Worsley Mesnes Community Primary School

IMPORTANT NOTICE       14^th May 2020

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you and your families are well.

As you will be aware the Prime Minister has said that primary school MAY reopen to some pupils in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 if certain conditions are met.

We are looking at how we can plan and prepare for this to happen in practical terms with the guidance and clarification from the government and local authority that is being shared. This will help us create an action plan for our phased reopening and assist in the completion of comprehensive risk assessments.

We are seeking clarification on how we might start to organise groups of children returning and what this might look like. (For example, part-time arrangements, year groups coming in on certain days or starting back on different weeks, different times.)

Points for parents/carers to consider

• Children would work in isolated groups not mixing with other groups of children. Only Nursery, Reception, Yr. 1 and Yr. 6 pupils will be allowed back into school on staggered timetable. Siblings in other year groups will not be in school for the time being.
• Not all of these year groups can be in school all of the time.
• The same group of children will work in isolation from other groups of children.
• Realistically social distancing is very challenging with young children – we will do our best but cannot guarantee they will not touch, play or come into close contact with each other.
• Therefore, class sizes will be no more than 15 children so children may not necessarily be with their friends, their normal teacher or teaching assistant.
• Start and finish times will be staggered to minimise parental contact.
• The learning environment will be very different to what some children are used to with contact minimised.
• There will be no before or after school provision as this would involve children mixing with other groups from across the school.
• Children’s return to school will be staggered and informed by the guidance received.

Please don’t worry. If you feel the risks are too high to send your child to school, you will not be fined or punished. Please know that whatever decisions we take, they are always going to be in the BEST interests of the safety of our children, staff and families.

In the meantime, the school is still open only for vulnerable pupils and the children of critical workers at present.

I will be in touch next week to let you know a more detailed plan outlining the measures and changes we are putting in place.

You will have received a second text- To assist us in planning and preparing the school for this, please answer with the year group of your child/children and whether you intend to send them back to school when we reopen for their year group – Yes/ Maybe/ No