Dear Parents and Carers,
Firstly, please allow me to wish you all a very Happy New Year. I hope that 2021 will be a much better year for us all. Over the past few days, you will have undoubtedly seen lots of news/media coverage regarding the revised tier system and school closures. I appreciate that this information can be confusing. Therefore, please allow me to explain the current position for our school.
Prince Albert School is in a tier 4 area but is not in one of the boroughs where school closures have been enforced. As a result - based on the current government guidance – currently, school will be open to ALL pupils on Tuesday 5th January.
Government guidance changes daily. Therefore, if there are any government changes that impact on school closure we will send you a text message as soon as we can.
Since our full reopening in September, working together has been vital in minimising the risk to all members of our school community. It is extremely important that we continue to focus on key control measures and that everyone plays their role in this. Below are some key reminders for parents:
- Staggered start times and collection times remain in place
- We ask that only one family member drops off/collects please- this supports us in reducing congestion and prevents unnecessary gathering.
- All parents/carers need to wear a mask on the school premises.Please do not be offended if we remind you about this on the gate.
- Face-to-face contact with teachers/teaching assistants is not possible during this time – SLT will remain on gate duties for any urgent queries but all other communication should be done via the class email address please.
- The school office also remains closed to parents- Please email
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and only call our landline number if it is urgent/an emergency.
The government have made it clear that they expect all pupils to attend school at this time. Within school, we will continue to follow our robust risk assessment and the ‘bubble’ approach. We will continue to play close attention to the four strategies that have been shown to reduce the risk of infection:
HANDS
Children will be asked to wash and sanitise their hands frequently throughout the school day. This includes on arrival to school. We also ask that they show good respiratory hygiene habits when coughing or sneezing (catch it – bin it – kill it). We ask parents and carers to support this by also promoting these good habits at home.
FACE
Adults are asked to wear face masks when collecting or dropping off pupils (exceptions are made for those who are medically exempt). Staff will also wear face masks in communal areas and when not directly teaching children. Government guidance is clear that pupils should not wear face coverings for school.
SPACE
We will continue to operate in our ‘bubbles’ which reduces the amount of contact between adults and children in school. Our Friday 1pm close will also continue to allow for teachers’ legal PPA entitlement. Our ‘Friday afternoon’ club will continue for working parents and those who meet the set criteria.
We would like to remind parents of the importance of social distancing when dropping off and collecting children. Please be considerate to others, follow the allocated timings and keep your children close by at all times. There should be no gathering or waiting on the school site.
VENTILATION
Classrooms will remain well ventilated with windows and doors kept open at all times throughout the day. We will also continue to get children outside for breaks, lunchtime and PE lessons wherever possible. With recent falls in temperature, please ensure your child is appropriately dressed for school with warm undergarments/layers, a winter coat, gloves and a hat.
The staff at Prince Albert look forward to welcoming our pupils back to school following the Christmas period. We will continue to do all that we can to support your child during these strange and challenging times. At all times, we will follow government guidance and thank you in advance for your ongoing support as we begin the Spring term.
Kind regards,
Miss Davies
Head of School