Dear Parents,

Firstly, I hope you are well and continue to stay safe and healthy.

As you know, the government is anticipating that from the week commencing 1st June more

children can begin to return to schools. The first phase of their plan involves only Nursery,

Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils returning, alongside priority groups (vulnerable children and

children of critical workers).

Phase 2 of the government plan is for additional year groups (Y2, Y3, Y4& Y5) to return before the

summer holidays. The government have stated that this return would only happen if the most up-to-

date assessment of the risk posed by the virus indicates it is appropriate to have larger numbers of

children within schools (the removal of social distancing restrictions).

The Senior Leadership team and Governors have devised a return plan for those children included in

Phase 1, which we can now share with parents. In creating the plan, the school has had to ensure it

is following all advice and guidance set out by the Government (as is reasonably possible) whilst

considering the challenges posed by the size and capacity of the school building and its layout as well

as available outside space. (I have attached an appendix to the letter highlighting the key guidance

from the government).

Overall Organisation

In order to accommodate all the children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 we have had to

split the week into 2 groups.

Monday & Tuesday Wednesday Thursday & Friday

Year 1 Group A

Cleaning of classrooms

Year 1 Group B

Year 6 Group A Year 6 Group B

Nursery children Reception children

Priority group children Priority group children Priority group children

• Since lockdown, priority group children have been able to attend school every day and this

will continue in order to follow the government guidance.

• The school have also recognised that for children in Nursery and Reception, the return to

school may be quite overwhelming, particularly as they are not returning to their usual

routines and setting, and as such may need significant support with settling back in. With

this in mind, we have decided to have only Nursery children in on Monday & Tuesday

MORNING ONLY, for all children within Nursery (whether AM or PM). Reception children will

then be in on Thursday & Friday for the two full days. This will allow foundation stage staff

to offer more targeted support for each group.

Timetable

We will begin asking children to return to school in a phased approach in order that we can manage

the return safely and address any concerns or issues that we may not have considered quickly and

without significant impact.

Monday 1st

June Priority group children

Thursday 4th

June Priority group children

Monday 8th

June Priority group children

Thursday 11th

June Priority group children

(Please note that the timetable below may have to change or be delayed if the school feels that the

health and safety of children is at risk.)

Grouping

The year groups returning to school will be placed into groups or ‘bubbles’ which they will remain in

for the rest of the term. They will have a teacher and a member of support staff wh

them throughout the day (and subsequent days and weeks

with their usual class teacher but

Unfortunately, priority group children cannot

of spreading infection. They will

until the end of term.

Each group or ‘bubble’ will not be able to mix with other groups during the day (for example

playtime and lunchtimes) in order to

Learning Environments

For children in Year 1, Year 6 and p

picture show below. (We can get a maximum o

They will have their own seat, with their own resources

classroom will be limited due to social distancing expectations. We will try and provide as many

opportunities, where possible, for children to be outside.

For Nursery and Reception children we cannot have them learning in class

their age and understanding, and because their experience of foundation stage is through learning

through play and accessing resources themselves. This does mean that social distancing measures

cannot be enforced with children in

be grouped in ‘bubbles’ and will not mix with other groups.

Year Groups returning

Priority group children Nursery

Priority group children Reception Year 6 B

Priority group children Nursery Year 1 A

Priority group children Reception Year 1 B

(Please note that the timetable below may have to change or be delayed if the school feels that the

health and safety of children is at risk.)

The year groups returning to school will be placed into groups or ‘bubbles’ which they will remain in

They will have a teacher and a member of support staff wh

and subsequent days and weeks). Where possible we will keep children

with their usual class teacher but this may not be possible for all bubbles.

iority group children cannot be placed with their class or year group

of spreading infection. They will placed within their own ‘bubble’ and will remain with those children

‘bubble’ will not be able to mix with other groups during the day (for example

in order to reduce the risk of spreading infection.

children in Year 1, Year 6 and priority groups the children will be in classrooms laid out in the

show below. (We can get a maximum of 10 children in most classrooms).

, with their own resources in a pack. Again, movement around the

classroom will be limited due to social distancing expectations. We will try and provide as many

opportunities, where possible, for children to be outside.

For Nursery and Reception children we cannot have them learning in classrooms and at desks due to

nd understanding, and because their experience of foundation stage is through learning

through play and accessing resources themselves. This does mean that social distancing measures

cannot be enforced with children in Nursery or Reception. Nursery and Reception children

be grouped in ‘bubbles’ and will not mix with other groups.

Year 6 A

Year 6 B

(Please note that the timetable below may have to change or be delayed if the school feels that the

The year groups returning to school will be placed into groups or ‘bubbles’ which they will remain in

They will have a teacher and a member of support staff who will be with

. Where possible we will keep children

year group due to the risk

’ and will remain with those children

‘bubble’ will not be able to mix with other groups during the day (for example

classrooms laid out in the

).

Again, movement around the

classroom will be limited due to social distancing expectations. We will try and provide as many

rooms and at desks due to

nd understanding, and because their experience of foundation stage is through learning

through play and accessing resources themselves. This does mean that social distancing measures

Nursery or Reception. Nursery and Reception children will also

Learning

We will endeavour to provide children in school with learning that is fun, creative and inspiring

however the restrictions in place with regards to hygiene and social distancing means that we will

not be able to teach the curriculum as would normally have planned and not in the manner in which

we would like.

Drop off, pick up, break & lunch

We will need to introduce staggered drop off and pick up times for each group to avoid the risk of

having too many children and parents in the playground. (This information will be provided to

parents week beginning Monday 25th

May).

This will also be the case for breaktimes and lunchtimes. These will be staggered so that groups are

not mixing during the school day.

Children not attending school

For those year groups who will not be attending school as part of Phase 1 the school will be

providing weekly on-line learning. As yet, we are not clear how this learning will be delivered (we

will provide parents with further information on this once it is agreed) but we will be ensuring that

children not in school will not be placed at a disadvantage and will be receiving similar learning to

those children who are in school.

We will also ensure that children not attending will be contacted by their class teacher (if this is not

possible then by a member of staff who knows them well) once a fortnight.

I fully appreciate that this plan may be positive for many parents and disappointing for others.

The planning that sits behind all of this has been extremely well considered (as well as extremely

difficult) and all decisions have been made with the well-being of our children, families and staff at

the heart of it and not been taken lightly. Governors, senior leaders and I have been fully involved in

its formulation and we are all in agreement that this is the best way to ensure a safe return for the

children returning in phase one.

In order for us to plan for the numbers of children returning, if your child is either;

• A Nursery, Reception, Year 1 or Year 6 pupil

OR

• A child that falls within the government’s priority groups (vulnerable families or families with

critical workers)

and your child or children WILL be returning to school from 1st

June 2020 please send an email to

admin@wilson.reading.sch.uk(or if you have an urgent enquiry call the Wilson office on

01189375573) stating;

• The name of your child (or children) who will be returning

• The year group in which they are in.

• Parent job role if you are requiring a priority group place.

• Preferred days of the week if your child is in Y1 or Y6. (Please note we cannot guarantee

your preferred days)

It is essential that you reply by 5pm Wednesday 20th

May in order for us to plan effectively and

ensure a healthy and safe return is in place for your child. We will contact you on Monday 25th

May to confirm your place and to state which days your child can attend.

I would like to reassure parents that the school will maintain regular contact over the coming weeks

and ensure you are all made aware of any changes or decisions the government make that could

alter our provision.

Finally, I would just like to thank parents and families for their support over the last few weeks and

months. We have been living in very strange times that have not always been easy or straight

forward, but it has been wonderful to see how our community has pulled together. Wilson is a very

special place with a very special community and these last few months have clearly shown that.

Thank you and please take care

Claire

Appendix

Managing risk and rate of transmission

• A risk assessment will be in place that directly addresses risks associated with coronavirus,

ensuring sensible measures are in place to control those risks for children and staff. This will

be reviewed weekly.

Effective infection protection and control

• cleaning hands more often than usual - wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with running

water and soap and dry them thoroughly or use alcohol hand rub or sanitiser ensuring that

all parts of the hands are covered

• ensuring good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach

• cleaning frequently touched surfaces often using standard products, such as detergents and

bleach

• minimising contact and mixing by altering, as much as possible, the environment (such as

classroom layout) and timetables (such as staggered break times)

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

• Schools and other education or childcare settings should not require staff, children and

learners to wear face coverings.

Class or group sizes

• For primary schools, classes should normally be split in half, with no more than 15 pupils per

small group and one teacher (and, if needed, a teaching assistant).

• Where settings can keep children and young people in small groups 2 metres away from

each other, they should do so. While in general groups should be kept apart, brief, transitory

contact, such as passing in a corridor, is low risk.