At St Helen’s we have been working hard to ensure that we are able to welcome back all our children from Wednesday 2^nd September in the safest possible way. Parents of pupils in Nursery and Reception will have been notified separately of their children’s start dates.

The DfE has stated that it is the government’s plan that all children return to school full time from the beginning of the autumn term and we can’t wait to see all our wonderful children and their families back with us to start our new academic year together.

As there will still be the continued associated risks with coronavirus, as a school we have therefore been asked to put in place a range of protective measures. In order to effectively manage the risks that remain, things will be a little different when children return to school for the new academic year. We have reviewed and updated our risk assessment, policy and procedures and as part of this, there are certain approaches that the government has asked schools to implement which are essential to reduce health risks. Parents can support this by:

• ensuring that anyone who has coronavirus symptoms, or has someone in their household who does, does not attend school - this means if your child, or someone in your household, has symptoms you should not send them to school
• engaging with the NHS Test and Trace process so that cases can be identified and action taken - this means if your child develops symptoms, you should arrange for them to get a test and you should inform your school of the results of that test

Alongside this, the government is asking schools to ensure they are:

• managing confirmed cases of coronavirus in the school, in line with current public health guidance - this means your child may be asked to self-isolate for 14 days by their school (based on advice from their local health protection teams) if they have been in close, face-to-face contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus
• ensuring everyone at the school cleans their hands more often than usual, including when they arrive at school, when they return from breaks, and before and after eating - this can be done with soap and running water or hand sanitiser
• ensuring good respiratory hygiene, by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach
• enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces more often
• minimising contact and maintaining distance, as far as possible - schools will decide how best to do this, as it will be different for each setting.

The following links will help you and your family to prepare for your child’s return as they set out the procedures for staff and parents and answer many queries relating to uniform, breakfast club etc. I hope you do find the information informative and supportive as we prepare to welcome back our children. We can’t wait to see you all! Please do get in touch with us if your need any support or clarification.

Click on links below to access important information relating to school re-opening: