Underlying Principles

• The school has a responsibility to make effort to ensure the safety, health and well-being of all members of our school community – children, parents and staff. This plan has been formulated to better ensure that the school can exercise that duty of care.
• Assuming it is in keeping with public health advice and guidelines issued by the Department of Education and Skills, it is preferable for all children to return to school for all five days of the school week and for a full school day. This plan has been formulated to achieve that aim.
• It is not possible to eliminate the risk of infection. However, with the co-operation of all members of our school community, it is possible to minimise the risk of the virus being introduced to school and the consequent risk of its spread.
• As well as co-operation, the flexibility and goodwill of all will be required to ensure the plan can be implemented.

 

Assumptions

All children return to school and classes operate within a bubble system

•  The school is split into 2 groups with each group having different break times and lunch times
  •  Junior Infants - 2nd Class will have first break 10.50am – 11.00am
  • 3rd Class - 6th Class will have first break 11.10am – 11.20am
  • Junior Infants - 2nd Class will have Lunch break 12.30pm - - 1.00pm
  •  3rd Class - 6th Class will have Lunch break 1.10pm – 1.40pm
• The day will include 1 x 10-minute break 1x 30 minute break 
• Within each class from 2nd to 6th, the children will be further divided into “pods”, with a minimum distance of 1 metre being maintained between pods.
• Hand sanitiser will be available at all entry points and in all class and support rooms.
• There will be staggered opening and closing times as detailed separately for children who travel
  1. on foot / by car and
  2. children wo travel on the school buses

Children will be given time to eat in the classroom prior to going outside at break times

Arrival at school

1. Group A – Group A:  (Children on foot/by car 9.00am – 9.15am
2. Group B – Group B:  (Children on buses 9.15am – 9.30am
3. We ask for co-operation with these times as it will mean that the numbers congregating on school grounds at any one time will be minimised. 
4. Each class should proceed immediately to their classroom each morning following the route for their class.
5. No adults, other than staff members, should enter the building.
6. Messages for teachers can be sent by phoning the school office.

End of School Day

Group A:  (on foot/by car)  -  2.50pm – 3.00pm

Group B:  (travel by bus)  -  3.00pm – 3.10pm

1. Children in group A must be collected by an adult from the front gate.  Be mindful of parking and no blocking the entrance gates please.
2. Children in group B will be escorted to buses by their class teacher.

Collection of Children during the School Day

If an adult has to collect a child during the course of the school day, the following arrangements will apply:

• The adult must alert the office that they have arrived
• The child will be brought from their class to the adult by a member of staff
• The adult who is collecting will be asked to sign the child out
• No adult should enter the school building, unless invited to do so

Dealing with a suspected case of Covid-19 

Pupils should not attend school if displaying any symptoms of Covid-19. If a pupil displays symptoms of Covid-19 while in the building, the following are the procedures will be implemented:

• Parents/guardians will be contacted immediately
• The child will be accompanied to the designated isolation area via the isolation route by a member of staff. The staff member will remain at least 2 metres away from the symptomatic child and will also make sure that others maintain a distance of at least 2 metres from the symptomatic child at all times
• A mask will be provided for the child presenting with symptoms, if one is available. She should wear the mask if in a common area with other people or while exiting the premises.
• An assessment will be made as to whether the child who is displaying symptoms can immediately be brought home by parents and call their doctor and continue self-isolation at home
• The school will facilitate the child presenting with symptoms to remain in isolation, if they cannot immediately go home, and will assist them by calling their GP. 
• The child presenting with symptoms should be advised to cover their mouth and nose with the disposable tissue provided when they cough or sneeze and to put the tissue in the waste bag provided
• If the child is well enough to go home, the school will arrange for them to be transported home by a family member, as soon as possible, and advise them to inform their GP by phone of their symptoms. Public transport of any kind should not be used
• If they are too unwell to go home or advice is required, the school will contact 999 or 112 and inform them that the sick child is a Covid-19 suspect.
• Arrangements will be made for appropriate cleaning of the isolation area and classroom involved.

The HSE will inform any staff/parents who have come into close contact with a diagnosed case via the contact tracing process. The HSE will contact all relevant persons where a diagnosis of COVID-19 is made. The instructions of the HSE should be followed.  Therefore, apart from informing the child’s parents, the school will not be informing anyone else as this is the role of the HSE and we must strictly adhere to this.

Children who should not attend school

If your child is in one of the following categories, they should not attend school – 

1. Children who have been diagnosed with Covid-19
2. Children who have been in close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with Covid-19 
3. Children who have a suspected case of Covid-19 and the outcome of the test is pending
4. Children who have been in contact with a person who has a suspected case of Covid-19 and the outcome of the test is pending
5. Children with underlying health conditions who have been directed by a medical professional not to attend school
6. Children who have returned home after travelling abroad and must self-isolate for a period of 14 days  (does not apply to Green List countries)
7. Children who are generally unwell

Supporting the Learning of Children who cannot attend school

If a child is not able to attend school for an extended period of time, the class teacher (and/or the SET teacher, where relevant) suggested activities to support the child’s learning at home will be shared with the family.

Impact of a Suspected or Confirmed Case of Covid-19 in a Class

If the school is notified that a person in your child’s class has a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19:

• The parents of all children in the class will be notified
• HSE advice will be sought and followed

Personal Equipment

• Every child should have their own pencil case and colours
• It is further requested that all items have the child’s name on them for ease of identification.
• All children should bring a zip lock bag and keep sanitiser here if parents want them to bring their own. 

Shared Equipment

By necessity, some classroom equipment needs to be shared including tablets, laptops and the equipment used for structured activities and play in Infant classrooms. Cleaning of such shared equipment with wipes or other cleaning products will take place at regular intervals to minimise the risk of the spread of infection.

Special Education

In keeping with our Special Education policy, special education will be provided by a blended approach of in-class support and withdrawal. The provision of support will be organised to ensure our support teachers will work within the confines of a bubble.

• Where a support teacher is working alongside a class teacher in a classroom, both teachers must be mindful of maintaining social distance from one another.
• Where children from any class receive support in one of the SET rooms, social distancing of 1 metre will be maintained between each child in the group.
• The tables and chairs in SET rooms will be wiped clean in between different groups attending by the SET teacher. 

PPE

• All Staff will be provided with a disposable face mask
• Staff who are attending to particular care needs or who are administering first aid will wear appropriate PPE including gloves and face masks.
• All staff will be provided with a cleaning caddy for their own work space. 

Teacher Absence and Substitution

In the event that a teacher is unable to attend school, every effort will be made to secure a substitute teacher for the class. If a substitute teacher is not available, it is not appropriate for the class to be divided into groups and accommodated in other classes. A member of the SET team or the Principal may be available to supervise the class if the teacher is absent. 

Failing the above, it may not be possible for the class to attend on that day. If that is the case, as much notice as possible will be given to parents.

PE

Where possible, PE will take place outdoors and use of equipment should be confined to the sets that have been distributed to class groupings. 

Extra-curricular Activities

The possibility of facilitating extra-curricular activities such as football will be explored. However, it would not be recommended that children from different bubbles would participate in extra-curricular activities at the same time. The staggered finishing times will also make the scheduling of after-school activities such as football problematic. Further updates will be provided in September.