Reopening of the Rydal Penrhos school site to pupils – Monday, June 29
Following on from last week we would like to give you some more information about how Rydal Penrhos School will be reopening its site for face to face learning from June 29.
We will be extending the summer term for two weeks until July 17. We will reflect on term dates for next year and will be making some changes which we will inform you of later in the summer.
We are awaiting detailed guidance from the Welsh Government which is due to be published this week.
As a school we have been working on an action plan for some time; we plan to share our risk assessment with you on Monday, June 15 alongside details on which year groups will be attending on which dates.
We are hoping to provide continuous summer holiday daycare for all pupils from Pre-school to Year 8 but we await guidance from the Welsh Government as to whether this will be possible or not.
This provision would be chargeable.
Initially, we are requiring information about which staff and pupils will be returning on June 29 in order that we can make a timetable combining both on-site and remote learning. It is vital that parents complete the questionnaire which can be found here.
A questionnaire should be completed for each child in the family who attends Rydal Penrhos School and Pre-school.
The deadline for submitting the form is Thursday, June, 11 at 12pm. If we do not receive a form your child will not be able to return to on-site learning as we need your permission for them to do so.
It’s a very unsettling time for us all, but rest assured that we’re going to be doing everything we can to make sure we’re ready to receive our staff and pupils in the safest environment possible.
Details of the changes we are introducing include:
1) Only a third of the total number of pupils can be on site on any single day – all year groups will be returning and will be timetabled for certain days, we are waiting for details about whether pre-school can return.
2) Remote learning will continue, this may include live streaming of lessons on Teams.
3) Pupils will need to wear freshly laundered uniform each day (winter or summer); ties and blazers should not be worn.
4) There will be no catering on school campus. Pupils should bring their own nut-free food which will be kept cool. Water fountains will be available to refill pupil water bottles.
5) School start times will be staggered between 8.15 and 9am and end times between 3.30 and 4pm, parents will not be allowed on-site except by prior arrangement.
6) There will be no after school activities except for Keyworker pupil provision which will continue until 18:00 as now.
7) Social distancing will be practised, pupils will be in ‘bubbles’ of no more than 10. There will be separate entrances and areas for lessons and breaks per year group (details next week).
8) All school staff will be advised to have a Covid-19 test before school starts (if available), as per Welsh government guidance.
9) All school staff will have their temperature taken each morning. Pupils must have their temperature taken at home before school.
10) We will be providing school transport to those who require it and this will also follow social distancing guidelines. Face masks will need to be worn on school buses but NOT on the school site.
11) We will be carrying out a deep clean in the week beginning 22 June across the site, some areas will be cleaned before this.
If your child is clinically extremely vulnerable, or living with someone who is in this group, they should not come back to school and should continue home learning.
If your child is clinically vulnerable (but not clinically extremely vulnerable), you should follow medical advice to decide if they should come back to school.
Please refer to government guidance for further details of these groups. We want to reassure you that we’re not going to be pressuring any pupil to come into school.
We will keep you updated with all our preparations for making sure the school is as safe as possible, so you can make an informed decision about whether your child will come in.
Best wishes,
John Waszek – Executive Principal
Sally-Ann Harding – Senior School Head
Lucy Davies – Prep School Head