Author: Mr Roundtree

Yesterday, the Department for Education published guidance ‘to provide information on how primary schools can use flexibility to welcome back additional pupils this term’. The guidance states: ‘It is up to schools to decide which pupils to prioritise, based on their knowledge of their children and communities’.

Welcoming back additional pupils

‘It is up to schools to decide which pupils to prioritise…’ That’s good – that’s what we’ve been trying to do since the government announced that schools should begin to open more widely for pupils.

We’ve been planning carefully to manage increasing numbers in a safe way: while responding the the government’s goal for children in Early Years, Year 1 and Year 6 to return, we’ve also welcomed back more children of key workers, and we’ve also invited individuals from other year groups who might be considered vulnerable in some way.

Regrettably, because we’d already decided which additional pupils to prioritise ahead of yesterday’s guidance, our schools are already close to capacity. If you’re at home with your child and are really struggling in some way, please do get in touch.

A word of caution…

The guidance published yesterday states primary schools with extra capacity can welcome back pupils from any year groups. This is despite education secretary Gavin Williamson telling Parliament last week he was working on a ‘priority’ list for schools of which pupils to welcome back first. This is an example of the confusing messages coming from government.

The current situation means that plans and messages often change. However, please be cautious about the messages coming from government just now:

• they sometimes change, they sometimes get dropped (as appears to be the case with Gavin Williamson’s priority list), and they sometimes don’t match reality
• they don’t appear to stem from working closely with school leaders – certainly, we don’t hear things before you do
• there is a danger that they create false hope and mislead parents as to what is deliverable

The government has previously announced initiatives that haven’t quite lived up to the message: free laptops for disadvantaged home learners haven’t been delivered yet; free school meal vouchers didn’t work like they should leaving families not able to pay for their food at supermarket checkouts; and – one affecting us all – the prime minister’s ambition for all pupils to return for the last few weeks of the school year. Most recently, the prime minister has announced a ‘summer catch-up scheme‘ – let’s hope this is realistic, well-thought-through, and can actually happen.

We start the week with another message that supports our home learners in terms of Living and Learning. I know the difference between laughing at and laughing with someone… is our statement this week.

There’s an important difference between laughing at and laughing with someone. We’ll get on better with others if we know that laughing at someone is unkind and hurtful. The statement links with the British value of mutual respect and tolerance.

Firstly, for older children, read this article to find out what actually happens when we laugh. Laughing and smiling helps your body as well as your mind feel better and healthier but not when this is directed at someone else.

Look at and use these questions to discuss these contrasting photos with your child.

• What do you think is happening in this photograph?
• Have you ever been in a situation like this?
• What do you think this person is/these people are feeling like?
• If you feel like that, what would your face look like?  And your body?
• If you’re feeling like this, what might you do?
• If you’re feeling like this, how does your body feel on the inside?
• What do you think a person who felt like that would do?

Finally, consider the following with your friends and family at the moment:

• What makes you smile and laugh?
• How could you make someone laugh?
• How would that person feel when they are laughing?

For parents and carers, you might like to read Michael Rosen’s article, The trick to making children laugh. And with your child, enjoy his poems, which  can help to bring a smile or a laugh to your face.

Our final message of the week comes from Miss Hague, Scholes (Elmet) Primary’s Head of School.

If your child is back at school, please make sure you read the last two pages of this document – it’s important information about what we need from you and your child to keep everyone safe at school.

School is a very different place to the one we left on Friday 20 March. Although there are now more children’s voices to be heard, everywhere you look there are reminders that things aren’t quite the same.

We remained open for a small number of key workers right through the height of the pandemic, including holidays. Under the complex guidelines, fulfilling the government’s request to invite more children back to school has been very difficult. In order to comply with the current guidance, we’re working in ‘bubbles’.  The bubble idea is a way of acknowledging that primary school children find it very hard to stick to 2m social distancing.  The bubble becomes a little family and just like families outside school have not been allowed to mix, nor are the bubbles within school.

Each of our eight bubbles has around ten children and two adults. The adults, one first aid trained, remain with their bubble during breaks and lunch. Within the bubbles, children are seated at desks which are positioned 2m apart. Children have their own learning packs which includes all the equipment they’re likely to need. Windows and doors are open (it’s been very cold during this last week) to help with ventilation and children are going outside as often as possible. Children stay with their bubble and movement around school is restricted. If you can get somewhere by going outside, we’re asking you to do just that – even in the rain!

The practicalities of running a school in this way are complicated and a great deal of time has gone into risk assessing the environment. We already have 16 members of staff running our existing bubbles – it doesn’t leave many adults spare.

Fundamentally, everyone wants to be back to normal – no more so than us.  The majority of our children are those of key workers, although next week we’re inviting our Y6 children back, albeit on a part time basis.

Moving forward, we’re hoping to introduce another bubble for some more children of key workers – these are mainly children from F2. With this comes some anxiety around staffing, especially if the ‘Test and Trace’ scheme gets fully under way. If all our staff are working within bubbles and a member of staff is asked to self-isolate for 14 days, you can imagine the problems we’ll face. Whilst it would be something we would try to avoid at all costs, the closure of a bubble for 14 days is still a possibility. It feels like a balancing act between opening the maximum amount of bubbles and leaving ourselves vulnerable to staff absences. The statement that there is no easy solution to this has never been more true.

September is looming and we know you’ll have lots of questions about that.  We’re planning for all scenarios, but there are lots of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. Believe it or not we hear the news about schools when you do – we don’t get advanced warning. You’ll be told by email who your child’s next class teacher is on Wednesday 08 July and, as always, we’re happy to answer any questions you may have.

Over the last 12 weeks the staff have worked hard to keep our school community together, whether at home or at school. I think they’ve done an amazing job and I’d like to thank them all. We’ll continue to support all our learners: those at home and at school. Please do get in touch if you need any help or support – we’ll do everything we can to help.

We can’t wait until things get back to normal and everyone is back at school.

If your child is returning soon, please make sure you read the whole document, so you can be prepared with every detail, from snacks to sun-cream (although not much of that is needed at the moment!).

Have a good weekend, despite the weather.

Today’s message comes from Rachel Greenhalgh, our Chair of Governors…

Since the government announced that schools should make preparations to open more widely, our governing body has been working closely with the school leaders to ensure how and when this could happen in the safest way possible for all.

This has been a huge undertaking. School leaders and governors have been keeping abreast of the relevant government information, which extends to 29 guidance documents or announcements and 94 guidance updates published by the Department for Education since the start of the Covid-19 crisis (source: Schools Week), along with additional information from the Local Authority and other sources. Full risk assessments have taken place and were brought to the governing body for discussion, consideration and approval, alongside the proposed practical arrangements for children returning to school and those remaining at home.

The safety of all our children, staff and the wider community has been paramount in all our decision making. Last week, our schools, like many across England, began to welcome more children through our doors. The governing body continues to monitor and review the safety of children and staff in school as we steadily increase the number of children attending, through regular discussion of the risk assessments and plans with school leaders, and communicating any updates to you. For example, we have asked school leaders to reinforce the message about social distancing and other Covid-19 safeguarding priorities.

At the same time, we are conscious that there are still many of our children at home, and there is huge uncertainty about when it will be possible for all children to be back to school. Providing and signposting home-learning for these children also remains a priority, and we continue to ask about the provision for children at home and support available for parents / carers in facilitating this.

We would like to thank you for your continuous support. We are extremely proud of our children and staff and how you have helped and encouraged them to stay happy and healthy during this difficult time.

Look out for tomorrow’s message, which comes from Miss Hague, the Head of School at Scholes (Elmet) Primary.