Post on 07-Jul-2020
Dear Parents,
Firstly, I hope you are well and continue to stay safe and healthy.
As you know, the government is anticipating that from the week commencing 1st June more
children can begin to return to schools. The first phase of their plan involves only Nursery,
Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils returning, alongside priority groups (vulnerable children and
children of critical workers).
Phase 2 of the government plan is for additional year groups (Y2, Y3, Y4& Y5) to return before the
summer holidays. The government have stated that this return would only happen if the most up-to-
date assessment of the risk posed by the virus indicates it is appropriate to have larger numbers of
children within schools (the removal of social distancing restrictions).
The Senior Leadership team and Governors have devised a return plan for those children included in
Phase 1, which we can now share with parents. In creating the plan, the school has had to ensure it
is following all advice and guidance set out by the Government (as is reasonably possible) whilst
considering the challenges posed by the size and capacity of the school building and its layout as well
as available outside space. (I have attached an appendix to the letter highlighting the key guidance
from the government).
Overall Organisation
In order to accommodate all the children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 we have had to
split the week into 2 groups.
Monday & Tuesday Wednesday Thursday & Friday
Year 1 Group A
Cleaning of classrooms
Year 1 Group B
Year 6 Group A Year 6 Group B
Nursery children Reception children
Priority group children Priority group children Priority group children
• Since lockdown, priority group children have been able to attend school every day and this
will continue in order to follow the government guidance.
• The school have also recognised that for children in Nursery and Reception, the return to
school may be quite overwhelming, particularly as they are not returning to their usual
routines and setting, and as such may need significant support with settling back in. With
this in mind, we have decided to have only Nursery children in on Monday & Tuesday
MORNING ONLY, for all children within Nursery (whether AM or PM). Reception children will
then be in on Thursday & Friday for the two full days. This will allow foundation stage staff
to offer more targeted support for each group.
Timetable
We will begin asking children to return to school in a phased approach in order that we can manage
the return safely and address any concerns or issues that we may not have considered quickly and
without significant impact.
Monday 1st
June Priority group children
Thursday 4th
June Priority group children
Monday 8th
June Priority group children
Thursday 11th
June Priority group children
(Please note that the timetable below may have to change or be delayed if the school feels that the
health and safety of children is at risk.)
Grouping
The year groups returning to school will be placed into groups or ‘bubbles’ which they will remain in
for the rest of the term. They will have a teacher and a member of support staff wh
them throughout the day (and subsequent days and weeks
with their usual class teacher but
Unfortunately, priority group children cannot
of spreading infection. They will
until the end of term.
Each group or ‘bubble’ will not be able to mix with other groups during the day (for example
playtime and lunchtimes) in order to
Learning Environments
For children in Year 1, Year 6 and p
picture show below. (We can get a maximum o
They will have their own seat, with their own resources
classroom will be limited due to social distancing expectations. We will try and provide as many
opportunities, where possible, for children to be outside.
For Nursery and Reception children we cannot have them learning in class
their age and understanding, and because their experience of foundation stage is through learning
through play and accessing resources themselves. This does mean that social distancing measures
cannot be enforced with children in
be grouped in ‘bubbles’ and will not mix with other groups.
Year Groups returning
Priority group children Nursery
Priority group children Reception Year 6 B
Priority group children Nursery Year 1 A
Priority group children Reception Year 1 B
(Please note that the timetable below may have to change or be delayed if the school feels that the
health and safety of children is at risk.)
The year groups returning to school will be placed into groups or ‘bubbles’ which they will remain in
They will have a teacher and a member of support staff wh
and subsequent days and weeks). Where possible we will keep children
with their usual class teacher but this may not be possible for all bubbles.
iority group children cannot be placed with their class or year group
of spreading infection. They will placed within their own ‘bubble’ and will remain with those children
‘bubble’ will not be able to mix with other groups during the day (for example
in order to reduce the risk of spreading infection.
children in Year 1, Year 6 and priority groups the children will be in classrooms laid out in the
show below. (We can get a maximum of 10 children in most classrooms).
, with their own resources in a pack. Again, movement around the
classroom will be limited due to social distancing expectations. We will try and provide as many
opportunities, where possible, for children to be outside.
For Nursery and Reception children we cannot have them learning in classrooms and at desks due to
nd understanding, and because their experience of foundation stage is through learning
through play and accessing resources themselves. This does mean that social distancing measures
cannot be enforced with children in Nursery or Reception. Nursery and Reception children
be grouped in ‘bubbles’ and will not mix with other groups.
Year 6 A
Year 6 B
(Please note that the timetable below may have to change or be delayed if the school feels that the
The year groups returning to school will be placed into groups or ‘bubbles’ which they will remain in
They will have a teacher and a member of support staff who will be with
. Where possible we will keep children
year group due to the risk
’ and will remain with those children
‘bubble’ will not be able to mix with other groups during the day (for example
classrooms laid out in the
).
Again, movement around the
classroom will be limited due to social distancing expectations. We will try and provide as many
rooms and at desks due to
nd understanding, and because their experience of foundation stage is through learning
through play and accessing resources themselves. This does mean that social distancing measures
Nursery or Reception. Nursery and Reception children will also
Learning
We will endeavour to provide children in school with learning that is fun, creative and inspiring
however the restrictions in place with regards to hygiene and social distancing means that we will
not be able to teach the curriculum as would normally have planned and not in the manner in which
we would like.
Drop off, pick up, break & lunch
We will need to introduce staggered drop off and pick up times for each group to avoid the risk of
having too many children and parents in the playground. (This information will be provided to
parents week beginning Monday 25th
May).
This will also be the case for breaktimes and lunchtimes. These will be staggered so that groups are
not mixing during the school day.
Children not attending school
For those year groups who will not be attending school as part of Phase 1 the school will be
providing weekly on-line learning. As yet, we are not clear how this learning will be delivered (we
will provide parents with further information on this once it is agreed) but we will be ensuring that
children not in school will not be placed at a disadvantage and will be receiving similar learning to
those children who are in school.
We will also ensure that children not attending will be contacted by their class teacher (if this is not
possible then by a member of staff who knows them well) once a fortnight.
I fully appreciate that this plan may be positive for many parents and disappointing for others.
The planning that sits behind all of this has been extremely well considered (as well as extremely
difficult) and all decisions have been made with the well-being of our children, families and staff at
the heart of it and not been taken lightly. Governors, senior leaders and I have been fully involved in
its formulation and we are all in agreement that this is the best way to ensure a safe return for the
children returning in phase one.
In order for us to plan for the numbers of children returning, if your child is either;
• A Nursery, Reception, Year 1 or Year 6 pupil
OR
• A child that falls within the government’s priority groups (vulnerable families or families with
critical workers)
and your child or children WILL be returning to school from 1st
June 2020 please send an email to
admin@wilson.reading.sch.uk(or if you have an urgent enquiry call the Wilson office on
01189375573) stating;
• The name of your child (or children) who will be returning
• The year group in which they are in.
• Parent job role if you are requiring a priority group place.
• Preferred days of the week if your child is in Y1 or Y6. (Please note we cannot guarantee
your preferred days)
It is essential that you reply by 5pm Wednesday 20th
May in order for us to plan effectively and
ensure a healthy and safe return is in place for your child. We will contact you on Monday 25th
May to confirm your place and to state which days your child can attend.
I would like to reassure parents that the school will maintain regular contact over the coming weeks
and ensure you are all made aware of any changes or decisions the government make that could
alter our provision.
Finally, I would just like to thank parents and families for their support over the last few weeks and
months. We have been living in very strange times that have not always been easy or straight
forward, but it has been wonderful to see how our community has pulled together. Wilson is a very
special place with a very special community and these last few months have clearly shown that.
Thank you and please take care
Claire
Appendix
Managing risk and rate of transmission
• A risk assessment will be in place that directly addresses risks associated with coronavirus,
ensuring sensible measures are in place to control those risks for children and staff. This will
be reviewed weekly.
Effective infection protection and control
• cleaning hands more often than usual - wash hands 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
• ensuring good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach
• cleaning frequently touched surfaces often using standard products, such as detergents and
bleach
• minimising contact and mixing by altering, as much as possible, the environment (such as
classroom layout) and timetables (such as staggered break times)
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Schools and other education or childcare settings should not require staff, children and
learners to wear face coverings.
Class or group sizes
• For primary schools, classes should normally be split in half, with no more than 15 pupils per
small group and one teacher (and, if needed, a teaching assistant).
• Where settings can keep children and young people in small groups 2 metres away from
each other, they should do so. While in general groups should be kept apart, brief, transitory
contact, such as passing in a corridor, is low risk.