REOPENING OF HOOK CP SCHOOL
HAVERFORDWEST CLUSTER SCHOOLS
Safety information for Parents and Carers
This information is accurate and based on current guidance as of 19th June 2020, changes may occur as further guidance and directives are received from Welsh Government or the Local Authority

Travel to and from school

• If possible, parents and children should walk or cycle to school.
• Only one adult from each family to bring or collect each child/or children from school please.
• Unfortunately, during this period we will be unable to welcome any parents into school. If you have any queries, please use the existing communication systems.
• We will arrange that siblings will be in school on the same day.

Uniform and equipment

• Children are not required to wear uniform.
• Please send children to school in clean clothing EVERY DAY. Hygiene is key!
• As we will be outdoors regularly a coat will be required in inclement weather.
• Children will not bring anything else from home as everything will be provided – i.e. no school bags or stationery. The only exceptions are a coat, water bottle and lunch box. However, we would encourage you to have school dinners.
• In sunny weather apply the once-a-day sun-cream to your child prior to dropping them off and ensure they have a hat.
• We request that children do not wear face masks or coverings whilst in school. If masks are worn for the journey to school, we politely request that parents keep the mask at drop off time and that it is not brought into school with the child.

Essential Key Worker Drop off and Pick up

• Children accessing Key Worker provision will arrive at school between 8:00am and 8:30am.
• No access will be permitted through the gates at the front of the school building. Please use the car park at the rear of the school building and join a socially distanced queue. Staff will be on duty to welcome children into the school. Leave your child with the member of school staff and leave as quickly as possible. Do not wait for any length of time at the rear entrance to the school.
• No pupils will be allowed into the Hub between 8.30am-9.30am and no collection should happen between 2.30 – 3.30pm
• If you need to collect your child early or if on the rare occasion, you find that you are going to be late, please telephone school and arrangements will be made for safe collection.
• Parents who come to collect children, should observe the WG’s social distancing guidelines (similar to supermarket queuing).
Teaching Pod Drop off and Pick up from Monday 29th June

• We request that children arrive and are collected at the time specified to you under separate communication. Make every effort to be punctual when dropping off and collecting your child, as late arrivals will impact upon safety measures in place.
• No access will be permitted through the gates at the front of the school building. Please use the car park at the rear of the school building and join a socially distanced queue. Staff will be on duty to welcome children into the school. Leave your child with the member of school staff and leave as quickly as possible. Do not wait for any length of time at the rear entrance to the school.
• If you need to collect your child early or if on the rare occasion, you find that you are going to be late, please telephone school and arrangements will be made for safe collection.

GENERAL Drop off and Pick up guidance

• If you need to collect your child early you will need to phone the office and we will arrange for your child to meet you.
• We request that children arrive and are collected at the times stated.
• Parents who come to drop off or collect children, please observe WG’s social distancing guidelines, particularly when bringing/collecting foundation phase children (similar to supermarket queuing!) The use of the car park will allow families to wait in their cars and access the rear gate entrance when it is safe to do so.
• All siblings to arrive at school at the same time.
Hygiene and cleanliness

• Children will wash their hands on entry to the school and will be reminded to wash their hands frequently during the day.
• Tissues will be available.
• Classrooms, toilets and doors will be cleaned regularly, throughout the day.
• Classroom doors and windows will be kept open to aid ventilation.
• Visual reminders, such as posters, songs and videos, will be used too, to reinforce the hand washing message and method.

Pods

• Children have been divided into pods, with each group always being with a class teacher.
• The pod structure will help to reduce the number of people children and staff have contact with each day.
• Children will have the opportunity to complete some home learning tasks in school.
• Parents, who have indicated that they wish to return their child/children to school will be informed via email.
• Please note nursery (early years) pupils are not returning to school just yet. Reception year group are pupils age 5 or turning 5 this term, all other pupils are classed as nursery.

Lunch Time

• Having a school lunch is strongly recommended (so that no additional items have to come back and forth to school/home).
• Dietary requirements will be met as usual. The cost of a school lunch is £2.45 for Foundation Phase and £2.55 for KS2. Please see the PCC website regarding how to pay.
• The lunch choice will be reduced, due to the kitchen operating with less staffing.
• Lunch boxes are although not a directive are discouraged. If pupils do bring a lunch box, they will have to store it under their desk (the fridges will not be used). All uneaten food and rubbish will be placed back in the lunchbox to take back home.
• Children will eat lunch in their pods.

Social Distancing – In the Classroom

• To ensure that social distancing is maintained; there will be tables and equipment for children only in the pod.
• The pod of staff and children will not have contact with other people throughout the day.
• Children will be allocated their own table and chair within the class.
• They will not share any equipment or resources with other children.
• Children will only move from their table when asked by their named adult.
• Lining-up times will also be carefully managed to maintain social distancing.
• Children will remain in their allocated space for the day; only leaving for breaks and physical activity, with their own small group of children.
• Everyone is expected to adhere to the social distancing practices at all times.

Using outside areas

• We are keen that the children have regular time outdoors, with their small pod. This is good for their physical and mental wellbeing at this time.
• There will be regular and timetabled outdoor time both as part of their daily routine and also for break and lunchtimes.
• When outdoors, children will only mix with children from their own pod, maintaining social distancing.
• This means they will not have contact with children from other classroom pods during outdoor times.
• Children will wash their hands prior to going outside and on entry back into the classroom.
• They will be reminded of the importance of social distancing whilst outdoors too.
• Each pod will be allocated their own resources and these will cleaned between use.

Use of toilets

• Each pod will use the toilets within their area.
• Children will wash hands before using the toilet.
• They will wash hands after use of the toilet.
• Children will use 2m distancing when waiting to use the toilet.
• Younger children will need to be as independent as possible.
First Aid

• First aiders will be available to be called upon.
• If children feel unwell, they must let an adult know.
• The adult will follow the appropriate protocol to isolate the student in order to reduce risk to others.
• A separate medical room (Rainbow Room) has been designated and equipped in the event of a member of the school falling ill.
• Children falling ill during the school day will need to be collected by a parent immediately.

Attendance

• Parents wishing their child to attend Essential Key Worker childcare provision will have used the PCC Booking System. If children can be cared for at home safely, then this should continue to be the case, as the school is unable to have greater than 30% of its capacity on site (WG Guidance).
• Children who are shielding or live with someone who is shielding, should not be required to attend school. They will continue to follow the Home 2 School Learning practices.
• Children who are in or live with someone who is in a vulnerable group may attend school, but must maintain strict social distancing.
• No parent will be pressured to return their child to school and no fines will be issued for non-attendance (PCC and WG Directive).(Mrs Hayes may ring to confirm absence following our usual procedures).
• Please do not send your child to school on any days other than the ones they have allocated to attend.
• To help protect the health and safety of all members of the school; any child who is unable to follow guidelines and instructions may be asked to stay at home during this time.
Covid19 Symptoms

• Children must not attend school if they have displayed any symptoms in the last 14 days.
• If children have any of the following symptoms they must stay at home and you should contact school to let us know:
o Cough
o Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
o Fever or chills
o Muscle pain
o Sore throat
o New loss of taste or smell
• If your child is displaying Covid symptoms, please keep them at home for seven days, whilst the rest of the household self-isolates for 14 days.
• It is parents’ responsibility to seek a test as quickly as possible.
• If a positive case is confirmed, then the whole of the classroom pod including adults, will need to self-isolate for 14 days. – this differs from the message in the LA operational guidance
• If a test proves negative, school will need proof of this result before the child returns to school.
• If there appears to be a significant outbreak of the virus within school, then the school will likely close again and deep cleaning will follow.
***Please do not send any child to school who is at all unwell. ***

Behaviour

• The normal school policy on behaviour will apply when the school reopens.
• Additionally, we will be operating a pandemic behaviour policy. This will follow the rules as set out in Welsh Government Policy on social distancing during the pandemic.
• Pupils who consistently break these rules or fail to follow health and safety procedures and instructions, putting themselves and others at risk, may be asked to stay at home.
Home 2 School Learning
PLEASE RETURN HOME 2 SCHOOL FOLDERS FROM MONDAY 22ND JUNE FOR TEACHERS TO SEE WORK COMPLETED. RETURNS BOXES WILL BE POSITIONED OUTSIDE THE REAR ENTRANCE FOR COLLECTION AND MADE AVAILABLE AGAIN ONCE TEACHERS HAVE GIVEN FEEDBACK, FOR CHILDREN TO CONTINUE TO USE.

• Mrs Evans will also be available to support distance learning queries from children and parents evansp65@hwbcymru.net as we continue to develop our approaches to support distance learning.
• It is important that Home 2 School Learning continues for all groups of learners, in the way it has been during the lockdown period.
• Teachers will continue to set work, for home-learning, and children will be given the opportunity to complete some of this at school.
• Work will focus on consolidating, reinforcing and reviewing key knowledge and skills, in order to ensure that this learning is not lost.
• Work will also continue to prioritise pupil emotional wellbeing.
• We are always happy to be given constructive feedback regarding home-learning, from parents and carers.
• As teachers are now teaching in class more frequently, responses to home learning queries may not be as frequent. Please be patient as they will respond.

Safeguarding

• If you have any safeguarding concerns please contact the school on 01437 890343 or email Headteacher, Ms L John at headteacher.hook@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
• If you fail to contact either of these please contact the Child Care Assessment Team on 01437 776444, out of hours 0300 3332222 for advice.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I’m a parent / guardian who is shielding. Do I send my child / children back to school at the end of June?
If you are a shielding parent or guardian, there is no expectation to send your child / children back to school at the end of June. Parents won’t be fined for keeping their child / children at home. These children will continue to be supported by their schools in different ways.
My child is shielding. Will they have to return to school at the end of June?
If your child is shielding they should not return to school at the end of June or use the opportunity of these check-in sessions. Shielded children will continue to be supported by their schools in different ways.
Will parents be fined if they do not send their child to school?
During this time parents won’t be fined for keeping their child / children at home. These children will continue to be supported by their schools in different ways.
What date is the October half-term break?
We are working to determine the date for the additional week on the October half-term break and will ensure it is communicated as soon as possible.
What is the cleaning regime at Hook School?
As with the need to maintain good personal hygiene to hamper the spread of the virus, the importance of cleanliness and appropriate cleaning regimes in school settings cannot be over emphasised.

In line with the guidance we will adhere to the following principles wherever possible:
o Staff will wipe any personal items e.g. mobile phones, tablets, reading glasses, pens etc. with disinfectant/alcohol wipes.
o Where possible, classroom doors will be propped open so as to prevent the touching of door-handles, and windows opened to allow a free-flow of air through the building; however, these measures will only be implemented if they do not compromise Safeguarding and Fire Safety arrangements.
o Before entering a classroom, all pupils and members of staff will thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water.
o Classroom furniture will be kept to a minimum and that other items of equipment remaining in the classroom are easy to clean/disinfect.
o High use surfaces will be cleaned and wiped down every 2 hours.
o Pupils, and staff, should have ownership of their stationery and not share with others.
o The staff will remove soft furnishings, soft toys and toys that are hard to clean.
o All toys/equipment will be cleaned after each use/end of play session before placing back into storage.

Will online learning continue for our children when schools reopen?
When schools reopen, teachers will be back in school to ‘check in and catch up’ with classes in small groups (pods) of children (no more than 8 at any one time). On the days when your children are back in school they will receive support for their health and wellbeing and learning. When they are at home on the other days, they will continue to complete home learning activities, which will be accessed via j2e for foundation phase and Google Classroom for juniors. (Mrs Evans will be also supporting Home 2 School Learning evansp65@hwbcymru.net).
There will be a blended learning approach meaning that teachers will provide online learning work for children who are unable to come to school as they have been medically advised to shield and children who are not returning to school yet as parents don’t feel the time is quite right.
That said, please bear in mind that teachers are no longer home focussing solely on providing distance learning every day but instead are back in school full-time. They will do their best to continue providing work but this is likely to look different from the online learning your children have received to date.
Children who are attending the childcare Hub for key workers and vulnerable children will continue to receive childcare and not a formally structured day.
Will siblings or children’s friendships groups be in at the same time?
We are unable to guarantee that siblings or particular friendship groups come to the school at the same time. This was not made a priority by Welsh Government and the Local Authority have made it clear that they do not want schools to try and manage this. The priority is to ensure that all pupils are able to ‘check in’ with their school on a regular basis. We cannot guarantee the groupings will include all friendship groups but we will certainly try to place children with a friend.
Will staff be wearing masks and gloves or other forms of PPE?
There is no direct requirement from Welsh Government for staff to wear PPE, unless dealing with incidents requiring close contact e.g. first aid, assisting with toileting etc. In these instances, the main forms of PPE used would include disposable aprons, gowns and gloves. These will be changed immediately following the care episode or the task undertaken.
Eye/face protection e.g. surgical mask or full face shield/visor will be worn by staff when there is a risk of contamination to the eyes, or inhalation, from splashing of secretions (including respiratory secretions), blood, body fluids and excretions.
Is the school aiming to be back to normal set up after summer holidays?
We await updates from Welsh Government, just like you do. It appears that we get information from the Education Minister at the same time. It is unlikely that school will be entirely back to normal in September, but there will continue to be a phased approach that is continually moving forward.
What about Year 6 transition to secondary schools?
We are working with the secondary schools to ensure that Year 6 transition takes place as we feel that it is very important. However, the secondary schools have their own challenges at the moment, so we will wait to hear what their plans are regarding transition and we will let you know.
We will do all we can to make sure that Year 6 have really positive times in their final weeks at Hook School and will try to make it as special as possible.
Will the children be allowed to have play outside for their wellbeing?
Yes, there will plenty of opportunities for children to play outside. Although break times and lunchtimes will be closely supervised and staggered if necessary.
Are pupils expected to bring their own stationery?
No, they are not. We have been advised that children are to bring as few items from home as possible to reduce possible virus transfer.
Can we decide at a later date for our child to come back during the period of ‘re-opening’?
I would hope that during the period that we are back at school that we will see as many pupils return to school as possible. I understand it is difficult to decide whether to send your child to school without all the facts, plans and guidance. We will endeavour to make sure that any family who wish their child/ren to return at any point during this period has an opportunity to do so.
Is it possible to visit the school to see the safety measure in place before Monday 29th June?

We will be making a video of the school, all classrooms and outdoor areas to share with you beforehand. This is so that you can see how classes are being arranged along with the outdoor space. It will also provide parents with an opportunity to share the video with your children so that you can discuss the changes as a family.

Will there be a breakfast club?

This will be limited to children attending the Hub for Key Worker children.

Will there be an after-school club provision?

This will be limited to children attending the Hub for Key Worker children.

Will there be temperature checks as pupil enters school?
No. Public Health Wales has advised this is not appropriate.

Will online distance learning continue for our children when schools reopen?
When schools reopen teachers will be back in school teaching small groups of children (no more than 8 at any one time). There will be a blended learning approach, meaning that teachers will also provide online distance learning work for children who are unable to come to school as they have been medically advised to shield and children who are not returning to school yet as parents don’t feel the time is quite right. All children are expected to engage with the remote learning the days they are not in school. That said, please bear in mind that teachers are no longer home focussing solely on providing distance learning every day, but instead are back in school. Children who are attending the childcare Hub for key workers and vulnerable children will continue to receive childcare arrangements.

ALL STAFF AND GOVERNORS OF HOOK COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL ARE WORKING TOGETHER
TO ENSURE A HAPPY AND SAFE RETURN FOR ALL.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING PUPILS BACK TO THE SCHOOL FROM MONDAY 29TH JUNE

head.hook@pembrokeshire.gov.uk