FAQ

Welcoming students back on March 8th

We are looking forward to welcoming all students back on March 8th. Below is some information that we hope may answer any questions you have.

Transport

Young people will not be in the bubbles that they are in school.  Escorts will wear PPE. The guidelines for social distancing are different on school dedicated transport.  We advise where possible, your child wears a mask on transport.

Arrival and leaving school

All students must arrive into the bus park and remain in their vehicle until asked to get off. We understand that escorts and drivers will wear masks while transporting students.  We will be staggering the start times for arrivals and leaving school to try to manage the traffic flow, however we anticipate that this may be tricky so please be patient with us.  Please remain in your vehicles with your child until they are asked to get out.

Dropping off – Gates open at 8.25 and close at 8.35

The second round will be approximately 8.45 and final at 8.55

Parents picking up - Gates open at 2.20 and close at 2.35

The second round will be at approximately 2.45 and final at 2.55

Late arrivals If you arrive later than 9.30, as a result of an appointment, or because of an adjusted timetable you will need to bring your child to reception and wait with them. There are no chairs in reception and you will need to use hand sanitiser and you MUST wear a mask on entry to the building.

Contact details

It is essential that we have up to date contact details and that we are able to contact you during the day in case your child should get ill or need to go home as a result of a bubble closure

Belongings

Please do not allow your child to bring things in from home other than their home school diary, coat and packed lunch. If they need a bag for any reason, then there should be minimal items in this.  Medication and hygiene products should be sent in as usual.

Uniform

We are happy for students to wear uniform if this helps them differentiate between school and home, however we are also happy for them not to.  The most important thing is that where possible students have clean clothes on each day.

Bubbles

Students will be met by a member of their class team and taken to their classroom. This will be their ‘bubble’. They will spend all their time during the day with this bubble. This will allow them to work with a consistent group of adults and peers and reduce the risk of the spread of any illness.

What happens if someone develops symptoms of Covid-19 in school?

If someone develops symptoms of Covid-19 during the school day we will ring you up and ask you to come and collect your child immediately.  While they are waiting for pick up, they will be kept in an isolated room or outside with a member of staff in full PPE (face mask, disposable gloves and apron).  We will ask your child and the rest of the family to be tested.

What happens if someone in the bubble has a positive test for Covid-19?

The bubble will be shut down for 10 days and everyone in the bubble will be asked to self-isolate.  The rest of the school will be kept open.  We will contact Public Health England for further advice and keep you up to date.

What happens if my child or someone in my family develops Covid-19?

You MUST inform school as soon as possible. You should keep your child at home for 10 days and they should self-isolate. If they develop symptoms they will need to go for a test, and we need you to inform school of the result.

What will happen if my child’s bubble closes?

We will send activities for your child to do while they are off school. The teacher will have daily contact with your child through the Evidence for Learning app and it is therefore essential that you download this.  We will expect you to put evidence onto the app as well so that we know what you are doing at home.

General illness

If your child is ill with anything other than Covid-19, you need to keep your child off school until they are well.  You MUST contact the school before 10am and inform them of the reason for non-attendance, to comply with safeguarding procedures.  If your child becomes ill in school we will contact you and ask you to collect them, as usual.

Medications

Please send in medications and make sure these are in date as usual.  If there are any changes to medication, please ensure that you inform Julie or Kim in the care team as soon as possible.

Lunches

Lunch will be eaten in the classroom so that bubbles do not mix. Students can bring a packed lunch in from home if they choose.  Those eligible for free school meals will have a choice of options. If your child usually has a school meal and pays for it, they can continue to do so

Paying for lunches

We will not be accepting any cash payments. Dinners must be paid for via parent pay. If you have any concerns about this, please do not hesitate to contact school. In circumstances where there is a balance that has not been paid for a week, we will ask your child to bring in packed lunches until the balance is paid and in credit.

Shared rooms

We will be minimising the use of shared rooms.  We hope to be able to use rebound, swimming and the sensory integration equipment for those who most need it.  If a shared space has been used it will be thoroughly cleaned between uses or left for 48 hours before the next use.  We will not be using the cooking room, apartment, art or science rooms for the immediate future.  The hall will be used for PE but each class will have their own PE equipment.

Equipment

Equipment will not be shared between bubbles. Where resources are shared between students, they will be cleaned regularly e.g. sensory resources, cooking, art and sport equipment and shared games. Where appropriate, students will have their own equipment e.g. pens and pencils, bowls and cups.

Community visits

At present, while the ‘stay at home’ message remains in place, we will not be doing community access. However, we hope to be able to access our local community again very shortly. 

Trained staff

Our staff still have all the training that is needed for them to take the best care of your child.  For the additional training that is needed and any that has run out, this will be completed on the first three training days at the start of term.

Therapists

We will be welcoming our therapists into the building so that they can support our young people to have all their needs met.  We will try to keep contact to a minimum and where possible therapists will not work in across different bubbles unless they are able to maintain a 2m distance where possible, or wear PPE.

Outdoors

Each class has at least an hour allocated to them to be outside each day.  Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing to be able to go outside irrespective of the weather.  We will not be able to supply individuals with spare coats etc.

Contacting school

Home school diaries and the Evidence for Learning app will be used to keep in contact with school.  If you need to speak to someone in school, please do this via phone or e-mail.