Dear Parents and Carers,
As you know, the Leadership Team and myself have, this week, been working through the guidance produced by the government to make plans for a September opening for all children.
Throughout all the discussions and decision making, we have placed the children’s needs first and have sought to ensure that their social and emotional needs are met alongside their academic ones. This is, and will always be, our priority.
As you can appreciate the returning of the whole school presents a number of logistical challenges which will require a great deal of cooperation and understanding, especially in the first instance.
You already know that we are asking the children to come back into their new classes for the year. We want this to be a positive and consistent start and we feel that being in their classes at the start of the year and not changing after a period of time is the best way forward for our children to provide that consistency in learning that they have not had for some time. We do recognise that our children are amazing and resilient. Many will have a few worries and feel anxious about returning (as will some adults) but they will settle quickly into their new routines.
To help the children quickly settle in to school life again we will be asking them to come in part time on the Wednesday 2nd- Friday 4th September. This is to ensure that new routines of drop offs and pick-ups are successful with less adults and children around; will ease children’s anxieties around coming back to school; will allow more social and emotional work to be done with their teacher as they will be in smaller groups. It will also enable the school to check and understand the new way of working. You will be told by the end of this term whether you should come mornings or afternoons. We shall try to keep any disruption to a minimum.
We have considered many options to ensure that all children are able to return. We have been able to draw upon the very successful reopening of the school to children in reception, year 1, year 5 and year 6 where children have settled very quickly with the new rules and different ways of working in the school. This has gone incredibly well. We are also lucky that each year group is ‘blocked’ in its own area and that staff work within those year groups. Therefore, we have decided that year group bubbles will provide the best structure to ensure that all children receive a full, broad and balanced curriculum in a safe and protective bubble.
The arrangements include:
 Using different gates around the school with staggered times to allow year group bubbles to be dropped off or picked up safely. Due to the relatively short periods for each year group we ask that you only come at your allotted time- there is no space for loitering and please follow one way systems
 Each year group bubble will have their own playtimes and lunchtimes staffed by their own team.
 Resources will not be shared outside their bubble and children will continue the strict hand washing routine that they have been doing throughout this period.
 Children will be expected to return in their full uniforms; they should bring PE kits in on a Monday and be taken home on a Friday for washing- these will be the only items kept in the lockers.
 Children should have just one bag which will be kept in their classrooms- and to have only a water bottle, packed lunch and book bag.
 It will be packed lunches only in the first instance to be eaten in their classrooms. Should your child receive a Free School Meal, this will be provided by our catering team, Caterlink, and will be taken to the child’s classroom for them. If you wish to pay for a school packed lunch, this can be done via the Caterlink website as before.
 Most classrooms will be set up to have forward facing desks and an area that the teacher will teach from which is between 1-2 metres from pupils. There will be slight variations with the very youngest pupils.
 There will be minimal movement of children around the school
 There will no breakfast club or extended day provision until October- more details nearer the time
 There will be no clubs until term 2.
 Behaviour expectations and sanctions will remain the same. We will be supporting children to return to school and to have a clear understanding of new rules and regulations. However if rules are broken that put others in danger we will need to consider the safety of others first and will contact parents directly. We appreciate your support with this. It is everyone’s responsibility to follow the rules and therefore keep our whole school community safe.
 First Aid will continue to be administered from trained staff within each year group who will have PPE protection
 The office will remain closed to parents and visitors. Please continue to communicate with the school via email (office@cliftonville.kent.sch.uk), by telephone (01843 227575 for the main school office and 07540686882 for attendance) or by letter.
 Discussion or meetings with any adult will be via appointment only and facemasks will be expected to be worn by the adults.
Further information about what school will look like for each child and further information will be posted on the website. You will find all the information at https://www.cliftonvilleprimary.co.uk/september-2020-opening/
 

Therefore in summary

Wednesday 2nd September- Friday 4th September children will come in either morning or afternoons. You will notified next week of this  either;
Year 1 8.30-8.40…….11.30
Year 2 8.30-8.40…….11.30
Year 3 8.45-8.55…….11.45
Year 4 8.45-8.55…….11.45
Year 5 8.40-8.50…….11.40
Year 6 8.30-8.40…….11.30

or

Group B (afternoons)

Year 1 12.15-12.25……..3.15
Year 2 12.15-12.25……..3.15
Year 3 12.30-12.45……..3.30
Year 4 12.30-12.45……..3.30
Year 5 12.20-12.30……..3.20
Year 6 12.15-12.25……..3.15

Monday 7th September onwards
All children in all day
In all cases PLEASE only come at your allotted time- there is no space for loitering and please follow one way systems
Pre-School 8.30 -11.30 12.15-3.15
via Reception green gates and one way loop system
Reception 8.40-8.50     3.00
via Reception green gates and one way loop system
Year 1   8.30-8.40       2.50
via Reception green gates and one way loop system
Year 2   8.30-8.40       2.50
via KS1 playground via normal single gate and one way system

Year 3   8.45-8.55      3.15
via KS1 playground via normal single gate and one way system
Year 4    8.45-8.55     3.15
Through car park and round to double gates to the KS2 playground
Year 5   8.40-8.50      3.15
Using back tram track alley gate
Year 6    8.30-8.40     3.00
Through car park and round to double gates to the KS2 playground

Getting to school on time and Attendance
Currently the Government are suggesting that using public transport be kept to a minimum. Please remember that if these services are used then face coverings must be worn. The Government have made it clear that it is the responsibility of the parent to get children to school on time and I would ask you to take note of the start and end times for particular year groups. There can be no loitering on the school premises.
Obviously, we are aware that there may be siblings in different year groups but we cannot accommodate pupils entering the schools at different times to their year groups. This will also include collection of children. This is an example of where special arrangements will not be able to be made. What we are doing is keeping the timings as close together as we can to limit the wait. We recognise that this will cause some inconvenience however, we hope that you will recognise the importance and the logistical difficulties surrounding getting all the children into school safely.
The Government have made it clear that all children should be in school and that we should facilitate full provision. We have also been told that normal attendance procedures should be applied for those not coming into school. I will be interpreting this in a way that builds the confidence of all of you as we return.
If you are late to your bubble, you will need to go to the front door of the house, where the attendance officers- Mrs Saddington and Mrs Sear will be waiting for you. The children will be taken to class by staff as normal. After 9.10, you will need to buzz at the school gate and wait for a member of staff.
Normal late rules apply: up until 5 minutes after your bubble time will be an L; any later will be a U (unauthorised).
Finally, there is no doubt that this will be a huge change for us all. Some will adapt quickly but for others, we recognise that there may be a small period of adjustment. I ask for patience, understanding and cooperation from everyone in order to make this new way of working be successful so that our whole community is able to return to school, happy and healthy, settle quickly into our new normal and start building upon the children’s strong foundations for the future.
Throughout this whole period, we as a school have striven to make decisions that placed the children and the communities’ health and wellbeing at its heart. I would like to thank you for your absolute support in the school whilst doing this. We know from experience that the measures we have in place work and the children who have returned to us have quickly settled and been eager to start their learning again. This will be the same in September and I have enormous faith in our children, staff and you, as parents, to continue where we left off in March.
Please continue to keep safe,
Warmest regards
Claire Whichcord, Headteacher.