COVID-19 Updates

Dear Parents,

Following the government's announcement, St Wilfrid's School will be closed to most pupils, except for vulnerable children and young people and the children of critical workers.

 

To all our pupils, please do not stop learning and we will continue to support you. Google classroom and your emails will be your first port of call and allows two way communication and feedback. Make sure that you check them regularly and complete work as directed by staff.  Parents will have also received invitations to join the google classrooms. I will send further information via email, particularly linked to learning and mental health and well being.

Allocating Pupils to a ‘Bubble’

In line with Department for Education (DfE) guidance, St Wilfrid’s has made arrangements for all children to attend school as part of a consistent group, often referred to as a ‘bubble’. These groups of pupils will remain together throughout the school day and will not interact with other bubbles in school. This is an important measure to limit the spread of any infection and will limit the number of interactions between pupils in school. Your son/daughter will remain with their class bubble and will only mix with that bubble. The exception to this will be where Year 9, 10 & 11 will have PE/Games lessons and Art lessons together.

Attendance

From September 2020, the normal rules around school attendance apply. Therefore,  it will be compulsory for all pupils to return on Thursday 3^rd September. As per usual, please inform us if your child is unable to attend by 9.00am. Please note that if after 48 hours we are unable to get in contact with you or your child we have a duty to report this to the Police who will carry out a welfare check.

St Wilfrid’s Staff

All staff have been fully briefed on the arrangements in place for a full reopening in September 2020. Some staff may have been shielding during the lockdown and as such we will be supporting them fully as they return to work. I would ask all parents to bear in mind that some staff may have spent a considerable amount of time away from school and that this is also an unsettling period for those members of staff. We ask that our entire school community are patient with each other as we adjust to this new way of life.

Maintaining a St Wilfrid’s Environment

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the preventative measures that St Wilfrid’s has put in place in order to minimise the spread of infection.

As per the advice from the government, the following actions for infection control remain in place:

• Displaying coronavirus infection control measures information posters around the school
• Encouraging good hygiene by promoting the importance of handwashing for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap in the following circumstances:
  • Before leaving home
  • On arrival at school
  • After using the toilet
  • After breaks and sporting activities
  • Before food preparation
  • Before eating any food, including snacks
  • Before leaving school
• Installing  alcohol-based  hand  sanitiser  dispensers  that  contain  at  least  60%  alcohol throughout the school
• Ensuring pupils and staff understand that they must cover their mouth and nose with a tissue before they cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue away into the bins provided (Catch it, Bin it, Kill it)
• Ensuring frequently touched objects and surfaces are cleaned and disinfected more regularly than usual

• Calling NHS 111 if  someone becomes unwell,  isolating any unwell people in a separate room, and providing a separate bathroom, where possible
• Telling staff to stay at home for 14 days if they develop symptoms of coronavirus
• Arranging classrooms so that pupils are seated side by side facing forwards and removing unnecessary furniture and equipment.

Symptoms of Coronavirus

As per the current NHS and government advice, you should keep your son/daughter at home for a period of 14 days if they develop coronavirus symptoms. Symptoms include a high temperature, a new continuous cough, and a loss of taste/smell. Where symptoms continue after 7 days, or begin to worsen, you should call 111. If someone in your household has symptoms, your son/daughter must self-isolate for 14 days from the day the other person’s symptoms started. This is because it can take 14 days for symptoms to appear. More information regarding symptoms and actions can be found on the NHS website (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/).

St Wilfrid’s will insist that any pupil or member(s) of staff who show any symptoms that may be compatible with Coronavirus, book a test immediately. Information on booking a test will  be provided by the school and the pupil / member of staff will not be permitted to return until the test result is confirmed and the period of isolation is complete. In addition, guidance from the DfE states that a small number of home testing kits may be able to be distributed by St Wilfrid’s in exceptional circumstances. We have not yet received the details of this and will advise parents/carers as soon as more information is available.

If someone you or your child has been in close proximity to has tested positive for Coronavirus, you may be contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service. Information on the NHS Test and Trace service is available here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/nhs-test- and-trace-if-youre-contacted-after-testing-positive-for-coronavirus/ If you think your son/daughter may have been exposed to or has coronavirus, please contact us on 01392 276171 at the earliest opportunity.

What to Wear

From September 2020, all students will be expected to return to St Wilfrid’s in their full school uniform.. On PE/Games days pupils are to wear their PE kits to school to avoid having to access the changing rooms. In accordance with DfE guidance, uniforms do not need to be cleaned any more often than usual, nor do they need to be cleaned using methods which are different from normal.

What to Bring

Pupils must bring with them a fully equipped pencil case, reading book, chrome book, hand sanitiser, tissues, water bottle and snacks for the day (the water fountain will not be in use, though drinking water is accessible to refill bottles). We ask that mobile phones are put into a sealable bag when brought into school so they can be safely stored in the school office. No other items should be brought in without prior agreement.

Arrangements for the start and end of the school day

The beginning and end of the school day are the busiest times for pupils and adults congregating together in one place, so maintaining safe distances within normal arrangements can be a challenge.  We have implemented the following measures for when pupils return to school:

Year:             Start Time:     Finish Time:     

Hawks           8:30am            3.30pm

Owls             8:30am            3.30pm 

7/8                8:40am            3:40pm

9/10             8:40am            3:40pm

11                  8.45am            3.45pm

What if you arrive late?

It is important that pupils are in school by 8.45am so learning can start promptly at 9.00am. If for any reason your son/daughter is late they will have to come to the main reception and ring the door bell and wait until someone comes out to take them to their designated area.

Arrangements for break times and lunchtimes

Lower School will have different break and lunch times to the Upper School, where they will have time to wash their hands, eat their snack/lunch and have some time outside. Pupils will be allowed to eat outside if the weather permits, but must eat inside their allocated classrooms if the weather is indifferent.

Upper school will have the same break and lunch times but they will be allocated specific areas which they must remain whilst outside.

Curriculum

During the first half term, we will be continually reflecting on the needs of our pupils and tailoring our curriculum based on this. Pupil wellbeing will be prioritised with daily tutor times looking at supporting the pupils on their return to school and re-establishing routines and expectations. We will also have a remote learning option planned in case of another lockdown.

The school day

The school day will be very similar to usual with pupils attending 8 lessons per day and having break and lunchtimes with the rest of their year group at staggered times, including handwashing/sanitising breaks.

To minimise transitions around the school, pupils will remain in their allocated tutor base for the majority of their lessons except for Art and Science or unless they move to an outside space. The classrooms will be set up slightly differently with tables in rows facing the front and the teacher will remain at the front of the classroom.

Assemblies will be carried out by Zoom and will be beamed straight into classrooms.

We are endeavouring to maintain a broad and balanced curriculum for all and will utilise staff to support pupils in catching up missed work.

Clubs

Initially there will be no before or after school provision until after half term but we will be in contact once this has been reviewed.

There will be no Wednesday clubs until half term but, again, we will be in contact once this has been reviewed.

Visiting St Wilfrid’s School

If you need to speak to the school at any time, please contact by phone on 01392 276171 or by email admin@stwilfrids.devon.sch.uk

We would like to politely request that parents do not come on to the school site unless it is absolutely necessary as you will not be able to speak to a member of staff face to face without making an appointment in advance. Appointments will only be made in exceptional circumstances so we can ensure that you and our staff are kept safe.

Support for Pupils and Families

We do not underestimate how difficult the recent weeks have been for us all and we all will have been touched in some way by the coronavirus pandemic. We recognise the need to focus on pupils’ emotional wellbeing as well as their return to learning. The following support is in place for pupils once they return to school:

1. Tutor to be first point of contact for any issues
2. Senior Leadership Team available for pupils who are struggling
3. Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator to support those who need additional support

Parents may wish to seek support for themselves from the following support agencies:

• Samaritans – call free 24 hours a day on 116 123
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline – call for free and confidential advice, 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247
• Shelter provide free confidential information, support and legal advice on all housing and homelessness issues if you call 0330 0536 083 (please note, this is not a free phone number and your call will be charged), or their free webchat is available at https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help/webchat