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Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Transport information for pupils with ALN
Fri 26 Jun 2020Parent and Pupil Guidance - School Transport Services for Pupils with Additional Learning Needs ( Special Needs)
1. Measures to avoid the Spread of Covid 19
• Parents/Carers will not send their child to school if they develop Covid19 symptoms. Parents/Carers will follow school absence protocol
• If their child or a member of the same household displays COVID symptoms they should self-isolate as per Public Health Wales ( PHW) or NHS guidelines.
• If their child develops symptoms at school, parents/carers will collect their child and take them home as soon as possible and self-isolate as per PHW or NHS guidelines
• Pupils will continue to adhere to Swansea Council’s ‘Home to School Transport Code of Conduct
• Parents/Carers can, if they wish to do so, temporarily opt-out of the school transport contract and take their child to and from school themselves.
• The wearing of a face covering is optional. Face coverings are not suitable for everyone e.g. young children; those with special educational needs or disabilities e.g. hearing impairment. It is important that parents; pupils and school staff understand that other measures such as social distancing and regular washing of hands remains of critical importance and should not be relaxed when wearing a face covering
• Where possible to aid understanding, parents and the school will encourage children:
o to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or their elbow when coughing or sneezing when away from the household e.g. in school, taxi/mini bus
o use a tissue or elbow to cough or sneeze and use bins for tissue waste (‘catch it, bin it, kill it’)
o not to touch their mouth, eyes and nose
o to wash their hands on arrival at school, before and after eating, and after sneezing or coughing
• At school, staff will assist those pupils who have trouble cleaning their hands independently.
2. Measures to Ensure Social Distancing
a. On the Vehicle
To aid social distancing the Council will:
• Not use 5 seater saloon type vehicles for transporting ALN
Pupils unless the 2m social distancing can be achieved.
• Limit passengers to 1 pupil per car-type vehicle.
• Use larger vehicles such as multipurpose vehicles (MPV); people carriers; London type taxis, to transport pupils with ALN.
• Use vehicles with tail lifts e.g. mini buses, to transport passengers who use battery operated wheelchairs, which tend to be larger and heavier than standard wheelchairs.
• Increase the number of journeys where required to fit with staggered school opening/closing times.
• The first pupil will be seated and secured into the back passenger seat of the vehicle. Seating on the left or right passenger seat will depend on the design of the vehicle; number of seating rows within the vehicle and consideration of the seating of the passenger assistant to ensure as far as is practicable the 2m social distance within the vehicle. For example;
▪ In London style taxis the passenger assistant can sit on the small seat
behind the driver (who is protected by a plastic partition) and the pupil can sit on the left in the back seat
▪ For MPV or people carrier type taxis,passengers can sit in a zig zag in the 2 rows of seats behind the driver.
• Passenger assistants must be seated in the back of the vehicle with the pupil to fulfil their caring/ supervisory role.
• Where 2m social distancing cannot be achieved or the passenger assistant needs to intervene with a specific in-journey incident, appropriate PPE will be worn e.g. Face Mask, disposable gloves
b. Pick up and drop off at School
• At the home pick up the driver/passenger assistant can establish with the parent the COVID health status of the pupil and family. If the pupil is showing symptoms of COVID the driver will inform the parent and school they cannot transport them.
• For pick up and drop off at the home, where possible, parents will be responsible for the safe boarding and alighting of their child in and out of the vehicle.
• The driver/passenger assistant is responsible for securing wheelchairs within the vehicle on boarding and alighting the vehicle.
• Pick up and drop off to school will require the passenger assistant to hand over or collect the pupil directly to a member of staff at the school site. Dependant on the support required by the pupil e.g. holding their hand; pushing their wheelchair, good hand hygiene will be undertaken before and after the drop off task. Washing hands for a minimum of 20 seconds; or the use of hand sanitiser is effective. The same hand hygiene will apply even if the transport provider supplies their staff with disposable gloves.
• Where possible, drivers; passenger assistants and school staff will keep to the 2m social distance during pick up and drop off at school to minimise adult to adult contact. Where this is not possible appropriate PPE will be worn e.g. face mask
• Where possible pupils should be encouraged to buckle and unbuckle their own seatbelt. Where this is not possible for example when transporting ALN pupils with complex needs who need support to access the vehicle or fasten seatbelts the passenger assistant will support the pupil and appropriate PPE will be worn
c. On the Journey to and from School
• Social distancing should remain with any interaction between the driver, passenger assistant and pupil during the journey. In incidents where this is not possible and dependant on the circumstances, contactwill be kept as short as possible and appropriate PPEwill be worn.
• Pupils must continue to adhere to Swansea Council’s ‘Home to School Transport Code of Conduct’
• Pupils to be advised to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or their elbow when coughing or sneezing.
• Driver will ensure there is good ventilation within the vehicle during the journey
• If a pupil becomes ill on the journey to school the driver will advise the school so that arrangements for parental collection can be made. If a pupil becomes ill on the journey home the driver will advise the parent. Dependant on the circumstances social distancing should continue wherever possible to prevent the spread of the infection or if this is not possible staff should wear suitable PPE e.g. disposable gloves; apron; FRSM.
3. Cleaning
• The school transport contractor will ensure cleaning is undertaken as per Welsh Government guidance:
o Drivers should clean surfaces that are likely to be touched by the passenger e.g. door handles, window winders, seat belts, the rear of the front seats and other surface the passenger(s) may have touched or coughed/sneezed on, after each passenger journey. The driver should then wash/sanitise their own hands after cleaning.
o A thorough clean of the vehicle with normal cleaning products should be completed at the end of each shift/working day.
o Spillage kit to be kept on the vehicle to aid in cleaning up bodily fluids e.g. vomit
o Use sanitiser wipes to clean fuel pumps before and after use.
o Clean vehicle keys before and after handling.
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Update letter from the Director of Education for Swansea
Tue 23 Jun 2020Dear Parents/Carers
It is now over two weeks since my last letter to you all and I wanted to provide you with a quick update on the current position here in Swansea. As you are all aware our schools are pulling out all the stops to plan for the safe return of learners for ‘Check in, Catch up and Prepare’ sessions.
There will be different approaches across our schools based on a lot of different factors. Each school has been carrying out risk assessments to help them identify the approach that is right in your child’s school. However, we have agreed a number of key principles with our headteachers to ensure that wherever possible there is consistency. We also want to stress the arrangements we are putting in place will not mean a return to school and classroom education as we know it. Due to the restrictions on the numbers that can attend at any one time, the days/sessions your child can attend will be limited.
All children, where possible, will be offered a few visits to school in the now three-week period between 29 June and 17 July. Each school risk assessment will determine how often this can take place. We would like to highlight the following key points:
The last day of this school term for pupils in Swansea schools will now be Friday 17 July as originally planned. There has been no national agreement with the trade unions for the planned additional week and to ensure consistency across our schools and in line with a large number of other local authorities we will close for the summer on 17 July.
In line with Welsh Government expectations, childcare remains our top priority and the demand for emergency childcare in each school will influence their capacity to provide check in, catch up and prepare sessions.
Childcare for our key workers will be offered between 8:30am and 3:30pm at every school, 5 days a week. Opening hours can be extended (if needed) by short periods of time at the beginning and end of the day, to facilitate drop off and collection times. Please remember, only children of key workers and our most vulnerable pupils can access this childcare and then only as a last resort.
The local authority recognise that schools (following a detailed risk assessment) might not to be able to offer nursery and reception children the opportunity to check in and catch up before the summer holidays.
Where possible, parents and carers should travel with their children to and from school. Social distancing should be maintained on the journey to and from school. he council’s Transport Team is working with schools and childcare settings to determine the demand for home to school transport for eligible pupils and will endeavour to meet these requirements.
All children will need to bring their own packed lunch to school, unless a school offers half day sessions where no lunch at school is required.
All children will be encouraged to wash their hands regularly with soap and water throughout the day/session. Hand sanitizer will also be available.
Wherever possible, all pupils should have contact with their current and next school year’s class teachers/form teachers when they attend their school. It is possible that this contact might be online. There will also be at least an online opportunity for transition between primary and secondary schools.
As well as a thorough daily clean, a “clean as you go” process will be deployed in all schools to minimise the risk of cross contamination and transmission of Covid-19.
We know you will still have a number of questions which may be specific to your child or your child’s school. Please be reassured your child’s school will be providing you with a lot more detail between now and 29 June and our frequently asked questions (FAQs) have been updated https://www.swansea.gov.uk/covid19schoolsandcolleges. Please take a look at these first. If they do not address your questions, please contact your child’s school or you can email us at coronavirusenquiries@swansea.gov.uk. If you would like to speak to someone in a language other than English/Welsh, please email EMAU@swansea.gov.uk with your phone number and the name of the language.
The safety of our children and staff remains our top priority and this will not change. For those who feel the time is not right for their children to attend school then attendance is not compulsory and parents/carers will not risk fines.
Thank you for your continued support.
Yours sincerely
Nick Williams
Director of Education
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Getting ready to return to Clase Primary School
Thu 18 Jun 2020Dear Parents and Carers,
We’re looking forward to seeing you and your child soon – we have missed seeing everyone and hope that you are all keeping safe.
Although the building has been closed to nearly all our children over the last few weeks the school has definitely not been shut! Most teachers and support staff have been busy working either in school running childcare for key workers, supporting families or preparing work for pupils from their homes. Many of you will have seen staff volunteers delivering food parcels and craft packs to families in our school minibus.
On Monday 29th June we will be reopening our doors to children, but it will not really be school as usual! The school will look different to how we have all previously experienced it and we know this will be tricky for all of us to get used to.
Children from Reception to Year 6 will return to class in small groups and we will do our best to make sure they are taught by their usual classteacher and staff they know. Because we will have to keep to social distancing our school and classrooms will be organised differently. We are aware that everyone will be getting used to all of the changes and we know we will all need to be patient with each other. We will do our best to make sure everyone is as safe as possible.
We will be able to share more information once we know who will be returning to school. Thank you to those parents who have already completed our survey to tell us if you will be sending you child to school when we reopen. We understand that some of you are still not sure – this is not an easy decision for you to make. If you need to talk to someone please contact your child’s classteacher through dojo or ring the school office.
The Local Authority has decided that children in nursery will not be returning to school until September. However, we are making special plans to help those children who will be coming to school fulltime with us in September. We will send more information next week.
Start and end times will be different and we will not be having lunch in school (at least not in the first few weeks when we return). At the moment children will be offered one session in school each week and this will focus on wellbeing with time to ‘catch up and checkin’ with friends and teachers.
To keep everyone safe, the usual timetable for the day will be different and we will not be able to move around the school. We will be spending lots of time learning outdoors. In the afternoon teachers and children will continue with their remote learning at home. We will send more information about times and days next week.
We have developed careful plans and new routines to help keep everyone safe. We will be sending more information shortly. These plans will include
- Social distancing measures
- Hand cleaning routines
- Regular cleaning of areas that are touched often
- Use of tissues to catch coughs and sneezes
- Everyone behaving in a way that keeps us all safe
- Use of PPE (e.g. gloves/masks/aprons) where appropriate (we will be following the advice of the local authority and Welsh Government)
Childcare for key workers will continue to run from 8.30 – 3.30 from Monday to Friday each week.
We understand that all of this information is a lot to think about. If you need further help, support or if you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office or your child’s classteacher through dojo.
As we have already said there will be more useful information on our website next week to help you and your child get ready to return to school.
Best wishes to everyone – you are all in our thoughts even though we aren’t altogether. Keep safe!
Mrs Hope
Headteacher
Date: 18.6.2020
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Return to School Survey
Thu 11 Jun 2020Dear Parents/Carers,
Thank you for completing the previous Local Authority survey. It has now come to the time for us as a school to get information from you so we can plan for the safe reopening of school. Could you please follow the below link and complete the short survey -
Clase Primary - Return to school survey
If you do not complete the form we will assume that you are not sending your children back to school on the week commencing 29th June 2020.
Thank you for the support you continue to show even in these challenging times!
Clase Primary
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Parent Questionnaire for Local Authority
Fri 05 Jun 2020Dear Parents/Carers,
As part of the return to school process it is important that we gather parent/carer views.
Taking into consideration your views will ensure we can plan appropriately for a safe return to school.
The following link is to questionnaire from the Local Authority, we would strongly encourage you to complete the questionnaire and share your views.
Click here - Parent Questionnaire
Can you please complete the questionnaire as soon as possible and no later than the 10th June.
Thank you for your continued support!
Clase Primary
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Update letter from the Director of Education for Swansea
Thu 04 Jun 2020Dear Parents/Carers,
We want to share with you the latest information about the phased re-opening of all Swansea schools. The Minister for Education in Wales (Kirsty Williams) announced on 3 June 2020 that all children would have the opportunity to ‘Check in, Catch up, Prepare’ for summer and September. The next phase will start on 29 June 2020 with term extended by a week and will end on 27 July 2020.
This is an anxious time for everyone. We know that we have seen a fall in COVID-19 cases nationally and your actions have made a big contribution to this. We also know that some families and children have found lockdown very difficult to cope with. Some will have been personally affected with loss and grief, others will have encountered financial challenges and we have all experienced change and uncertainty. The next stage is how we can now open things up gradually and sensibly so that we do not see an increase in cases locally.
We know you will feel uncertain and have many questions about your child’s individual circumstances. We want to help deal with those questions and address your concerns.
The safety of children and staff is our priority.
Pupils who are in receipt of a shielding letter due to their medical vulnerability or who live in a household with someone who is in receipt of a shielding letter should not return to school.
School leadership teams will be carrying out risk assessments to help them identify the approach that is right in your child’s school. As a council, we acknowledge that not all schools will be able to meet the Welsh Government’s ambitions immediately. Capacity in schools will vary and many schools will need to introduce a phased re-integration. This might affect the year groups that can attend and the days available.
Schools will work very differently, at least for the rest of this summer term. Class sizes will be small and schools will implement social distancing. This means lessons may run differently, break times and lunch times may be staggered, school start and finish times may be different. We will be working closely with schools and governors to try to ensure consistency in terms of principles and approach.
If your child requires home to school transport, these arrangements will change as strict safety and social distancing arrangements will be applied on the vehicles. We will provide further details in due course.
We know that schools not being fully open can create difficulties for working parents. We are creating a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for the council website https://www.swansea.gov.uk/covid19schoolsandcolleges. Please take a look at these first. If they do not address your questions, you can email us at coronavirusenquiries@swansea.gov.uk.
We are also setting up a dedicated telephone enquiry line on 01792 636033 and 01792 636034. All these will be available from 9am on Monday 8 June 2020.
If you would like to speak to someone in a language other than English/Welsh, please email EMAU@swansea.gov.uk with your phone number and the name of the language.
Schools on our behalf will be asking you as parents/carers on your intentions through a survey. It is also worth noting that emergency childcare will continue alongside the above.
We all agree that it will be good for children to return to school but it has to be when schools and parents are confident that this is safe. Swansea Council continues to work closely with all our schools who, we are sure that you agree, have performed a fantastic job under very difficult conditions.
I will write to you again once we have had further guidance from Welsh Government. Lots to consider I am sure you appreciate and there will be more information for you as soon as possible.
Thank you in anticipation of your continued support.
Yours sincerely
Nick Williams
Director of Education
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Update on reopening of schools on June 29th
Wed 03 Jun 2020Dear Parents and carers,
Many of you will have seen or heard that the Minister for Education in Wales made an announcement today about schools reopening on June 29th. I’ve included some information from the Director of Education in Swansea, which I hope will begin to help us all understand what this return to school might look like. It will not be the same as usual, but you can be sure staff at the school will be working hard with the Local Authority and with Welsh Government guidance to make sure we are as ready as possible for when your children begin to return to school.
These are the important things the Minister announced today:
- All schools are to re-open from June 29 for a trial and transition period.
- Pupils may need to be brought into schools in very small groups due to social distancing and it is anticipate that no school would have any more than a third of pupils in school at any one time.
- The plan is to extend the remaining term by one week that means schools will be open for 4 weeks before the summer break.
- All schools are being asked to make available a check in and catch-up session for every child to attend over the 4 week period.
- Attendance will be voluntary and there will be not be any fines should pupils not attend.
- From June 29 the children of key or front line workers will attend their normal school.
Since schools closed in March we have provided emergency childcare for vulnerable pupils and for those whose parents are key workers. This will continue for now.
Distance learning at home will also continue.
Please keep checking our website and twitter for the latest information and news. Thank you for your support as we continue to respond to these challenging times.
Regards,
Sharon Hope
Headteacher
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