Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Unless we hear other wise we are planning for school to be open as of June 1st for Reception, yr 1 and 6. Our keyworker children will be continuing to come as they have done from the start. with so much info I though I would do a short over view of key things.
One way system is place around school- entry to school via school car park and Stockwell Drive. Exit via side gates leading to The laurels. Laurels top gates will be locked so you will need to walk through the field- video on You tube shows the route.
Please call (01454 967090) or email (enquiries@barleyclose.org.uk) the school office only.
If your child is coming back they can wear own clothes- they need clean clothes daily.
No pencil cases should be bought in.
Sun cream applied before coming into school. we will be outside more, limited shade so ensure hats, shoulders covered etc.
Need plenty to drink.
Only 1 person to drop off/pick up children from school
If you have different start and end times you can drop/pick up the others at the same time.
All staff are now in school supporting the children we will have in. Home learning for the other classes will continue but weekly updates and focus on online learning.
Class teachers won't be able to contact you as much, but any worries you have please email or call us.
South Glos have stopped staff using zoom as of June 1st so sadly we can't be part of your zoom chats any more- we can use Teams though.
We want everyone to stay safe so the guidance is for everyone's safety. Thank you all for supporting us all at this time.
South Gloucestershire has the following guidance for parents and carers in PreSchool Settings, Child Minders, Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6.
The following FAQs have been devised for parents and carers on what to expect and how to prepare their child for increased contact with schools/settings in the re-opening, which will be phased for Primary Schools.
Are schools/settings re-opening after half term?
All schools are already open in South Gloucestershire for the children of key workers (KW) and vulnerable group (VG) pupils. We have been encouraging vulnerable families to send their children to school as we believe that this is the safest place for them in the widest sense and are grateful to South Gloucestershire schools who do not want to see children’s learning compromised at a very difficult time. We have seen a number of settings remain open across the Local Authority and have ensured that there has been sufficient places for demand.
How will schools/settings open differently after half term?
The government has asked Early Years (EY) providers to open for all of their intake by June
1st.
Primary phase has been asked to open more widely to pupils from Nursery, Reception and Years 1 and 6, where it is safe to do so from June 1st.
What about other year groups?
The government has yet to issue its guidance to secondary phase education but there is an expectation that they will increase contact with Year 10 pupils and increase the offer to include Year 12 before the end of term.
How are schools preparing to open more widely and how will I know if my child will be getting a place and how to come to school?
All South Gloucestershire Early Years (EY) settings, primary and secondary schools are risk assessing their sites in relation to the need for social distancing.
They have been asked to prioritise as follows;
When they have risk assessed and converted their setting/school site for wider attendance at a safe distance, they will contact you and ask you about your needs and then explain what the changes will mean for you and your child.
Will all children in Year 1 and 6, Reception, Nursery and pre-schools get a full time place?
Schools and settings were not built for class sizes this small or with a need for this level of social distancing. Your school/setting leaders are going to accommodate as many pupils as they can safely do so whilst maintaining their existing commitments and the safety of everyone in school.
Will this opening happen in the w/b 1st June?
The government has confirmed that they will say whether they believe that it is safe to do so on the 28th May, so be prepared for changes in plans. All schools/settings will continue their offer to KW and VG on this date, the wider offer will then depend on what the schools are able to deliver based on their risk assessments.
I am a key worker how will things change for me and my child?
Schools have been asked to continue to prioritise the children of key workers, whose parents cannot work from home and vulnerable group pupils.
My school/setting has offered me a place for my child but I am afraid of sending them into the school/setting.
Schools/settings in South Gloucestershire care very much about the well-being of their workforce and their pupils/children. They and their Governing Bodies/Committees will not open unless they believe they can make this as safe as possible for all on site and the families they return to each day.
The government has decided that parents should be ‘strongly encouraged’ to have their children attend schools. However, parents will not be fined if they choose for their children not to attend school. We see this ultimately as a parental decision.
How might schools/settings look different?
England will be the first place in the UK to have a gradual return of some pupils in Early Years and primary phase; however there are some places where this is underway elsewhere in Europe.
This article on Denmark’s educational settings, shows some of the things that your children can expect if they return to schools/settings in June or July.
Schools and settings in England have a different context and they are recommending smaller groups than the UK government, however some of the pictures in this article are helpful in starting to visualise how schools/settings will have changed since your child was last attending.
How can parents/carers support their child and settings/schools in preparing for increased contact with settings/schools?
Start to increase the number of times that you encourage your child to wash their hands and support them in maintaining social distance.
Look at how they could walk or cycle to the school/setting to reduce congestion and because being outdoors is a safer space and practice the journey together.
Read settings’/schools’ joining instructions, most will not want parents and other adults on site and will have set out safe entry and exit points.
Arrive at the time you are asked to attend and don’t arrive early or linger later.
Explain any changes in behaviour policies to your child, social distancing is really important and although schools/settings and pupils have missed each other, it’s important that we keep each other safe.
Schools/settings will tell you what children can/should wear and whether they can bring any kit or food with them; make your child aware of any changes.
It will help if you can explain that they will be in different groups to March and may have a different class teacher/TA/setting worker. This is because class sizes will be halved at least. Pupils will be in a “pod” or group with the same adults/s. This will mean that if there were a
case of C-19 that just the class would be sent home for self-isolation. The setting/school environment will also look different, so engaging them in conversations about their day and the changes will be really important.
Support for families away from schools.
The guidance and access to testing is changed and updated regularly, so it is worth following the link to the latest guidance.
Government Guidance for Parents
This link is updated regularly and subject to change.
Support for parents
We understand this is a challenging time for parents too, many of whom are now supporting their children’s learning at home or may have questions about their children potentially returning to school.
We have developed the following guidance and resources for parents to support them at this time:
Please do share these with parents if helpful.
As many of you will be aware, the Prime Minister addressed the nation on Sunday evening. The Prime Minister indicated that the government believes it may be able to implement a phased re-opening of schools from 1st June, starting with children in reception, year one and year six. This is part of the government’s conditional plan which it says will remain under regular review.
As school leaders, our priority is always the safety of everyone in the school community and this proposal will have prompted many questions. We are waiting to receive more information from the government about what this means for our school and until then we will be unlikely to be able to answer any questions.
Rest assured school staff and governors are working tirelessly on your behalf and in consultation with the local authority and union leaders so that we can gain a better understanding of the plan and seek further clarification as to the best way forward.
In the short term nothing has changed, and we will provide you with further information in the coming days and weeks once we are able to do so.
In the meantime, we will be continuing, as before, to offer home learning activities for all year groups, and our schools remain open on request for children of critical workers and vulnerable children who cannot be safely cared for at home.
We have published guidance for parents and carers on the opening of schools and other education settings to more children. This guidance provides information on when and how we will open education settings to more children.
The guidance can be found here: