School Reopening in September 2020

Dear Parents & Carers,

I hope you and your family are safe and well and coping with the continued demands of these exceptional times.

Yesterday the Department for Education issued guidance to all schools regarding reopening in September 2020. The guidance is very detailed but probably the most important element is that all students in all year groups will be expected to attend school full-time from the beginning of September.

Schools have been directed to ensure that the following are in place from September:

• arrangements for people (staff or students) who are ill to stay at home;
• systems for robust hand and respiratory hygiene;
• enhanced cleaning arrangements within the school;
• active engagement with NHS Test and Trace if cases of Covid-19 occur;
• detailed risk assessments

We have also been asked to give consideration to:

• how to reduce contacts and maximise distancing between those in school wherever possible and minimise potential for contamination, so far as is reasonably practicable;
• grouping children together (into distinct cohorts or ‘bubbles’) where possible;
• avoiding contact between these groups / bubbles where possible

Myself and my senior team have begun the process of planning to welcome back all of our children safely from 2^nd September. We will, of course, comply fully with all of the compulsory safety requirements listed in the guidance and will make every effort to minimise unnecessary contact between students when they return to school. The detailed plans will take a few days to complete and we expect to be able to share these with you by Monday 13^th July. At that time we will also give details of how we plan to support the induction of our new Year 7 students as well as the reintegration of our returning students, many of whom have not been in school since mid-March.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns relating to this, please do not hesitate to contact me via the school.

Yours faithfully,

Mr J Cregg
Headteacher