Back to school safety information and start dates and times Updated 01.09.20

7th September (Monday)
On Monday 7th Sep year 7, 12 and 13 will be joined by years 10 and 11.
Welcome back to years 10 and 11 to arrive at 8:45 please. Check the rooms on the PCS website. Go straight to your new form room at 8:45.

Dear Learner, Parents and Carers,
’’The wait is almost over’’
I am writing to offer further advice and guidance as we all prepare to welcome our learners back to school. We have now had the relevant documents to base our plans upon.
We have placed on our school website links to several key documents.

1 ’’Reopening of Bridgend Schools for September 2020, Frequently Asked Questions’’. This document contains the link to the Welsh Government Guidance ’’Guidance on learning in schools and settings for the Autumn term.’’

2 ’’September 2020 Operational Guidance for Schools – School Transport.’’

Both of the above documents are provided by Bridgend County Borough Council. Naturally our planning on our risk assessment reflects the guidance from BCBC.

As I have mentioned previously, there has been much media coverage surrounding the use of face masks. BCBC is recommending the use of face masks whilst on school transport. As a school, we are recommending the use of face masks in communal areas and in areas of school where maintaining social distance is challenging.

In terms of school transport, there are a couple of points to make. May I refer you to the ’’Boarding Arrangements’’ in the BCBC ’’Operational Guidance for Schools – School Transport’’. If you access school transport, please make your child/children fully aware of how to board the bus. For the return journey, school staff will help organise the boarding of the bus for the homeward journey.
The school has re-visited the Risk Assessment and completed final reviews under the guidance provided by BCBC Health and Safety team.

When the learners arrive at school, they will be met by staff and directed to their form room where their form teacher will greet them. We have prepared a very detailed induction session in which the changes and new ways of operating will be explained by their form teacher. We believe this is the best approach as the learners can ask questions and seek the clarification they may need from their form teacher. The induction preparation will include:

• Hand washing/ sanitising arrangements
• Routes of travel and the new one way system
• Zoned areas for break and lunch times
• Adjusted times for lunch breaks
• Seating arrangements in class rooms
• The need to wear PE kit to school on the days learners have PE lessons
• The expectations to maintain high standards of uniform/appearance

I do hope that the documents I have signposted, coupled with the narrative above are helpful.
Our main aim is to welcome the learners back safely to our school, reduce anxiety and resume their learning.

Once again, thank you so much for your help over the past months, and I look forward to seeing you again.

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Slade
Head Teacher

As a school we have worked closely with BCBC to produce a comprehensive risk assessment. The school has followed the BCBC template document as the risk assessment document has been co-authored in production. May I appeal to you not to send your child(ren) to school if any of the following points apply to your circumstances.

Coronavirus – COVID-19
Recognised symptoms for COVID-19 include the following:

• A high temperature
• A new continuous cough
• Loss of, or change to, sense of smell or taste

Questions:

• Has anyone tested positive for COVID-19 in your / your child’s household?
• Is anyone in in your / your child’s household displaying symptoms or self-isolating?
• To the best of your knowledge, have you / your child come in to contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19?
• To the best of your knowledge, have you / your child come in to contact with anyone who is displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or self-isolating?
• Have you / your child developed a new continuous cough?
• Do you / your child have a fever or high temperature?
• To the best of your knowledge, have you / your child experienced a change in your / their sense of smell or taste?

A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes within 24 hours.

A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
Loss of, or change to, sense of smell or taste – this means you have noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Note: Temperature testing is not considered to be a reliable indicator of COVID-19 and is currently not recommended.

Pupils
As a member of the school you are part of our community and will need to help protect that community. These are the main actions to keep us all safe.
As learners arrive at school would you all please observe the social distance protocol and keep 2m apart, as far as possible. Further, would all learners not congregate at the school entrances when they arrive and leave.
We will wear school uniform upon our return to school. The current advice is to wear items of clothing that can be regularly washed.
When learners return to school we will hold induction sessions where we will tell all learners of the new measures to keep us all safe.

1 Arriving at School
All learners are encouraged to walk or cycle to school where possible. As far as we are aware face coverings will be required on all transport, eg: school buses. There is no recommendation from WG to wear a face covering in school. However, if a learner chooses to wear a face covering and removes it at some point during the day, they are to place it in a plastic bag and retain it themselves.

2 Hand hygiene
This is key to kill the virus. You will hand sanitise as you enter each lesson. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds when you have used the toilet.

3 Classroom seating
All classes will be set out in rows so no learners face each other. Please do not leave your seat unless a teacher asks you to.

4 Times of the day/ lunch
The start and end times of the school day will remain the same, start 08.45, finish at 15.00 hrs. We will need to vary lunchtimes to keep groups of learners apart. Please bring enough drinking water to last the day.

5 Moving around the school
As you move around the school, try to keep the 2m social distance if you can. Also you must follow the signs, eg: ’’One Way’’ etc.

6 Equipment
All learners will bring all their own equipment to school: there will be no sharing of equipment. Please bring the minimum equipment that you need for each day, essentials only.

7 Coughs and sneezing
Please observe the ’’Catch it, kill it, bin it’’ method. Cough or sneeze into a tissue and fold it and bin it. See the posters.

8 Teacher areas
Within each classroom an area will be marked to keep the teacher 2m from the class. Do not move into the teacher protected area.

9 Procedures
Remember, when you arrive back there will be a new set of procedures at school. Most of the detail is above and each learner will have a full induction briefing from their form tutor.

Thanks for your help,

Andrew Slade
Headteacher

Staggered Start to the Autumn Term

a) 1st, 2nd and 3rd September – No pupils in school

b) 4th September (Friday)
1. Welcome back to our pupils moving into year 12 and 13 and any new pupils joining our Sixth Form. Arrive at 8:45 please. Check the rooms on the PCS website.
2. A very warm welcome to our new year 7.
’Out of catchment’ to arrive at 8:45
Newton and Porthcawl Primary to arrive at 9:00
West Park to arrive at 9:15
and Nottage to arrive at 9:30

c) 7th September (Monday)
On Monday 7th Sep year 7, 12 and 13 will be joined by years 10 and 11.
Welcome back to years 10 and 11 to arrive at 8:45 please. Check the rooms on the PCS website.

d) 8th September (Tuesday)
On Tuesday 8th Sep year 7, 10, 11 and the Sixth Form will be joined by year 8 and 9.
Welcome back to years 8 and 9 to arrive at 8:45 please. Check the rooms on the PCS website.