Extending Provision

1st Jun 2020

We wrote to you all at the end of last term to say that we would be in touch this week to discuss school placements for those parents who would like their child to return.

We will be contacting all parents/carers on Wednesday (3rd June) to let you know about provision moving forward.

Decisions for placement have been based on risk assessment and there may be a need for us to liaise with our colleagues within the NHS to ensure we have the correct PPE and safety measures in place to cater for the needs of specific children.

As stated in my letter, given our staffing capacity we will not be in a position to offer a place to all pupils whose parents have requested one. The plan is to grow the provision so some pupils may not be offered a place straight away but may be able to attend over the next few weeks. In the majority of cases, the most we will be able to offer any pupil considered for placement is 1 or 2 days a week or, in the case of the nursery, 1 or 2 sessions.

The emphasis on any decision made is the health and safety of our pupils and staff. Whilst we appreciate that social distancing in our context will be a challenge, we need to, as much as possible, limit interactions to reduce the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. We have completed a thorough risk assessment in order to mitigate risks associated with extending provision. We have all also planned a number of safety measures regarding the start and end of the school day. This includes the staggering of start and end times, and new arrangements for the dropping off and picking up of children. These have all been put together into a ‘Parent Handbook’ which will be sent on prior to your child returning. We do urge that you read this document thoroughly.

For any child who has transport provided, we will be liaising with transport providers.

Should any of you have any questions regarding your child’s return, could I please ask that you email us at foreland@foreland.kent.sch.uk and we will get back to you.