FAQ about school re-opening

Please note: school is following DfE guidance closely and the answers below reflect this guidance. They will be updated if further questions arise.

New questions are highlighted.

• Can the children of Key Workers attend school every day, even if they are not in the “targeted” year groups?

Yes, all children of key workers are entitled to a place in school, regardless of their year group.  They can attend from June 8^th and will be in school from 9am to 3pm maximum,  If parents have other siblings in school who have different drop-off and pick-up times then the KW children can be in school at the same time as siblings.  They will be taught in a separate group unless their year group is currently one of the ones back in school. In the first instance the KW group will continue to work in the hall as they have been since school closed in March.

If you are a Key Worker who will be returning to work on/after June 8^th and require a place in school for your child/ren, please contact school prior to sending them in as we will need to ensure that the staffing is in place for this group of children to ensure there are no more than 15 in one group.  

• Will my child have to wear school uniform every day?

This isn’t necessary.  It is more important that clothes can be washed and changed daily.  If this is not manageable with school uniform then “normal” clothes will be fine.

• Will my child have to attend school every day or can I select which days they come in?

The Government are encouraging all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 to return to school in early June.  If your child is in school from then the expectation is that they will be in every day.

• Will I be fined if I choose not to send my child back into school in June?

No, the government has said that no fines will be issued

• If I decide to send my child in after a few weeks, would this be ok?

In order to ensure that we are meeting the correct staff to pupil ratio of 1:15, we would need 24 hours notice of a child returning to school mid-term.

• How much of the day will the teachers be wearing PPE?

Teachers and other staff in school have been provided with PPE for their own protection and reassurance.  They may choose to wear it at times during the day when they will be in close contact with the children as they teach them, or when they may come into contact with other adults.  They will always wear PPE when dealing with First Aid or sickness.

• Will the timetable for the school day be changed at all?

The usual timetable will need to change as children will not be able to move to different classes for some subjects as they have been doing. Some activities will not be able to be take place due to restriction of resources, e.g  sending reading books home, or “tricky words” in Reception.  Assemblies and other gatherings can’t take place in the usual way and will need to be done virtually.  PE lessons can only take place with the child’s own class group, and cannot involve any contact sports.

• My child has an EHCP. Will he/she get the support they usually have?

Yes, if a child has an EHCP they will receive the support they are entitled to.  Other children who have been receiving some individual support but who are not currently on an EHCP may not be able to receive the same level of support as staff will need to be deployed across the school to enable the smaller class sizes to be maintained.

• Will assemblies such as star assembly still take place?

We will run virtual assemblies rather than gathering together in the hall.  Star assembly would have to be an in-house celebration, with children named in our Friday Flyer.  These details are still to be finalised.

• Will my child still receive reading books from school?

No, as shared resources such as reading books cannot be moved from school to home and back, we will not be able to send books home. Staff are working on how to best promote and teach reading and further details will be sent out when school re-opens.

• Will my child be able to play with their friends at break and lunch times?

The children will only be able to play with the children who are in the same “mini” class as they are.  The groups cannot mix at breaktimes or lunchtimes.

• Will the Y6 be able to visit their new high school for transition?

There are plans being discussed with TTLP to allow children who are going to Poynton High School to be able to attend the school for some sessions in July. Other high schools will probably not be able to offer this transition, but we expect them to communicate directly with Y6 parents about their plans.

• Will my child still be doing PE?

PE lessons will need to be carefully planned so as not to allow any physical contact between children.  The lessons can only be taught with each small group of 15 children.

• Will the music lessons (drumming, guitar, keyboard, violin) be taking place?

No, unfortunately we will not be able to invite the peripatetic music teachers back into school for the time being. Children must be kept in “bubbles” and should not mux with anyone else in school beyond their “bubble”.  So individual and small group lessons with a different adult are not allowed.

• Will home-learning work still be set for the children in Years 2,3 4 and 5, and any children who are self-isolating from other year groups?

Yes, we will continue to set work for these groups of children until the government sets a date when all year groups are to attend school.

• Will all these procedures continue when the whole school returns?

Plans for the whole school to return have still not been finalised by the government.  Their idea that all children should return to school for a month before the Summer holiday, being taught in groups of no more than 15 children, will cause schools a huge logistical and organisational problem.  For Disley school we would need 19 classrooms/teaching areas to facilitate that.  We have 10 classrooms, plus a hall and IT suite which could be used.  Therefore, we are unable to give parents any indication of how this is going to work. The only way it could be managed would be to open on a rota basis e.g week 1 – one Reception class, Y1, Y3 and Y5 children. Week 2 – the other Reception class, Y2, Y4 and Y6 children.

It is therefore unwise and unhelpful to speculate at this stage how schools across the country will manage this with the restrictions in place.