RESTARTING SCHOOL
Our COVID-19 Response
For the last number of months, the staff at King’s Park have been preparing for our pupils to return to school.
There are a number of changes that we have made to our school day to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. Our Restarting School Strategy identifies the key elements that will help reduce the risk of transmission.
Social Distancing
Social distancing and appropriate spacing in school is still important. Although all children are back in school and the recommended 1 metre social distancing is unachievable with our school layout, we will still promote distancing where we can. It is important that all adults practise social distancing of 2 metres at our school gates, with parents dropping off and collecting pupils and leaving the school gates promptly. In school all adults will practise social distancing of 2 metres between themselves at all times. Adults will also aim to keep a 2 metre distance from pupils where possible.
Consistent Groups & Contact Tracing
Each child will operate within consistent groups when at school. These groups will be classes, year groups or specific after school clubs. At all times, pupils will be traced in the event of a positive case. Inside the school building, there will be no contact between pupils that are not traced. Outside, at both break and at lunch, children will play within their year group within a designated zone. The only time of the day where children will be in a similar area, will be outside the school gates. However, this has been designed to limit possible contact as much as possible by staggering our drop off times and pick up times. The integrity of contact tracing is foundational to our strategy. Therefore, we would encourage parents to ensure that all lunches and clubs are booked on the School Gateway app.
Hand & Respiratory Hygiene
Hand and Respiratory Hygiene are also very important to our strategy. We would request that all children wash their hands before they leave their house. Before they enter the school building, each pupil will be required to sanitise their hands. Throughout the day, they will participate in frequent hand washing and hand sanitising, including washing their hand before leaving school at the end of the day. In addition, all members of the school community will practise the recommended respiratory hygiene as prescribed by the Public Health Agency in their ‘Catch It, Bin It, Kill It’ campaign.
These elements, and others, are being employed to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. However, the most important thing that we can do is to try and keep the virus out of school. Below is our response to children who are symptomatic. It will also be applied to any symptomatic adult.
Displaying Symptoms or Close Contact?
If you, your child or a family member are displaying one of the following symptoms:
- A high temperature;
- A new or persistent cough;
- A loss or change in your sense of smell or taste;
the following guide highlights the actions that must be taken.
Please report any absence by email to attendance@kingsparkps.co.uk
Report PCR test results to school at testresults@kingsparkps.co.uk
StopCOVID NI Mobile App
We would encourage all parents and adult family members to download and activate the StopCOVID NI app from HSCNI. This app tells you automatically if you’ve been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19. It also has a link through to the NHS website to book a test if needed. Alternatively, you can book a test by clicking on the following button.
Behaviour Policy
In light of the changes that we have made to the school day and school organisation, we have updated our behaviour policy, ‘Ready, Respect, Safe’.
It is imperative that all pupils embody the expectations of this policy at this time.
‘See, Hear, Respond’ from Barnardo’s
This service works with children and young people in Northern Ireland who might need additional support to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, offering practical and therapeutic support. It will also offer advice and guidance to any adults who are concerned about a child’s mental health and wellbeing.
Families in Northern Ireland can now self-refer for See, Hear, Respond online at https://www.barnardos.org.uk/northern-ireland-see-hear-respond or call 0800 157 7015 available from noon until 7pm, Monday to Friday.
The aim of this service is to provide the immediate support that children and young people need, to help them overcome their challenges and prevent problems escalating to crisis level.
‘How To Stay Calm in a Global Pandemic’ by Dr Emma Hepburn
CONTENTS
• Mental health at a time of coronavirus
• The mental health curve
• The covid capacity cup
• The post high-stress slump
• Why am I finding this so difficult?
• Just some emotions you might feel during coronavirus
• Routes off the anxiety roundabout
• Corona icebergs
• Beware pandemic pressure
• Self-compassion at a time of coronavirus
