Wells Park School

Dear parents and carers,

We are writing to you to confirm arrangements for your child’s return to school or college at the start of the spring term, following the announcements the Department for Education made yesterday.

As you know, your child’s setting has worked incredibly hard and continues to do so to put measures in place to ensure your child is kept safe and well. We are extremely proud of the way education colleagues have adapted and coped through the pandemic to date.

However, with Essex currently experiencing considerably high growth in the rate of Covid-19 and being subject to the highest level of local restrictions – Tier 4 – it is clear that further action is necessary. Not just in terms of education settings, but across the county to reduce the additional pressures on local hospitals and social care settings in our region.

As a result and based on the latest public health advice, we can confirm that the Department for Education has directed that all secondary schools and colleges across Essex will move to remote learning for the first 2 weeks of Spring term. This direction will be reviewed by Monday 18 January.

The Department for Education has also confirmed that primary schools in the Essex districts most acutely affected will also face a delayed return to face-to-face learning for the first 2 weeks of term. This too will be reviewed by Monday 18 January. These districts are: Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Harlow, Maldon, Rochford, Southend on Sea, and Thurrock. This is in response to significantly rising case levels of Covid-19 in these areas and growing demands on hospitals and health and social care services, particularly in Mid, South and West Essex.

Primary schools in Uttlesford, Colchester and Tendring will return as normal on Monday 4 or Tuesday 5 January. These 3 districts are not included in the delayed start to face-to-face learning due to lower numbers of Covid-19 cases in these communities.

Across all secondary schools and colleges, and in the affected primary school districts listed above, only children identified as vulnerable, and those of critical workers will be able to return to school at the start of term. Children in key exam years – primarily in Years 11 and 13 – will be able to return to school on Monday 11 January. Your child’s school or college will be in touch with the specific arrangements around what this will mean for you and your child. All schools will provide remote education for all other pupils.

Early years settings and special schools are not affected and can open as normal. Read the full DfE guidance for parents on GOV.UK

If you are a critical worker, we would ask that you carefully consider whether you do have an essential need for your child to remain in the school setting for the first 2 weeks of term. If home-learning is possible for your child it will help contribute to drive cases down in your community. We appreciate that this may not be possible for primary-age children who will require an adult in the home at all times and additional support whilst they are undertaking home-learning.

For secondary school-age children that can return to school during the first week of term, we are advising that all those parents and carers book an online PCR test before the start of term via the Government website. Please select the option that you have been asked to get a test by a local council (unless your child is showing symptoms of Covid-19). We are not extending this advice to those returning to school at a later date, or to primary school age children.

We appreciate that the above will have a number of implications for you as parents and carers, however we hope you can appreciate why this move has been deemed necessary by the Department for Education. This arrangement will be regularly monitored against local infection rates and we will provide you with any further updates as necessary.

In addition to the above, we must also ask that you and your family continue to follow all current Government Covid guidance:

Social Distancing
We have evidence to show that some young people are not following the guidelines around social distancing when outside of their education setting, either on the way into or home from school or college and at weekends.

For any preventative measures and current guidance to be as effective as it can be, it is imperative that young people practice social distancing at all times while outside of their education setting.  

This is because within the setting there are measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus. These measures are not present when young people are socialising together outside of the school or college environment and therefore the potential for transmission is significantly increased – not just between young people, but also anyone else they may come into contact with while out in the community. 

Face coverings
We do encourage you and your child/children to wear face coverings at appropriate times. For secondary aged students, it is compulsory to wear a face covering on transport, when moving around school or college and in communal areas outside of the classroom. For primary aged children, it is not appropriate to wear face coverings at school, but adults may be asked to wear face coverings when entering the school site.   

We appreciate the start of the 2020/21 school year has been difficult for many, and many of your children will have been looking forward to returning to school after the Christmas break. They may, like you, feel anxious or frustrated by the present situation. However, it is vital that we come together to support each other and our education settings so that we can ensure schools can return fully at the earliest opportunity, and we can look ahead to more positive times.

Thank you for your continued support.

Last updated Yesterday

Reopening the school for all pupils both day and resident.

7th September 2020

Dear parents and carers,

In line with the latest government guidance, we have been carefully planning for the reopening of the school for all our pupils on Monday 7^th September.

Our commitment is to create a safe and familiar environment whilst still offering your child the best possible care. As both a day and residential school, this presents some significant challenges but with the following measures in place, we feel confident we can once again welcome all of our pupils back after the summer break.   

Social Distancing

• We will continue to support our pupils in their understanding of Covid19 and the reasons for social distancing; however, due to the needs and ages of our pupils it will not always be possible to practise social distancing within their class groups or on residential houses.
• Class sizes will be adjusted to no more than 10 and seating will be laid out to support social distancing in classroom and work areas
• Classes and houses will have areas allocated to them that only they will use
• The use of toilets by children will be carefully managed across the school site as appropriate.
• Children will remain with their own class/house group during the school day in order to maintain ‘bubbles’ wherever possible.
• In case of an emergency such as fire socially distanced evacuation procedures will apply. Classes/houses will observe these rules when lining up at their designated meeting points and return to their class/house without mixing with other groups.
• All meal times and breaks times have been carefully planned to so that class groups and their staff do not mix.

Good Sanitation and Hygiene.

• Increased cleaning has been put into place with our cleaning contractors to include cleaning during the working day as well as after school hours.
• All staff/visitors will be required to use hand sanitiser on entry to the building and on exiting the building.
• Children and staff will be expected to use hand sanitiser when they enter and exit the school on all occasions.
• Equipment in classrooms and on houses will be regularly cleaned and NOT be shared with other groups.
• All outdoor play equipment will be cleaned and sanitised after each use
• Children will not share personal equipment or school equipment in the classroom
• Where required, and in line with guidance, PPE will be provided

Responding to possible cases of Coronavirus

Where there is a member of staff or pupil showing symptoms of Coronavirus, they will immediately be provided a prepared space in the school away from others where they will be cared for until they can return to their homes and complete a Coronavirus test. The results of these tests will then inform any protective measures required. These procedures will be reviewed alongside the latest guidance from Public Health England.

Curriculum Adjustment

• The curriculum may have to be adjusted due to Covid19 safety measures e.g. non-contact P.E lessons and suspension of lessons that might otherwise increase the potential for transmission of Covid19.
• Residentially, consideration will be given to activities with risk assessments being carefully monitored in line with guidance from DfE and Public Health England.

Remote Learning

In the event that your child should need to remain at home, access to learning will be provided at the earliest opportunity. This will include virtual lessons with members of our teaching staff as well as paper based work where this is a preference. The learning provided will be a continuation of the learning taking place in class.   

Access to the school

• The school office and building will remain closed to all but essential visitors. If parents wish to contact the school this can be achieved via email info@wellspark.essex.sch.uk or via telephone between 9:30 and 4:00pm
• If children need to be collected during the school day or need to be dropped off after the normal start of the day this can be arranged in advance with the school office
• Any appointments with staff will be made via telephone and not face-to-face unless this cannot be avoided.

The Beginning of the School Day/Week 

We will continue to welcome our children into school at agreed entry points to further reduce the mixing of staff and groups.

The End of the School Day/Week 

• Children will be called individually to their transport and supported by the adults from their house/class. Taxi providers will continue to adhere to the guidance provided by Public Health England applying their own risk management measures.

Your commitment

Under current arrangements, pupils and staff should not attend our school under any circumstances if the following applies:

• You show any symptoms of Covid-19, including a high temperature new persistent cough, loss of taste and smell. In these circumstances you should isolate with your household and inform the school at the first opportunity. Please see here: HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
• If a member of your household or a close contact has symptoms of Covid19 or tested positive for Covid19, your child should remain at home for the period of time described in the latest guidance (currently 14 days if another family has Covid19 or at least 10 days if a child has been tested positive for Covid19) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/get-an-antigen-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/

This continues to be an evolving situation and one, which relies on the cooperation of us all.

To support the health of our community and wherever possible ensure our school can remain open, it is vitally important that we have your support and understanding around the measures we have put in place.

We will keep our planning under constant review and communicate any necessary adjustments to you if and when the need arises.

In the meantime should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact our school office on 02085026442 (term time only) or email us at info@wellspark.essex.sch.uk.

On behalf of all the staff at Wells Park, we wish you a restful and healthy summer break. We look forward to welcoming you all back in September.

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Surman and Carol Mitchell

Parent/carer declaration

• I confirm that my child is not suffering from any COVID 19 symptoms and has not been for 7 days prior to their return to school.
  • COVID 19 symptoms are defined as having a high temperature, a new continuous cough and a loss sense of taste and / or smell (please refer to government and Public Health England guidelines).
• I confirm that my child and whoever they reside with have not knowingly had contact with anyone with COVID 19 symptoms within 14 days prior to their return to school.
• I confirm that I am not aware of any health condition which could put my child at greater risk of COVID 19 infection.

Please contact the school office if your child or a member of your household has a health condition that classifies them as either high risk (clinically extremely vulnerable) or moderate risk (clinically vulnerable).

This information will be used to inform our Covid19 risk assessments.

• I confirm that I will contact the school should there be a change in my child’s health or they have come into contact with anybody displaying COVID 19 symptoms before the term begins.
• I confirm that I will be required to make arrangements for my child to be collected from school at the earliest opportunity should they become ill during the school day and that my child’s name and address will be shared with Public Health England .
• I confirm that my child will not attend school they or anyone in my household be isolated as a result of illness or advised to by track and trace personnel.

Updates on COVID-19:

Guidance for educational settings:

Department for Education Coronavirus Helpline

The Department for Education have launched a new helpline for parents, young people and staff who have questions or concerns:

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)