Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Schools reopening latest news

  Thu 21 May 2020 Mrs Rudd

  Having reviewed all of the current guidance I am now in a position to give more information about a possible reopening.

  Prior to reopening for more children we have to very carefully assess all the possible risks and put procedures in place so that we are making sure that these risks are as low as possible and prepare.

  Birmingham Education Authority has produced a document to help us to assess these risks and we are in the process of completing it. Staff have also been preparing the building and classrooms so that they will be safe as possible for your children. This is all taking time and is not yet finished.

  The order we placed for PPE and sanitising equipment several weeks ago has not yet arrived, probably because everyone is trying to order the same things!

  We also will not know until 28th May what the governments final decision is about reopening. I have spoken with other headteachers in the area and they are all in the same position and we all agree that with all of these issues it will not be possible to open to Years Reception, 1 and 6 on 1st June.

  Instead we are looking to open on 8th June. We will have a staggered start with Reception in on 8th, Reception and Year 1 on 9th and then Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 from the 10th onwards.

  Start and end times for the day will also be staggered with Year 1 arriving at 8.45am, Reception arriving at 9am and Year 6 at 9.15am. Year 1 will finish at 3pm, Reception at 3.15pm and Year 6 at 3.30pm.

   

  Key worker and vulnerable pupils are not affected by this they will continue to attend as before and can attend school week beginning 1st June.

   

  So that we can make sure that the school is thoroughly cleaned each week and prepare for the following week we are considering temporarily closing the school early on each Friday to all pupils including those of key workers. (more details about this will be sent home once it has  been agreed with governors).

   

  It is possible that all of this will change again after 28th May if government guidelines change but I will keep you informed as quickly as possible if it does.

   

  I am sorry that these changes have been necessary and hope that you understand that what we are doing is for the safety of pupils, staff and families.

   

  Further information will be sent out as soon as it is available.

• Potential reopening of school

  Tue 19 May 2020 Mrs Rudd

  We have today sat with all staff to consider all the implications for returning to school. We have thought about the risks and possible solutions so that we can make sure that when the children return to school we can be as sure as possible that everyone will be safe.

  Many of you were asking questions about how we are going to do this and below are details of the actions we are taking:

  • All pupils to be in a small class group of no more than 10. These class groups will have a teacher and teaching assistant for each group and each group will not mix with any other group.
  • The start and end of the day will be staggered with year groups arriving and leaving at different times so that there are fewer children going into/leaving the school at the same time.
  • Break and lunchtimes will also be staggered so that there are fewer children outside at any one time.
  • Each group will have an allocated classroom and play area outside so that they do not mix with other year groups.
  • In Years 1 & 2 classrooms the children will be sat 2m apart.
  • In Reception we will encourage social distancing when they are working with a member of staff however it will be very difficult to keep them apart all the time when they are playing.
  • Children in Years 1 and 2 will not be allowed to share resources. In reception there will be limited sharing of resources however resources will be cleaned after use.
  • There will be sanitising hand gel in all classrooms and anti-bacterial wipes to wipe down desks, resources etc.
  • All staff and pupils will wash their hands on entry to school, at break and lunchtimes and before leaving the school. and after going to the toilet.
  • Toilets, desks, chairs, door handles etc will be cleaned after use during the day.
  • All rooms will be cleaned at the end of each day.
  • No visitors will be allowed into the school building.
  • We may close the school early on a Friday afternoon so that we can deep clean classrooms and minimise staff changes during the week.

  There are other measures that we will be putting in place but I think these are the main ones that people have asked about.

   

  I want to be honest with you therefore I must add children are children and they will want to talk to their friends and therefore even though we have put all these measures in place and the children will be well supervised we can not promise that they will always be 2m apart, especially when they are outside. For example if they are playing a game of football with their group outside or if they are running around with their group in the playground. Reception children may get closer than 2m when in the classroom as they will not always be sat at a table. We will follow the guidelines but we can not guarantee this wont happen.

   

  Current plans are that we will open for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 on the 1st June, this may change once the government has reviewed its data or if new requirements are put in place that makes 1st June impossible to organise. Key worker and vulnerable children in other year groups are also allowed to attend but with a limit of 10 children. If there is any change to this date I will let you know as soon as I know.

  Once we have hit the limit of 10 in each group then no other children will be allowed to return at a later date, unless there is a change in guidance from the government. It may be that we change to a rota system if there are more children than we have spaces for.

  We currently have enough spaces in our groups for all those who have requested a place.

  Start times, allocated groups and pick up times will be sent out later this week.

  If you have not already told the school that you want your child to attend can you please contact the school by the end of this week or you may not get a place.

  I hope that this answers any questions you have. Further details will be sent out to those parents whose child/children are returning to school later in the week.

   

  If you have any other concerns or questions please email them to me and I will do my best to answer them.

• Reopening School Latest Information

  Sat 16 May 2020 Mrs Rudd

  I am sure that many of you will be wondering about what is happening with regard to school reopening and will also have concerns about the safety of your children if we do open.

  The reason that I have not shared any plans with you as yet is because we are carefully reading through all the documents we have been sent about reopening and are considering what that means for our school.

  Since the announcement by the Prime Minister that schools might reopen for pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 from 1st June I have received over 30 different documents, emails and messages each giving details which are at times confusing and sometimes contradictory. It is important that careful thought is given so that we can meet the requirements set out by the government and at the same time make sure that the school will be as safe an environment as possible for pupils, staff and families. I do not think we should rush this as doing so could risk this safety.

  Some of the things we have done/are doing are:

  • Measured classrooms to see how many we believe we can safely have in and keep the 2m distancing rule
  • Ordered PPE, cleaning and sanitising materials
  • Considered each aspect of your children coming to school and being in school for potential safety issues. Making sure that any issues have a potential solution.
  • Started to think about timetables and activities for the children to do when they are in school.
  • Continued with planning activities for those children not in school to complete at home.
  • Had virtual meetings with other schools and the local education authority to share ideas and concerns. 

  On Monday staff will be calling all Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 parents to ask if they will be returning their child to school if we reopen. It is important that you think about this and make a decision. The government has said all children should stay in the same small group and not mix with other children therefore we may not be able to admit children later if you change your mind. It is your choice if you want to send your child to school. You will not be fined if you do not send them at this time. If you are concerned and want to keep them at home that is your right and we will continue to send out home learning packs/information for those at home to complete.

  The government has said that if we have more children wanting to come than we can safely accommodate in school then we should prioritise Reception and Year 1. Once we have an idea of the numbers returning we will be able to let you know if we will have to do this.

  On Tuesday I am meeting with all school staff to go through all concerns and to make sure that we are all sure that whatever we choose to do will be as safe as possible for them, our pupils and families.

  I am sorry that I can't answer all of your questions at this time. I will give further information on Tuesday afternoon once all of our consultations have taken place. In the mean time if you have questions or concerns you can email them to me at head@watermill.bham.sch.uk

   

• Government announcement about possible opening of schools to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils

  Wed 13 May 2020 Mrs Rudd

  You will have read or heard about the governments proposal to reopen schools on 1st June to children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6.

  We are currently reading through all of the guidance so that we can see how this may affect our school and taking advice about any risks involved.

  The safety of our pupils, your children, and staff is our priority and we will not do anything that will risk this safety. Therefore we need to carefully consider all of the risks involved and will publish further information when we are clear about the proposals and what they mean.

   

• Water Mill Superheros

  Sun 10 May 2020 Mrs Rudd
  You are all superhero’s to us! We are all missing you very much and hope that you will be back with us soon. We all wanted to send you a special message so check out the bottom of our home learning page and Facebook.