Dear Parents/Carers,

You will be aware from government announcements that there is an aspiration for wider opening of schools and I thank you for your patience in receiving further information from Greswold as to what this may look like.

At Greswold, all of our thinking, planning and decision making requires the appropriate balance of 3 principles which are:

1. Our ability to welcome children back
2. The safety of all onsite and their families
3. Staff wellbeing in order to deliver sustainable education and care

At Greswold, we will continue to offer full time care for vulnerable children and those of key workers whose child cannot be safely cared for at home. In addition, we have set our priority groups as Nursery and Greswold Greyhounds where children take their main 15 hours, Reception and Y6. Based on a thorough risk assessment and following our 3 principles, Greswold is working towards welcoming back children in those priority groups initially for two days per week (Monday and Tuesday OR Thursday and Friday) from week commencing 8^th June. It is hoped that the same arrangements can be made for Y1 pupils from week commencing 15^th June.

Our plans focus on children being placed into self-contained groups called bubbles of up to 15 children with an appropriate staff member (not necessarily their class teacher) who will facilitate learning to mirror the home learning provision. Each group will have a designated base (not necessarily their usual classroom) indoors. The children will remain in their self-contained bubble for the entirety of the school day including lunchtimes. Lunches will be eaten in the designated base and should be provided from home in Y6 and Nursery but will be provided for by our catering team for Reception and Y1. Learning outdoors and outdoor play will be encouraged within a designated space but mixing with other groups will not be allowed.

Ultimately, I know from parents who have contacted me that the key question is ‘is Greswold a safe place for my child?’ and I want to reassure you that a thorough risk assessment has been conducted which includes detail on:

• Preparing the site
• Creation of temporary teaching groups (bubbles)
• Promotion of good personal hygiene
• Promotion of good respiratory hygiene
• Cleaning
• Social distancing including classroom layout, movement around school, use of shared areas such as halls.
• Protective measures including shared use of resources
• Reducing contact point activities e.g. activities to cease, doors which can remain open
• Dealing with suspected cases
• Controlling other building users
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needed for staff
• Emergency procedures
• Staff shortages
• Impact on physical and mental health
• Staggered drop and pick up to avoid congestion
• Practical considerations including minimising items from brought in from home and removal of requirement to wear uniform

I am now asking parents of children in N, R and Y6 to complete a survey to indicate whether you intend to send your child to Greswold for two days per week from 8^th June and Y1 from 15^th June.  I understand that some parents will have interpreted government guidance as full time education on site from 1^st June but we will only welcome children back when it is safe to do so and the risk assessment demonstrates that for Greswold the safest way is for 2 days. Please note we are unable to offer, at the moment, before and after school club, 30 hour childcare or childcare on the other 3 days a week.

To aid our planning it would be helpful to have responses to our survey by Thursday 21^st May. You will need to complete a separate survey for each child. Please know that this is not a commitment but an indication for us. Further information will follow next week.

Yours faithfully,

Karen Scott

Headteacher