Reopening Letter to Parents
RE: School phased reopening for children in Years R, 1 and 6
Dear Parents and Carers of children in Year R, 1 and 6,
I am writing to let you know a little more about our plans to potentially reopen the school after half term.
Let me first be clear, this will only happen if the government have met their five tests to reopen, which we will not know until the evening of 28th May. Even in this instance we will still not open the school unless we can satisfy ourselves that within school we can adequately reduce the risk. I have to make it clear though that it is not possible to eliminate the risk.
Click here for a copy of our risk assessment and we will send out a video to show you what school will look like if you choose to send your child back to Vigo before the summer holidays.
Our plan to reopen has been shared with Hampshire County Council, the relevant teaching unions, staff and governors and I am now attaching it for you to look at, if you wish.
When it is right for us to reopen we will do so in a staggered manner. Currently the timeframe we are working to is that Year R will return on Tuesday 2nd June, Year 1 on Monday 8th June and Year 6 on Wednesday 10th June.
We will be splitting each year group into smaller ‘bubble classes’ of no more than 15 children. Your child will stay with the same children and the same adults, they will also sit at the same seat in class and have their own resources to use.
You may be aware that teachers are all entitled to ½ day PPA time each week. So we do not add adults into your child’s bubble class we will close the school at 1pm on a Friday afternoon to all children, apart from the children of keyworkers who are themselves at work.
It is currently your choice as a parent whether or not you send your child back to school and the current fining system is not in place if you chose not to. What is important though, is that if you do send your child back, you accept that they have returned to school and we will expect them in every day unless they are unwell or having to self-isolate. The government are clear, this is school reopening for Years R, 1 and 6, this is not child care.
Online learning will continue for children who do not return to school.
If your child has medical needs I suggest you consult your child’s doctor for specific advice around what is best for your child.
I will write again on Friday 29th May outlining what happens next. If it is that we reopen then a letter will also follow to let you know which ‘bubble class’ your child is part of and where to drop them off and collect them each day.
We understand that this pandemic has hurt many families. If you have suffered a bereavement during COVID-19 or your child has been impacted more than you think most will have, please do let us know so we can sensitively support them and you at this hard time.
In the meantime, stay safe and stay well.
Yours sincerely
Julie Bray
Headteacher