Following government announcements in June and July, all GLF’s schools are planning to reopen in September to all children and students.

The government has set out its expectations and guidance for schools operating from September, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirusoutbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools It applies to all primaries, secondaries and school-based nurseries.

Taking into account the government’s advice and the need to balance the ongoing risks of Covid19 against the importance of children returning to school, the Trust has agreed three key objectives to guide our planning:

• Maximising educational provision and opportunity in school, including provision for SEN children
• High expectations for blended and remote learning provision
• Putting in place effective but proportionate safety measures, following PHE and legal requirements

During the summer term, all GLF schools have planned how they will deliver the best education provision while following the recommended safety precautions. They have developed detailed plans and risk assessments, and put in place practical measures to minimise the risks from Covid19, including:

• Carefully limiting the mixing of students and staff through the use of separated groups (“bubbles”)
• Minimising contact between bubbles and external visitors in the way the school day is managed
• Prevention of contact with confirmed cases, and isolation of anyone with symptoms
• Rigorous hygiene and cleaning measures
• Consultation with Public Health England and Local Authorities if any positive cases are confirmed in school
• How they will respond to further national/local lockdowns, including the provision of remote learning

These measures may mean changes to usual school routines, including:

• Adjustments to the timings of the school day and timetabling – however we expect all schools to provide a full-time education
• Changes to the provision of some subjects such as PE and music, and to wraparound care, extracurricular activities and trips
• Avoidance of any large gatherings such as assemblies, productions, sports fixtures and face-to-face parents’ evenings
• Adjustments to the provision of lunches and breaks – free school meals will still be provided but for others there may be limitations in catering provision, and many students may need to bring a packed lunch
• Changes to the way the school buildings are used – e.g. fixed classrooms, segregated play areas, designated toilet facilities, one-way systems
• Changes to uniform arrangements, especially PE kits

Each school has planned to respond to their own local circumstances, and the specific measures relevant to your child will be communicated directly by your school.

All parents are asked to pay particular attention to travel arrangements to and from school, to avoid public transport wherever possible, and to ensure they follow the latest government directions on the use of face coverings. You should also ensure that your child does not attend school if they are unwell or have any symptoms of Covid-19 as they will be sent home. This information is correct as of 21 August 2020. If you have any queries please contact your child's school in the normal way.

Remote Learning Plan 

In order to ensure that learning is continued, irrespective of full closure, bubble closure and self-isolation, Warren Mead Infant and Junior School has developed the following plan. This plan offers remote learning opportunities whilst also acknowledging that some households have limited access to devices and require paper copies of work and resources. 

This plan will be applied in the following instances: 

1. An individual/number of children is self-isolating because of a positive test within the household or symptoms. 

2. A whole bubble or cohort is self-isolating because of an outbreak of coronavirus 

3. Short term whole school closure except for childcare provision for key worker children 

The plan complies with the expectations and principles outlined in the DFE document Guidance for Full Opening of Schools.  

Use of Covid-19 Catch-up Funding 

The government has announced a catch-up premium, equivalent to £80 per pupil, for the 2020 to 2021 academic year to ensure that schools have the support they need to help all pupils make up for lost teaching time.

The guidance on the use of funding states that "although all children have had their education disrupted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, it is likely that disadvantaged and vulnerable groups will have been hardest hit". 

Each school is responsible for allocating this money in order to meet specific, identified areas for focus - such as those relating to learning, assessment, intervention strategies and pastoral needs, in order to help reduce the impact of Covid-19 on children's learning. 

As such, every school leadership team are creating a plan to show how this funding is being spent, the reasons for these decisions and the intended impact. This plan will be found on the school's website. School Standards Boards and the GLF Trust will review each school's expenditure in order to oversee reporting on impact.