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The Norwood School

Phased Return Letter emailed today to Yr 10

Please check your email for the letter sent home today re phased reopening for Yr 10 from June 15th 2020

Letters are all personalised with specific details of group numbers, zones and entrances that students must arrive at.

 

Instructions for Yr 10 Phased Return

June 9th 2020

 

Dear Parents and carers,

 

We hope that this email finds you all well and safe. Thank you to everyone for completing the online questionnaire that was circulated recently - your feedback and support has been much appreciated and has been key to us planning for a safe return for the students. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know about the proposed phased return for Yr 10 starting Monday 15th June.

 

Please remember that remote learning will continue for all classes over the next half term. We hope that the students have noticed the more interactive approach to setting tasks remotely and the more personalised approach their teachers have been working hard to share with them. 

 

School will sadly not be returning to normal as yet and we are NOT able to accommodate a large number of students on site at any one time. Numbers are being limited to a maximum of 40 per day - one quarter of the YR 10 cohort. ONLY INVITED STUDENTS WILL BE ALLOWED ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL SITE ON ANY ONE DAY. 


 

The following details will have been personalised in your individual email.

 

Your son/daughter has been invited to attend school on

They will enter the site via 

They will be working in Zone

 

Please DO NOT allow your son/daughter to attend on any other day. Students who arrive at school on a day that they have not been allocated will be sent home immediately and will not be given access to the site.

 

We are taking exceptional steps with respect to Health & Safety measures on-site including the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for students, movement and circulation, lunch provision, social distancing and accommodating the personal welfare and circumstances of individual students in a fair, responsible and well-considered manner.

 

We realise that this has been and continues to be a very unsettling time for us all but please be assured we are doing everything we can to make sure that Norwood is ready to welcome a relatively small number of students back.

 

As you are probably aware, following the government’s most recent guidelines, there are a number of restrictions with regard to their safe return. We would like to take this opportunity to inform you of arrangements that have been made. Our focus to fully prepare over the last two weeks has been to: 

 

  • Provide some face-to-face support to pupils in year 10 and year 12

  • To split classes into smaller groups 

  • To keep groups apart as much as possible 

  • To adapt the school site to maintain social distancing within groups as much as possible

  • To stagger timings to reduce contact at peak times and to 

  • To enhance hygiene practices

 

Most recent government guidance updated June 4th 2020

 

What will the onsite teaching and learning look like? 

 

When designing our provision map, we have carefully considered the needs of our students in Year 10 and note that at this time, it is the intention of the government that they will sit their planned external examinations in the Summer of 2021.

 

We have decided to offer face to face support for all Yr 10, starting initially with English, Maths and Science, then moving onto options in a couple of weeks time. 

The year group has been divided into four ‘bubbles’. Students invited to attend will remain in their ‘bubbles’ of no more than 10 pupils during the day and will remain isolated from other pupils onsite for the duration of their day.

 

We have created isolated teaching /social zones

Zone 1 Maths Corridor S41/S42 (opened up) S43 Top Floor toilets. Back exit to back playground for outside space.

Zone 2 English Corridor F42/F43 (opened up) F39 Ground Floor toilets. Central staircase to exit the upper quad via lower corridor doors.

Zone 3 MFL Breakout space and F26 First Floor Toilets. Back stairwell to access the basketball court for outside space.

Zone 4 Key Workers and Vulnerable Students Library and Atrium.Ground Floor toilets towards the front of the building and lower quad outside space. 

Zone 5 Small groups of Sixth Form that will be onsite at any time will be housed on the opposite side of the school in the Visual and Performing Arts areas and will access via the Yr 11 outside space by the downstairs dance studio.

ONLY TEACHERS WILL MOVE BETWEEN ZONES

Year 10 - Arrival onsite from 9am.

Session 1  9:30am – 10:30am 

Zones Cleaned

Supervised Break and hand wash 10:30 – 10:45am

Session 2 10:45 – 11:45am

Zones Cleaned

Supervised Lunch and hand wash  11:45am  - 12:15pm

Session 3 12:15pm – 1:15m - Hand wash and escorted off site

Students will be instructed not to congregate outside the school gates or in the local area or on their way to and from school. 

 

Travel arrangements to and from school 

It is strongly advised that students walk or cycle to school or if necessary, are dropped off and picked up by car where this is feasible, as the Government has advised that public transport is to be restricted and avoided where at all possible. 

If your child absolutely must travel on public transport, s/he will be required to wear a facemask and you may wish to provide disposable gloves for travel use. These items will then have to be removed at the school gates and it will be the student's responsibility to hygienically store them away or dispose of them in one of our secure waste bins. Please remind your child to be mindful and to take all necessary precautions to reduce risk when travelling on public transport.

 

We have taken the following precautions to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all of our staff and students:

 

  • On arrival - temperature check (hands free infrared thermometers) /hand wash/FSM order/’phones off’ check and reminder

  • Those in receipt of FSM will order one of two alternative lunches available each day and will be escorted in shifts to the lunch hall at 10-minute intervals to collect a pre-prepared lunch pack.

  • Students will be directed to zoned playgrounds.

  • Dress Code: Clean skirt/trousers and white school shirt. Blazers and ties do not need to be worn.  

  • All students MUST bring their own refreshments and healthy snacks on site including filled water bottles.

  • Students will be welcome to wear their own face masks and bring their own hand sanitiser on site.All toilets have been marked with 2 m markings outside for supervised queuing.

  • Students will be briefed with revised Health and Safety/Behaviour Policy/fire evacuation procedures by staff on arrival to their first session.

  • Staffing at breaktime will supervise toilets facilities and outside spaces.

  • Students will be discouraged from using toilets during session times.

  • Toilet facilities will be monitored and limited to one in one out.

  • Toilet facilities will display clear handwashing guidance, soap and paper towels.

  • Pedal bins have been provided for easy disposal of waste.

  • Hand sanitisers have been installed at regular intervals on site.

  • Windows will be open as appropriate to maximise fresh air circulation.

  • Students will be required to bring their own pens/pencils etc

  • Students will be issued with one new exercise book.

  • The Green Room and Front Reception ‘goldfish bowl’, have been set up as designated medical spaces to be used if a student presents with symptoms.

  • We have set up an isolated  medical room away from the rest of the spaces used in school. In the case of any student onsite falling ill, parents will be contacted immediately and asked to collect the students from the front gate.

  • We will not be allowing any parents on site during the working day.

  • We will be implementing a one-way system around the site.

  • Floors are clearly marked at 2m intervals.

  • All internal doors will remain propped open to avoid contact.

  • Any areas outside of the four zones will be locked off.

  • Staff will be allocated to supervise use of routes at peak times.

  • Weather permitting students will eat in zoned outside spaces.

  • In the event of wet weather, students will remain in zones.

  • No breaktime tuck/will be available.

  • We will run a staggered lunch for those collecting pre-ordered FSM in the canteen.

 

If your child is clinically ‘extremely vulnerable’ or living with someone who is in this category, they should not return to school immediately and should continue with their home learning. If your child is clinically vulnerable but not extremely vulnerable, you should follow the NHS medical advice in deciding whether they should return to school. 

 

In accordance with the most recent guidelines please be advised that if a student or member of staff in a particular ‘bubble’ present with coronavirus symptoms she/he will be told to: 

 

  • Self-isolate for 7 days 

  • Take a coronavirus test 

  • Members of their household will be told to self-isolate for 14 days 

 

If the test is negative:

  • They can return to school 

  • The members of their household can stop self-isolating

 

The other pupils and staff in their group (plus any member of staff who cared for the individual while they were symptomatic) will be: 

 

  • Sent home 

  • Told to self-isolate for 14 days 

  • The household members of these pupils and staff only need to self-isolate if the pupil/staff member they live with subsequently develops symptoms.

 

Please note that we have added the most recent risk assessment to the website under the Policies and Documents tab on the About US page of the website. 

 

Behaviour Policy Addendum Covid 19

 

Social distancing 

As part of our detailed Health & Safety planning, the school and all the learning spaces within it have been structured to promote social/physical distancing and safety. Students will be instructed and inducted on revised procedures for movement around the school site, hand washing and using toilet facilities. They will  be advised on amendments to our behaviour policies to ensure strict adherence to our new more rigorous expectations. 

 

Please note that for the safety of all the students and staff on site - students who deliberately or persistently fail to abide with social distancing requirements and other measures intended to reduce the potential for the spread of COVID-19 will be prohibited from attending face to face sessions in school and will have to work from home.


 

There have been a number of amendments to the Behaviour Policy that we would like to draw you attention to. In particular:

Whilst in school, students are expected to:

  • Alert a member of staff if they feel unwell or notice any changes in their health, and where assigned to a medical zone, remain there and follow instructions

  • Follow guidance detailed in notices around the school that promote good hygiene and follow Public Health England’s guidelines. This includes taking care when sneezing and coughing, using tissues and disposing of these in bins (‘catch it, bin it, kill it’) and avoiding touching their mouth, nose and eyes with their hands

  • Use hand sanitisers regularly through the school day

  • Be mindful of the 2m social distancing rule, respecting other people’s personal spaces. Students MUST NOT cough or spit at or towards any other person

  • Follow guidance and instructions for the safe use of the school building across the five zones, staying within the designated zone for the duration of their time on site.

Parent(s) or carer(s) are expected to:

  • Support their child and the changes the school has made to ensure all members of the school’s community feel safe and are protected

  • Reinforce guidance on social distancing and good hygiene with their child

  • Respect the school’s procedure for inviting students onto the school site, ensuring their child only attends school following confirmation from a member of the school’s staff

  • Check their child’s health each time they attend school, taking their child’s temperature and keeping them at home if this is high or they display any signs or symptoms associated with coronavirus (as determined by Public Health England)

  • Advise the school if their child has attended school and consequently shows any signs or symptoms of coronavirus (as determined by Public Health England)

  • Ensure that clean clothing is worn when attending a session in school

  • Supply their child with refreshments and a filled water bottle.

 

We will be sharing the arrangements for face to face/tutorial contact with Options subjects towards the week after next. Please be advised that students will be sent new appointment times and dates to attend according to their subjects.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this email, we understand that there is a lot to take in, so please do email your child’s form tutor in the first instance if you have any questions about the ‘in school’ provision over the next couple of weeks.

 

We hope that the information in this letter is helpful in providing the reassurance needed that we are well placed, ready and able to address the complex challenges we face during these extraordinary times. 

 

Please view the most recent whole school risk assessment and full details, including images of the site ready for Yr 10 and 12 phased return - in the policies and documents section of the website under the about us tab.



 

Ms Knight Head of Year 10 knight.f@thenorwoodschool.org

Mr Clements Deputy Head of Year 10 clements.d@thenowoodschool.org

 

Tutors

Ms Patel patel.a@thenorwoodschool.org

Mr Galea galea.k@thenorwoodschool.org

Mr Wolstenholme wolstenholme.g@thenorwoodschool.org

Ms Mendez mendez.f@thenorwoodschool.org

Mr Macdonald macdonald.w@thenorwoodschool.org

Ms Browning browning.j@thenoroodschool.org


 

Kind regards

Mrs Webster