Lots of exciting things have been happening at Larkholme to get ready for the return of our pupils. Have a look at the pictures. Which ones might be your classroom?

We know that some of you may be worried about coming back to school and what it might be like. Hopefully we can answer some of your questions.

Will there be hand sanitiser?

Yes. There are hand sanitiser units all around school. You will need to sanitise your hands as you come into school and regularly throughout the day, especially before you eat. There are also sinks in the classrooms and bathrooms and your teachers will help you with our new hand washing routines.

When will my classroom be cleaned?

All classrooms will be thoroughly cleaned at the end of each day as normal. During the day, Miss Hay will be going around school and cleaning regularly touched surfaces. There will also be wipes in the classrooms so equipment can be cleaned between use.

What are bubbles?

Bubbles are an important way of reducing the risk of transmission by limiting the number interactions between pupils. We implement two types of bubbles within the school, classroom and phase bubbles. Classroom bubbles are made up of the pupils in that class and phase bubbles are comprised of class bubbles across limited year groups (max three class bubbles per phase bubble). Phase bubbles are only used in large or outdoor spaces.

Will I be able to play with my friends from other year groups?

When in school we will be spending most of our time in our classroom bubble. When outside at break and lunch times you may see children from your phase bubble. If your friends are not in your phase bubble then you will be unable to play with them at break times.

How will dinner times work?

Each phase will have a designated time in the hall and on the yard. Lunchtime will be staggered to help us keep everyone in their bubbles. Rec, Y1 and Y2 will have lunch 11:45-12-15 and then go onto the yard 12:15-12:45. Y3 and Y4 will have lunch 12:15-12:45 and then go on to the yard 12:45-1:15. Y5 and Y6 will go onto the yard 12:15-12:45 and then have lunch 12:45-1:15. If you are having a school dinner it must be ordered using the online system the week before. Don’t worry- there will be lost of adults around helping everyone get used to the new system.

Can I bring things in from home?

No. the only things you will need to bring with you are your reading bag, reading book and lunch box, if you need one.

I am not sure where to go on the first day.

Don’t worry. Have another look at the return to school letter as it tells you which gates and doors to use. There will also be lots of adults around ready to direct you. After the first morning- you will know exactly where to go.

I have a different start/finish time from my siblings.

It has been a challenge to put in place the staggered start and finish times but it is important that we have them. You need to enter school through the correct gate at your start time. If your sibling has a different start time then they will need to wait with their adult until they can come through the correct gate at their correct time. At the end of the day, adults can collect siblings from the earlier finish time first and then walk to the collection point for other sibling, maintaining social distancing.

Collection points will be on the playground nearest to the door your child will be exiting from. We request that you maintain distance from other parents and leave as soon as you have collected your child to ensure everyone’s safety.