Welcome Back Reception
Dear Parents and Carers,
School will be re-opening for Reception children from Monday 8th June 2020. We are all looking forward to welcoming the children back to school and hope they are feeling excited too.
The children have all been allocated a small group with one adult. Details of these groups will be emailed to you soon. We have tried to keep children within friendship groups but, in some circumstances, they may not be with their closest friends. Unfortunately, the groups cannot now be changed. Please do not send any requests via email. Staff will be available to discuss any problems/queries on your child’s first day at school. Although we have allocated all children to a group, this does not mean you have to send your child back to school, the final decision remains with you as their parent or carer. We now have a list of parents who have already said yes to sending their child back to Trinity. If you replied no to the parent survey but change your mind at any point, please email the school office the day before you intent to send you child in so we know to expect them.
Entry and Exit to Trinity
Each child will be allocated to a group which will have a specific arrival and collection time. We have staggered the arrival and departure times for each of the groups and we will only welcome children into school on strictly controlled staggered times:
One parent only to drop off and pick up and all to adhere to social distancing, with no opportunity to stand and chat. Please walk or cycle to school and avoid using cars. Please ensure all siblings, small children stay close to you and children will only be allowed into school at their allocated time.
On arrival to school, please line up on the main path that leads to the school office. Please follow the one way system in place on the path during arrival and collection. If you wait 2 meters apart along the path, your child’s allocated adult will come to collect them from the side gate. Only children will be allowed to enter school through the side gate. We understand that some children will find it difficult to leave their parents/carers and may get upset. In these circumstances we will do everything we can to comfort and reassure your child. We ask that you leave promptly so that the adults can take the children to their classroom where they will usually settle very quickly.
The adults who will be working in Reception
There may be some new teachers and teaching assistants working in Reception during this time. They are all adults who work at Trinity and they will be following planning and guidance from Miss Chaplin and Mrs Porter. A welcome video from each member of staff will be available on Google Classroom later this week.
Where will we learn?
The Reception children will be in either Miss Chaplin’s room, Mrs Porter’s room or the library. All of the classrooms have been set up in the same way and the children will all have access to the same resources. We will also be making use of our outside areas. Each group will have their own outside space where they will be able to play with some of the resources we usually have in Reception.
The children will use the reception toilets and each group will be allocated their own cubical and sink to use.
What will we do during the day?
Play is a very important part of your child’s year in Reception and we aim to continue with purposeful play activities when the children return to school. Although the classrooms will look a little different, the children will still have free access to resources and be able to choose their own activity.
Carpet Time
The children will have two carpet time sessions each day when the teacher might read a story, hold a circle time, teach maths, literacy or phonics, show the children how to make something, go on a bug hunt etc. During these sessions the children will sit on the carpet and they will be encouraged to socially distance from their peers.
Learning Choices
The children will be able to move around the classroom choosing their own activities. During this time, adults will encourage the children to socially distance. Due to the age of the children, socially distancing by 2m may not always be possible. Interactions with their peers is an important part of development in the EYFS therefore they may be times when the children are engaged in a game together. Examples of some of the activities we might have out are: Stickle Bricks, Duplo, plastic dinosaurs, paper, pens, paint, tissue paper.
Outside Play
We will be spending a lot of the day playing outside and each group will have an allocated area to play in outside. The children will not be able to use the climbing frame. Examples of activities are: bikes, scooters, footballs, painting with water on the ground, big building blocks.
Small Group or 1:1 Activities
Adults will sometimes work with the children 1:1 or in a small group. During these activities, adults will socially distance from the children.
Lunch Time
All children in Reception will be provided with a school packed lunch unless you decide to send in a packed lunch. If you choose to send in a packed lunch, this needs to be in a disposable bag so all contents can be put in the bin afterwards (no lunch boxes). Children will eat their lunch in their classroom or in allocated areas on the school field. During these periods in the day, we have found social distancing most difficult as children will be children. Staff do constantly remind the children to keep 2 metres apart from each other.
All groups will have staggered play times and they will not be allowed to play with or mix with other children from different groups.
The outdoor equipment will be out of bounds to prevent contamination and the spread of the virus. Any play equipment used by children will be cleaned down daily.
Safety at School
Groups
In the EYFS our maximum group size is 8. The children will remain in these groups throughout the day. The children will have no contact with adults or children from other groups. However, we cannot guarantee they will socially distance due to their age and development.
Hand washing
The children will be asked to wash their hands regularly during the school day. All children will be expected to wash their hands when they arrive at school, after outside play and before lunch. We understand that some children’s hands can become sensitive during regular washing and we will encourage them to dry their hands carefully to try to avoid this. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any hand soaps or creams from home.
Toilets
Each group will be allocated a toilet to use. Toileting will be in a strict ‘one in, one out.’ Toilets and wash basins will be cleaned daily.
If a child has a toileting accident, we will encourage them to change independently. If this is not possible, we will phone their parents to come in to change them. If a child has soiled themselves, they will need to return home to be cleaned. We ask that parents collect their child promptly in these circumstances.
Cleaning
All surfaces in the classroom will be regularly cleaned. Toilets and classrooms will be cleaned daily.
Open doors and windows
Doors and windows in the classrooms will be left open throughout the day to allow air to flow through the building.
Illness
Please do not send your child into school if they are ill or have a cough, high temperature, as per the NHS and Public Health England guidelines.
If a child falls ill at school, or has a cough/high temperature/feels unwell, they will be isolated in a separate room whilst staff contact families. We would expect them to be collected immediately. Staff will wear PPE equipment when dealing with ill children or any first aid/toileting accidents/intimate care requirements.
In line with NHS guidelines, the child will then need to self-isolate for a period of 14 days, or until tested negative. If a child or adults tests positive for COVID-19, then the whole teaching group must be sent home and all children/adults must self-isolate for 14 days.
Please do let the school know if your child/or anyone in the family has tested positive for COVID-19.
What do we need to bring to school?
· Your child should be wearing weather appropriate clothing (they do not need to wear their school uniform). Please ensure that your child can take their clothes on and off independently when going to the toilet.
· Please remember sun cream and a sun hat on hot days and a raincoat if it is raining. Please do not send any sun cream bottles into school.
· A water bottle
· Your child should not bring their book bag or a rucksack into school and they do not need PE kit or Forest School kit.
· Please do not send in any ‘show and tell’ from home.
· Packed lunch if you are choosing this rather than a school packed lunch.
· Unfortunately, we cannot use junk modelling at moment so please save this to use at home.
Which group will my child be in?
The group that your child is in will be emailed to you shortly. Please do not email about changing groups, we will be happy to talk to you on your child’s first day back. We have tried to put all children in a group with their friends.
What will the classrooms look like?
The classrooms still look similar to before school closure. All soft furnishings have been removed and many of the toys have been put into smaller boxes so we can clean them regularly. Your child may not be in their usual classroom, they could be in Mrs Porter’s, Miss Chaplin’s or the library. All classrooms now have the same resources so all children have the same play opportunities.
Each class has an ‘outside box’ which is only for that group to use.
Each group has one toilet and one tap to use. These are colour coded so the children know which one to use. The orange and pink signs show the children which toilet to use.
We look forward to welcoming you back to school soon.
Many thanks,
Miss Chaplin