Update from Mr Yates - 06.06.2020
For the attention of Y10 and Y10 parents. Please see below Mr Yates' letter regarding Y10 and Y12 students returning to school, followed by further information.
Dear Parent/Carer
As a parent of a Y10 or Y12 student, you will have listened with interest to the government announcement during the half term break about a partial return to school for Y10 & Y12. Before the holidays, I wrote and explained that I did not anticipate a return before the 15th June and, as it turned out, the government then targeted a return on a similar date.
We have been asked to bring up to 25% of Y10 and 25% of Y12 in to school. We have also been issued with numerous restrictions, for example: they must work within a bubble of students that should not change; they should arrive with staggered starts and leave with staggered finishes; we must make sure we are mindful of the load on the transport network and avoid rush hours and finally, we must never have more than 25% of each year group in school at any time. We must also make sure that the school site is carefully managed to keep everyone as safe as possible. Not all our staff are able to work on site under the current restrictions and this adds some additional limitations.
Staff right across the school have been involved in discussions about how we can safely open and after careful consideration of the risk assessment work and associated safety protocols, school leaders and governors have decided we can safely open to additional students from the 15th June.
This is a long letter as I feel it is really important at this time to explain, as clearly as I can, the likely format that the return will take and the ways we will share our plan for the management of any return of students to school, so you can make an informed decision about your children and family. I would like to encourage every child in Y10 & Y12 to participate in the planned return to school and I am confident we have done everything possible to ensure a safe return can happen. I do understand how big this decision is for you as a family and currently, if your child does not return, non-attendance would be recorded but not pursued. However, as I have said, I believe we have planned for the safest possible return for Y10 & Y12 and that, although what we can offer is limited, it will be worthwhile and beneficial for your child to attend. Attached to the end of this letter are several key guidance documents for students on learning in contact sessions, student health, guidance for students on returning to school and amendments related to our behaviour policy and Covid-19.
We have worked extremely hard to assess the capacity of the building and site, the staffing available and the enhanced hygiene and cleaning routines needed for you to feel confident as a family that it is as safe as possible for your child to return. I have attached to this email several documents for parents and students to help you understand the depth and care we have taken with the site and our safety protocols for looking after everyone involved. I hope that this helps you feel confident in the work we have been doing and from Monday 8th June, You can also access the full risk assessment documentation on our website by following this link; http://www.buxton.derbyshire.sch.uk/page/?title=Risk+Assessments&pid=252 (although I must warn you it runs to over 80 pages).
We have designed a part time system that provides; a. a care element for each child, b. allows every Y10 and every Y12 student access to school on a weekly basis for a contact session c. between June 15th and the end of term, provides a face to face contact with a subject specialist teacher in every subject they study. However, this must happen within the limitations I have outlines above and with the safety of students, their families & staff as the overriding priority.
Each student will be allocated a day to attend school as part of a 25% cohort. The group will then arrive at staggered times throughout the morning for the reasons explained above. They will work in school for around 1hr 45 with a subject specialist before leaving the site. They would then return in a week’s time as part of the same 25% bubble of students.
Week beginning 15th June.
We have scheduled the week of 15th June as a reintegration and orientation week for students. Each child will be invited into school where we can check how working from home has gone, take care of any pastoral issues that might have arisen and support them with training for future sessions in school and the enhanced hygiene routines we want them to follow. These reintegration sessions will last around an hour. Y12 will begin academic sessions thisweek, however, their sessions will be extended this week to provide pastoral and care support too.
Week beginning 22nd June.
Academic mentoring sessions of around 1hr 45 would then follow in Y10 & Y12 weekly in each option subject. Between re-opening and the summer, each student would receive one contact session with a subject specialist in each subject they study to unpick any issues and help them with the remote learning to come. It may help to think of each day as a ‘mini school’. If you are part of the Monday school, you would come into school on Monday 15th, 22nd, 29th etc through to the end of term for a work session of around 1hr 45min. The time you arrive each time may change as it is linked to the option subjects each student studies, but the student would remain within the same 25% bubble each time they come into school. Class sizes will never exceed 15, even if every student should attend, and they are often going to be much smaller. Please be aware that we cannot change allocated days or times of sessions. Each student will be allocated to a day by their LEGAL SURNAME and must remain on that
day each week and they can only attend the nominated sessions for their option subject on that day. This is to support the safety mechanisms that have been put in place. Further detail will be released next week with schedules and timings for families. There are robust safety measures in school and mechanisms that ensure should a student or member of staff become unwell with Covid-19, we can quickly contact those who have been in
contact and ensure they go into isolation for the recommended period. The school has put in place a single manned and controlled entrance to school, sanitiser stations at key locations, a one way system around the building, a suite of deep cleaned classrooms with socially distanced desk spaces, provision of stationary and water to avoid contact risks, enhanced cleaning routines for students and staff and numerous other mechanisms to ensure those who access school will be as safe as possible. Students will be met by staff who will be pleased to see them and able to reassure them over any concerns they may have about returning. I have previously explained, because the provision will be part time, it will be very different from conventional teaching and is designed to stabilise learning. We want to reassure students about the work they have done remotely and support them further in the next stage of remote working that these sessions are designed to support. I appreciate this is very different from what students are used to, but I can promise we are very much looking forward to having them back, even if it is for a limited time. We will continue to support them with remote learning in addition to the work they receive through school.
We will need to ask for real commitment from your child to follow all the guidance and safety protocols that are in place for their wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. You will see from the attached guidance we have very clear expectations on what we will need from every student. We
have also amended our behaviour policy for the period of return to reflect concerns around COVID-19.
I would also emphasise just how hard we are working to ensure that school is as safe as possible for everyone; in return, I would ask that you reinforce with your child that they must act responsibly outside of school and respect what is being asked of them in terms of social distancing to avoid undoing all the hard work of the school to keep them safe.
We are already thinking about the next school year and planning for the changes we will need to make to prepare your child as fully as possible for the exams they are likely to face in summer 2021. We are still awaiting guidance from the government on what changes might be made to reflect the challenges they have had to face this year, but I will keep you informed as information emerges.
I have asked before what your intention was regarding a return to school for your child. Your thoughts were very helpful but many of you indicated you needed more time and information to decide. I hope that between this letter and the additional guidance below, you feel better equipped to come to a final choice. It would be very helpful if you could let us know your final decision by completing the form below for the correct year group by 10.00am Tue 9th June. Please note, if you child does not attend school during the week 15th June, they will not be able to attend the academic sessions until they have attended an orientation session. They must not attend an academic session until they have attended an orientation and care session. We will offer catch up orientation sessions periodically throughout the remaining weeks of term to allow those who do not return during the week 15th June to return to school at a later date.
Y10 Survey Link - complete the form below for the correct year group by 10.00am Tue 9th June
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=nCnxVVhfOkuiO1Bau4fh7mqOxh6IPThKmXMkYxe57oVUNzRXNUtWSVNCMzJaOEg1WExGSFBJRTdYUy4u
Y12 link - complete the form below for the correct year group by 10.00am Tue 9th June
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=nCnxVVhfOkuiO1Bau4fh7mqOxh6IPThKmXMkYxe57oVUQzlDRFhTUkJZRk5FWVJBREFTVEcwRE80SC4u
As I mentioned earlier, I will write with further information on keeping safe and with specific times and days of sessions once final decisions by families have been made.
I am really looking forward to seeing students back in school again; it might be for less time and in smaller numbers than we would really like, but nonetheless, we can’t wait to see them back.
Yours sincerely
Craig Yates Judy Vale
Headteacher Chair of Governors
‘Stabilising Learning’
Teaching and learning guidance in preparation for the partial reopening of school to Year 10 and Year 12 students
Note to parents/carers - this document has been produced to provide guidance for our staff on research-informed, best practice for teaching and learning within the context of the resumption of some form of ‘face-to-face contact’ for Year 10 and Year 12 in-line with national Department for Education (DfE) expectations. We have used the phrase ‘Stabilising Learning’ to encapsulate our intention to focus on the key things that we can realistically do as teachers to help students to progress in their learning during this challenging period in their school life.
Despite our best efforts, gaps in learning will have developed during this period of distance learning due to the limits of remote teaching, the varying independent study skills of students and the extenuating circumstances surrounding our disadvantaged and vulnerable students.
Therefore, how can we best address these gaps when students return to school for some form of face-to-face teaching? Furthermore, how can we maximise the effectiveness of our remote teaching strategies for those currently unable or unlikely to return in the immediate future?
There are lots of unknowns and things that we can’t control now. What we can do is focus on what we know and what we can control.
What we know
• From the 15th June, Y10 and Y12 students will return to school, part way through their GCSE, BTEC and A Level courses.
• Not all students will be at the same stage with completion of work through the remote learning platforms. We are unable to pick up and address misconceptions through our usual classroom teaching strategies remotely and we will need to take this in to account when we meet with students.
• All our students will feel like they have lost time in learning – some will be worried and anxious even though they may not demonstrate this openly. Those with SEND will have had additional barriers to overcome.
• The lack of routine will have negatively affected our students. Humans are hardwired to get into routines using the “habit loop” (Charles Duhigg, 2012). We will need to think carefully about how we reintroduce these key routines and re-form these habits when students return to school.
• Certain students will find the readjustment to classroom teaching very difficult. This is partly because we are not currently able to effectively identify those small successes in class and target praise accordingly as part of the everyday dialogue of teaching and our usual strategies to build positive relationships.
What we can do
• Be realistic in our expectations – for several students the anxiety of returning to school and having to readjust to new school protocols will be an unsettling experience. We all want to teach and for the students to learn but this can only happen if their well-being and mental health is addressed first.
• Keep it simple – ask the question ‘what do my students need in order to be ready for the next year of their education?’ and use this to frame all planning. What do they need in terms of key knowledge and skills? What are the essentials? What can we postpone until a later date?
• Prepare for their return by trying to look for gaps in learning now prior to when the students arrive. Use tools such as Microsoft Forms to create low-stakes assessments to analyse gaps and then plan your lessons to tackle these gaps.
• Prioritise consolidation of knowledge over learning new content. When students return, use the opportunity of face-to-face contact to again diagnose and address misconceptions about the work you have set remotely through further low-stakes assessments and retrieval practice.
• Delay high-stakes assessments until well into the next academic year – these will only increase anxiety and will be unlikely to give you the assessment information you need in the short term.
• Teach/re-teach the basics – key content, key themes, keywords etc. Use of knowledge organisers will help with this. This is not the time for lots of exam-specific skills and preparation, but a chance to look back on how much they have already learned and what they now need to know.
• Use scaffolding, modelling and worked examples of good work when possible. This will always be more effective when done through face-to-face teaching rather than remotely.
• Consider any additional learning needs, particularly where students have a SSP in place. Support reading and access to texts through glossaries, summaries, retrieval activities, text marking etc. In
lessons we would usually read the text aloud to the class, however some students may not have access to the same support at home.
• Be explicit on metacognition strategies when students are in front of you to prevent ineffective remote studying. e.g. the importance of generating a mind-map from memory rather than copying information across to support long-term retention of knowledge.
• Use some time to encourage Y10 and Y12 to re-identify a sense of purpose in what they are doing by having their long-term goals in sight. As one teacher recently put it, ‘How can you write the narrative of your students’ success?’ (Caroline Spalding, researchEd presentation, March 2020)
• Remind students of the importance of routine and give examples to illustrate best practice.
• Be relentlessly positive about your students’ potential. Focus on a message of all students achieving their personal best and being there to support them whatever happens in the future.
• Maintain effective social distancing by not visiting students at their desks and vice-versa. Similarly, do not make written comments on any work they produce in class. Feedback should continue to be provided only in electronic format via Class Charts to ensure that exercise books / worksheets are merely for working through plans and ideas. The quality of this feedback is therefore crucial to support students’ progress whilst they are working remotely.
Remote teaching and learning - next steps
What we know
• We will not see KS3 students until September at the earliest.
• Y10 and Y12 will only be in school for a small period of the time and will still be expected to complete most of their work at home.
• Not all Y10 and Y12 students will return when we partially reopen for a variety of reasons.
Consequently, given that some form of distance learning will continue for all students for the foreseeable future, it’s important that we continue to adapt our remote teaching strategies and explore new avenues to ensure this process is as effective as possible.
What else we can do
• Increase ‘interactivity’
One of the reasons we have advocated using pre-recorded Loom videos and tools such as Microsoft Forms is that it generates a sense of ‘interactivity’ which feels more like ‘teaching’ as the students understand it rather than just seeing online learning as a work delivery tool. We want students at home to feel like they are still connected to our school even though they can’t be with us at the moment. There are also numerous apps and online learning platforms that can be used to engage students working remotely.
• Improve the quality of feedback we give to students remotely
It is important that we provide some form of diagnostic, formative feedback when appropriate to help close gaps in understanding and move the learning forward. This does not mean you always have to comment on each student’s piece of work or give individual, bespoke feedback. Research has shown that whole-class feedback is a powerful tool for learning. Think about recording a short Loom video in response to work you received via Class Charts or perhaps based on the results of a Microsoft Forms quiz, paying particular attention to the really challenging questions that students got wrong and modelling the correct approach to use. This is a great way of taking whole-class feedback online and will be really appreciated by our students.
And finally… there is a lot we still don’t know, new information will emerge, we can’t control everything. Just focus on teaching your subject the best you can remotely or when they are in front of you.
Document 5 - Member of School Community becomes unwell
Students or staff who become unwell during the school day with coronavirus (COVID-19 ) symptoms – information taken from current government guidance
The designated isolation room is B3 and the disabled toilet will be allocated.
Both areas will be deep cleaned after use.
Symptoms
The most important symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of any of the following:
• a new continuous cough
• a high temperature
• a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness. Children are likely to become infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) at roughly the same rate as adults, but the infection is usually mild.
If anyone has any of the symptoms above they should self-isolate at home. Do not attend school under any circumstances if you have the above symptoms.
What you need to know
• staff, young people and children should stay at home if they develop coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms to avoid spreading infection to others. Otherwise, those who are eligible or required to attend should attend education or work as normal
• if staff, young people or children develop coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms while at school they must be sent home
• clean and disinfect regularly touched objects and surfaces more often than usual using standard cleaning products
• supervise young children to ensure they wash their hands more often than usual. They should do so thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water and soap and dry them thoroughly or use alcohol hand rub or sanitiser ensuring that all parts of the hands are covered.
What to do it someone develops symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) whilst at an educational setting
If anyone develops coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms in an education setting they must be sent home and advised to follow the staying at home guidance.
If a child is awaiting collection, they should be moved, if possible, to a room where they can be isolated behind a closed door, depending on the age of the child and with appropriate adult supervision if required. Ideally, a window should be opened for ventilation. If it is not possible to isolate them, move them to an area which is at least 2 metres away from other people.
If they need to go to the bathroom while waiting to be collected, they should use a separate bathroom if possible. The bathroom should be cleaned and disinfected using standard cleaning products before being used by anyone else.
PPE should be worn by staff caring for the child while they await collection if a distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained (such as for a very young child or a child with complex needs).
In an emergency, call 999 if they are seriously ill or injured or their life is at risk. Do not visit the GP, pharmacy, urgent care centre or a hospital.
If a member of staff has helped someone who was taken unwell with coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, they do not need to go home unless they develop symptoms themselves. They should wash their hands thoroughly for 20 seconds after any contact with someone who is unwell. Cleaning the area with normal household disinfectant after someone with symptoms has left will reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people. You can find guidance on cleaning in non-healthcare settings.
Further information regarding the NHS test and trace guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works
Document 6. NHS Test & trace guidance
Information for staff and parents
The NHS test and trace service:
• ensures that anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) can quickly be tested to find out if they have the virus, and also includes targeted asymptomatic testing of NHS and social care staff and care home residents
• helps trace close recent contacts of anyone who tests positive for coronavirus and, if necessary, notifies them that they must self-isolate at home to help stop the spread of the virus.
We are introducing this service to help return life more to normal, in a way that is safe and protects our NHS and social care. The service will allow us to trace the spread of the virus and isolate new infections and play a vital role in giving us early warning if the virus is increasing again, locally or nationally.
How test and trace helps fight the virus
The NHS test and trace service will help to control the rate of reproduction (R), reduce the spread of the infection and save lives. By playing your part through the actions set out below, you will directly help to contain the virus by reducing its spread. This means that, thanks to your efforts, we will be able to go as far as it is safe to go in easing lockdown measures.
You can help in the following ways:
• if you develop symptoms, you must continue to follow the rules to self-isolate with other members of your household and order a test to find out if you have coronavirus
• if you test positive for coronavirus, you must share information promptly about your recent contacts through the NHS test and trace service to help us alert other people who may need to self-isolate
• if you have had close recent contact with someone who has coronavirus, you must self-isolate if the NHS test and trace service advises you to do so.
This specific guidance applies in England only. All 4 administrations are working closely together to have a consistent and joined-up approach to testing and tracing.
Definitions
‘Self-isolation if you have symptoms’ means you and all household members must remain at home. Do not go outside your home for any reason i.e. to work, school, or public areas, and do not use public transport or taxis. The guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection page has more information on self-isolation.
‘Contact’ means a person who has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus and who may or may not live with them.
‘Contact’ means a person who has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus and who may or may not live with them.
How NHS test and trace service works
Part 1: for someone with symptons of coronavirus
1. isolate: as soon as you experience coronavirus symptoms, medical advice is clear: you must self-isolate for at least 7 days. Anyone else in your household must self-isolate for 14 days from when you started having symptoms
2. test: order a test immediately at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or call 119 if you have no internet access
3. results: if your test is positive, you must complete the remainder of your 7-day self-isolation. Anyone in your household must also complete self-isolation for 14 days from when you started having symptoms. If your test is negative, you and other household members no longer need to self-isolate
4. share contacts: if you test positive for coronavirus, the NHS test and trace service will send you a text or email alert or call you with instructions of how to share details of people with whom you have had close, recent contact and places you have visited. It is important that you respond as soon as possible so that we can give appropriate advice to those who need it. You will be told to do this online via a secure website or you will be called by one of our contract tracers.
Part 2: if you are contacted by the NHS test and trace service because you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus
1. alert: you will be alerted by the NHS test and trace service if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. The alert will usually come by text, email or phone call. You should then log on to the NHS test and trace website, which is normally the easiest way for you and the service to communicate with each other – but, if not, a trained call handler will talk you through what you must do. Under-18s will get a phone call and a parent or guardian will be asked to give permission for the call to continue
2. isolate: you will be told to begin self-isolation for 14 days from your last contact with the person who has tested positive. It’s really important to do this even if you don’t feel unwell because, if you have been infected, you could become infectious to others at any point up to 14 days. Your household doesn’t need to self-isolate with you, if you do not have symptoms, but they must take extra care to follow the guidance on social distancing and handwashing and avoid contact with you at home
3. test if needed: if you develop symptoms of coronavirus, other members of your household must self-isolate immediately at home for 14 days and you must book a test at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or call 119 if you have no internet
access. If your test is positive, you must continue to stay at home for at least 7 days and we will get in touch to ask about your contacts since they must self-isolate. If your test is negative, you must still complete your 14-day self-isolation period because the virus may not be detectable yet - this is crucial to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus.
People who develop symptoms of coronavirus
When to self-isolate
The medical advice is clear: you must self-isolate if you have coronavirus symptoms or live in the same household as somebody who does. The main symptoms of coronavirus are:
• high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
For more information, read the further guidance on symptoms.
If you have one or more of these symptoms, you must self-isolate straight away for 7 days – or longer if you still have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell/taste.
If you live in the same household as someone with coronavirus symptoms, you must self-isolate straight away for 14 days.
How to order a test
Please tell us about your symptoms as soon as possible and get a test to find out if you have coronavirus. Please tell us about your symptoms as soon as possible. The sooner you have a test, the sooner we can let you know if you and other members of your household must remain in self-isolation.
Members of the public can order a test through the NHS website.
If you are an essential worker or an employer, please visit:
• essential workers
• employers
• employers
If you don’t have access to the internet, you can order a test by phoning 119.
Our guidance on testing has more information on our testing programme.
We’ve made it as easy as possible for everyone who has symptoms to access a test quickly, and there are now many potential ways to be tested:
• drive-through regional testing sites
• mobile testing units
• test kits delivered to your home
• hospital-based testing for NHS patients and staff
• dedicated testing centres in other care settings (for example, care homes)
When you order a test, you will get information on the options available to you.
We currently aim to provide results within 48 hours of taking a test, but some results may take longer.
You will get your results by text, email or phone – and the message will advise you about what to do next.
If you test negative
If you text negative
If you get a negative test result, this means you are at low risk of having coronavirus.
Other members of your household can stop self-isolating. If you feel well and no longer have symptoms similar to coronavirus, you can stop self-isolating. You could still have another virus, such as a cold or flu – in which case it is still best to avoid contact with other people until you are better.
If you test positive
If you get a positive test result, this means that when you took the test, you had coronavirus. You – and other members of your household – must continue to self-isolate.
Health and care workers
If you work in a health or care setting, you should follow the separate guidance for health and care workers on testing and when to return to work.
Telling people about your test result
If you develop symptoms, you may wish to alert the people with whom you have had close contact over the last 48 hours. You should tell them that you might have coronavirus but are waiting for a test result.
At this stage (until the test result is known), those people do not need to self-isolate, but they should take extra care in practising social distancing and good hygiene, like washing their hands regularly. They should also watch out for their own symptoms.
You may want to write down your recent close contacts now so that you have them to hand if you test positive.
Sharing information about your recent contacts
If you get a positive test, we will contact you and ask you to share information about any close contacts you had just before or after you developed symptoms. This is vital if we are to stop the spread of the virus.
If you get a positive test, we will contact you and ask you to share information about any close contacts you had just before or after you developed symptoms. This is vital if we are to stop the spread of the virus.
We will contact you by text message, email or phone. If you are under 18 years old, we will contact you by phone wherever possible and ask for your parent or guardian’s permission to continue the call.
You will be sent a link to the NHS test and trace website and asked to create a confidential account where you can record details about your recent close contacts. If you do not have internet access or if you don’t complete the online process, one of our contact tracers will phone you to gather this information from you.
The information you give will be handled in strict confidence and will only be kept and used in line with data protection laws. It will help us to contact people who are at risk of having been exposed to coronavirus and explain what they must do to help prevent the further spread of the virus.
When we contact people to advise them to self-isolate, we do not tell them your identity. But if you have alerted them when you first develop symptoms or when you get your test result, they will be better prepared for the advice we give them.
When we contact you
If the NHS test and trace service contacts you, the service will use text messages, email or phone.
All texts or emails will ask you to sign into the NHS test and trace contact-tracing website.
If NHS test and trace calls you by phone, the service will be using a single phone number: 0300 013 5000.
All information you provide to the NHS test and trace service is held in strict confidence and will only be kept and used in line with the Data Protection Act 2018.
Contact tracers will:
• call you from 0300 013 5000
• send you text messages from ‘NHS’
• ask you to sign into the NHS test and trace contact-tracing website
• ask for your full name and date of birth to confirm your identity, and postcode to offer support while self-isolating
• ask about the coronavirus symptoms you have been experiencing
• ask you to provide the name, telephone number and/or email address of anyone you have had close contact with in the 2 days prior to your symptoms starting
• send you text messages from ‘NHS’
• ask you to sign into the NHS test and trace contact-tracing website
• ask for your full name and date of birth to confirm your identity, and postcode to offer support while self-isolating
• ask about the coronavirus symptoms you have been experiencing
• ask you to provide the name, telephone number and/or email address of anyone you have had close contact with in the 2 days prior to your symptoms starting
• ask if anyone you have been in contact with is under 18 or lives outside of England.
Contact tracers will never:
ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to us (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
• ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product or any kind
• ask for any details about your bank account
• ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
• ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone
• disclose any of your personal or medical information to your contacts
• provide medical advice on the treatment of any potential coronavirus symptoms
• ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
• ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government or NHS.
• ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product or any kind
• ask for any details about your bank account
• ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
• ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone
• disclose any of your personal or medical information to your contacts
• provide medical advice on the treatment of any potential coronavirus symptoms
• ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
• ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government or NHS.
What we will ask you
We will ask you:
• if you have family members or other household members living with you. In line with the medical advice they must remain in self-isolation for the rest of the 14-day period from when your symptoms began
• if you have had any close contact with anyone other than members of your household. We are interested in in the 48 hours before you developed symptoms and the time since you developed symptoms. Close contact means:
o having face-to-face contact with someone (less than 1 metre away)
o spending more than 15 minutes within 2 metres of someone
o travelling in a car or other small vehicle with someone (even on a short journey) or close to them on a plane
• if you work in – or have recently visited – a setting with other people (for example, a GP surgery, a school or a workplace).
• if you have had any close contact with anyone other than members of your household. We are interested in in the 48 hours before you developed symptoms and the time since you developed symptoms. Close contact means:
o having face-to-face contact with someone (less than 1 metre away)
o spending more than 15 minutes within 2 metres of someone
o travelling in a car or other small vehicle with someone (even on a short journey) or close to them on a plane
• if you work in – or have recently visited – a setting with other people (for example, a GP surgery, a school or a workplace).
We will ask you to provide, where possible, the names and contact details (for example, email address, telephone number) for the people you have had close contact with. As with your own details these will be held in strict confidence and will be kept and used only in line with data protection laws.
How this information is used
Based on the information you provide, we will assess whether we need to alert your contacts and ask them to self-isolate.
We may refer the case to local public health experts if your case is complex, for example, if you work in or have recently visited:
How this information is used
Based on the information you provide, we will assess whether we need to alert your contacts and ask them to self-isolate.
We may refer the case to local public health experts if your case is complex, for example, if you work in or have recently visited:
• a health or care setting, such as a hospital or care home
• a prison or other secure setting
• a school for people with special needs
• critical national infrastructure or areas vital for national security
Local public health experts are Public Health England staff and teams employed by your local authority who work together with all parts of the local community to prevent or respond to local outbreaks.
The NHS coronavirus app
We are currently developing our NHS coronavirus app, which is being trialled on the Isle of Wight. When rolled out nationally this app will supplement the other forms of contact tracing.
People who have had close contact with someone who has coronavirus
If you are told to self-isolate
If we identify you as someone who has had close recent contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, we will notify you that you must self-isolate in line with medical advice.
You may be feeling well and not have any symptoms, but it is still essential for you to follow the advice that you are given.
This is because, if you have been infected, you could be infectious to others at any point up to 14 days. Some people infected with the virus don’t show any symptoms at all and it is therefore crucial to self-isolate to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus.
If you do not have symptoms, you must not seek a test, as the scientific evidence shows that the test may not be able to detect whether you have the virus.
How you will be told to self-isolate
If you are aged 18 or over, we will contact you by text message or email but will follow up by phone if we don’t get a response. If we only have a landline number for you, we will contact you on that number.
If you are under 18 years old, we will contact you by phone wherever possible and ask for consent from your parent or guardian to continue the call.
If you have internet access, we will ask you to log onto our NHS test and trace website. This is the simplest way of giving you the information you need and the opportunity to ask any questions. The online service will also ask you to confirm that you are following the advice on self-isolation.
If you do not have internet access, we will arrange for a trained call handler to speak to you by phone to give you the information and advice you need.
What happens next
You must self-isolate for 14 days after you were in contact with the person who has tested positive for coronavirus. This is crucial to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus.
Self-isolation means staying at home and not going outside your home at any time. If you live with other people, they do not need to self-isolate, but they should avoid contact with you as far as possible and follow advice on hygiene. If you do not live with other people, you should seek help from others, or delivery services, for essential activities such as food shopping. Self-isolation can be particularly challenging if you are looking after children, or if you care for vulnerable people who cannot stay with friends or family.
If you go on to develop symptoms, anyone you live with must then self-isolate and you must report your symptoms and get tested.
It is crucial that you complete your 14-day self-isolation period if you’ve been identified as a contact, even if you get a negative test result. This is because you may have the virus, but it cannot yet be detected by a test, so you could unknowingly spread the virus if you leave the house. Other members of your household, however, do not need to remain in self-isolation.
When we contact you
If the NHS test and trace service contacts you, the service will use text messages, email or phone.
All texts or emails will ask you to sign into the NHS test and trace contact-tracing website.
If NHS test and trace calls you by phone, the service will be using a single phone number: 0300 013 5000.
All information you provide to the NHS test and trace service is held in strict confidence and will only be kept and used in line with the Data Protection Act 2018.
Contact tracers will:
• call you from 0300 013 5000
• send you text messages from ‘NHS’
• ask for your full name and date of birth to confirm your identity, and postcode to offer support while self-isolating
• ask if you are experiencing any coronavirus symptoms
• provide advice on what you must do as you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.
Contact tracers will never:
• ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to us (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
• ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product of any kind
• ask for any details about your bank account
• ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
• ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone
• disclose any of your personal or medical information to your contacts
• provide medical advice on the treatment of any potential coronavirus symptoms
• ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
• ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government or NHS
Support for people who are self-isolating
We will direct you to your local authority helpline if you need the following during the period of self-isolation:
• practical or social support for yourself
• support for someone you care for
• financial support
This is so you can access the local support available to you, like help delivering food or medicine. You may also be able to get help from the NHS volunteer responders.
Employers should support workers who are told to self-isolate and must not ask them to attend work. See the guidance on the NHS test and trace service for employers, businesses and workers. If you are in employment, speak to your employer to discuss if you can work from home or other options are available during your period of isolation.
Workers in self-isolation are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for every day they are in isolation, as long as they meet the eligibility conditions. Guidance has been produced for employees that are unable to work because they are self-isolating.
The NHS test and trace service will provide a notification that can be used as evidence that someone has been told to self-isolate. This notification can be shared with an employer or education provider, for example.
The NHS test and trace service will provide a notification that can be used as evidence that someone has been told to self-isolate. This notification can be shared with an employer or education provider, for example.
Document 8. Student Guidance
Students Return to School - Y10 and Y12
We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our students and staff safe and well. We are preparing for our students to return to some face to face classroom-based learning in line with the government’s guidance. We have planned carefully to enable our students to return to school in a safe environment and will share the protocols with students in a ‘Welcome Back’ familiarisation session in the week beginning 15th June 2020. These protocols will extend the good practice that we have developed with our key worker and vulnerable children groups where we have planned provision in place.
In having some face to face contact with our Year 10 and Year 12 students we hope to stabilise their learning and begin to address some of their knowledge gaps and support our remote teaching strategies.
For Year 10 and Year 12 students to return to school, it is important they understand the need for the protocols and can work within these when they are at school. All students will be expected to follow all procedures and guidance to protect themselves, and others, by promoting social distancing and strict hygiene processes in and around the school site.
In having some face to face contact with our Year 10 and Year 12 students we hope to stabilise their learning and begin to address some of their knowledge gaps and support our remote teaching strategies.
For Year 10 and Year 12 students to return to school, it is important they understand the need for the protocols and can work within these when they are at school. All students will be expected to follow all procedures and guidance to protect themselves, and others, by promoting social distancing and strict hygiene processes in and around the school site.
New Protocols
Schedule for Attending School
In line with the current government guidance and to make the necessary changes to the environment to keep staff and students safe, we can only bring in a small number of students at a time. Year 10 and Year 12 students have been identified as the first year groups to return to school to provide some support before they begin their final examination year.
We have created a schedule that will give Year 10 and Year 12 students face to face contact with some of their teachers and reduce potential risks to their health and well-being. The schedule will be shared with students in the week beginning 8th June. The first week all students will receive a
‘Welcome Back’ familiarisation session during the week 15th June followed by face to face support sessions with some subject teachers in option and core subjects.
It is important that students do not come onto site unless they are scheduled to do so. Students can continue to contact their teachers using school emails but may have to wait a little longer for a reply due to staff teaching commitments.
There is an expectation that all students when not scheduled to be in school will continue with their remote learning. When they are in school they may be able to share and resolve any difficulties they are having in accessing any of the remote learning materials previously provided.
Clothing and Equipment
There is an expectation that clothing worn to school is clean and easily washable; therefore, all students will be able to wear casual clothing to school. The clothing should be appropriate for school and any external coats will need to be kept at their workstation throughout the day. Students can bring a small bag to school; however, pens and stationery items will be provided.
Currently students are not required to bring textbooks, folders of work or their exercise books into school. Students will not be permitted to access their lockers at this time. We encourage students to bring their mobile phone, but it should remain in their bags on arrival in school. However, we are aware students may be contacted by the ‘Test, track and Trace’ service and may need to respond.
Arriving and Departing School
All students will be allocated a’ teaching ‘hub’ and information will be provided that identifies the days and times students will be required to attend school. The start times for the ‘teaching hubs’ will be staggered to enable safe arrival and departure from school.
Where possible we are advising students to walk or cycle to and from school. Students who walk to and from school need to ensure they observe the 2 metres social distancing regulation unless they are walking with siblings who live in the same house. Students who cycle should bring a bike lock to ensure their bike is kept safe on the school site. We are advising all students who cycle to wear a cycle helmet.
Students who are brought to school by parents/carers by car will need to be dropped at the Temple Road entrance. To avoid congestion, drop off points will be marked on the road and students will need to make their way onto the school site immediately after being dropped off. Students should not ask their parents/carers to give lifts to other children. The same procedures will apply when parents/carers are collecting students from school.
All students should come to school at their specified time and should not plan to meet other students on arrival in school.
Where students are unable to avoid the use of public transport, we ask that all students observe the 2 metre social distancing regulations during their journey where possible.
Social Distancing
Social distancing of 2 metres must always be maintained by all adults and students. The 2-metre social distancing regulation should be observed when moving around outside the buildings, in the corridors, within the classrooms and in the toilet areas.
Hygiene Practice and Procedures
All students will be required to enter school through the main entrance where they will be required to use the hand sanitiser stations before further entry to the school building. Students will be regularly reminded of good hand hygiene procedures throughout the school day.
All students will also be encouraged to following safe handwashing guidance -washing their hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water. Teachers will model this to help to support their hygiene, if required.
All classrooms will have a lidded bin and a supply of tissues. Students will all be encouraged to ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’, disposing of their tissues in the lidded bin. Students will also be encouraged to avoid touching their mouth, nose and eyes with their hands.
There will be several hand sanitisers spread throughout the school and all students will be positively encouraged to use hand sanitisers whenever they pass them in the school.
All students will also be encouraged to following safe handwashing guidance -washing their hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water. Teachers will model this to help to support their hygiene, if required.
All classrooms will have a lidded bin and a supply of tissues. Students will all be encouraged to ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’, disposing of their tissues in the lidded bin. Students will also be encouraged to avoid touching their mouth, nose and eyes with their hands.
There will be several hand sanitisers spread throughout the school and all students will be positively encouraged to use hand sanitisers whenever they pass them in the school.
Whole School Procedures and Routines
There will be staggered start and end times to the day for all students. These will be identified on the schedule given to students. This will allow a flow of students around the school which will support distancing and avoid congestion at certain points and times.
There will be an internal one-way system around the school which is clearly marked. All students and staff will follow the one-way system throughout the building and use the identified entrances and exits.
Students will be allocated to a ‘teaching hub’ with a maximum of 12 students in the ‘hub’. Their hub will be allocated to a teaching room and they will be in a seating plan which students will need to adhere to throughout the day. All teaching rooms have been re-purposed to enable the teacher and all students to observe the 2 metre distancing regulations.
Students movement around the classroom will be restricted and only with the teacher’s permission, and where it is safe to observe social distancing regulations. Students will use the toilet facilities one at a time and again with permission and in line with the 2 metre social distancing regulations. Staff will help remind students of distancing and hand washing hygiene rules. These will be briefly discussed at the start of each session and visually displayed on the electronic screens in school.
Teaching and Learning Hubs
A teaching hub will enable the Year 10 and 12 students to have some face to face contact with some of their teachers. The purpose will be to consolidate any remote learning the students have done, address some misconceptions about work that has been set and begin to prepare the students for next year. There is an expectation that Y10 and Y12 students will continue with remote home learning when they are
not scheduled to be in school. Work produced by students in these sessions should be taken home by the students.
Student Welfare.
The first session the students will have in school will be a ‘Welcome back’ familiarisation session, where students will go through all the expectations in the new protocols and have an opportunity to share any reservations or anxieties they may have. We will also re-assure students who may not have proactively engaged with remote learning and encourage them to do so in the remaining weeks.
We are also aware that for some students there will be a need to focus on adapting to routines again and trying to support any anxieties that may have built up during their time away from school. We will have a range of support facilities in school that students can access including access to a Pastoral Manager, the School Counsellor through a remote or face to face 1:1 meeting. We will also have personnel in place to continue to signpost students to any external support agencies that are available.
To support some students’ health or social and emotional well-being it may be more appropriate for some students to come into school for an individually tutored session. We will contact parents/carers of students where we have identified this type of contact is more appropriate and explain to students why we are offering them an alternative provision.
First Aid Facilities
To support students who may have a non-COVID-19 related illness or minor injury while they are in school, the student will be directed to reception by the member of staff, where the normal access to medical advice will be provided.
If students develop any of the identified COVID-19 related symptoms, then school will follow the government guidelines, the student will be supported in isolation while in school until contact can be made with parents/carers to safely return the student home.
Our Behaviour Expectations of our Students
Our Behaviour Policy has been revised to reflect the new protocols. We aim to prepare and support our students in following any new procedures and routines in a supportive way. The expectations and boundaries identified in the revised behaviour policy will be made clear to the students and will be shared with the students in their ‘Welcome Back’ familiarisation session.
Positive reward systems will remain in place and will be used frequently to praise and support positive behaviour.
Where students are consistently unable to comply with the behaviour expectations within and outside of the classroom, and/or a student’s behaviour is putting the safety of others at risk, contact will be made with their parents/carers. It may be appropriate to ask students to return home in some instances.
Food and drink during school time
Students can bring healthy snacks to school which can be eaten during an allocated mini –break in their teaching and learning hub. Water will be provided for students.
Free School Meals
From June 15th 2020 our kitchen will reopen for cold food only and grab bags will be provided for any students in receipt of free school meals who attend school. Vouchers will continue to be provided to those families who are eligible for as long as the scheme continues.
Students will be encouraged to share any concerns or anxieties they may have with the ‘new protocols’ in their ‘Welcome Back’ familiarisation session or when they attend their teaching and Learning Hub. Support will be provided through a rota of staff including pastoral managers, DOP’S and SLT.
When the protocols are updated or amended in response to the government’s and Local Authority & Government new developments, advice and guidance, amendments will be shared with students at the start of their teaching and learning hub session.
Document 9. Guidance for Parents/Carers in preparation for Y10/Y12 students' returning to school
At Buxton Community School we are committed to do everything we can to keep our community, including our parents, carers, students and staff safe. We want everyone to feel confident that we are taking the appropriate steps for school to begin to re-open to smaller identified groups of students.
We understand what an unprecedented time this is for our students and staff to be returning to school. Our primary aim is to provide a safe and wherever possible normal environment. However, there are new procedures and routines that the whole of our school community will need to become accustomed to in order to maintain our primary priority of keeping everyone safe and well, by following all government guidance.
This guidance is intended as a source of information and reference for all parents and carers of the students at Buxton Community School as we commence phased re-opening of our school during the current Covid-19 pandemic. We will continually risk assess the key areas identified in the new protocols responding to the government’s and Local Authority new developments, advice and guidance.
All parents are asked to discuss the procedures with their son/daughters in preparation for their return to school. Parent/carers are also encouraged to ensure their children follow all the government's current procedures and guidance relating to meeting others from outside your household and social distancing regulations to protect themselves, and others.
All students in Y10 and Y12 will have a ‘Welcome back’ familiarisation session in the week beginning 15th June. Students who are unable to access this session will need to do a ‘catch up’ session before they can return to the planned schedule of teaching and learning sessions.
New Protocols
Clothing and Equipment
There is an expectation that clothing worn to school is clean and easily washable; therefore, all students will be able to wear casual clothing to school. The clothing should be appropriate for school and any external coats will need to be kept at the students’ workstation throughout the day. Students can bring a small bag to school; however, pens and stationery items will be provided.
Currently students are not required to bring textbooks, folders of work or their exercise books into school. Students will not be permitted to access their lockers at this time. We encourage students to bring their mobile phone but it should remain in their bags on arrival in school. However, we are aware students may be contacted by the ‘Test, track and Trace’ service and will need to respond.
Arriving and Departing School
All students will be allocated a’ teaching ‘hub’ and information will be provided that identifies the days and times students will be required to attend school. The start times for the ‘teaching hubs’ will be staggered to enable safe arrival and departure from school.
Where possible we are advising students to walk or cycle to and from school. Students who walk to and from school need to ensure they observe the 2 metres social distancing regulation unless they are walking with siblings who live in the same house. Students who cycle should bring a bike lock to ensure their bike is kept safe on the school site. We are advising all students who cycle to wear a cycle helmet.
Parents/carers who need to bring their son/daughters to school by car will be able to drop students at the Temple Road entrance. To avoid congestion, drop off points will be marked on the road and students will need to make their way onto the school site immediately after being dropped off. Parents/carers should only bring their own children to school and not give lifts to other children. The same procedures will apply to collecting students from school.
To ensure that we can maintain everyone’s safety please do arrive at school and collect your child from school at the specified time. Parking on the school site will not be permitted unless for emergencies or for students identified as required a disabled parking space.
Where students are unable to avoid the use of public transport, we ask that you remind your son/daughter of the need to observe the social distancing regulations during their journey where possible.
Social Distancing
Social distancing of 2 metres must always be maintained by all adults and students. The 2-metre social distancing regulation should be observed when moving around outside the buildings in the corridors, within the classrooms and in the toilet areas.
Parents/Carers Visiting School
Parents/carers who need to contact school should do so by email or telephoning the school reception on 01298 23122. We ask that parent/carers only enter the school site if they need to accompany a student for medical or reasons, attend a pre-arranged meeting or other extenuating circumstances. Parents/carers are required access school using the Temple Road entrance and use the designated visitor's entrance which will be clearly identified. All visits and appointments will be limit to one parent/carer only.
The numbers of adults will be limited in the following areas:
Main entrance areas: access permitted for one parent (with their own child) at any one time. There will be a designated waiting area marked outdoors, with two metres distancing.
Main reception: Parents will only be allowed into the school reception foyer one at a time. Queuing outside this area will observe social distancing (this will be taped/marked on the floor). Parents/carers are not permitted to access the office and the main partition glass will be kept in a closed position during any necessary communication.
Parents/carers will be required to use the hand sanitiser on arrival and sign in using the electronic signing in system if attending a pre-arranged meeting. Parents will be provided with a visitors' badge which they are asked to dispose of as they leave the building.
Hygiene Practice and Procedures
All students will be required to enter school through the main entrance where they will be required to use the hand sanitiser stations before further entry to the school building. Students will be regularly reminded of good hand hygiene procedures throughout the school day.
All students will also be encouraged to following safe handwashing guidance -washing their hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water. Teachers will model this to help to support their hygiene, if required.
All classrooms will have a lidded bin and a supply of tissues. Students will all be encouraged to ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’, disposing of their tissues in the lidded bin. Students will also be encouraged to avoid touching their mouth, nose and eyes with their hands.
There will be several hand sanitisers spread throughout the school and all students will be positively encouraged to use hand sanitisers whenever they pass them in the school.
Whole School Procedures and Routines
There will be staggered start and end times to the day for all students. This will allow a flow of students around the school which will support distancing and avoid congestion at certain points and times.
There will be an internal one-way system around the school which is clearly marked. All students and staff will follow the one-way system throughout the building and use the identified entrances and exits.
All students will be allocated to a ‘teaching hub’ with a maximum of 12 students in the ‘hub’. Their hub will be allocated to a teaching room and they will be in a seating plan which students will need to adhere to throughout the day. All teaching rooms have been re-purposed to enable the teacher and all students to observe the 2 metre distancing regulations.
Students movement around the classroom will be restricted and only with the teacher’s permission and where it is safe to observe social distancing regulations. Students will use the toilet facilities one at a time and again with permission and in line with social distancing. Staff will help remind students of distancing and hand washing hygiene rules.
There will be staggered start and end times to the day for all students. This will allow a flow of students around the school which will support distancing and avoid congestion at certain points and times.
There will be an internal one-way system around the school which is clearly marked. All students and staff will follow the one-way system throughout the building and use the identified entrances and exits.
All students will be allocated to a ‘teaching hub’ with a maximum of 12 students in the ‘hub’. Their hub will be allocated to a teaching room and they will be in a seating plan which students will need to adhere to throughout the day. All teaching rooms have been re-purposed to enable the teacher and all students to observe the 2 metre distancing regulations.
Students movement around the classroom will be restricted and only with the teacher’s permission and where it is safe to observe social distancing regulations. Students will use the toilet facilities one at a time and again with permission and in line with social distancing. Staff will help remind students of distancing and hand washing hygiene rules.
Teaching and Learning Hubs
A teaching hub will enable the Year 10 and 12 students to have some face to face contact with some of their teachers. The purpose will be to consolidate any remote learning the students have done, address some misconceptions about work that has been set and begin to prepare the students for next year. There is an expectation that Y10 and Y12 students will continue with remote home learning when they are not scheduled to be in school.
Student Welfare
The first session the students will have in school will be a ‘Welcome back’ familiarisation session, where students will go through all the expectations in the new protocols and have an opportunity to share any reservations or anxieties they may have.
We are also aware that for some students there will be a need to focus on adapting to routines again and trying to support any anxieties that may have built up during their time away from school. We will have a range of support facilities in school that students can access including access to a Pastoral Manager, the school counsellor through a remote or face to face 1:1 meeting.
To support some students’ health or social and emotional well-being it may be more appropriate to come into school for an individually tutored session. We will contact parents/carers of students where we have identified this type of contact is more appropriate.
To support students who may have a non-COVID-19 related illness or minor injury while they are in school, the student will be directed to reception by the member of staff, where the normal access to medical advice will be provided.
If students develop any of the identified COVID-19 related symptoms, then school will follow the government guidelines, the student will be supported in isolation while in school until contact can be made with parents/carers to safely return the student home.
Communication with Teachers
To avoid breaking social distancing regulations, please could we ask you to contact the school in the following ways:
Please continue to communicate with your child’s form teacher or class teacher via email. We will respond as soon as possible but this will not be immediate as teachers will be teaching. Please accept our apologies.
If a parent requires to speak to a member of staff, please do so via phoning the school office who will forward your message. Meetings will take place via phone call.
Our Behaviour Expectations of our Students
Our Behaviour Policy has been revised to reflect the new protocols. This will be shared with the students in their ‘Welcome Back’ familiarisation session. We aim to prepare and support our students in following any new procedures and routines in a supportive way. Positive reward systems will remain in place and will be used frequently to praise and support positive behaviour.
Where adults in school deem that despite positive support and encouragement a child’s behaviour is putting the safety of others at risk they will report this to senior leaders who will decide on the most appropriate response and communicate this with parents/carers.
Our Behaviour Policy has been revised to reflect the new protocols. This will be shared with the students in their ‘Welcome Back’ familiarisation session. We aim to prepare and support our students in following any new procedures and routines in a supportive way. Positive reward systems will remain in place and will be used frequently to praise and support positive behaviour.
Where adults in school deem that despite positive support and encouragement a child’s behaviour is putting the safety of others at risk they will report this to senior leaders who will decide on the most appropriate response and communicate this with parents/carers.
Student Attendance and Absence
Please do not send you child into school if they develop COVID-19 symptoms. You should follow the government guidance with regard to this and call the school reception on 01298 23122 to notify if your child is required to self isolate.
Please do not send you child into school if they develop COVID-19 symptoms. You should follow the government guidance with regard to this and call the school reception on 01298 23122 to notify if your child is required to self isolate.
Contact will have been made to students who are in the ‘extremely vulnerable’ category or students with known health issues and they will continue with remote learning.
Parents/carers will be informed by email when their son/daughter will be expected into school. If your son/daughter is unable to attend please let school know before 9.30am identifying the reasons for absence, using the school’s attendance telephone line,
It is important that students do not attempt to access the school site at any time they are not scheduled to do so.
Food and drink during school time
Students can bring healthy snacks to school which can be eaten during an allocated mini –break in their teaching and learning hub. Water will be provided for students.
Students can bring healthy snacks to school which can be eaten during an allocated mini –break in their teaching and learning hub. Water will be provided for students.
Free School Meals
From June 15th 2020 our kitchen will reopen for cold food only and grab bags will be provided for any students in receipt of free school meals who attend school.
Parents/carers are encouraged to contact school by email or to make a telephone appointment if they would like to discuss further or comment on any of the arrangements made.
When the protocols are updated or amended in response to the government’s and Local Authority & Government new developments, advice and guidance, an amended copy will be sent to parents/carers.
Document 11. Behaviour Policy Amendments
Buxton Community School continues to seek and promote high standards of behaviour and safety for all of our students during the COVID-19 pandemic. We view the setting of clear expectations and acceptable boundaries as crucial during these unprecedented times for students in our care. By working with us, students can feel confident and comfortable in school that the students are playing their part in keeping school safe for everyone.
Considering this, there is an additional appendix to our Behaviour Policy that will be used to consider any issues that arise and are linked to COVID-19 arrangements.
• All students (and their parents/carers) are expected to follow government guidelines on getting to and from school safely.
• Students should arrive at school at their designated time. Students will not be permitted to enter the site before that time.
• Students should not arrive early and congregate outside of the school site.
• Students should conduct themselves according to appropriate social distancing rules in the local community
• Students should enter the school site ONLY through the Temple Road entrance, always observing social distancing rules.
• Students should wait to enter the school building through the main entrance, always following social distancing rules.
• Students are expected to follow the school instructions on hygiene, including handwashing and sanitising. Handwashing and sanitising of hands will become a very regular part of the school day and will be encouraged at every opportunity. This includes hand sanitising when entering the school, exiting the classroom and the building.
• Students are not expected to wear school uniform and all requirements will be relaxed to enable clothes to be washed as required. Appropriate dress codes, as per non-school uniform days, apply.
• Students are expected to follow instructions on only socialising with students in the same teaching group they are assigned to within the school grounds and in designated areas. No student is permitted to leave the site during the school day.
• Students are expected to move around the school using only the one-way system.
• Students should not enter any areas clearly identified as out of bounds.
• Students are expected to follow Government guidance about sneezing, coughing, tissues and disposal (‘catch it, bin it, kill it’).
• Students are expected to avoid touching their mouth, nose and eyes with their hands.
• Students are expected to tell an adult if they are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus.
• Students are expected to follow the school’s instructions on the use of stationery.
• Students are expected to only use the toilets identified for their teaching group.
• Under no circumstances should students cough or spit at or towards any other person.
• Under no circumstances will teasing, intimidation or inappropriate comments about coronavirus to other students or staff be tolerated.
When students breach these behaviour expectations and it is deemed deliberate, parental contact will be made. The severity of the breach will inform the decision as to the sanction imposed.
• Persistent and deliberate failure to follow instructions to maintain social distancing will result in a student being isolated until they are collected by a parent/carer. It may be necessary for the student to remain at home until a meeting with a senior member of staff can be arranged.
• Deliberate coughing, spitting or any other behaviour which endangers the health and safety of other students or member of staff will be grounds for fixed term exclusion and the student may be asked to stay at home for the remainder of the partial lockdown period, if it is deemed their behaviour poses a risk to the health and safety of others.
• Any student leaving the site during a timetabled session during the school day will not be permitted to return and parent/carer will be contacted to collect.
Classroom expectations.
Normal classroom standards and expectations will apply, and the consequence system will be in operation.
If a student reaches C3 level within the classroom setting parents will be contacted. Continued disruptive behaviour at this level may result in the student returning to work from home full time.
If a student reaches a C4 within the classroom setting parents will be informed and asked to collect the student for the remainder of that day. Again, persistent disruption at this level may result in the student returning to work from home full time.
The RAP reward system will still operate both within and outside the classroom setting and it will recognise where students are doing well personally and academically.