Parent Information – Whole School Return

Dear Parent/Carer,

Return to School

We are all very excited to be able to welcome our P4-7 pupils back to school fulltime on Monday the 15th March. The upper floors of our building have been very quiet over the last few weeks and it will be a pleasure to have everyone back in one place.

We would like to thank all parents and carers for the support they have given to all of our pupils with home learning since January. You have all been marvellous, but I am sure you are breathing a sigh of relief that home learning is over for the time being.

As our P4-7 pupils start to return the COVID-19 mitigations that were in place before we broke up in December will continue.

Strict social distancing protocols for adults remain in place. We would request that only one adult per family accompanies pupils to and from school. Adults are still required to wear a face-covering when on the school premises, including the playground. Once you have dropped your child off, we ask that you leave the playground and do not stand and chat with other adults.

Pupils can arrive at school from 8.45 a.m. when the doors will be open. They should not arrive any earlier than this. Pupils should go straight to their classroom and wash their hands in preparation for a 9.00 a.m. start.

Class bubbles, increased hygiene measures and staggered breaks will remain in place. Lunch will be 12.00-12.45 or 12.45-1.30. Please inform the office if your child intends to go home for lunch.

There is no requirement for social distancing between Primary School pupils but pupils and adults will continue to stay 2m distance.

The school will continue to provide all resources needed by pupils therefore there is no need for pupils to bring anything from home. As increased ventilation is still in place, it is a good idea for pupils to wear layers as the temperature may fluctuate throughout the day. Learning outdoors will continue to feature so wet weather gear remains a requirement.

P1 pupils and any siblings will continue to leave from 3.00 p.m. This will be followed by bus pupils at 3.10 p.m. and the remainder of pupils at 3.15 p.m.

At the end of the day we would again ask that, if pick up is required, only one adult per family comes to collect. If there are older siblings in the family please ask them to collect their younger brothers and sisters and meet the appropriate adult outwith the playground. If it is necessary to enter the playground, please stand well back from the school building. Please do not stand within 2m of adults from another household. 

The outdoor play equipment is out of use as we have no control over who has used it out with school hours. Please do not let pupils or younger siblings use this before or after school for health and safety reasons.

As pupils do not need to distance from each other please let those who are making their own way home leave through the gates first. Family groups that include an adult should maintain a 2m distance from each other as they leave.

Parking and The Car Park

As the numbers increase again on Monday, we would ask that you consider active travel measures. If you do require to drive to school, please park in a considerate manner. Please do not park on the Zig Zags or over our neighbours drives and be vigilant for pedestrians.

As we have had fewer staff in school and the car park has been quieter, we have noticed an increase in cars entering the car park and pedestrians using it as a short cut. Please remember the car park is for school staff and disabled parking only. Parents, including dropping off, picking up for aftercare, should not use the staff car park. Please do not bring pupils through the car park at the start and end of the day. This is a safety issue and we wish to ensure everyone is as safe as possible.

COVID Symptoms

Please note that all COVID protocols remain in place. Please do not send your child to school if the have any of the 3 symptoms of COVID: high temperature, persistent cough or loss of taste or smell. If your child displays any of these symptoms in school, you will be asked to come and collect your child and have them tested. Your child can only return to school on receipt of a negative test result or after 10 days if you choose not to have them tested. We appreciate it can be difficult to differentiate between normal childhood illnesses and COVID but we do have to err on the side of caution especially in light of the new highly transmissible strains in circulation.

As always, our aim is to give our pupils the best experience in school as possible while keeping everyone in our Bishopton Community safe. This has been a difficult few months for us all. If you or your child is struggling with the return to school or any other aspect of dealing with the pandemic, please let us know. We are here to offer any advice or support or to put you in touch with agencies who can help.

Once again, thank you for your continued support as we all work together through this unprecedented situation.

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