12^th May 2020

Dear Parents and Carers,

Preparing for the opening of school to more pupils from 1st June

As many of you may be aware, the Department for Education released further information late yesterday evening which gave more detail about the potential wider re-opening of schools from 1^st June.  This guidance can be found via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

As you can appreciate, the potential expansion of school opening to more pupils will take considerable time and planning, both from the school but also from the Local Authority.  What I can promise you all is that my main priority will be creating the best and safest return for our children, staff and the members of the St Thomas More community.

Between now and 1st June, the team and I will make plans for pupils in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 to possibly return from 1^st June 2020.  This is obviously very dependent on the latest Government guidance and the continued checking of the rates of infection of COVID-19.

These plans will include a thorough risk assessment of the school site and a series of potential adaptations to the arrangements that we are all used to.  These changes may include:

• A staggered approach to the start and finish times of the school day for the year groups named above.
• Smaller class sizes.
• Altering the classroom environment as much as possible such as changing their layout.
• Changing the timetable to reduce the chance of year groups mixing, e.g. staggering break and lunchtimes.
• The continued promotion of regular hand washing.

As well as planning to ensure that the physical environment is as safe as possible, we will also be making the most of the flexibility to we have to provide support and education to every child.  At the right time, this will focus upon:

• Pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.
• Supporting those children in transition years so that they are ready to move on to the next stage of their education.
• Making assessments of where pupils are in their learning in order to make any necessary changes to our curriculum over the period of the summer term. This will only happen when we feel it is right to do so.
• Continuing to support pupils whose year groups are remaining at home.

We will do our best to ensure that you are kept informed but as you can appreciate planning for a return of this nature and the complexities that are associated with it is going to take time.  What you as parents think is at the forefront of what we will do and we will be sending out a survey in due course.  As soon as we have a proposed plan agreed, we will share this with you.

I will endeavour to keep you all informed at every opportunity.  Please be patient with us and continue to be the wonderfully supportive community that you have been so far.

Please continue to stay safe and well.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs N Tippen

Head Teacher