Letters

Penn Wood Primary and Nursery School

Penn Road, Slough Berkshire, SL2 1PH

Telephone:  01753 521811

Email: enquiries@pennwood.slough.sch.uk

Tuesday 13th July 2021

Dear Parents/Carers

Following tonight’s confirmation of the opening up of restrictions on 19^th July 2021, we are currently updating our risk assessment.  As always, this will be on our website but I thought that it would be helpful for you if we summarised the main points for you.

• • Pupils, staff and other adults do not enter the school premises if:
  • They have any symptoms of coronavirus.
  • They have tested positive for coronavirus in the last 10 days.
  • They are required to quarantine having recently visited countries outside the Common Travel Area.
• From 16^th August 2021, pupils under the age of 18 will no longer be required to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of a positive case. Instead, pupils will be advised by NHS Test and Trace to take a PCR test and will only need to isolate if they produce a positive test.
• From 16^th August 2021, fully vaccinated adults who are identified as a close contact of a positive case will not need to self-isolate unless they develop symptoms or produce a positive test, as long as they are fully vaccinated.
•  If anyone in the school develops coronavirus symptoms while at school, they are:
  • Sent home to begin isolation – the isolation period includes the day the symptoms started and the next 10 full days.
  • Advised to follow the guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus infection.
  • Advised to arrange a PCR as soon as possible
•  Staff, pupils and visitors are not required to wear face coverings at all in school.
• In the event of a school or local outbreak, the school adheres to advice from a director of health that may include bringing back face coverings temporarily in communal areas and classrooms for staff, pupils and visitors.
• In the event that the school must return to using face coverings, the school remains sensitive to the fact that some people are less able to wear face coverings and that the reasons for this may not be visible to others.
• Enhanced hygiene practices are still in place during step 4.  Please reinforce handwashing routines with your child/children over the Summer.  We have purchased lots of air filtration systems for the school too as these are highly recommended.
• Staff and pupils are informed they no longer need to adhere to social distancing measures in school unless directed.
• Pupils are informed they no longer need to be separated into bubbles in school from September.  From 19^th - 21^st July 2021, all bubbles will stay in place except for Year 6.  We want the children to be able to play with all their friends in Y6 for the last three days of school.  When it is Eid next week, it is probable that children from different bubbles will be working together at before.  We will do this in a socially distanced way as much as possible.
• In the event of a school or local outbreak, the school adheres to the advice of a director of public health, which may include returning to social distancing measures, including pupil bubbles, temporarily.

• Attendance is mandatory for all pupils.
• Extra -curricular clubs run voluntarily by staff can resume in September.  Further details to follow in the new term.

• The school’s website is kept up to date with any important information regarding the running of the school after the country enters step 4 of the coronavirus recovery roadmap, e.g. local arrangements.
• Staggered starts and ends to the day will end in July.  From September, the following times apply: 
  • School gates will open at 8.30am (KS1 children must be supervised by a parent/carer)
  • Registration at 8.50am - all children should be in school
  • School finishes at 3.15pm

In addition:

• Children will be able to continue to come to school in P.E. kit on days when the class has P.E.  Please adhere to our uniform policy as below:
  • • Bottle green t-shirt with Tree of Life logo (available to purchase via ParentMail)
    • Navy shorts/Navy tracksuit bottoms
    •  Trainers
    • Football boots with studs (KS2 only)
• We continue to encourage a safe and happy ‘drop off’ at the school gate as soon as possible in September.  We have been so proud of our children and parents for responding to this initiative this year and it has most definitely supported children’s growing independence
• We continue to encourage parents to send in a book for the class to celebrate birthdays
•  ‘The window’ in the main entrance will continue to be used for parents’ enquiries
• We intend to remain cashless as much as possible

To parents of children in Year 6:

We have been asked by Slough to ask parents to support their child with rapid Lateral Flow testing and reporting over the summer so that their child understands why they will need to undertake twice weekly rapid Lateral Flow testing at Secondary School and are prepared for testing and reporting on entering Year 7.  Community testing sites will support with this if parents go along to a local testing site with their child.

Information about how to undertake a rapid Lateral Flow test (with supporting videos) can be found here: Coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow home test kit instructions for throat and nose test - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Instructions on how to report a COVID-19 rapid Lateral Flow test result can be found on the following site: Report a COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test result - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Options for Lateral Flow Testing

The children will have met their new teachers for September today.  Please see the information below.

If you have noticed that that I have been less visible for a while, it is because I have been unwell with COVID 19.  This was picked up through surge testing.  I am only saying this so that you know that I am still very much around and love our school as passionately as I always have.  I also say it as a reminder that we are clearly not ‘out of the woods’ yet and I believe we all need to remain cautious.

As a school, we have celebrated The UEFA European Football Championship and the team spirit shown by England in the match against Italy on Sunday evening.  However, it is really important that as a community, we show our children that racism is wrong.   Our key stage 2 children will be watching ‘Racism on social media: Why is abuse online so hard to stop?’  This is on Newsround if you would like to follow up on this at home with your children. 

Mrs Hargreaves has now re-located to Hampshire to be closer to her family.  We wish her every success for the future and we are grateful for all her good work with us. 

Mrs Tilling is also re-locating to be closer to family and we will miss her too.  We thank her for years of hard and very good work at Penn Wood.

I really hope that all families have a good Summer and that we have a healthier and less disrupted year next year.  All of the staff are committed to providing the best education that we can for your children.  You have all been absolutely brilliant when we have needed to close bubbles – I have been truly humbled by your kindness and understanding.  I am equally proud of our brilliant staff, children and governors too.

This letter will also be added to our website in case you would like to use Google Translate.

With kindness and gratitude,

Jane Girle