As you are aware, letters have been recently sent out in respect of operating procedures for August in addition to class arrangements. It has come to my attention that some families have received these letters early this morning, whilst other have still to receive them, dependant on post delivery times. I have included a copy of the letter below. As always, with this current situation, could I ask you to appreciate that changes will undoubtedly occur between now and August and we will report these changes as and when they occur. Again, thank you for your patience.

Dear Parent / Carer

School Operating Procedures for August

I am writing to inform you of the new school operating procedures that will come into effect in August to ensure the ongoing safety of our pupils and staff, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include changes to: expectations around uniforms; how children enter and exit the school yard and building; start/finish times and confirmation of classes and class teachers.

School Uniforms
To ensure that school routines remain as familiar to the children as possible, school uniforms should be worn although children should not wear a tie. A white shirt or polo shirt and black trousers or skirt/gingham dress are acceptable in keeping with the standard St. Bartholomew’s school uniform.

Changes to school entry and exit procedures (outlined below) also require children to be dressed for all weather, including extreme weather, when coming to school. This should include a waterproof jacket or coat with a hood and warm clothing/footwear, as the weather dictates.

Entry and Exit Procedures
To avoid congestion at school entry and exit points, and for everyone’s safety, it will be necessary to allocate each class to a specific entry/exit gate and lining-up zone within the school. For clarity, access points and zones will be colour-coded and signage will be in place outside the school to direct parents/children to the correct entry/exit gate and zone. The table below outlines the access points and zones for each class:

Class Entry/Exit Gate Lining-Up Zone Start Time Finish Time
Primary 1 Dunvegan Avenue Blue Zone 1 9:10am 2:50pm
Primary 2 Dunvegan Avenue Blue Zone 1 9:05am 2:55pm
Primary 3 Dunvegan Avenue Blue Zone 1 9:00am 3:00pm
Primary 4 Rannoch Avenue Yellow Zone 2 9:00am 2:45pm
Primary 4/5 Rannoch Avenue Yellow Zone 2 9:00am 2:45pm
Primary 5 Rannoch Avenue Yellow Zone 2 9:05am 2:50pm
Primary 6 Rannoch Avenue Red Zone 3 9:10am 3:00pm
Primary 7a Rannoch Avenue Red Zone 3 9:05am 2:50pm
Primary 7b Rannoch Avenue Red Zone 3 9:15am 2:55pm

Please note that there will be strictly no access to the school grounds for any persons before 9am and there will be no adult supervision in place should children arrive before their designated time. It is

therefore imperative that children arrive at the time stated and that the entry gate is kept clear at all times. Class teachers will collect classes at the times outlined above and children will line up in the school grounds in their allocated zones, where physical distancing measures will be in place, before accessing the school building. Similarly, at finishing time, it is imperative that parents collect children at the times specified and keep all exit gates clear until called forward to collect their child.

I fully appreciate the challenges facing some parents who may have children entering and exiting different gates at different times and thank you in anticipation of your continuing support with our plans. Please be assured that the safety of our children, parents and staff is a priority and has been carefully considered in line with current physical distancing measures. Accordingly, our plans have been approved by North Lanarkshire Council and our Health and Safety Adviser.

Playtime and lunchtime
Breaks will be staggered to ensure that physical distancing can be maintained in the corridors, playground zones and dinner hall. Hot meals will be available and will be served in classrooms, but will be limited to the Red Option for children requiring school dinners. The choices will include: burgers; macaroni and cheese; chicken curry and fish and chips. Packed lunches will also be available and children are permitted to bring their own packed lunches however these need to be carried within disposable packaging. Please note that, while physical distancing measures remain in place, children should be discouraged from going home at lunchtime.

Cashless system
From August, cash can no longer be accepted in school. It will therefore be necessary for parents/carers to use our current cashless system. Full details of how to access this system through parent’s portal was issued through email. If you did not receive this email and your email provided has perhaps changed please contact school.

Personal belongings
Children should not bring any personal belongings to school. This includes water bottles, lunch boxes, bags, toys and stationery. Children may bring water in plastic bottles that must be disposed of at the end of the school day and water will also be available to buy within the school. Please be assured that children will be given all of the other resources that they need on arrival at school each day.

Access for Parents/Carers
In line with North Lanarkshire Council’s guidelines, entry to the school yard and building for parents/carers will be by appointment only. There will be strictly no access to the school yard for parents/carers at any time, unless by prior arrangement. It is therefore important that children arrive at school at their designated time, on time, each day. Where children arrive late to school, they should enter through their designated gate and make their own way to the Main Reception door before reporting to the school office.

Primary Classes and Class Teachers
We can confirm our class arrangements and class teachers for the new school session in August as follows:

P1 Mrs MacLean P4 Miss McLaughlin P6 Miss Connor/Mrs Wilson/Miss Allington
P2 Mrs Carlin P4/5 Miss Humes P7a Mrs Crielly
P3 Miss Duffy P5 Ms Kiernan P7b Mrs MacFarlane

It has been necessary to create a Primary 4/5 composite class to ensure an equal provision of time in school for all pupils. This composite arrangement will remain in place for the duration of the 2020/2021 school year. Parents of those children allocated to the Primary 4/5 composite class have already been
notified by letter. Therefore, if your child is moving in to P4 or P5 in August, and you have not received a letter to this effect, your child has not been allocated to the composite class.

In Primary 6, due to the class size, and to allow physical distancing to be appropriately maintained, Miss Allington will assist Miss Connor and Mrs Wilson with a small number of P6 pupils. Another classroom will be set up within the school to accommodate this. Please note that this is not a composite arrangement and that Miss Connor and Mrs Wilson will continue to plan and monitor the progress of all P6 pupils.

Our plans for August have been developed in line with Scottish Government guidelines and the advice provided by North Lanarkshire Council. I am sure you will appreciate that the current situation is ever-changing and that our plans may be subject to change, as the situation dictates. We will, of course, keep you up-to-date with any changes as soon as we are in a position to do so and thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your continuing support during this unprecedented period. I fully appreciate the challenges that many parents/carers have faced in juggling the demands of work, home life and home-schooling and the challenges that we, as a school community, will continue to face together in the months ahead. Please be assured that school staff are working exceptionally hard to prepare the school for August and every effort is being made to ensure that we are continuing to provide a warm, welcoming environment for the children’s safe return. I thank you in advance for adhering to the foregoing guidelines and contributing to our whole-school and community effort during this period.

Yours sincerely

Deirdre Bolland
Head Teacher