Update for all parents/carers re. the resumption of face-to-face learning on Monday 8th March 2021
26th February 2021
26th February 2021
Plans for the full resumption of face-to-face learning at Lemington Riverside on Monday 8th March 2021
Please read the following important information carefully…
Dear Parents, Carers and the Community of Lemington,
You will no doubt have now seen the Government decision to resume face-to-face learning for all children, in all schools from Monday 8th March 2021.
You will be aware that since the country entered the latest lockdown in January 2021, we have continued to work hard at LRPS to provide a child-care provision for children of critical workers and vulnerable children, whilst providing daily online learning for all children at home via Seesaw and Tapestry.
In this letter I will explain how school will look and operate when we re-open on Monday 8th March 2021. We are very excited to welcome all of our children back on a full-time basis from this date, but please be aware that there will still be many safety measures in place that must be followed to keep our school as Covid-secure as possible.
Bubbles
A bubble is a group of children and adults who remain together throughout the school day. Children from one bubble will not come into contact with children from another bubble throughout the day.
The same bubble system will be in place as the autumn term. The bubbles are:
- Bubble 1: Early Years (Nursery/Reception).
- Bubble 2: Years 1/2/3
- Bubble 3: Years 4/5/6
Pick-up and drop-off:
We will operate a drop-off period between 08:45 and 09:00 every morning. Children must be in class by 09:00, otherwise they will receive a late mark. We ask you not to arrive on the school site before 08:45 to avoid congestion at the school entrances.
We must all work together to keep Covid rates low within our community – we all want to return to normality as soon as possible. We therefore ask all parents/carers to observe the following:
- Wear a face covering on approach to the school site and within the school grounds at all time if you are 12 years or older (unless medically exempt).
- Keep a 2 metre distance from other families at all times.
- Limit one adult to dropping off/collecting your child from school.
- Do not arrive earlier than the designated drop off/pick up times – leave the school grounds immediately after dropping off/collecting your child.
- Parents/carers should still not enter the school building at this point without prior appointment.
- Please come on to the playgrounds when dropping off and picking up your children – there is much more space than blocking the pavements around the school.
Drop off points and times are as follows:
Nursery/Reception - Drop off between 8:45-9am at the Early Years Garden (enter via the blue gate, opposite the Corner Shop on Sugley Street – exit via the gate on to Rokeby Street)
All other year groups - Drop off between 8:45-9am at the Main Entrance on Sugley Street. Please do not arrive before 8:45 and do not congregate on the pavements.
Pick-up points and times are as follows:
Please note the changes for pick-up for children in Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. We have switched the pick-up points due to the larger number of parents picking up the Bubble 2 children.
Nursery- Pick up at 2:45pm (1:45pm on Friday) at the Early Years Garden (enter via the blue gate, opposite the Corner Shop on Sugley Street – exit via the gate on to Rokeby Street)
Reception- Pick up at 3:00pm (2:00pm on Friday) at the Early Years Garden (enter via the blue gate, opposite the Corner Shop on Sugley Street – exit via the gate on to Rokeby Street)
Years 1/2/3 - Pick up at 3:15pm (2:15pm on Friday) at the Main Playground (Where the basketball hoops are).
Years 4/5/6 - Pick up at 3:15pm (2:15pm on Friday) at the Upper Playground (Where the Edible Playground is.
What is in place to keep my child safe?
Over the past few months we have put various measures in place to keep our children, staff and parents/carer safe. The following are some of the measures that are in place:
- Your child will remain in the same ‘bubble’ throughout the day.
- Staggered start and finished times mean children will arrive and depart school in smaller groups and there will be no large crowds at the school gates.
- Children will have staggered play-times and lunch breaks so that they are only outside with children within their bubble.
- Staff at Lemington Riverside are now taking part in Lateral Flow Device Covid Testing twice per week, so any a-symptomatic cases in staff will be quickly identified.
- Lunches will be served in staggered sittings. Hot lunches will be delivered to tables to the children by staff wearing protective gloves.
- There will be no large gatherings such as whole-school assemblies or performances until advice from the Government indicates that it is safe to do so.
- All children will sanitise their hands upon arrival and departure from school and at regular intervals throughout the day.
- There will be regular hand-washing with hot water and soap throughout the day. This will be supervised by an adult.
- There is a one-way system in place in school ensuring children do not pass each other on the corridors.
- Children will have their own resources and stationery within class. Children will sit facing the front of the classroom when sat at desks. Children are allowed to take reading books between home and school. Children can bring in their own pencil cases, but must keep these at their desks. Mobile phones should only be brought to school by children in Y4 and above and should be handed to the class teacher on arrival for safe keeping until the end of the day.
- Common touch-points such as door handles, taps, etc. will be sanitised by the caretaker throughout the school day.
- PE will take place, but will not include contact sports. All equipment used in PE will be sanitised by staff before and after it is used. Children should come to school in their PE on their designated PE day (their class teacher will inform them of their days).
- iPads/PC’s will be sanitised before and after use.
We have an in-depth, whole-school risk assessment which covers all measures we are taking in school to keep our children, staff and parents safe – it can be found on our website here > https://www.lemingtonriverside.newcastle.sch.uk/website/whole-school_risk_assessment/504161 . Paper copies of the risk assessment are available on request by calling the office on 0191 267 4315.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does my child have to attend school from Monday 8th March?
Yes, the Government guidance now states that all children should return to school from 8th March 2021.
If you are worried or concerned about something, please talk to us.
Does my child need to wear uniform from Monday 8th March?
It’s up to you, we have temporarily relaxed our school uniform policy from Monday 8th March through until the end of the summer term. We know that many children will have grown out of their old uniform and do not wish to put any unnecessary financial pressure on our families in what has been a difficult year for us all. If your child has uniform that fits, please wear it, but if not don’t feel under pressure to buy new uniform until September 2021.
Will there be hot lunches available? Can my child bring a packed lunch?
Yes and yes. Mrs. Baptist, Mrs. Hart and Mrs Mills will continue to provide hot meals every day for those children who wish to have one. If your child wishes to bring their own packed lunch, this is fine too. Packed lunches will be kept under your child’s desk in class. Unless your child is entitled to a Free School Meal, the cost of school meals is £2.10 per day for children in Nursery and £2.20 per day for children in all other year groups. (Children in Reception, Years 1 and 2 are entitled to universal free school meals).
How will I pay for school lunches?
We are moving to a cash-less system for payments of school dinners using an online app called ParentPay. You will receive an activation letter for this during the week beginning 8th March. We will still be accepting cash for dinners until the end of the summer term, but from September 2021 we will only be using ParentPay, so we encourage you to register and begin to use the system when you receive your activation letter. If you have any problems, please speak to the school office on 0191 267 4315.
Are parents/carers allowed on the school site?
Other than dropping off and collecting your child from school, you should not visit the school site unless you have made an appointment. You should not come to the school office without an appointment until further notice. As the Government begin to work through their lockdown roadmap, and we receive further guidance from the Department for Education, we will begin to lift restrictions in school – but only when we are told it is safe to do so.
Are parents/carers allowed on the school site?
Other than dropping off and collecting your child from school, you should not visit the school site unless you have made an appointment. You should not come to the school office without an appointment until further notice. As the Government begin to work through their lockdown roadmap, and we receive further guidance from the Department for Education, we will revise this.
Will the after school provision be in place on a Friday between 2:15 – 3:15pm?
Yes, but we request that until the Easter holidays it is only accessed by children whose parents are critical workers and are at work. After Easter, we will open the provision up to all children who wish to attend once again.
When are the Easter holidays?
We break up for the Easter holidays at 3:15pm on Wednesday 31st March 2021. School re-opens for all children at 8:45am on Monday 19th April 2021.
What happens if my child requires first aid?
For minor injuries, our qualified first aiders will continue to administer first aid, but will wear PPE such as a face mask/visor/apron/gloves if they need to be in close proximity to your child. If your child has a more serious injury or illness we will call you straight away and in the event of an emergency we will call 999.
What if my child or another child/staff member in their bubble develop symptoms of Covid-19?
The symptoms of Covid-19 are:
- A dry, persistent cough.
- A high temperature/fever.
- Loss of taste or smell.
If your child or anyone in your household develop any of the above symptoms, the person with the symptoms MUST arrange a Covid-19 test immediately. You can book a test online through the NHS Track and Trace website (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-for-coronavirus/)
If your child develops symptoms at home they must not attend school and you must also inform us as soon as possible on 0191 267 4315.
If, following a test, the result is negative, your child may return to school once the symptoms of the illness have gone. If, following a test, the result is positive, the person who has tested positive and everybody else in the household should self-isolate for 10-days.
If your child develops Covid-19 symptoms in school we will ensure they are isolated in a safe space in school with adult supervision from a short-distance. The adult supervising will wear PPE. We will call you immediately to arrange collection. You should then follow the steps above.
If there is a positive case in school, we will work with Public Health England and advise other children and adults who have been in close contact what actions they should take.
Will there be after school clubs?
There will be no after-school club provision until the Easter Holidays. We will review this after Easter.
Will the school be taking place in sporting competitions and events?
Government advice now states that competitions, etc. can begin again. We will keep a close eye on this and inform parents of any developments within the city.
Will school trips take place?
We continue to keep this under review, but we will not be planning any trips until, at least, after the Easter holidays.
Will my child still receive a free breakfast every morning?
Yes! Every child will continue to receive a free hot breakfast upon arrival between 8:45am and 9:00am every morning.
Will I still receive free school meal supermarket vouchers now the children are back at school?
No, this scheme ends once the children return to school.
Is there mental health support available for my child?
Yes, we continue to be one of the pilot schools for a mental health and well-being programme in Newcastle called RISE. Through this, we will have a trained mental health practitioner working in school every week to support our children with their return to school. To access further support for your child and tips of how you can help at home, visit https://www.rise-ne.co.uk/ .
Will the Y2 or Y6 SATs tests and phonics/times table screenings take place next year?
No, no formal assessments will take place this academic year. For Year 6 and Year 2 children the class teachers will give a ‘teacher assessment’ which will be based on the children’s work throughout the year, and will take into consideration learning missed due to the lockdowns.
Finally…
We hope that this letter gives you a clearer picture of what school will look like on March 8th. We are very excited to welcome back our children – we have missed them so much since January and there is so much excitement in the air that we may now be finally moving back to some kind of normality!
If you do have any further questions, we are available Monday-Friday between 8am and 4pm on 0191 267 4315 or you can drop us an email at admin@lemingtonriverside.newcastle.sch.uk
Thank you once again for your amazing support over the past few months and we look forward to seeing you all on Monday 8th March at 8:45am.
Take care,
Mr. Heeley
Head Teacher