Re-opening Information
September 2020
BOX HILL SCHOOL |
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REOPENING INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
REOPENING INFORMATION FOR PARENTS |
BOX HILL SCHOOL
OVERVIEW The UK government has provided comprehensive guidance to schools to help with their plans for a full physical re-opening next term. Naturally, we are very much looking forward to welcoming students, families and staff back to the campus and we set out here important information about the adaptations that have been made to enable this to happen. The context for this is while coronavirus (Covid-19) remains in the community, this means making judgements at a School level about how to balance minimising any risks from Covid-19 by maximising control measures, with providing a full educational experience for children and young people. As you would expect, the guidance is lengthy and the Department for Education has recognised that: There cannot be a ‘one size fits all’ approach where the system of controls describes every scenario. School leaders will be best placed to understand the needs of their schools and communities, and to make informed judgements about how to balance delivering a broad and balanced curriculum with the measures needed to manage risk. The system of controls provides a set of principles to help them do this and, if schools follow this advice and maximise the use of control measures, they will effectively minimise risks.
APPROACH We have rigorously assessed the way we operate across all aspects of School and will continue to prioritise the fullest possible reopening of the School whilst ensuring the health and safety of our pupils, staff, parents and wider community. Our plans will remain under constant review and there may be the need to adapt them to meet future government directives or other changes that become necessary. Any changes will be communicated to parents and guardians as and when necessary. No approach can guarantee absolute protection, and ‘perfect’ social distancing is impossible to achieve in a School environment. We will work hard to provide an experience that is as close to normal as possible, placing both the physical and mental health of pupils at its core, whilst complying with government guidance.
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SYSTEM OF CONTROLS This is the set of actions schools must take. They are grouped into ‘prevention’ and ‘response to any infection’ and are outlined in more detail below: Prevention: 1.
Minimise contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus (Covid-19) symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do not attend School
2. Clean hands thoroughly more often than usual 3. Ensure good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach 4. Introduce enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, using standard products such as detergents and bleach 5. Minimise contact between individuals and maintain social distancing wherever possible 6. Where necessary, wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) Numbers 1 to 4 must be in place in all schools, all the time. Number 5 must be properly considered and schools must put in place measures that suit their particular circumstances. Number 6 applies in specific circumstances. Response to any infection: 7. Engage with the NHS Test and Trace process 8. Manage confirmed cases of Covid-19 amongst the School community 9. Contain any outbreak by following the local health protection team advice Numbers 7 to 9 must be followed in every case where they are relevant.
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The following details the key adaptations that we have made to the routines and activities that would usually take place across the School during a normal term in light of the system of controls.
PREVENTION 1.
Minimise contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus (Covid-19) symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do not attend School a) Any student, member of staff or visitor (including parents, contractors, governors, peripatetic teachers etc.) must not come into School if they have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 7 days, have Covid-19 symptoms (temperature of 37.4 or above, a continuous dry cough or loss of or change in their normal sense of smell or taste) or have anyone in their household who does. Students should stay at home if they are awaiting test results. We ask parents to please notify us on HMPA@boxhillschool.com immediately if any of these apply to their child. b) Any day student, member of staff or visitor (including parents, contractors, governors, peripatetic teachers etc.) who becomes unwell whilst at School with any of the symptoms mentioned will be sent home and advised to follow the ‘stay at home’ guidance. Boarders will be cared for at School. There is a rigorous process for looking after anyone becoming unwell at School which will be undertaken by the medical team with all the appropriate safeguards in place in line with public health guidance. We ask parents to keep the medical centre updated about their child’s status on Nurses@boxhillschool.com as appropriate, during and on completion of the ‘stay at home’ requirements.
2. Clean hands thoroughly more often than usual a) Additional sanitiser stations have been installed around the campus in key communal areas to increase the opportunities to clean hands. Individuals are strongly encouraged to use them, especially students and staff at break, lunchtime and lesson changeovers. Students will be regularly reminded, and supervised whenever possible. 3
BOX HILL SCHOOL |
REOPENING INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
b) The morning registration period has been extended to allow extra time for students to wash their hands at the start of the School day which they must do. If students are late into School, they must wash their hands or sanitise at the earliest opportunity and all classrooms have sanitiser available. c) We expect students to behave appropriately whilst complying with the extra hand hygiene requirements. 3. Ensure good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach a) All individuals are requested to adopt the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach to coughs and sneezes. All classrooms are equipped with tissues and lidded bins for their disposal. b) Advisory posters are installed across the campus, promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ information. c) The School’s policy is to allow pupils who prefer to wear face masks or coverings to do so. Education guidance is that the provision of 2 metre social distancing for adults in classrooms means that teachers need not wear masks or coverings during teaching time. However, where pupils and staff are moving around the campus at lesson changeover and other times we encourage the wearing of masks and coverings. Visitors are also encouraged to wear masks or coverings around the campus. d) When masks/coverings are not being worn, they should be stored in a sealable plastic bag. Hands should be washed/sanitised before masks/coverings are worn and when they are removed after use. e) There are lidded bins installed around the School for the disposal of single-use masks. 4. Introduce enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces often a) A schedule of enhanced cleaning has been created for the housekeeping team, who will carry this out in the shared areas, toilets, dining hall etc. as well as touchpoints such as door handles and hand rails during the course of the School day and also before
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and after School. They will regularly replenish sanitiser stations and other cleaning supplies as needed. b) If classrooms are to be used by a different year group in the next lesson, students will be asked to wipe down their table and chair after use with wipes provided. 5. Minimise contact between individuals and maintain social distancing wherever possible a) The arrival and departure of students will be managed to minimise the gathering of students in large groups: On arrival in the morning between 8am and 8.15am, students will make their way directly to their tutor bases for registration: • Year 7 and 8 - Quad classrooms • Year 9 - English classrooms in the Winthrop-Young building (2nd floor) • Year 10 – Jubilee building and Juniper • Year 11 – Maths classrooms in the Winthrop-Young building (ground floor) • Year 12 and 13 - Common Room in the Winthrop-Young building
Heads of Year will communicate directly with details of which classrooms the students will have as their tutor bases.
b) Students who travel to School by car should be dropped off and quickly make their way straight to their tutor bases in the morning, whilst observing the one-way system in place. Parents are asked not to congregate, but to ‘drop and go’ instead. At pick-up, students should make their way quickly to parents’ cars via the one-way system and leave the site without gathering together. Staff will supervise their departure. c) New rules have been introduced for students travelling to and from School on buses: i) Face masks or coverings are mandatory ii) Students should sanitise their hands on entry to the bus (sanitiser will be provided)
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iii) The driver is separated from the students with a screen iv) Students will sit in year groups wherever possible v) Bus windows will remain open to provide ventilation vi) The driver will register students on each leg of the journey (this is in addition to the usual registration taken by tutors and is specifically for each bus route). d) A ‘one-way’ system has been implemented around the School campus to minimise interactions in shared and communal spaces. e) The changeover time between lessons has been extended to 10 minutes to enable students to make their way via the one-way system to their next lesson and also to wipe down their desks/ chairs if required. f) We will not be holding assemblies, or large group gatherings. These will be replaced with virtual gatherings and other methods of delivering student meetings, briefings and presentations. g) Classrooms and teaching spaces have all been carefully assessed and re-arranged to ensure that teachers can be 2 metres away from students. Desks and tables have been moved to allow students to be front-facing and in some cases furniture has been completely removed to create more space. Windows and doors (except fire doors) will be left open where possible to create extra ventilation. h) We are encouraging students and adults, including staff and visitors to wear face masks or coverings in communal and shared areas around the School campus. i)
Shared staff spaces have been reconfigured to limit the occupancy levels and additional locations have been designated for staff use to ensure we can meet social distancing guidelines.
j)
New routines have been introduced for Reception: i) Staff and students who need to come into Dalewood should enter and exit through the rear double doors between the staff room and classroom 1a ii) Visitors will continue to use the main front door iii) Visitors, including parents and contractors, are requested to
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make and confirm an appointment at School in advance. We are asking parents not to ‘drop in’ to School with queries, but instead to phone in or email, 01372 373382 reception@ boxhillschool.com. Of course meeting in person can still happen but we need to minimise this wherever possible and appropriate. Zoom also provides another means of engaging with the School in what we have already proved is an effective and efficient way. iv) Visitors will be issued with a disposable visitor sticker which must be worn whilst in School. v) There will no longer be a physical signing-in/out book for visitors or students, this will be done online by our receptionists. Students will need to ensure that this has been done on their behalf either by the receptionist or via a member of the medical team if they are leaving the School site. k) There are changes to the routines at break and lunch times. i) For break, students will be reminded to wash/sanitise their hands and return to their tutor bases. They will have dedicated outside space available but will not be able to circulate unsupervised in communal areas. ii) Years 7, 8 and 9 will be provided with ‘squash and cookies’ in their tutor bases at break. iii) The lunch rota has been redesigned and lunch time extended. There will be 2 sittings which will take place in both McComish Hall and the Dining Hall for hot food with enhanced cleaning between sittings. The lunch rota will operate on a 2 weekly schedule. During this period, students will have hot food on a minimum of 3 days and a ‘packed lunch’ style on the other days, when they will eat in their tutor bases and in the second week they will have the reverse. The rota has been developed to ensure fairness in the distribution of hot food and will be published to students on a half-termly basis for as long as we need to operate it. iv) Unfortunately spaces such as the sports field, MUGA, sports hall and other areas around the School will not be as
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accessible to students as previously and will be available on a rota basis by year group. l)
The activities programme has been revised to incorporate activities which comply with current guidelines. We have made this as varied and interesting as possible and the sign-up process remains the same as normal through SOCS. Students will be notified when the sign-up window opens for selection of next term’s choices. For this term, activities will be based on-site and will be organised in year groups.
m) Guidance at present means that we are currently unable to offer a competitive fixtures schedule for sports teams. We expect this may well be reviewed once schools return and the landscape is clearer. In the meantime, lessons and sports based activities will be adjusted so that students are still physically active and working on developing their skills.
Shared equipment will be minimised and where this is unavoidable will be cleaned between use by different groups.
n) There are some academic departments where changes have had to be made to enable the safe provision of the curriculum due to the nature of these subjects and the teaching spaces they occupy. This includes adjustments to schemes of work for example, whereby teachers have made some changes to the order in which topics are taught. This allows us to minimise the impact of social distancing requirements on practical subjects such as Drama, Music, Art, Design & Technology and Science. This also means that some teachers will wear visors in teaching spaces where it is more difficult to maintain a 2m distance from students. o) Learning Support provision will continue with a combination of 1-1 lessons where socially distanced space allows and Zoom based lessons at other times. Members of the LS department will communicate directly with parents and students about these arrangements. p) Peripatetic teaching of some additional languages and some musical instruments (wind/brass) will continue to be delivered
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virtually and scheduled to take place out of School hours. Teachers will communicate directly about these arrangements. q) School productions and other performance events cannot physically take place currently and plans are being made as to how virtual alternatives can be delivered. r) Collective celebrations and student meetings and briefings are also restricted and we will also be finding alternative methods of providing these as appropriate. s) Lockers and tutor bases are grouped together to form a year group area. Students will be able to access their lockers at registration and also during break and lunch. Outside of these times, they will need to have everything they need for lessons. t) It has been necessary to revise the way in which we will hold events such as welcome evenings, parents’ evenings, open events and our programme of pastoral talks. In the main these will be delivered virtually, for smaller attendances where it is possible to hold physical events we will aim to do so. 6. Where necessary, wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) a) Full PPE will not be routinely worn in School, except for in specific circumstances. Members of staff in the Medical Centre will wear appropriate PPE for looking after and treating students, both in the Medical Centre and in houses if required for boarders who may be unwell. In certain departments which have greater ‘close contact’ teaching, visors may be worn.
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RESPONSE TO ANY INFECTION 7. Engage with the NHS Test and Trace process a) Outside of School, families are responsible for following the government’s guidelines relating to any possible Covid-19 infection including the ‘stay at home’ guidance and accessing the Test and Trace process. We ask that we are notified immediately about the results of a test at HMPA@boxhillschool.com . Boarders will be cared for in School. All members of the School community are subject to the rigorous Covid-19 protocols and processes that have been developed by the medical team should they fall ill or show symptoms whilst at School. We will not be conducting tests at School. Should this be required, medical staff will follow the national guidance and engage with local NHS testing facilities. 8. Manage confirmed cases of Covid-19 amongst the School community a) Guidance is very clear about the actions required in the event that School becomes aware that someone who has attended has tested positive for Covid-19. The protocols will be activated and we will work closely with the local health protection team as guided. This includes communicating with and advising parents and guardians. 9. Contain any outbreak by following the local health protection team advice a) The same actions apply as in the point above.
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OTHER INFORMATION Student Wellbeing Whilst it is our intention to provide as normal an experience as possible for the students, we recognise that some may find these alterations difficult and others may have wider concerns about Covid-19. The Heads of Year, Heads of House, Boarding Team and Tutors will be supporting students with dedicated tutor group discussions and PHSEE sessions devoted to mental health and well-being. Additional support will also continue to be available from the Pastoral Team. To help ease the transition back to physical School you might want to consider the following: •
Chat to your child about how they are feeling returning to School – some anxiety is to be expected. Please reassure them that teachers understand the potential concerns and that they will be very supportive.
•
Help your child to understand that things will be different to what they remember - it will help if your child understands that they will need to expect things to be different. They need to adjust to, for example, a one way system around the campus, going straight to their Tutor base in the morning and seeing others in masks. Such changes might initially be unsettling for children who find familiar routines reassuring.
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Support your child to be organised in their packing – make sure they know what to pack and understand the rules around the sharing of equipment.
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Be prepared for changes in behaviour – there will be a period of adjustment needed to return to the length of the day and the focus that being at School inevitably needs. This might mean that some students will be grumpy or non-communicative in the evenings.
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Returning to the routine needed for a School day – re-establishing sleep routines in particular will help your child to be better able to cope with the return to School.
If you would like to discuss any concerns your child has about the return to School or any aspect of the coming weeks then please contact their boarding House Parent, Tutor or Head of Year.
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Trips and Visits There will not be any overnight trips this term and plans have been made to replace these where possible with alternatives. Educational and recreational day trips will still take place where they can be run safely and in line with the latest government guidelines. Medical Centre Additional medical provision has been set up in a designated space in the Sports Centre where students can attend during break and lunch times if they feel unwell or need help from the medical team. Outside of these times, they will need to ask a teacher to call ahead to medical staff and arrange for them to attend. We remind those who require asthma inhalers or Epipens to ensure that they bring them to School. We are advised to strictly limit the use of shared equipment. Uniform School uniform rules and appearance standards apply. There are however, restrictions on the use of changing rooms so all students should come to School in their sports kit on Wednesdays and those who have a sports based activity on Tuesdays and Thursdays should wear sports kit on those days as well. This must be BHS sports kit – students should be wearing their track suits (no bare legs or shoulders). On Monday and Friday, normal full School uniform must be worn. The uniform lists can be found on the Parent Information page of the website and on the Parent Portal. Equipment We are advised to limit the sharing of equipment so some departmental resources will no longer be available to students. Students studying Art, Design & Technology and Science will require their own art packs and overalls. Given the proximity to the start of term, we will order these on behalf of students who need them and distribute in lessons. We will advise as to the costs of these which will be recharged. Tuck Shop We are unable to run the Tuck Shop as we did previously and the intention is to operate a ‘mobile’ version which will be available on a rota basis for year groups.
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Attendance Expectations The government has mandated that all students should be back in education in September. Consequently our usual practices apply regarding requesting authorised absence, which is to the Headmaster at absence@ boxhillschool.com and also notifying the School in the event of student illness or absence for planned appointments, which is via Reception at reception@boxhillschool.com Behaviour Expectations We appreciate that School will feel somewhat different when students return and that there will be new rules and processes to follow. School Rules apply and we continue to expect high standards of behaviour from all students. The usual disciplinary measures will be in force and will take place in line with our Behaviour Policy and according to social distancing guidelines. We remind students of the School’s zero tolerance position regarding bullying of any kind, and specifically in relation to the current pandemic. Local Lockdown In the event of a local lockdown, we will be advised by the Department for Education and the local Health Protection team and will act accordingly. Admissions We will continue to manage our admissions processes but with some changes. Students will not currently be providing tours for visitors in the current circumstances and those who are usually involved with this may be asked to help out in different ways, such as at virtual events.
Thank you for your understanding and support of these new arrangements.
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