What time should my child arrive at and be collected from school?

To ensure we implement social distancing at the school gate, we have staggered the start and end times of the school day.

• Children of Key Workers and Vulnerable Children need to arrive by 8.30am and be collected at 3pm.

• Mini and Morris Class need to arrive at 8.45am and leave at 2pm on their designated days.

• Halley and Hubble Class need to arrive at 9.15am and leave at 2.30pm on their designated days.

• Wesley Class need to arrive at 9.15am and leave at 2.30pm on their designated days.

How do I arrive with my child to school?

Parents and carers are not permitted to enter the school site. There is a clear path for children and parents to queue which will be parallel to the school building. There is tape on the ground to help families stand 2 metres apart from each other when queuing. Children are registered at the school gate and are directed to their group’s classroom. Only one parent is permitted to accompany their child to the drop-off point. Please do not congregate after dropping off or collecting your child near the school and continue to set an excellent example of social distancing.

How do I collect my child at the end of the day?

Parents and carers are expected to queue again and children will be sent home in that order. Please allow plenty of time for this to happen safely and appropriately.

Will my child be with their teacher in their usual classroom?

In order to reduce any transmission risk, children will be in groups of no more than 15 per classroom.

Morris (on Monday and Tuesday) and Mini (on Thursday and Friday) will occupy the Reception and Year 1 classroom. Halley and Hubble will occupy the Year 6 classroom, Year 3 classrooms and a Year 5 classroom on Monday and Tuesday. Year six will occupy these classrooms on Thursday and Friday. The key worker groups will occupy the Year 4 classrooms. It is highly likely that your child will not be taught by their regular teacher and some might be taught by support staff if there are not enough teachers available.

How will the school ensure that these groups don’t interact?

Children and adults within a group will not interact with any other group. Break times and lunch times are staggered so that children from the same group will not be playing together. Only resources which can be cleaned will be used both inside and outside. Toilets will be supervised so that only one child can use it at a time with supervised 2 metre queuing outside the toilet. Ground Floor toilets will be made unisex so that there is no transmission risk. We have also paid for a cleaner to be onsite during the school day to ensure that handrails, doors and toilets are regularly cleaned. The school will be deep cleaned on Wednesdays.

Will the classrooms look the same?

No. Tables in the classrooms will be spread out to encourage social distancing between children. There will be limited resources available and these resources will be cleaned at the end of each day.

Can my child change groups?

Your child will be put into a group by staff. We are not in a position to receive requests from parents of who you would like in the same group as your child. However, staff who know your child will be involved in the grouping process. Once your child is given a group, it is not possible to change.

My child is in the key worker group and is in one of the year groups who might be returning, what should I do?

You will need to make a decision whether you still need the flexibility of the key worker group or whether you/your child is able to cope with a fixed two days per week. If you work shifts and these might change, your child will be unable to rejoin the key worker group. If you have more questions surrounding this please contact keyworkers@tyndalecommunityschool.co.uk or phone the school.

My child has a social worker and is in one of the year groups who might be returning, what should I do?

If your child has a social worker, we expect your child to remain in the key worker group as their days may increase according to need and through dialogue between you, the social worker and the school.

How will the school encourage hygiene?

Until we are able to have your child’s cohort back full-time, your child will remain in the key worker group which is available for the full week.

Will school meals be provided?

If your child is in Reception or Year 1 they are entitled to free school meals. In addition, if your child is in year six, they may be entitled to benefits-related free school meals. Otherwise, parents can either pay for school meals via parentpay or their child may bring a packed lunch in. School meals will be consumed in the classrooms.

What will learning be like?

The initial focus will be teaching children the new rules and systems at the school. However, our priority is children’s wellbeing and reintegrating them into school life after being absent for a long time, especially through developing relationships. Teachers will seek to assess children’s learning and deliver lessons to embed prior learning and move them on in their learning with new knowledge and skills.

A lot of learning that usually happens at school will look very different.

What does my child need to bring with them?

Your child is only permitted to bring their lunchbox (if needed) and a water bottle. These must be taken home and washed in soapy water each day. They are not allowed to bring their book bag or any objects or toys from home.

What should my child wear?

Your child needs to wear a cleaned school uniform for each day they are in. If this is an issue due to not having facilities to clean your child’s clothes overnight or having two sets of uniform, please contact info@tyndalecommunityschool.co.uk and we will support you with this through a discussion and making clothes available. We feel that wearing a uniform is still important as it makes school more ‘normal’ for the children.

How can I communicate with the school?

Parents and carers will only be able to communicate with the school through emailing info@tyndalecommunityschool.co.uk or phoning the school on 01865 454000. The reception desk will be closed.

What if there is a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19?

When a child or staff member develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus (a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell), they will be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 7 days. Their fellow household members should self-isolate for 14 days. Parents must arrange for their child to be tested for Covid-19 as soon as possible.

Where the child, young person or staff member tests negative, they can return to school and the fellow household members can end their self-isolation.

Where the child or staff member tests positive, the rest of the group will be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days. The other household members of that wider class or group do not need to self-isolate unless the child, young person or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms.

What happens if my child’s group teacher is unwell?

If your group’s teacher is unwell, either with suspected Covid-19 or otherwise, it is likely that we are unable to arrange cover. Therefore that group will not be able to attend school until their teacher returns..