This week was anti-bullying week in schools around the country. In class we were thinking about the message United Against Bullying and how we can work together to build positive relationships. On Monday, we took part in the traditional ‘Odd Socks Day’ as a symbol of appreciating everyone’s uniqueness, respecting equality and diversity.

4.00pm Tuesday 11nd September

Dear Parents and Carers of Year 1

Year 1 will reopen fully on Wednesday 23rd September

Thank you for your support and understanding over the past two days. 

Let me restate that there have been NO confirmed cases of COVID19 in Year 1. If this situation changes we shall inform you immediately.

Mrs Patel and Miss Stewart are will be teaching their normal classes from Wednesday.

For children who remain at home this week, the Year 1 teachers have prepared a series of activities and links that can be accessed at home. These match the areas of learning that are being covered in school. You will find the activity page here:

https://woodcroft.barnet.sch.uk/year-1-home-learning-curriculum/

Could we remind all parent of the importance to notify the school if your child is displaying any COVID19 symptoms. This will help with our ongoing risk assessment.

Thank you for your messages of support for our precautionary measures. 

Yours sincerely

Craig Tallon
Headteacher

7.00pm Monday 21st September 2020

Dear Parents and Carers of Year 1

Year 1 will remain closed on Tuesday 22nd September.

Thank you for your support and understanding today.  Let me restate that there have been NO confirmed cases of COVID19 in Year 1. However, Year 1 will remain temporarily closed. We will only be open to the children of key workers on Tuesday 22nd September. 

The year group was closed today, and in accordance with our risk assessments, because we could not safely open with dedicated Year 1 staff.

At Woodcroft we are organised into strict year group bubbles Groups of children and staff DO NOT mix. This gives us the capacity to cover classes with dedicated year group staff. We are hopeful of being able to open fully later in the week after the risk assessment has been updated and staffing is inplace.

You shall be provided with a daily update regarding the closure of the Year 1 bubble.

The Year 1 teachers have prepared a series of activities and links that can be accessed at home. These match the areas of learning that are being covered in school. You will find the activity page here:

https://woodcroft.barnet.sch.uk/year-1-home-learning-curriculum/

Could we ask that you please notify the school if your child is displaying any COVID19 symptoms. This will help with our ongoing risk assessment.

Thank you for your support of our precautionary measures. I shall update you in due course.

Yours sincerely

Craig Tallon
Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers of Year 1

Update re: Temporary Year Closure

Thank you for your support and understanding today. Can I apologise for the short notice of my text message. Restassured, I contacted you at the very earliest opportunity after I had assessed the information and spoken to the Government’s Department for Education. First of all let me state that there has been NO positive test.

At Woodcroft we always put your child’s safety first. I was notified earlier this morning that 3 teachers from Year 1 were all displaying possible symptoms of COVID19. Following this information I immediately advised those staff to self-isolate and arranged for them to obtain a test. I also contacted both the Government’s Department for Education COVID19 Advice Line and Public Health England.

The advice given whether to close was not clear cut. I was told that schools do not have to notify parents unless there is a confirmed case. However, the final decision rests with the headteacher. At Woodcroft we always put safety first and try to keep parents best informed. While the risk of COVID19 transmission still remains very low, I hope you will agree that this action was both sensible and appropriate. 

We are organised into strict year group bubbles at Woodcroft. Groups of children and staff DO NOT mix. This gives us the capacity to cover classes with dedicated year group staff if one or two are absent – but not three! Please be aware that no other year group is affected.

What will happen next for Year 1:

1. I shall take further advice from Barnet Local Authority and Public Health England
2. We remain open in a restricted capacity in Year 1 for the children of key workers
3. Year 1 teachers are now preparing plans to support a short period of home learning. We will contact parents and carers later today with more information.
4. Year 1 will remain closed until further notice. 

We did ask that Year 1 parents should not call the school this morning. This was to avoid the line becoming blocked. However, we would ask you to please notify the school if your child is displaying any COVID19 symptoms. This will help with our ongoing risk assessment.

Thank you for your support of our precautions. We do understand the difficulties that this decision creates both for childcare and learning. Let us hope that the tests come back quickly and are negative.

I shall update you in due course.

Yours sincerely

Craig Tallon

Headteacher

Woodcroft  COVID19 Response Strategy

ISSUE 4: 24th July 2020

At Woodcroft we have completed a detailed risk assessment based on the latest Government guidance.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

In school we employing the strictest measures to protect children and staff and reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).

IMPORTANT: 

• If a pupil is off from school due to illness symptoms associated with Covid19 we are insisting that they remain away from school for 14 days. 
• If a family member shows symptoms of Covid19 then all children in the same house should stay off school for 14 days  (see below for guidance)
• These strict measures are to ensure the school remains a safe place for the pupils and staff who are still attending.

Pupil Safety: System of Controls

Woodcroft remains at Phase 3:  (These are the strictest measures we can employ before we have to close classes)

We are employing a full range of measures to ensure children and adults are safe in school. These fall into two categories:

1. Hygiene
2. Social Distancing

Please note: if any pupil does not follow the safety guidelines we will ask parents to collect their child from school

Hygiene in School:

• Enforced regular handwashing: children will be supervised washing hands as soon as they arrive in school.. We use paper towels in classrooms to limit aerosol transmission.
• Extended school cleaning regime to ensure push surfaces and handles are included.
• We will enforce a 14 day extended absence from school following an illness
• We will improve classroom ventilation by leaving windows and doors open. Teachers will limit the sharing of equipment
• We have created a quarantine area for any pupils displaying symptoms. And have spaces available should we need to temporarily move a class to a santised area.

Social Distancing in School:

• We are limiting classroom movement i.e. changing places / restricting group activities. Pupils will be seated apart where possible and teachers will limit or avoid grouping children together.
• All assemblies and groups larger than one class have stopped
• We now have staggered lunchtime sittings with pupils eating packed lunches in a classroom supervised by teachers to allow more space in the dining hall. 
• Limited close contact between adults and pupils in school;  enforcing appropriate distances. We have also suspended intervention groups and small group activities.

• We aim to limit opportunities for virus spread on equipment and books
  • Teachers are not marking books (but providing verbal feedback instead)
  • Children are keeping as much equipment in personal trays as possible
• We have cancelled all non essential school events, trips, meetings and clubs.

(Note: Acorns and paid clubs run by external coaches (e.g. Multi-Sport) will continue to run until further notice. However, activities are being modified to support social distancing).

Stay at home: guidance for people with confirmed or possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of

• New continuous cough and/or
• High temperature

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild infection

Main messages

• If you live with others and you or one of them have symptoms of coronavirus, then all household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. 
• Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
• For anyone in the household who starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appeared, regardless of what day the original 14 day isolation started.
• If you can, move any vulnerable individuals out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period
• If you cannot move vulnerable people out of your home, stay away from them as much as possible
• If you have coronavirus symptoms:
  • • Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital
    • You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you’re staying at home
    • Testing for coronavirus is not needed if you’re staying at home
• Plan ahead and ask others for help to ensure that you can successfully stay at home and consider what can be done for vulnerable people in the household
• Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, each time using soap and water, or use hand sanitiser
• If you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home, or your condition gets worse, or your symptoms do not get better after 7 days, then use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service. If you do not have internet access, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999

More information visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection