Rhydyfro Primary School

Ysgol Gynradd Rhydyfro

Recovery Plan and Risk Assessment for First Phase of

School Re-Opening (June 2020)

Recovery Plan and Risk Assessment for First Phase of School Re-Opening June 2020

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This recovery plan has been developed in line with the guidance provided by the Welsh Government document, ‘Keep Education Safe: Operational guidance for schools and settings (Covid-19) - (see Appendix 1) The plan is also in line with the NPT Council guidance - ‘Neath Port Talbot Check in, Catch Up and Prepare for summer and September Arrangements’ (see Appendix 2).

This plan should be read in conjunction with the school’s risk assessments for reducing the risk of Covid-19 (see Appendix 3). Our aims and decision making will be guided by two clear questions: 1. What is the best support that we can provide for our school community?

2. How do we ensure the highest standards of safety? As we move forward, these simple questions will guide and inform all our decision making. We will not implement any plan unless we are convinced that it is the right thing to do and we can do it safely – there is no ‘trade-off’. This plan has been developed using the following 5 key principles set out by the WG Education Minister:

1. The safety and mental, emotional and physical well-being of staff and students.

2. Continuing contribution to the national effort and strategy to fight the spread of Covid-19.

3. Having the confidence of parents, staff and students - based on evidence and information - so that they can plan ahead.

4. Ability to prioritise learners at key points, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

5. Consistency with the Welsh Government’s framework for decision making, to have guidance in place to support measures such as

distancing, managing attendance and wider protective actions.

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Overarching Guidance for Leaders and Governors

1. Principles outlined above must be evident in all decision making. Our overall aim is to ensure that our decision making is calm and informed.

2. We will be decisive in our decision making. Our community must expect us to respond clearly and with urgency to any safety issues raised.

3. Senior leaders and governors must consider all the advice made available to them. Includes updated guidance for schools from Welsh Government.

4. Excellent communication must be evident throughout the planning and implementation of our safety plans. We will work with all teams of staff and welcome input from trade associations, pupils and parents/carers. We will share advice that informs our decision making.

5. Need to build trust in our community. We will be open and transparent at all times in our communication with the community.

Rationale: This plan will aim to ensure that we safeguard our community by:

▪ Always being alert to risk.

▪ Reducing risk through effective organisation and controls.

▪ Reducing transmission risk by limiting interactions within the school community.

Overarching Plan: ▪ Our pupils will be supported by their normal class teacher(s) in their normal classroom, within groups of no more than 10. Pupils will

remain in their classroom or use the stipulated outside area to participate in general/additional activities i.e. play/lunchtime, reading, intervention, TA support. Throughout the course of the day, they will see other children and staff, but, on the whole, they will be based in their classroom. The school will adopt a ‘POD’ approach – ensuring pupils are mindful of their personal safety and distancing, and of the safety of others, in a caring environment.

▪ Pupils’ classes will have allocated staff members for teaching and lunchtime supervision. Some classes may be allocated more than one member of staff. This will be kept at a minimum to reduce the possibility of contraction and transmission.

▪ Within our environment, everybody will apply the best standards of care that we can. We will have a detailed, rigorous cleaning plan.

▪ The school will employ a simple model with three clear messages:

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o Stay Clean – We wash our hands regularly and use the hand sanitisers provided.

o Be Hygienic:

▪ put tissues in bin.

▪ keep hands off each other and your face.

▪ cough into sleeve or tissue etc.

o Keep a Safe Distance – Viruses travel. We can stop them moving by keeping a safe distance.

Minimising & Controlling Transmission: In all education, childcare and social care settings, preventing the spread of coronavirus involves dealing with direct transmission (for instance, when in close contact with those sneezing and coughing) and indirect transmission (via touching contaminated surfaces). A range of approaches and actions must be employed to control transmissions. These can be seen as a hierarchy of controls that, when implemented, creates an inherently safer system, where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. These include:

1. Minimising contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do not attend childcare settings, schools or colleges.

2. Improving cleanliness. Cleaning hands more often than usual - wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water and soap and dry them thoroughly or use alcohol hand rub or sanitiser ensuring that all parts of the hands and wrists are covered.

3. Ensuring good respiratory hygiene - promote the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach.

4. Cleaning frequently touched surfaces and resources often using standard products.

5. Minimising contact and mixing by altering, as much as possible, the environment (such as classroom layout) and timetables (such as staggered break times).

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Way Forward Achieving the desired aims will involve the following:

▪ Transport – Some of our pupils are transported from outside the catchment area on a daily basis. Where possible, parents/carers are encouraged to transport their children to/from school to minimise transmission and allow for greater social distancing.

▪ Corridor space – There are ‘pinch’ points in the school. These include, but are not exclusive to, corridor and stairs areas. These areas will require constant monitoring to ensure social distance distancing at times of movement. A one-way system will be in operation at busy periods.

▪ Congregational areas – Parents/carers are politely asked not to enter school premises unless absolutely necessary and via appointment only. Access points will be altered to maximise social distancing. The main gate will be used as an entrance and the bottom gate as an exit resulting in a one-way system.

▪ Contact with school – Parents/carers are politely asked not to enter the school premises unless absolutely necessary. If contact is required for essential purpose i.e. medication, administration of forms etc., parents must contact the office on (01792) 862000 to arrange a suitable time. Dinner money should be correct and provided in an envelope/money bag – pupils place dinner money into a box in their classroom which will be passed onto Mrs. Thomas in the office. Change will not be provided; any surplus dinner money will be added to the child’s account and will ‘rollover’ to the next week. Parents are requested to provide accessible main and emergency contact numbers.

▪ Arrival and Departure from School - Parents/carers will be provided with a time to enter the school premises for dropping pupils off in the morning and collecting at the end of the school day. All pupils will meet on the playground at a designated spot. Pupils will line up, on spots by the three sets of steps on the playground and will enter the building via their classroom fire doors. When departing the school at the end of the session, parents must wait on the playground observing social distancing and pupils will be dismissed from the classroom fire door (not the usual pick up and collection point).

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Class Meeting and Collection Point Start Time Departure Time

Year 1/2 Foundation Phase steps 9:00am 1:00pm Year 3/4 Key Stage 2 steps (nearest the road) 9:00am 1:00pm

Year 6 Middle steps on playground 9:30am 1:30pm Year 4/5 Key Stage 2 steps (nearest the road) 9:30am 1:30pm

Hub Main entrance 9:00am 3:00pm

▪ Pupils eligible to return to school – The school and its Governors have made a decision in line with advice from Neath Port Talbot Local Authority to offer places to pupils from years 1 to 6. Nursery and Reception pupils will not be eligible to return to school unless they meet criteria as the child(ren) of a key worker(s) or those who are deemed vulnerable. The eligibility will be reviewed throughout this period of transition in line with Government/Local Authority advice.

▪ Pupil shielding/illness – If anybody residing in the family home is shielding and/or showing Covid-19 symptoms (refer to Government advice), they should not attend school until cleared for return as per Government advice. If pupils are ill during the school day, the office will contact you and arrange a suitable handover procedure.

▪ School Canteen – Pupils will eat their lunch in the school hall where there will be three sittings per day. Pupils will be sat according to social distancing rules and will enter and exit the hall via a one-way system. ALL pupils wishing to eat a school lunch will need to pay for school dinners (£2.35 per day). Those pupils currently in receipt of Free School Meal funding from the Local Authority will need to pay the school. Pupils are entitled to bring a packed lunch however ALL rubbish and left-over food must be returned home for disposal.

▪ School Cleaning – Cleaning services will receive additional training and carry out daily cleaning of the school building. Staff will have access to antibacterial spray and disposable cloths for cleaning down high use areas i.e. door handles, keypads and other high usage areas. Equipment and resources etc. will be cleaned between sessions, if required.

▪ Intimate care/First aid – Where necessary, staff may be required to administer intimate care/first aid. Staff will ensure correct PPE is used and adhere to the agreed Risk Assessments. Where any issues arise, for example excessive intimate care needs, the school may require additional safety measures i.e. additional Risk Assessments, reduced contact with school.

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▪ Potential shortage of staff – Each class will need at least one member of staff to teach and care for the children. Additionally, we may

also have staff who are unable to work on site due to shielding. If this were to occur, the school would adhere to Risk Assessments and reduce the number of pupils on site.

▪ Implications for Breakfast Club/After School Provision – There will be no Breakfast Club or After School club prevision until further

notice. ▪ Supporting children with additional needs – where pupils are in receipt of a Statement of Educational Needs, or have Additional Learning

Needs (ALN), an additional Risk Assessment may be required. If the Risk Assessment cannot be safely adhered to, the school will discuss the concern with individual parents/carers and further measures, including a reduction in contact time, maybe required.

▪ Evolving from ‘hub’ childcare to school – Our emergency childcare ‘hub’ at Rhydyfro Primary School will resume on Monday 22nd June

for those pupils eligible and whom have been attending since lockdown. The base for this provision is Llangwig Primary, due to water issues. This provision will be open 5 days per week from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Parents will need to book a place in advance via Mrs. Thomas in the school office: (01792) 862200 - rhydyfro@npt.school

Rhydyfro Primary School aims to launch this recovery plan to safely reopen the school on Monday, 29th June 2020. The school will close for the summer holidays on Friday 17th July 2020. Procedural plan for start/end of day: Arrival/Departure Timetable Arrangements:

Class Meeting and Collection Point Start Time Departure Time

Year 1/2 Foundation Phase steps 9:00am 1:00pm

Year 3/4 Key Stage 2 steps (nearest the road) 9:00am 1:00pm

Year 6 Middle steps on playground 9:30am 1:30pm Year 4/5 Key Stage 2 steps (nearest the road) 9:30am 1:30pm

Hub Main entrance 9:00am 3:00pm

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▪ Parent must use the top gate to enter the school, go down the steps onto the playground. Please make the school aware of any disability or issues with accessing the steps.

▪ Whilst waiting for the school to open, pupils should stand on a designated spot and parents should wait abiding social distancing rules. ▪ A member of staff will greet you and provide instructions 10 minutes before the start of your child’s school day.

▪ Appointments for the school office need to be made in advance via phone 01792 862200 or email rhydyfro@npt.school and only if

absolutely essential will parents be allowed into the school building. Appointments will be strictly restricted to between 9:30am and 10:30am.

Simple Guidance Principles for Staff

1. Do not come to school if you have coronavirus symptoms or go home as soon as these develop (informing your line-manager) and access a test as soon as possible. If you are unwell and unable to do this, we can assist. If you are very unwell seek medical support as soon as possible through NHS 111;

2. If somebody in your house has symptoms, you must not come to work and arrange to have a test.

3. If somebody in your house is shielding, you are not compelled to attend school to work, you may work remotely.

4. Ask any question. There is a lot of guidance to work through. If you are unsure, please come and talk to SLT. Assured staff will make calm and informed choices. We are here to help.

5. Recognise that you are allowed to be anxious. We are here to support and guide.

6. Make your well-being a priority. Through the school HWB page and Rhydyfro Staff email we will highlight the range of well-being services and support that we can offer.

7. Practise good hygiene. You have soap and cleaning materials in your classroom. We have also provided wipes for keyboards, phones etc.

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i. Clean your hands and wrists more often than usual – with running water and soap and dry them thoroughly or use alcohol hand rub or sanitiser ensuring that all parts of the hands are covered. Use of sanitiser, or hand washing, on entry to the building and when you leave.

ii. Use the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach.

iii. Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes.

iv. Clean frequently touched surfaces often using standard products.

8. Think about ways to modify your teaching approach to keep a distance from children in your class as much as possible. Avoid close face to face support (noting that it’s understood that this is not possible at all times, which is why hygiene and hand cleaning is so important). Staff should try and maintain a standing distance and communicate from ‘side on’ position when possible.

9. Children are not in quarantine, but you may benefit from having your own zone in a classroom - control your contact. You would ask children not to enter this. You may want to mark out an area with tape that could be a few square metres.

10. Ensure that cleanliness and hygiene is excellent in your class. Ensure that our children practise our 3 simple steps:

i. Stay Clean – We wash our hands regularly and use the hand sanitisers provided.

ii. Be Hygienic:

▪ put tissues in bin;

▪ keep hands off each other and your face;

▪ cough into sleeve or tissue etc.;

iii. Keep a Safe Distance – Viruses travel. We can stop them moving by keeping a safe distance.

11. Maximise ventilation. Keep your classroom door and windows open if possible, for air flow.

12. Teach outdoors when you can and maintain social distancing in these spaces.

13. Model social distancing. Staff must demonstrate this. Limit your contact with other staff members, and don’t congregate in shared spaces, especially if they are small rooms.

14. Come to us if you need any extra PPE. Refer to WG/LA advice on effective use and the school will provide it if it helps improve safety.

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Recovery Plan Checklist

What needs to happen? Before returning

On return Ongoing Actions needed and who is doing it Completed

SLT and governors should ensure transparency in relation to guidance. Follow and recheck the appropriate government Covid-19 guidance and updates on all issues. Covid-19 Recovery Plan shared with full Governing Body and approved by Chair of Governors Consultation, creation and review of this plan, procedures and staff responsibilities confirmed

X

X

X

X

X

X

• WG guidance is checked daily.

• All governors/staff have key links in staff bulletins.

• New information will be shared on staff Teams page/WhatsApp group.

• Any urgent communication to staff will be sent by SLT before 4pm.

• Risk Assessments will be continually updated – they are working documents.

• To consult with all staff via ADDS - 8th June.

• Consult with SLT daily and/or when necessary.

• Share Recovery Plan v.1 and risk assessment with parents via website.

• FAQ for staff created.

• FAQ parents created.

Ongoing Updated daily To be completed by Tuesday 16th June 24th June 2020

SLT should ensure appropriate guidance is made available for parents. Follow and recheck the appropriate government Covid-19 guidance and updates on all issues.

X

X • WG guidance/updates provided regularly.

• Any appropriate Risk Assessments are made available.

Ongoing Updated daily

Risk assessments carried out as required. All current risk assessments

X X • What are the risk assessments that need to be completed?

To be completed by

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reviewed in light of this guidance. Includes:

• Operational routines (e.g. visitors to site, toilets etc.)

• Cleaning

• Catering

• Transport

• Covid-19 Secure Risk Assessment

• Classroom Risk Assessment

• Vulnerable Staff Risk Assessment

Friday 19th June.

Contact NPT Transport to seek advice on availability of transport providers/escorts for pupils.

X X • Contact Gill John/Deb Holder – NPT Transport

• Contact transported pupils’ parents

To be completed by Friday 19th June.

Mobilising Staff, Governors and Wider Community

Checklist Before returning

On return Ongoing Actions needed/ thoughts Completed

Plan for the phased return of pupils. Organisation (classroom, staffing, year groups, siblings, etc.)

X

• Staff to create PODS 1, 2, 3, 4 for logistical/planning purposes.

• Check with colleagues as to what day siblings are in – we may need some flexibility in numbers on certain days i.e. if there are larger families etc.

• Create ‘Key Worker’ list and relate to NPT ‘Vulnerable’ list – identify which days pupils will be attending to ensure ratios are adhered to.

• Once classroom is set up, spend minimal time in school i.e. if classroom is set up and ready for pupils return, staff should work from home. Similarly, any preparation work should

To be completed by Friday, 19th June for distribution on W/B 22nd June

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be completed at home, if possible, during the weeks leading up to reopening.

• Time in school must be limited, i.e. staff to arrive circa 8.30am, depart circa 2:00pm/3:30pm (Hub);

• PPA must be taken at home on a Friday.

Ensure strategic and wellbeing meetings are held with all staff. Make time for all staff to talk to senior leaders about their personal situation if required:

• Thoughts on returning, fears, concerns about returning;

• What will be easy to accomplish, what will be hard;

• Fatigue (Staff have continued to work);

• Changes in circumstance, retirement, pregnancy, bereavement;

• Additional worries about members of their family and friends;

• Remind them of any internal support plan/system that is in place;

• Discuss ability to return to work.

X X X • ADDs via 'Zoom’ to continue.

• Maintain focus on signposting to essential well-being services.

• Well-Being services highlighted in staff update on HWB and Rhydyfro email.

All staff consulted on Thursday 11th June. Personal calls to staff who have been self-isolating/shielding W/B 15th June 2020 SLT to check in with staff on a weekly basis

Identify staff who are unable to return to school at this point e.g.

X X X • SLT review staffing weekly. Personal calls to staff who have

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those who are extremely clinically vulnerable or those who are clinically vulnerable or living with someone who is extremely clinically vulnerable and stringent social distancing cannot be adhered to on site. Support staff member(s) to work from home if possible, e.g. supporting remote education.

• Checked on self-declarations and current screening advice.

• HT to contact vulnerable staff.

• CW to lead remote learning feedback and response.

been self-isolating/shielding W/B 15th June 2020

Refer to ‘Business Continuity’ plan to consider options if necessary, staffing levels can’t be maintained (including school leaders and key staff like designated safeguarding leads and first aid providers).

X X X • Revise ‘Business Continuity Plan’ if required.

• SLT to link staff to classes by Friday 12th June. Include clear working space and timetable.

• Have ‘stand-by’ staff and protocol for support for a class if required.

Staffing rotas planned and agreed by Friday, 19th June

Mobilising Staff, Governors and Wider Community Checklist Before

returning On return Ongoing Actions needed/ thoughts Completed

Agree any flexible working arrangements needed to support any changes to your usual patterns e.g. staggered start/end times

X

X

• Staff consulted on revised timing proposals

• SLT to work on staffing arrangements if flexibility needed.

• Senior staff/TAs to be available for welfare breaks over break-time.

12th June 2020

Ongoing

Wellbeing of Head and Deputy Head teacher safeguarded.

X • Regular meetings.

• Signposting to services.

Ongoing

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• Regular contact with CoG and HT.

• HT encouraged not to exceed required working hours. Work flexibly when required.

Reassure and consult with staff about expectations for planning on return to work.

X X X • Expectations around how to plan for the class.

• Clear guidance on preparation and delivery of home learning.

• All teaching staff will have PPA from home on a Friday.

ADDs 11th June 2020

Ensure all teams have accessed training for new ways of working, including:

• Cleaning staff and use of PPE/safe working practice;

• Health and Safety management for SLT;

• Standard annual/biennial training (ACEs, VAWDASV, GDPR etc.) for all staff;

• Briefings led with staff on ‘safer’ teaching practices.

X X X • Build these into weekly meetings that take place from W/B 8th June onwards.

• SLT lead all teams and arrange training.

Ongoing

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APPENDIX 1

APPENDIX 2

APPENDIX 3

The risk assessments and recovery plan will be monitored and reviewed on a weekly basis

Role Name Signature Date

Chair of Governors Mr. John Davies

24.06.2020

Head Teacher Mr. Kevin Hodder

24.06.2020