Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope you and your families are all well.

You will have heard the government’s recent announcement about schools opening to more children, possibly from the 1st June. We have been looking at the guidance, which has since been altered, and have been planning how best to work with this to meet the government priorities in helping more children to go back to school.

Government guidance continues to give priority to families who meet the criteria listed below. As a result any children who fall under any of the categories will be allocated a place, if required, first.

1. Pupils were either parent is a member of NHS frontline staff e.g. doctors, nurses etc.

2. Pupils who have a social worker or who are classed as being vulnerable

3. Pupils were both parents are on the Key Worker list

4. Pupils were one parent is on the Key Worker list

(The Key Worker list remains the same; a copy is available on the school website)

Following this group the next classes, in order, to be offered places will be the Nursery (N2 only, those transitioning to Reception & half days only), then Reception, Year 1 and finally Year 6. Obviously the ability to offer a place is very much dependent on demand. As the government has limited class sizes, for social distancing reasons, this in turn has reduced the schools ability to take in more children due to the number of classrooms available.

Home learning will continue to be given through the school website for all year groups and you will still be encouraged to work with your children whenever possible. The children who attend school will only be given the same work which has been set for their Home learning. We will not be in a position to teach the usual curriculum, this is for childcare in the main.

Some of our planned measures for a phased return to school are listed below. The finer details will be shared with you once we know the numbers of children attending. However the information, which has been directed to schools by the Department for Education, should give you an idea of how school would look/operate under the new guidance:

• Class sizes to be no more than 15, though this may be reduced further for Nursery (N2 Children) and Reception.

• Regular hand washing will be encouraged for all children throughout the day.

• Revised systems for using the toilets will be put in place.

• No children or adults with symptoms or from a household with symptoms will be permitted to attend the site. Children who develop symptoms in school will be isolated and a parent asked to collect. Any school group with a confirmed case will be required, along with their families, to self-isolate for 14 days.

• All classes will continue to be thoroughly cleaned at the end of the school day.

• There will be staggered start and finish times for all the different groups. This is to ensure social distancing when children are dropped off and picked up from school. (Some classes may start at 8.30 am and finish earlier)

• Only one parent will be allowed on the school premises to collect/pick up and social distancing should be adhered to at all times. Markers will be put at the entrance to those classrooms with 2 metre gaps.

• The school will work hard to ensure that children have the same teacher/teaching assistant each week when they are in school; however it may be that your child will not be taught by their actual class teacher/teaching assistant who they had prior to the current situation. There may have to be some mixing of years so children may not be with their class mates.

• All groups of up to 15 will work with a teacher/teaching assistant and will NOT mix with any other children even if there are children from the same year in a different group. They will have separate play times and lunch times which again will be staggered.

• Desks & chairs in classrooms, where possible, will be spread out to ensure 2 metre distancing

• Children will need to abide by social distancing measures at playtimes which will be staggered for all the different groups. There will be no play equipment available so games of football etc. will not be allowed. Games of tick won’t also be able to be played though running round the yard while maintaining social distancing will. Obviously distancing for the younger children will be a challenge but we aim to do this as must as possible.

• At lunchtimes children in main school will be able to have a school meal or bring a packed lunch. School meals are free for Reception, Year 1 & for eligible children on Free School meals.  Lunch will be eaten at desks in the classroom rather than in the hall. There will be time for exercise, and these times will be staggered according to each group and will need to comply with social distancing.

In terms of the school office, parents should telephone/email where possible. We will be limiting visitors to school to an absolute minimum and ask that parents only come to the main reception if it is a necessity. Only one person at a time will be allowed in the foyer, parents waiting will need to wait outside the main door observing the 2 metre social distancing rule.

As you can see from the above schooling for the children is going to be very different from what they knew before the lockdown. There are more measures which will need to be put in place and these will be communicated to you once we know our final numbers. There will also be no Breakfast or After School Club facility under the revised opening guidelines.

I would like to stress that attendance is not compulsory; it is your choice as a parent if you want your child to return to school. The government recognises that these are very strange and uncertain times and no families will be fined for non-attendance at school during the current period.

Please bear in mind that this is all very new for us too. We would like nothing better than to be providing our usual schooling and way of delivery. However you can appreciate this is just not possible at the moment.

In order to move ahead with the planning for this, we need to have all the relevant information by 1pm Friday 22nd May. Therefore if you DO NOT intend to send your child into school, even though you fall into one of the categories mentioned earlier, can you either ring the school on 0151 924 7280 or email admin.stwilliamofyork@schools.sefton.gov.uk. Once we have an idea of numbers we can prioritise groups, sort out staffing, the classrooms, start times etc. We will also be able to inform you as to the date your child can start.

Yours sincerely

Mr. M Murphy

Headteacher