FAQ's September 2021
1st September 2021
September 2021 - FAQs for parents and pupils
The staff and governors of BGPS have used government recommendations regarding necessary measures to reduce the risk of transmission of Coronavirus when we return on September 1st 2021. We will continue to facilitate frequent, thorough hand-washing or sanitising, and keep windows and internal doors open for ventilation. The many other control measures that we have had in place will be relaxed. (Although this could change if DfE guidance changes in the future!)
What happens to the Bubbles?
The children will not be grouped in closed bubbles any more. This means that they will be allowed to mix between classes, and at break times and lunchtimes. This will allow us to do team activities again!
What should my child bring?
Children should bring their school bookbags with their reading books and reading records. (We will be providing YR and Y1 children with bookbags in September.) Children should also bring:
- Coat (waterproof) every day
- Sun Hat (if necessary)
- Sun block - but only if they are able to apply it themselves; otherwise a long-lasting sunblock must be applied at home before they come to school
- Water bottle every day
- Lunch box (if they are not having a school lunch)
Please do not send your child with large rucksacks – there is not room for them in the cloakrooms.
What should they wear on PE days?
We have found that having the children come to school in their PE kit on their PE days has allowed them to make better use of their PE lesson time, so we will be continuing with this.
PE days for the first half-term will be:
- Class 1 (Malala Class) – Tuesday and Friday
- Class 2 (Einstein Class) – Tuesday and Friday
- Class 3 (Teresa Class) – Monday and Wednesday
- Class 4 (Obama Class) – Monday and Wednesday
Please remember that children must wear school PE kit on their PE days:
- School PE T-shirt in their team colour
- Black shorts or black tracksuit/leggings/skins
- School sweatshirt
- Trainers
(Football strips or brightly coloured leggings are not part of the school PE kit. PE T-shirts can be ordered through the school office.)
What will happen at drop-off in the morning?
We will return to our pre-COVID 10-minute rolling start of 8:45am - 8:55am. A member of staff will open the door by the circle at 8:45am. Children should arrive during the next 10 minutes, and the door will be closed promptly at 8:55am
Please do not arrive on site before 8:45am. An adult must remain on-site with each child until they have safely entered the school building.
How do I collect my child at the end of the day?
3:20pm - Class 1 (Malala Class) pupils can be collected from door by the circle.
3:25pm - Class 2 (Einstein Class) pupils can be collected from Class 2’s external door.
3:30pm - Class 3 (Teresa Class) and 4 (Obama Class) pupils can be collected from the door by the circle.
What happens if my child travels on the bus?
The children will be collected from and accompanied to the bus by a member of staff.
What will the classrooms be like?
The requirement to sit in rows has been relaxed, so the class teachers will have the freedom to organise the classrooms in different ways. Obama Class will resume learning in Classroom 4 so that the hall can be used for communal purposes.
What will happen at lunch time?
We will be using the hall for lunches.
Will there be assemblies?
We will be able to have collective worship together again, and will be able to sing together, too! We will continue to have some collective worship sessions as class or key stage worship, as these have worked well. There will be some opportunities for parents to join us for “Sharing Worship”; we will update you on this in September.
What about open afternoons and other community events?
It is important to us to welcome parents and the community back into school. We will have open afternoons each half term so that children can share their projects with parents (and each other). We would like to return to hosting events for the wider community, too. We are also looking forward to sharing celebrations such as Harvest, Christmas and Easter with you.
What happens if my child has COVID symptoms?
Children with symptoms of coronavirus must not attend school, and parents must take them for a PCR test. If the test is positive the child will need to isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms. NHS Test and Trace will decide who else (if anyone) needs to isolate. Please inform the school as soon as possible of any positive test results. We will provide remote learning for children who are at home due to a positive test result, but only if they are well enough to fully engage with the learning.
Volunteers
We will be able to have volunteers in school again. If you have any free time that you could give to support the children in school, we would love to have you. This could be a regular weekly commitment e.g. to read with children or to support learning in the classroom for an afternoon each week, or it could be a one-off e.g. offering to come in and cook with the children as a part of their project work. Perhaps you have expertise in a particular area and you could run a lunchtime, before-school or after-school club e.g. chess, computing, gardening …..
If you think you might be able to help us, or know of someone in the community who could, please get in touch. We need you! (You will need to have a DBS check, but this is free of charge, and Sara Hammond in the office will arrange it.)