Dear Parent/Carer,
I hope that you have all been having a wonderful summer and managed to make the most of the incredible weather we experienced for most of the break. It is hard to believe that we will be back to school in less than a week. We are looking forward to welcoming all pupils back on Monday 16th August, details below.
As you will have heard in the media, schools will be starting back with the same mitigations that were in place at the end of June, with a few exceptions. We understand that these mitigations are not necessarily in line with those in the wider society, therefor it is important to make sure that all adults and pupils attending school are aware of this.
We will continue to have a soft start; school doors will open at 8.45a.m. and pupils should make their way to the classroom and wash their hands. The school day will commence at 9.00 a.m. Only one adult per family should accompany pupils and should only enter the playground if necessary. Face coverings should still be worn by adults on school grounds.
We will also continue to have a staggered end to the day to avoid as much congestion as possible. P1 and their siblings can be collected from 3.00p.m. Bishopton bus pupils will leave at 3.10p.m. and all other pupils in P2-7 will leave at 3.15p.m. Please note Dargavel pupils finish at 3.00p.m.
First day arrangements for P1 are slightly different and these have been communicated to parents by Mr Collins.
School lunches will return to the dining hall and free school meals have been extended to cover all P1-4 pupils. The lunch menu is available to view on the Renfrewshire Council website https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/schoolmeals-primary .
One of the changes to the current mitigations is contact tracing and self-isolation. Contact tracing will no longer be the responsibility of the school. If a pupil is identified as a close contact by Test and Protect they must isolate and book a PCR test. They must isolate until the results of the PCR test are received. If the PCR test is negative and they do not have symptoms they can return to school right away.
Building work has been ongoing throughout the holiday period. Most classes have been painted and ceilings and flooring replaced. All pupils’ toilets have been refurbished and the playground has been re-laid. The dining hall and gym hall will be completed during the October break.
A new entrance has been opened on Old Greenock Road. This will provide flat access for those travelling by scooter or bicycle and for parents with prams. We would therefore ask that no wheeled vehicles use the staired entrance on Old Greenock Road.
Please also note that the car park is for staff and disabled parking only. Parents/carers should not enter the car park at any point. For safety pupils should not walk through the car park at any point. Pedestrian access to the front door is through one of the pedestrian gates and the footpath around the main building. The Grove entrance is not a designated pedestrian entrance, it is goods only and should not be used at any time by parents/carers or pupils.
Staff will be on hand to direct pupils to the correct entrance on the first day. A map has been included below. The pink squares identify the pedestrian entrances and the yellow class names show the entrances for pupils. If you are at all unsure please look for staff who will be wearing hi-viz and they will show you where to go.
Please continue to enjoy the remainder of the break and we look forward to seeing you on the 16th.
