17^th July 2020

Dear Parent/Carer,

I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well. We have missed having our whole school community together and we are very much looking forward to seeing you all in the new academic year.

You have been very understanding of the fact that these have been unprecedented times and extremely difficult circumstances for everyone, pupils, parents/carers, as well as staff themselves.

I wanted to take the opportunity to explain a few practical details which will help to ensure a smooth transition back to school life for your child and how it may look under our new and unique circumstances. Please go through these points with your children to make sure that they know what to expect.

• From September, the children will remain, as much as possible, throughout the day, within their own year group, or ‘bubble’ as they are now referred to. They will be taught within their classes and at lunchtimes and break times, they will remain within their own particular year groups only. Obviously, to restrict interactions, year groups will also have separate playtimes and staggered lunchtimes.

• The children, just as they have been doing this summer term, will come into school (at their specific drop off time). It is important that you only arrive at set times and you as adults socially distance outside school gate

• Staff will be positioned at key points on the playground to assist the children.

• We have also tried to enable staggered drop off and collection times to avoid any queuing and enable everyone to social distance. Obviously, flexibility and understanding will be required around these suggested staggered times but so far, this has worked really well and the parents who are now used to this new system have worked with all of us to ensure that this has worked very successfully. Times/ entrance and exit points for each year group are listed as follows:

NB ALL PUPILS ENTER EACH MORNING THROUGH MAIN ENTRANCE, WHEN EXITING AT END OF DAY THERE ARE POINTS AROUND BUILDING WHICH YOU CAN COLLECT PUPILS FROM:

Y6               8.40am         Exit   Class    Fire Exit                                             3pm

Y5               8.45am         Exit leading onto infant playground                  3.05pm

Y4              8.50am         Exit Foyer door  (please do not enter foyer)     3.10pm

Y3              8.55am         Exit Class Fire Exit                                                  3.15pm

Y1              9.00 am         Exit Fire exit Infant playground                           3.20pm

Y2              8.45am         Exit Fire exit Infant playground                           3.25pm

Reception 9.05               Exit Fire exit Infant playground                           3.25pm

Nursery  9.05                  Exit Class Fire exit Infant playground                  3.25pm

Staff will be available during both morning and afternoon collections to direct you. Please remember to respect social distancing rules with staff. Staff will only be there to direct you to pick up points not to answer any queries. You must contact school by phone or email if you have any queries.

• You will bring your child to the entrance gate on the playground for drop off at that point and from there, staff will be positioned to safely guide the children directly into school. I would also ask that parents avoid gathering at or around the school gates. All teachers will be ready for your children at their new start time. Please try to stick to these times as closely as possible. Please also be patient as we are trying to stagger year groups for pick up/ drop offs and this may take a little longer than usual, particularly at the end of the day.

• For parents who are dropping off more than one child, rather than stand around waiting in the morning, all of your children will be allowed to come into school with the earliest drop off of the first child as all teachers will be in waiting to receive the children.

• Please do not allow your child to bring anything into school. All children will be provided with a school meal or a school packed lunch. If they have certain food preferences please let us know in advance.

• There are additional hand sanitising stations and additional hand washing facilities at designated points throughout the school which we encourage the children to use.

• All children will be required to wear clean clothes each day. We understand that this may be difficult for parents so would ask the following:

• School uniform to be worn on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
• Suitable own clothes on a Tuesday and Thursday.
• Suitable footwear each day as children will be completing physical activities during the day

• We have been working extremely hard in the background on our home learning resources and we will continue to update these and upload them to our website. I would encourage you to use them, no matter what you decide for your child, and we will also be focusing on wellbeing, transition and mental health activities.

• The government have been clear that school attendance will be compulsory from September and that fines for non-school attendance will resume again from then.

• Breakfast Club and Extracurricular Clubs will not be available.

• Visits and visitors to school are obviously restricted and for essential purposes only. If you do have an urgent enquiry, please ring/email the school. You will only be permitted to enter the building when collecting your child if he/she becomes unwell

• Road Safety – Please walk to school where possible to avoid traffic congestion and ensure the safety of children around the school gates.

We have followed the new arrangements very successfully so far for the past term as we

re introduced year groups back to school. I cannot praise the parents and carers enough for their full support, understanding and co operation throughout this time. You have all made this so much smoother for your children, as well as staff here at the school.

Again, I would point out that these are very exceptional circumstances which will require flexibility, patience and understanding on the part of both parents and school. As always, I am extremely grateful to you for your continued support and myself and all of the staff of Holy Cross look forward to seeing you again in September.

Yours sincerely,

H.Bannon