Questions & Answers about returning to primary school

UPDATED: Friday 22 May.

Q: Why has the school taken the decision to reopen the school?
A: The government has said it expects schools in England to reopen from 1 June at the earliest for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children. It says it expects schools to encourage their families to attend, although attendance is not compulsory. The government will make the final decision on whether to open schools more widely when it reviews the latest science, including transmission rates, on 28th May.

Q: Will it be safe for children and staff to return?
A: We fully understand that the return to school will cause anxiety among our families. Many of our staff are parents themselves. The government says it currently expects it will be safe for schools to reopen to certain year groups in the first week of June. We are working on a detailed risk assessment in order to be able to open the school as required by the government. In doing this, we are following all national government safety guidelines and recommendations. These have been published by the government on its .Gov website and are freely available to view. We are also talking to other schools in the borough and to the local authority. In order that we adhere to all the available health and safety advice for COVID19, those recommendations include ensuring that classes sizes allow for social distancing, the undertaking of regular cleaning, thinking carefully about how we provide food, how children will enter and exit the school and how parents will drop off and collect their children. All statutory health and safety requirements are constantly monitored in every CHAT school and office to ensure compliance.
 
Q: Which groups will be returning and when?
A:  We are currently aiming to have a phased return to school after staff reopening training on 1st June where we will finalise arrangements to open. Our current plan is that Year 1 will return on 2nd June, then Reception and Year 6 on 8th June. We will have different start and end times for each year group to avoid too many parents congregating at the beginning and end of school. Your school’s headteacher will provide an update with this key information.

Q: Should I keep my child at home if they have an underlying health condition or live with someone in a clinically vulnerable group?

A: This is what the government says - Children and young people who are considered extremely clinically vulnerable and shielding should continue to shield and should not be expected to attend.

Clinically vulnerable (but not clinically extremely vulnerable) people are those considered to be at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus. A minority of children will fall into this category, and parents should follow medical advice if their child is in this category.

Children and young people who live in a household with someone who is extremely clinically vulnerable and shielding should only attend if stringent social distancing can be adhered to and the child or young person is able to understand and follow those instructions.

Children and young people who live with someone who is clinically vulnerable (but not extremely clinically vulnerable) as defined in the social distancing guidance and including those who are pregnant, can attend.

Q: Can children be tested for the virus?

A: The government says - Once settings open to more children and young people, staff and pupils in all settings will be eligible for testing if they become ill with coronavirus symptoms, as will members of their household. This will enable children and young people to get back to childcare or education, and their parents or carers to get back to work, if the test proves to be negative.

A positive test will ensure rapid action to protect their classmates and staff in their setting.

Q: What happens if there is a confirmed case of coronavirus in my child’s school, college or childcare setting?

A: The government says - When a child, young person or staff member develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus, they should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 7 days. Their fellow household members should self-isolate for 14 days. All staff and students who are attending an education or childcare setting will have access to a test if they display symptoms of coronavirus.

Where the child, young person or staff member tests positive, the rest of their class/group within their childcare or education setting should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days. The other household members of that wider class/group do not need to self-isolate unless the child, young person or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms.

As part of the national test and trace programme, if other cases are detected within the child or young person’s cohort or in the wider education or childcare setting, Public Health England’s local Health Protection Teams will conduct a rapid investigation and will advise schools and other settings on the most appropriate action to take. In some cases, a larger number of other children and young people may be asked to self-isolate at home as a precautionary measure - perhaps the whole class, site or year group.

Where settings are observing guidance on infection prevention and control, which will reduce risk of transmission, closure of the whole setting will not generally be necessary.

Q: How should my child travel to and from their childcare, school?

A: The government says - Children, young people and parents are encouraged to walk or cycle where possible and avoid public transport at peak times. The government will shortly publish guidance on how to travel safely, which schools, parents and young people can refer to when planning their travel, particularly if public transport is required.

Home to school transport provided or organised by schools, trusts or local authorities varies widely. Schools, trusts and local authorities should work together and with relevant transport providers to put in place arrangements which fit the local circumstances, including the measures being put in place to reduce contact.

Q: For Cuckoo Hall, Woodpecker Hall and Kingfisher Hall parents only: Why are you not allowing nursery children to return?
A: We have undertaken a risk assessment and do not believe we can put in place adequate social distancing measures at this time. We will keep this under review.

What happens if there is a confirmed case of coronavirus in my child’s school, college or childcare setting?

When a child, young person or staff member develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus, they should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 7 days. Their fellow household members should self-isolate for 14 days. All staff and students who are attending an education or childcare setting will have access to a test if they display symptoms of coronavirus.

Where the child, young person or staff member tests positive, the rest of their class/group within their childcare or education setting should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days. The other household members of that wider class/group do not need to self-isolate unless the child, young person or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms.

As part of the national test and trace programme, if other cases are detected within the child or young person’s cohort or in the wider education or childcare setting, Public Health England’s local Health Protection Teams will conduct a rapid investigation and will advise schools and other settings on the most appropriate action to take. In some cases, a larger number of other children and young people may be asked to self-isolate at home as a precautionary measure - perhaps the whole class, site or year group.

Where settings are observing guidance on infection prevention and control, which will reduce risk of transmission, closure of the whole setting will not generally be necessary.
 
Q: Why have you sent out a survey to parents now about returning to school?
A: We have sent a survey in the same way other schools have and for the same reason. As you will understand, it is critical for us to know how many children will be returning so we can plan in the measures we need and ensure we have enough staff to teach the children, as well as keeping home learning as an option for parents.
 
Q: Can I change my mind and say yes my child will be returning?
A: Yes. Please note that the survey is being used for registration and staffing purposes. Therefore if you change your mind, you will need to let us know by email so we can organise logistics for your child to return on an agreed day. We will need a week’s notice. A second survey will be sent out this week.
 
Q: If I don’t send my child back to school will they receive home learning?
A: Yes. Home learning will continue for all children who do not return to school. We recently undertook our largest ever survey of parents so that we can continue to improve the home learning experience for our families. However, we are in the same position as all schools in that we will need to manage carefully a situation where some of the children return and some do not but both groups will need to continue learning. We are looking at how best we can achieve this.
 
Q: Will I be fined if I do not send my child back to school?

A: No. The government has said parents will not be penalised at this time if they choose to keep children at home. Returning to school is encouraged but not compulsory.
 
Q: I am a key worker and my primary school aged children are not in the priority year groups to return to school, what do I do?
A: Key worker children will continue to have a school hub place at Kingfisher Hall provided for them until the 29th May. Key worker children will go to their regular school from the 1st of June.
 
Q: Why are you having staff training on 1st June?
A: We will be finalising arrangements to reopen the school and ensuring all staff are fully aware of how the school will operate from 2nd June.

Q: Will children have to wear school uniform when they return at the beginning of June?
A: Yes from the 2nd of June children will need to wear school uniform. Key worker children will also need to wear uniform from 1 June when they return to their own school.
 
Q: Will you be sending parents more information about the school reopening?
A: We will keep parents updated with any additional information.