Dear Parents and Carers,
We hope you and your families have stayed safe and well over the summer.
Following national guidance, Ashmount School will open to pupils on Wednesday 26th August 2020.
When we return to school, we will be following the latest government and NHS guidance to protect the health and wellbeing of our children and young people and our staff and their families, which will include:
- robust hand and respiratory hygiene
- enhanced cleaning arrangements
- active engagement with NHS Test and Trace
- formal consideration of how to reduce contacts and maximise distancing between those in school.
We will be taking the following steps:
- Students and staff will remain in their class ‘bubbles’ to minimise contact between different groups of pupils;
- Staff will be provided with the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where they are required to work in close proximity to pupils to support them with personal care.
- We have put increased cleaning in place, particularly around communal areas and classrooms, and staff and pupils will continue to be educated on how to minimise the risks to themselves;
- All staff and visitors to the school have been made aware of the current guidelines published by the government;
- We will be asking all parents and carers and local authority drivers and escorts to wait outside the main entrance when dropping off and picking up pupils at the start and end of the school day;
- We have temporarily suspended visits out of school and will be postponing some activities, such as swimming, that require higher staffing levels and staff and pupils to work in close proximity;
- We will be postponing whole school events and limiting the number of visitors who are allowed access to the school site;
- Contingency plans have been put in place for a reduced workforce or the need for social isolation.
In line with the latest advice from the NHS, we will be asking all staff and pupils to stay at home if they have a new continuous cough and / or a high temperature or loss of taste and smell. If someone has serious symptoms they cannot manage at home they should contact NHS 111, and in the case of an emergency the public are advised to call 999 immediately.
In the event that we do have a confirmed case of the virus at Ashmount School we will follow government and NHS guidelines.
We will continue to constantly re-assess the situation and provide an update if anything changes, however, please don't hesitate to get in touch at the start of term if you have any further questions.
Yours sincerely,
David Deacon
Headteacher