Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Dear Parents and Carers,
School will be re-opening to all pupils starting from Monday 8th March - we have all control measures for COVID-19 transmission management in place and our risk assessment has been assured by Coventry City Council officers as safe to open.
The playground gates will be open from 8.30am, with pupils able to go straight into classrooms from that time. Our Earlybird Breakfast Club will be running for pupils needing to arrive earlier than that - please make sure that you are booked in. Pupils can arrive up to 8.50am when the gates will close - we are doing it like this to reduce the numbers at the gates at any one time whilst allowing for siblings to come to school at the same time. Please maintain social distancing at the school gates and leave once you have dropped your child. Pupils should be in full school uniform with adequate layers to keep warm as we need to keep the windows open. Pupils should wear PE kit to school on days that they have PE as they did before.
We ask that all pupils in Key Stage 1and 2 are dropped off and go in on their own; Nursery and Reception parents are able to walk their child to the classroom, but cannot enter the building.
On arrival at school all pupils will wash their hands. Pupils will then be in classrooms that have been set up according to government guidance, and will be in phase bubbles that will not mix with other pupils. Resources will not be shared until cleaned and are for the sole use of your child whenever possible. Playtimes and lunchtimes will be staggered so that bubbles do not mix, and lunches will be eaten in the classrooms for most pupils. The children will choose their school lunch from a special menu, with hot and cold choices.
Parents may collect pupils from classroom doors from 2.45pm onwards; pupils who walk home alone (only permissable in Year 5/6) will need a note provided and will be dismissed at 3pm via the side gate. Again we ask that parents socially distance at gates or doors, and leave the school site and surrounding area as soon as pupils are collected. All pupils should be collected by 3pm. Parents should wear masks on the school site.
There cannot be any After School Clubs to begin with, but Staylate will be running for pre-booked pupils - ask at the Office for details and to book.
If you have any queries or concerns please don't hesitate to contact me - email headteacher@stmary-stben.coventry.sch.uk or call the school.
Kind regards,
Mrs MacDonald
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are pleased to be welcoming your children back to school from the 8th March. We continue to take every measure to make sure our schools are as safe as possible, and as a city we continue to share learning and good practice across all schools.
Coventry’s current rate of 112 people with the virus for every 100,000 of the population, has significantly reduced, but continues to remain higher than when schools fully opened in September 2020. There are a number of additional measures that will be in place, linked to national guidance and local advice, and we thank you for your continued support with this.
Lateral Flow testing (LFT)
LFT continues to be an important tool in managing infection rates and reducing transmission on an ongoing basis. It is helpful in identifying asymptomatic cases, and therefore reducing the number of children and young people that may need to isolate.
It is already in place for secondary age pupils, who will be invited to have 3 tests on their return to school (3 to 5 days apart). Following this, home testing kits will be supplied for pupils to test twice weekly. Parental consent is required for testing, and we urge you to consent for your secondary-age child to be tested.
There is no national recommendation for primary-age pupils to have a LFT. You will be aware, however, that we have extended our LFT Community sites to be able to test children and young people from age 2. We are encouraging all parents and carers of children attending a primary school to take them for a COVID-19 test prior to their return to school week commencing the 8th March, and then on a weekly basis thereafter. Information on the location and opening times of LFT Community sites is available at https://www.coventry.gov.uk/lateralflowtesting.
Please also be aware that the government have just announced rapid lateral flow testing for households and bubbles of school pupils and staff. This will enable parents and carers to collect home test kits at a local collection point to allow LFT to be done at home. Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff. This is a new development and we will provide further information through your usual school communication process as soon as we have it.
Face Coverings
Secondary-age pupils will have already been used to wearing face coverings when moving around school premises and in communal areas on school sites. The Department for Education are also currently recommending that face coverings are worn by pupils in classrooms or during activities where social distancing cannot be maintained. Secondary schools in Coventry are adopting this advice and no doubt will have already been in contact with you in relation to this. In addition, any secondary aged pupils travelling on dedicated transport to school must also wear a face covering. This does not apply to any children or young people who are exempt from wearing face coverings.
There is no national or local recommendation that children in primary schools wear a face covering within the setting.
General Controls
There are a number of other things that you can also continue to do to help make our education settings safe. These are:
If you would like any more help and advice around COVID-19, please go to
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
We are aware that there will continue to be situations across the city where children / young people are required to self-isolate because they test positive or are a contact of a confirmed case in an education setting. This is obviously a necessary precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep Education settings open to as many children and young people as possible. Where pupils do need to self-isolate, schools will support them to continue with their education using remote learning packages.
We would like to thank you for your continued support in helping our city reduce COVID-19.
Yours sincerely,
Kirston Nelson Liz Gaulton
Director of Education & Skills Director of Public Health and Wellbeing