Wearhead Primary School

Wearhead, County Durham, DL13 1BN

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Virtual Leavers Assembly 17th July 10.30am 2020

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Virtual Leavers Assembly
While it will be impossible to hold a ‘physical’ leavers assembly this year, I am delighted to announce that we
will still be having a ‘virtual’ leavers assembly to say goodbye to our four wonderful Year Six children. This will
take place, via Zoom, at 10.30am on Friday 17th July,
Everyone, including any extended family members, is invited to attend and you will find the meeting code
and password attached to the email as usual. As this will potentially be a slightly larger assembly than usual,
we will be observing the following guidelines.
 Participants must have a recognisable screen name when they log on, otherwise you may not be
admitted
 The chat function will be disabled for all participants
 All participants will have sound muted by the meeting host
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

15th June – Phased reopening delay

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Dear Parents,
As you will be aware, the government has planned to phase the reopening of schools to a small number of pupils from 1st June at the earliest. The Governors and staff of Wearhead Primary School, with the support and guidance of the Local Education Authority, have been working towards this aspiration ever since the announcement was made. It was always made clear that the final decision on reopening would be taken in light of the scientific evidence at the time with a final decision being taken nationally on 28th May. Over the past week it has become evident that different local contexts would have an impact on the ability of schools in different regions to reopen. At the end of last week, scientific evidence was provided to the local education authorities by SAGE, the government science advisory body, which demonstrated that the rate of infection, the R number, is at its highest in the North East of England and as a result of this and other evidence provided, Durham Education Authority has recommended and advised that the wider opening of County Durham schools should be delayed until 15th June at the earliest.
While everyone at school is eager to have the children return as soon as possible, we can only do this when our risk assessments demonstrate that it is the safest possible time to do so and we must act responsibly on the advice of the Local Education Authority in determining this.
As a result we are now planning for our phased reopening of school to Rec, Year One and Year Six, as well as Key Worker Families, to begin on Monday 15th June with a timetable that is broadly in line with our original plan. I realise this decision will disappoint staff, parents and children who are eager to return but I also know it will ease the worry of those parents who feel that they are not secure sending their children back to school yet and have already expressed this concern to me. I am also aware that it will inconvenience parents who are currently trying to plan their own return to work and ‘normality’ and I apologise for this but I hope you understand that we must act on the advice that we are given to ensure everyone is cared for in the safest possible way.
I am currently working with Stanhope School to ensure that Key Worker provision is in place and I am working with staff and governors to continue to prepare the school so that it is the safest environment possible when e do return. I have included the press release from Durham County Council below for your information. As with the initial period immediately before the closure of schools, this is a rapidly changing situation and we are dealing with a totally unprecedented set of circumstances meaning things could change further. However, by making a clear decision at this stage, we hope we can provide parents with the time to make any appropriate arrangements over the coming days. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not Yours sincerely,
Tim Hiley
Headteacher
Wearhead Primary School

Durham County Council Press Release – 27th May 2020
Durham County Council has provided the information after new scientific advice was published on Friday 22 May and due to concerns that key issues outside of its control have not yet been resolved. The advice from the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), states there is ‘a consensus that evidence on the role of children in transmission of COVID-19 is unclear with a number of gaps in understanding’. It also says there is some evidence to suggest that children are as susceptible to
COVID-19 as adults but advised that is not conclusive. Scientists have also advised government that the messaging to parents and teachers had to be ‘robust’ in order to ‘enhance confidence and willingness to return.’ The council has also acted in response to data which shows the North East having the highest coronavirus infection rate in the country. Its action is also in response to delays implementing the national Test and Trace system – seen as vital in managing children returning to school. The system will not be fully operational by 1 June, the date previously announced by ministers as when the phased reopening should begin. The information the council has provided to schools advises that 15 June, the date the government has put forward for secondary pupils to return, is a more realistic date for the phased reopening to begin.
Cllr Olwyn Gunn, the council’s Cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said: “Our priority has always been the safety of staff, children and communities and we have issued extensive advice and guidance to headteachers and governing bodies with the emphasis on reopening only when risk assessments have been carried out and found to be of a high enough standard. “We have at no point stated schools should return on 1 June. And in the light of the new scientific advice, high infection rates and the unacceptable delays in implementing Contact Tracing, we believe 15 June is a more realistic timeline for all schools to work towards, subject to government scientific advice and individual
school risk assessments. “Ultimately it remains a decision for schools to open when they feel it is safe to do so and I would like to place on record our sincere thanks to all headteachers and staff for the tremendous work they are doing to this end.

 

 

Wearhead Primary Approach to Phased Reopening of School

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Wearhead Primary School

Approach to Phased Reopening and Strategies for Socially Distant Schooling

As a result of the work we have done risk assessing our potential phased reopening we have developed the following plans and strategies for the initial first few weeks after half-term. The full risk assessment has been carried out in cooperation with staff, governors and the County Council and a copy is available upon request.

Planned timetable for phased reopening to Rec, Y1, Y6 and Key Worker Families

Initially it is proposed that school will open at the following times for the identified children. (Rec/Y1/Y6/KW)

Week 1 – Beginning Monday 1st June

Monday Training and Preparation Day – Staff Only

Tuesday 9.00am – NOON

Wednesday 9.00am – NOON

Thursday 9.00am – NOON

Friday 9.00am – NOON

Week 2 – Beginning Monday 8th June and subsequent weeks.

Monday 9.00am – 3.20pm

Tuesday 9.00am – 3.20pm

Wednesday 9.00am – 3.20pm

Thursday 9.00am – NOON

Friday 9.00am – NOON

School will be closed on Thursday and Friday afternoons for PPA/Support of remote learners. In addition, Friday afternoon will be set aside to allow for a deep clean & preparation for the following week.

General

· There will be hand sanitiser (min 70% alcohol gel) stations in the following locations.

§ Main Entrance

§ Children’s Entrances

§ Cloakroom

§ Each classroom

· All doors in school (except external doors) will be kept open to minimise need to use handles

· Water fountain will be disconnected and not used, children are asked to bring reusable water bottle from home each day

· Children will not be asked to wear school uniform and they should come to school in fresh clean clothes each day.

· Appropriate cleaning (anti-bac/viral) products will be available in each classroom, the hall, library and staffroom at all times, along with appropriate cleaning materials and PPE.

· Windows will be kept open wherever possible to allow for adequate flowing ventilation.

· No more than one child / (family group) and one adult may be in the cloakroom area at any one time. Class 1 member of staff will check this area before allowing a child to go through to the toilet, lunch or to prepare for the end of the day.

· There will be two learning ‘bubbles’ and one member of staff with responsibility for each group.

· Members of staff will have an individual walkie-talkie in each room to communicate with the office and each other.

· Children will not be sent to office or other rooms with messages, registers etc.

· Communal Rooms

§ Library – AM. Base for Mr Hiley to allow social distancing in School Office

§ Library – PM. Available for staff to select resources if needed

§ School Office – Mrs Hayes AM / Mr Hiley PM

§ Staffroom – No more than one member of staff at a time. Cleansing material for kettle, fridge etc to be available at all times.

§ Hall – Only to be used for lunchtime / tables to be left in place and allocated to individual children or Family group

§ Photocopier – Will only be used by one member of staff at a time and there will be anti-bacterial wipes to clean keypad after use.

§ Quarantine Room (QR) – Boys Toilet – This will be thoroughly cleaned and then just the girls toilet will be used by boys and girls individually. There will be two individual identified cubicles, one for boys and one for girls use, with the middle cubicle out of use. Children will only ever visit the toilet one at a time.

· It will be necessary for staff to pass through Class 2 at certain times. When this is unavoidable, it should be done observing social distancing and minimising any touch or interaction with Class 2 or Class 2 furniture and resources.

· The following areas will be marked with 2m spacing lines;

§ Outside carpark at EYFS gate

§ Children’s entrance and full length of internal corridor

§ Hall serving hatch

§ Playground outside door

Arrival at School

· Children will arrive with ONE parent at designated time and wait at designated distance marker.

· School transport children

§ Disembark bus in given order and line up and wait at distance markers ready to be invited into school

· Member of staff will invite each child/family group into school who will;

§ Go to cloakroom and hang their belongings on designated pegs

§ Go to toilet and wash their hands thoroughly

§ Go and sit in their designated place in classroom

Class Organisation

§ There will be two class groupings (Infant & Junior)

§ One adult will be responsible for each class group;

o Class 1 – Mrs Halliley

o Class 2 – Mrs Corbett

o Remote Learners – Mrs Turnbull

§ Designated spaces will be planned for each child or family group within each classroom with a minimum of 2m spacing (marked on floor) and will include

o Cleaning materials if appropriate

o Writing and stationary supplies to prevent need for movement around the classroom or sharing

§ Registers will be taken electronically using SIMS to eliminate need for paper register

§ Children will only be allowed to use toilets one at a time and a sign will indicate if they are free to be used.

§ Outside learning will be appropriate but only if socially distanced and safe to do so

· Assembly will still happen virtually once per week, if technically possible, with children in each class group to attend along with remote learners.

· Soft toys and furnishings will be removed from classrooms or marked clearly out of use to prevent potential cross-contamination

Curriculum

· A pared down, quality first curriculum will be offered to the children that supports the limited use of available resources and the need to maintain social distancing.

· Literacy / Numeracy work will be based on the Hamilton Trust packs that the children are familiar with and will be the same as the packs being supplied to home learners to keep work coverage consistent.

· Particular emphasis will placed on activities to support each child’s mental health and wellbeing.

· All work will be organised to keep the use of resources to a minimum and any reusable resources (including toys etc. in Class One) will be thoroughly cleaned between uses.

Break Times / Lunchtimes

§ There will be one 10 minute morning break for Class One at 10.00am in the EYFS playground supervised by Mr Hiley. (If it is wet, children will remain with their class teacher. Facilities will be made available for staff comfort breaks)

§ There will be one 10 minute morning break for Class Two at 10.20am supervised by Mr Hiley on the main playground. (If it is wet, children will remain with their class teacher. Facilities will be made available for staff comfort breaks)

§ There will be four lunch tables set out for either individual children or family groups, these will be thoroughly cleaned at the end of lunchtime and remain in situ.

§ There will be one lunchtime break on the main playground with appropriate distancing supervised by Mr Hiley & Mrs Hayes (If it is wet, children will remain with their class teacher. Facilities will be made available for staff lunch / comfort breaks)

§ Any play equipment used during any break will be cleaned thoroughly at the end of each session

§ During lunchtime Mrs Martin will perform an interim mid-day clean of classrooms and toilets supported by staff where available.

End of the School Day

§ Pupils/Staff will wash their hands before they leave the school site.

§ Water bottles and lunch bottles will be taken home from school each day

§ Only one Parent/Carer is permitted to collect their child from the school site.

§ Children will depart with ONE parent at designated time who will wait at the designated distance marker.

§ Parents/Carers to ensure that they follow social distancing.

§ Children will be sent into cloakroom to wash hands then collect belongings and go to Mr Hiley at the distance markers at the exit door.

§ Children will be handed over to parents from school EYFS Gate

§ Parents asked to remain in their cars or at social distance markers until their children are sent to them.

§ Parents/Carers directed to leave the school site immediately once they have collected their child.

§ Staff control the flow of pupils leaving the school building to encourage social distancing.

§ Gates are secured to the school site.

§ Gates and entrance doors are included in the cleaning regime at the school.

First Aid / Signs of Illness

· If a child needs first aid applying this will be given by a trained member of staff. The member of staff will don appropriate PPE including a mask and gloves before any first aid is applied.

· If a child develops signs or symptoms of illness related to CoVid -19 they will be escorted to the quarantine room (QR) where a member of staff will sit with them at a 2m distance until a parent can come to collect. End of day collection procedures will then apply.

· The only furniture in the QR will be two, wipeable plastic chairs spaced at least 2m apart.

· If the member of staff has to reduce 2m distance for any reason PPE will be worn.

· Once the QR has been vacated a thorough clean will be carried out.

· No more than two people will be in the QR at any time except for emergencies when PPE should be worn,

Visitors to School including Parents

· No visitors will be allowed into school without first making an appointment

· Authorised visitors will be allowed into the entrance once member of staff is behind closed internal door.

· Visitor will use provided hand gel and wear an appropriate face covering before any further socially distanced contact is made.

· Parents making collections or delivering anything to or from school is discouraged but where necessary all the above protocols will apply.

· All essential parental communication with school should be via phone or email unless an emergency makes this not possible.

NB – This list is not exhaustive or complete and will be further developed over the coming week(s) in light of emerging guidance and advice.

VE Day 75 – 8th May Assembly 10.45am

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VE Day 75
We were planning on having a range of activities in school to mark VE Day 75 next week. However, because
of the closure these cannot take place. We would therefore, like to hold a special VE DAY 75 Virtual Assembly
on Friday 8th May at 10.45am. As part of the assembly we will join in the National Moment of Remembrance
at 11.00am with a two minute silence. We really hope as many of you as possible will be able to join us to
mark this event. I will send the invite in the usual way.
VE Day 75 – Special Virtual Assembly – Friday 8th May at 10.45am

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