseshoe Lane West.

If you have to drive, please be aware that the drop off lane will NOT be open – it is for pedestrian use only at this point. Please drive and park carefully and sensitively and legally.

Drop off and collection times and arrangements

Drop off and pick up is staggered:

Entry to the school site will be from the pedestrian gate by the school field ONLY.

Please turn left on entering the site and follow the painted line around the edge of the field dropping your child off in the appropriate Bubble line (see Drop off and pick up map) and continuing then to walk in a clockwise direction right around the MUGA and back down the path towards the gate again. When you reach the orange barrier turn left and walk through the drop off lane to exit the site at the bottom pedestrian gate. The children should stand at the next available place in their Bubble’s line – these will all be painted on the grass.

Please do respect the one way system and maintain your distance from other parents, staff and children.

Both members of staff from each bubble will be on the field to welcome the children and take them into class.

Please can only one parent from a family (ie one adult each time – not necessarily the same one!) enter the school grounds and please can parents not mix – It is essential that parents maintain social distancing at all times.

At the end of the day, the Bubbles will come out on to the field for the children to be reunited with you. Please wait on the 2m spots around the edge of the field and wait for the staff member to release your child to you – please be patient with us, especially the teachers new to your child’s class! Please then follow the same route out of the school and be careful to maintain social distance from others.

The school will close each Friday from 12.00. The pick-up will be staggered so that:

EYFS children will come out at 12.00,

Year 1 at 12.10 and

Year 6 and the keyworker children at 12.20.

What if I have children in different year group bubbles?

If your children are in consecutive drop offs then please arrive for the earlier time and hold on to your older child until the teacher is there for them to join the line (probably only a minute or two if anytime at all!). If you are dropping a key worker sibling and a child in one of the 3 year groups then bring both at the time of the year group drop off and we will take the key worker child to their class.

What if we’re late?

If you are late for your drop off but the gate is still open come in and there will be a member of staff there to take your child to class. If you arrive after the gates have been locked (after 9.15am) then bring your child to the office via the lower pedestrian gate with the intercom and the office staff will step out to take your child round to their class bubble – we will sign them in for you.

What if we have an appointment and need to collect our child?

Please ring the office in advance to let us know and then we will ensure that your child is ready and waiting for you when you arrive to collect them. Again, once you have been let in the gate we will send your child out to you and shout hello!

Forgotten items and messages for school or staff

It will not be possible to engage in a long conversation with staff as they sort the children out ready to come in to school in the morning or when trying to dismiss the children at the end of the day. Any messages to school will need to be emailed or phoned in as unfortunately,  the school office can not be open to parents at this time  (info@st-thomas.surrey.sch.uk or 01483 888388).

If you have forgotten something and need to return to school, there will be a small table outside of the Reception for you to leave the item and the Office staff will then ensure that it is reunited with your child! During the school day when the site is secured access will be through the lower pedestrian gate with the intercom.

What to wear to school

We are trying to help the children re-acclimatise with school and so will expect the children to be in school uniform. Obviously you may want to be washing their clothes more often than pre-lockdown and so if the uniform is in the wash, PE kit will be fine. If school shoes are too small whatever fits is fine (provided it is sensible footwear!). In the week beginning 8^th June the PTA second hand uniform will be available in the drop off lane for some socially distancing shopping with honesty boxes. It is summer and so summer uniform or winter is fine – whatever is available to you and whatever fits!

As part of the hygiene arrangements doors and windows in all the rooms will be open and so you might want your child to have their school sweatshirt just in case they do get a little chilly in the classroom.

Equally, we will be outside as often as possible, rain or shine so please send your child with a lightweight raincoat if the weather looks like turning at any point!

Please be aware that the children should not wear face masks in school (on Government health advice) – misused they are far more dangerous than not having them.

What to bring to school

Everything your child needs should come to school with them and leave with them at the end of the day. We will be having fun and games outside but will not be changing into PE kits.

Your child should not bring any soft toys with them into school.

EYFS Children should have:

• A named water bottle, healthy snack
• A packed lunch if they are not having a school packed lunch
• A named sun hat and sun cream applied please before school
• A light weight coat (every day – we will go outside whatever the weather!)
• A sweatshirt even on warm days as the doors and windows to classes will be kept open

Year 1 children should have:

• Their learning packs (including their home learning exercise book)
• A pack of named coloured pencils (we will provide each child with an individual stationery pack for use in school)
• A named water bottle, healthy snack
• A packed lunch if they are not having a school packed lunch
• A named sun hat and sun cream applied please before school
• A light weight coat (every day – we will go outside whatever the weather!)
• A sweatshirt even on warm days as the doors and windows to classes will be kept open

Year 6 children and the Keyworker children should have:

• Their learning packs (including their home learning exercise book)
• A fully equipped pencil case
• A named water bottle, healthy snack
• A packed lunch if they are not having a school packed lunch
• A named sun hat and sun cream applied please before school
• A light weight coat (every day – we will go outside whatever the weather!)
• A sweatshirt even on warm days as the doors and windows to classes will be kept open

The class bubbles and the classroom environment (see below)

All the children returning to school will be in closed protective “Bubbles” of 15 children along with two or three staff members. It is these bubbles which are crucial to everyone’s health and wellbeing. There can be no mixing of the Bubbles so the same children and the same staff team will be together all of the time, all day and every day and every week. This applies to playtimes and lunchtimes as well as during the teaching day.

Each class in EYFS, Year 1 and Year 6 will be divided in to 2 bubbles and the teachers have planned this division along friendship lines. The names of the children and staff in each bubble can be found in the Transition booklets for the children (all available as downloads from this page below)

The rooms that each bubble will be in are shown here.

The adult in the classroom will endeavour to remain 2m from the children and, for the children other than in EYFS, the tables have been set out as far from each other as possible. The children will be sitting between 1.2 and 2m apart in all rooms. In EYFS there will be spaced seating spots but we cannot guarantee or expect that the EYFS children will be able to keep to social distancing with the other children in the classroom or the outside learning areas.

It will be easier in the other year groups to ensure that whilst in class the children remain in their places.

We will not be moving around inside the school. Lunches and snacks will be eaten in the classrooms or as picnics outside if the weather allows. Entry in and out of the school will be via the external classroom doors only. Each Bubble will have a designated and marked area of the field or MUGA (the top playground) and, for EYFS, their outdoor learning area and KS1 playground which will allow us to ensure the Bubbles do not mix. We cannot guarantee that the children will be able to be socially distant from each other throughout the outside time, only that they will remain “secure” within their Bubble.

The children will not be using shared spaces eg cloakrooms and we will limit as far as possible the use of shared equipment within the bubbles. Anything that is shred will be washed between uses.

Windows (and doors where possible) will be opened to encourage good ventilation (so even on a warm day sweatshirts may be needed).

Teaching and learning

As far as possible the EYFS children will get back to the EYFS curriculum with the added constraint of maintaining social distancing as much as possible with 4 and 5 year olds.

The Year 1 and Year 6 children will be taught their curriculum based around the Home learning packs which will also be followed by those children not in school.

The Key worker children will work through their learning packs as independently as possible with the support of one of the teachers.

Opportunities will be built in to every day for outdoor learning whenever possible.

The focus in all classes which will sit behind everything we do is the children’s wellbeing and we will use the Making S=P+A+C+E for me Resilience wheel and a wealth of teaching and learning resources to help us focus on the importance of our mental health and wellbeing:

The timetable

Each day will follow as normal a timetable as possible.

The EYFS children will have their normal daily routine but with a shared timetable for the outdoor areas to maintain the integrity of the Bubbles.

The other children will also follow as much of our old routine as possible with daily worships in the classroom setting, playtimes and lunchtime. The Year 6 children will be delighted by an additional playtime in the afternoon. The playtimes and lunch time for the 10 non EYFS Bubbles will be staggered to ensure that a maximum of 5 Bubbles are outside at any time. They will have designated playing areas which will change on alternate weeks so that they all have time on the field and time on the MUGA. The children will play with children within their bubbles but not with other bubbles. During playtimes we will encourage the children to “keep their distance” and will teach them and lead games that can be played spaced apart however we cannot guarantee social distancing during these times. The Bubbles’ outdoor play and activity zones are shown on this map.

The school will close each Friday from 12.00 (the pick-up will be staggered so that EYFS children will come out at 12.00, Year 1 at 12.20 and Year 6 and the keyworker children at 12.20).

Lunches

The school will be providing school lunches but these will be packed lunches. If not, your child should bring a healthy packed lunch that they can eat unaided. Please remind your children that they should not share any of their food or drinks with others – the “new kind”.

Good hygiene

Please talk to your child about the importance of NOT sharing drinks and snacks.

Children are being asked NOT TO drink from the water fountains – they can only be used to refill water bottles – the classroom sinks can also be used for this purpose as the water is drinking water.

We will limit the number of children using the toilet at any one time and remind the children of the importance of good handwashing. This will be monitored by staff.

The children will wash hands on entering and leaving the classrooms and before and after eating. All the classrooms have sinks, soap and paper towels which once used will be bagged in lidded bins.

The rooms and all the furniture and resources will be cleaned each evening by our contractors in line with government guidance. In addition we shall be ensuring a daily clean (on a constant rotation) of all door handles, door frames, taps, toilet doors and seats and also the classroom tables and chairs etc.

Cleaning materials for use by the adults in the Bubble will all be available in every room.

All doors and windows will be open to allow for air circulation around all of the rooms.

The children will not be able to share any resources and any resources we provide will be for individual use only and kept by that individual. The home learning packs will need to come in and out of school but will only be used by the individual child. The children will sit in the same place every day.

Medical matters

We will follow ALL guidance from Government, Public Health England and the NHS around medical safety. We have new Xavier wide policies and frameworks which we will be putting into place.

“Bubbles” will have their own supply of basic first aid.  Non-COVID 19 related first aid and symptoms will be dealt with as normal by the class team or by our Paediatric first aiders in the Office and any intimate care will be undertaken by adults with appropriate PPE.

In the event that anyone in the school showed COVID -19 symptoms they would be placed in an isolation room and you would be contacted to collect them immediately. Staff would have full PPE as necessary. There are then strict protocols that we would follow were anyone to be positive for COVID-19 and we would follow them.

Wrap around care

Unfortunately due to the need to maintain the protective bubbles (see above) we cannot offer Breakfast or After School club care except to key worker children who have been using the facility and are in such small numbers that we can maintain strict social distancing. There will be no after school activities.

Our Golden Rule ALWAYS APPLIES

We treat others as we would like to be treated

Our Golden Threads are still the same but when we come back to school, so that we can all keep safe, there are some new ways of living them out.  This is how we will explain these differences to the children. 

Thankfulness

We are so thankful we can come back together, we are thankful for our health, friends and school.

Friendship

We show our friendship by playing and leaving gaps between each other.

Kindness

To be kind at the moment means not hugging or touching one another.  We can show we care by waving, smiling and using kind words.

Respect

To show respect we do not touch other people’s belongings.  We do not share our equipment, toys, snacks or water bottles.  We also have to wash our hands regularly.

Hope

We are hopeful that the kindness and care people have shown each other during lockdown will continue to spread.  We hope that we will all enjoy being together again, enjoy our learning and that soon this virus will stop affecting the way we live.

Forgiveness and Tolerance

Sometimes we all might forget about our new “rules” and if one of us does, we remind them kindly and forgive them.

Honesty

We need to be honest with our teachers and grownups at home about how we are feeling.  Some of the changes will take a bit of getting used to- talk to us about how you feel.  If you feel unwell remember to tell a grown up.

How to prepare your child

• Model confidence
• Reassure them that school is a safe place
• Prepare them that school will be different from how they remember
• Use their booklet to talk through these changes, who their adults are going to be and which friends are in their “bubble”
• Show them the video on the website of their teacher introducing themselves to their “bubble”
• Remind them that they cannot hug their teachers or friends. Instead we can wave, smile and say a big HELLO
• Remind them that they cannot share water bottles, snacks or use the water fountains to drink from (Just to fill up their water bottles.)
• After a long break, some children may find the drop off tricky. Hard though it is – please try to drop off and leave the school quickly so we can settle them for you.