When will school start in September?

All pupils with the exception of Nursery will start back on Monday September 6th 2021. Nursery pupils will start with us on a staggered intake process by 15th September, and parents/ carers will receive confirmation of their child’s start date.

What are the Start and Finish times?

As all parents/carers and pupils will arrive and leave at the same time, it may seem to parents/carers that normal operations have resumed. However, there are still strict control measures within the school environment that need to be adhered to as set out by the Welsh Assembly Government Operational Guidance.

Schools will now revert to pre-pandemic start and finish times (8:50 to 3:20 with the exception for nursery, see below)

What if we are late and miss the class drop-off time?

We would appeal to parents/carers to avoid being late if possible. Please take your child/ren to Gate 1 a member of staff will admit your child/children through the main school entrance.  

Please note, with the exception of drop off and collection, all gates will be locked. Should parents/carers require access to the school building, please contact the school office on 01792 463019 

What if my child shows symptoms?

Pupils who show symptoms during the school day will be allocated an isolation room for their and others’ safety.   

Pupils who show one or more of the 3 cardinal symptoms of COVID-19 (new persistent cough, fever and/or loss of taste or smell) must not attend the school setting but must remain home and self-isolate, arrange a COVID-19 test and notify the school of this. 

Local Health Boards may make testing available for individuals who are experiencing a wider range of symptoms such as fatigue, myalgia (muscle ache or pain), a sore throat, a headache, a runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea. Individuals are asked to consider taking a test if they are experiencing any of these wider symptoms and they are new, persistent and/or unusual symptoms for them. 

Are there Contact groups / Track and Trace issues?

The Welsh Government advice is that contact groups are no longer necessary in schools.

Link for Track and Trace : Welsh Government Website 

Test, Trace, Protect teams will be responsible for contacting each positive case and collecting information about their close contacts both within and outside the school/setting. It is their role to identify which individuals meet the definition of a close contact and therefore need to self-isolate. They will work with the school to agree on communication with those who are required to self-isolate and those who may return to school.

Parents/carers and learners will continue to play an important role moving forward. This may include providing information to TTP teams on who is in a learners’ friendship group, or TTP teams having discussions with learners or a proxy to better understand who a learner may have had close interactions with.

How do I Drop off my child?

Our current drop off and collection arrangement have brought the advantage of being able to hand over children to parents and carers in a safe, calm and ordered manner. We would very much like this to continue in September so would like to trial the following arrangements

All parents/ carers (with exception of Nursery parents and those who have chosen to book their child/ren into Breakfast Club) will be asked to arrive between 8:40 am and 8:50 am.

We ask that parents/ carers continue to hand over their child to the member of staff supervising each gate. Duty staff will supervise the children on the playground from 8:40 am to 8:50 am.

We would like to trial the following arrangements for drop off and collection:

Gate 1: Mr Davies (5/6 D) & Mrs Evans (5/6 E)

Gate 2: Mrs Howard (3/4 H) & Mrs Timaeus (3/4 T)

Gate 3: Mrs Lewis (1/2 L) & Miss Maliphant (1/R M)

Gate 4: Mrs Jenkins (4/5 J) & Mrs Roach’s Reception

Gate 5: Miss Breeze (1/2 B) & Mrs Roach’s Nursery

Nursery drop off and collection times below:

Morning Nursery pupils: 9 am – 11:30 am

Afternoon Nursery pupils: 12:40 pm to 3:10 (?)

What do I need to know about Collection?

We ask that parents arrive to collect their child/ren between 3:15 pm to 3:20 pm. We again ask that parents wait by the gate allocated for their child’s class, children will continue to wait on the playground and be handed over directly to parents as they do now.

We understand that siblings in different classes will pose an issue for some parents/carers. Please do not worry, please collect your youngest child first safe in the knowledge that we will supervise your older child/ren until you can make you way around to the other gate/s to collect.

*Parents of pupils in Upper Key Stage 2 may consider their child mature enough and ready to walk to and from school unaccompanied, with the safeguards that parent deem necessary. If this is the case, please contact your child’s class teacher in writing giving permission for your child to walk to and from school without adult supervision.

Please note, we would expect pupils under the age of 10 year old are collected by a responsible adult.

What are Contacts?

Risk assessments will be updated to take account of the fact that, as there will no longer be contact groups, consequently schools will provide best endeavours intelligence to contact tracers on any close contacts.

What about Breakfast Club?

From September our Breakfast Club will be open to all pupils, via a weekly online booking system. Admittance is from 8.00am to 8.30am. Unfortunately we will not be able to admit anyone after 8.30am. Pupils have the opportunity to have a leisurely start to the day, enjoy a healthy breakfast, and socialise with their friends, whilst they are supervised until school starts. The Breakfast Club costs £1.00 per child per day, unless you are entitled to Free School Meals, in which case it is free. Payment is in advance via our online payment system sQuid. If you are interested in using the Breakfast Club, please speak to a member of the Admin Team, who will add you to the Breakfast Club group on ClassDojo.

Will there be Playworks After School Club?

We are hoping that the After School Club will restart in September. At the time of writing Playworks Childcare had appealed for parents to complete and submit registration forms form parents. Playworks Childcare are still waiting for registration forms from parents who have enquired.

Are there measures within the classroom?

WG guidance tells us that staff will continue to reduce the amount of time they are in face-to-face contact to lower the risk of transmission.

’Ideally, adults should maintain a two-metre distance from each other and from children, any additional space available where there are lower numbers of learners attending should be used, wherever possible, to maximise the distance between learners and between staff and others.

We know that this is not always possible when working with younger children in Foundation Phase, and our School Risk assessment identifies mitigating measures which may be needed, such as the use of well-ventilated space.

Schools are asked to include seating learners side by side and facing forwards, rather than face-to-face or side on. Foundation Phase learners will be more active in their play-based learning and seating and desk arrangements will not be required.

School Resources

We will aim to minimise risk of transmission, for example, by having different sets of equipment and resources for different groups of children.  A regular cleaning schedule is used to 

Can I Visit?

Where possible, visits should happen outside of school hours. A record is kept of all visitors as this may be needed at a future point to assist the Welsh Government’s TTP strategy.

Where possible, we would try to arrange consultation remotely either via a telephone call or video conferencing at the earliest convenience.

Please note, with the exception or drop off and collection, all gates will be locked. Should parents/carers require access to the school building, please contact the school office of 01792 463019

Class dojo messaging service should be used as a means of communication between school and home.

Do I need Uniform?

There is an expectation that pupils will wear uniform in line with the school policy.

What should I bring?

It is still recommended that learners limit the amount of equipment they bring into school each day, to essentials such as lunch boxes, bags, hats, coats, books, stationery. Learners can take books and other shared resources home, although unnecessary sharing should be avoided, especially where things are not for educational purposes. For individual and very frequently used equipment, such as pencils and pens, it is recommended that learners have their own items that are not shared.

What about Free School Meals?

The Welsh Government will continue to make funding available to local authorities so that they can make free school meal provision to eligible learners who are not required to attend school premises because they are self-isolating as a result of COVID-19.

At Brynmill we use a combination of Teacher Assessment and ongoing assessments to gain the best picture of how your child is performing and progressing. This year in light of the aftermath of the pandemic, statutory assessments for end of Phase Outcomes and Levels are suspended. However, the school will still keep you informed of your child’s progress through the usual Parents meetings and end of year report.

Here is what you should expect:

• An Autumn Term and early Summer Parent’s appointment offered over the Phone or Teams.
• An end of Year report detailing areas of progress and targets.

For pupils in Year 2-6, online Personalised Assessments will take place in the Autumn and Summer Term. In order to feedback the main areas of strength and possible next steps, the information is shared with you digitally. When these reports are available, we will notify parents and also share the feedback with pupils in school.

Here is an overview to explain what the report means:

Information_for_parents_final_billingual

 

Here is a tutorial how to view your child’s progress report from the Personalised Assessments.

Brynmill return of KS2 pupils – Logistics Key Points for Parents  

Brynmill return of KS2 pupils – Logistics Key Points for Parents  

Welsh Government has issued comprehensive guidance for schools which details the planning and reorganisation that schools will need to put in place in readiness for a Key Stage 2 return on 15th March.   

   

In order to mitigate some of the risks associated with a full return, schools are being asked to reduce contact by:  

  

• Grouping learners together  
• avoiding contact between groups as much as possible  
• arranging classrooms with forward facing desks where appropriate  

• staff maintaining distance from learners and other staff as much as possible  

  

Below is a set of answers to the things we think most parents will want to know. If you have any other questions, we will use them to update this page.  

Point	Actions
What date will my child start?	All primary pupils are expected to be in school on Monday 15th March 2021.    We expect that pupils in Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils will return on 15 March to join the children in Foundation Phase.
Will there be staggered drop off and collection times? Yes      What will the timings be?     Where do I line up with my child?     Gate 1 Trafalgar   Gate 2 Trafalgar   Gate 3  - Kemble   Gate 4 – De Breos   Gate 5 – Waterloo	In line with Welsh Government’s suggested measures for arriving and leaving schools, classes will have a different drop off and collection times. The timings will be as follows     8:30 am – 3:00 pm    1 /2 H – Gate 3   1 /2 L – Gate 2   1 / 2 B – Gate 4        8:45 am to 3:15 pm    LFP M – Gate 4 (with runner)    LFP R – Gate 3 with runner    4/5 J - Gate 2       9:00 am – 3:30 pm    3 /4 N Gate 2   3 /4 T Gate 3   5/6 D Gate 4    5/6 E Gate 5
Do I need to wear face covering to drop off my child?	All parents and visitors to school sites must wear a face covering. Parents should also avoid gathering at the school gate and should arrive as close as they can to their agreed drop off/collection time.      Wearing of face coverings (primary)  The Welsh Government has updated its guidance on the use of face coverings in schools.  To reduce the risk of transmission amongst parents and relatives, please wear masks when visiting school, and at drop-off and collection areas. Maintaining clear social distance at the school gates will also reduce risk and set a good example to pupils.    Please follow these guidelines and encourage your child to follow theirs too. Along with regular hand washing/sanitising and social distancing, this will reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 at school as far as possible.  They have been made stronger to keep you and your families as safe as possible. They are based on new advice from Welsh Government’s Technical Advisory Group, as we learn more about the way COVID-19 is transmitted. Thank you for your help in doing all we can – together – to keep ourselves and others safe.
Dropping off my child           How will they come into school?               What if we are late and miss the class drop off time?	Pupils will arrive and wait at different gates with one parent on socially distanced queue spots next to their class’s assigned gate/s.     *It is important that pupils are accompanied by one parent or carer and that parents/ carers are on time.    Parents/ carers will be asked if they or their child have any Covid symptoms.     Children will enter one at a time and find a ‘splat’ to stand on.  All children will use hand sanitiser as they enter school and the need to handwash reinforced throughout the day.      We would appeal to parents/carers to avoid being late if possible. Schools must do all they can to limit opportunity for mixing of class bubbles/ groups. If too many parents bring their children to school late, it makes it very difficult for us to manage safe drop off arrangements. If however, you have an emergency which means that you are unavoidably late, please take your child/ren to Gate 1 and queue on the socially distanced lines, waiting with your child until they are admitted.
Collecting my child    How will they leave school?	All pupils must be collected from school including Year 6 pupils. Staff will bring pupils down to the allocated exit and wait on splats.  Parents/carers are asked to wait on queue spots, a member of staff will call each child in turn. Once reunited with your child, parents and carers are asked to move away from the gate to avoid a gathering of any kind
I have children with different start and   finish times.      What are my options?	Dropping off    Where siblings start times are different they can arrive together at Gate 1 between 8.30 and 9.00.       Collection.    WG Guidance demands that schools endeavour to avoid contact between different groups of learners. We would ask, unless in the case of an emergency, that your child/ren are collected at their allotted class pick up time.
How will children be grouped?	Your child will be in a consistent class size contact group.
What about break times?	Pupils will stay with their class for break times and lunch play on a staggered basis. They will be able to use an outdoor zone (weather permitting) with the aim of minimizing contact between groups, whilst still giving our children chance to run around and play together.
Will there be Social Distancing?	Reducing the number of contacts between learners and staff will be achieved through keeping groups separate and through maintaining distance between individuals.   In primary schools, especially for younger learners the emphasis will be on separating groups. For learners old enough, they should be supported to maintain distance and not touch staff where possible.
What if my child becomes unwell?	Pupils who are feeling unwell during the school day will be allocated an isolation room for their and others’ safety.    Pupils who are feeling ill before school should not attend and if they exhibit COVID19 symptoms, they should follow Public Health Wales advice for families in terms of quarantine.
Will the Local Authority continue to provide emergency childcare?	No, there will be no emergency childcare provision in the autumn term.
What about Lunchtimes?	Pupils will stay with their contact group (class) and will eat together in class or outside.     The Local Authority catering service have informed schools that they are planning to offer school meals. For parents who wish to use this service, it will be available via Squid as usual. There will be a choice from 2 hot options which will be delivered to the classroom, and we are currently using reusable containers.
Will my child need equipment?       Can my child share class resources?	For individual and very frequently used equipment, such as pencils and pens, pupils need to have their own items that are not shared. They should bring in their own pen and pencil case (one). However, if pupils need to borrow, then these will be cleaned at the end of the day.      Classroom-based resources, such as books and games, can be used and shared within the contact group; these will be cleaned regularly    Pupils should bring in their own water bottle and can fill it up through the day themselves, not share.
Do staff or pupils need PPE?	Due to the scientific evidence related to the wearing of PPE clothing and masks, the schools risk assessment identifies when it may be needed, and that staff may choose to wear masks. If you wish your child to do so, we respect that choice however, parents are asked to consider WG guidance, which states that “No one who may not be able to handle face coverings as directed (e.g. young learners, or those with special educational needs or disabilities) should wear them as it may inadvertently increase the risk of transmission, ”    They must wash their hands upon arrival and dispose of temporary face covering in a bin.     Hand washing should always be practiced before putting on and after removing PPE
How will infection control be managed?	Additional cleaning will take place through the day of all surfaces, high touch areas and resources used. Children will only use resources that can be frequently cleaned. Posters and videos will reinforce this with pupils. Toilet usage will be managed be allocated members of staff and water fountains will be made unavailable. Pupils with First Aid or Personal Care needs will be attended to by staff with PPE.
What about uniform / clothing?	There is an expectation that pupils will wear uniform in line with the school policy.
Will there be Breakfast Club?	There will Breakfast club, places are limited and priority will be given to children entitled to Free School Meals and whose parents are blue light workers or key workers.  The school will send out updated details and forms prior to the 15th March.
Will Playworks After School Club be operating from September?	Schools in Swansea have risk assessments in place that will focus on educating all pupils within their class bubbles. This means that after school clubs and any activity that mixes bubbles in schools should be avoided.
What will children be doing?	WG are directing schools to develop an approach to learning for the Spring term which is flexible enough to adapt to different scenarios and differing amounts of in-school learning and learning at home or elsewhere.    Schools have been asked to consider a range of priorities including:   health and well-being   what is important for learners now, the skills that our learners need to develop most both currently and in the longer-term  literacy, numeracy and IT skills   Opportunities across all of the curriculum areas, developing learning experiences which involves learning inside and outside school  .
Will I be able to talk with my child’s class teacher	Of course however ad hoc site visits are not permitted. Where possible, we would try to arrange consultation remotely either via a telephone call or video conferencing at the earliest convenience.     Please note, with the exception or drop off and collection, all gates will be locked. Should parents/carers require access to the school building, please contact the school office of 01792 463019     Class dojo messaging service should be used as a means of communication between school and home.
Free School Meals	The Local Authority will be providing a choice of a hot or cold option which those eligible for Free School Meals will be able to order via Squid   If you think you are eligible but have not already applied, please follow this link.     https://www.swansea.gov.uk/applyfreeschoolmeals       All children will need to bring a water bottle.

 

 

 

Brynmill Opening Logistics Key Points for Parents  

Welsh Government has issued comprehensive guidance for schools for the February phased reopening which details the planning and reorganisation that schools will need to put in place in readiness for Foundation Phase return from 24th February.  

  

The Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams,  says that “we will start a phased return to face to face learning for our Foundation Phase learners (3 – 7 year olds). 

There will be some flexibility over this first week, with all Foundation Learners (including those in non-maintained settings) in school by the end of that week..”  

  

In order to mitigate some of the risks associated with a Foundation Phase return, schools are being asked to reduce contact by:  

  

• Grouping learners together  
• avoiding contact between groups as much as possible  
• arranging classrooms with forward facing desks where appropriate  

• staff maintaining distance from learners and other staff as much as possible  
• Use of face coverings 

  

Below is a set of answers to the things we think most parents will want to know. If you have any other questions, we will use them to update this page.  

Point	Actions
What date will my child start?	Wednesday 24th February– Foundation Phase classes Reception-Year 2  Thursday 25th February  – All Foundation Phase pupils including nursery pupils  Friday 26th February – All Foundation Phase pupils including nursery pupils
Will there be staggered drop off and collection times? Yes      What will the timings be?     Where do I line up with my child?     Gate 1 Trafalgar   Gate 2 Trafalgar   Gate 3  - Kemble   Gate 4 – De Breos   Gate 5 – Waterloo	In line with Welsh Government’s suggested measures for arriving and leaving schools, classes will have a different drop off and collection times. The timings will be as follows       8:30 am – 3:00 pm    1 /2 H – Gate 3   1 /2 L – Gate 2   1 / 2 B – Gate 4        8:45 – 11.15 am Nursery LFPM – Gate 4 Nursery LFP R – Gate 3 8:45 am to 3:15 pm    LFP M – Gate 4 (with runner)    LFP R – Gate 3 with runner     KS2 Childcare – Gate 1 and 2
Do I need to wear face covering to drop off my child?	All parents and visitors to school sites must wear a face covering. Parents should also avoid gathering at the school gate and should arrive as close as they can to their agreed drop off/collection time.    Wearing of face coverings (primary) The Welsh Government has updated its guidance on the use of face coverings in schools. To reduce the risk of transmission amongst parents and relatives, please wear masks when visiting school, and at drop-off and collection areas. Maintaining clear social distance at the school gates will also reduce risk and set a good example to pupils. If you have a secondary school aged child, be aware that face coverings should now be worn by year 7 and above pupils in all areas outside the classroom and be worn on dedicated school transport for year 7 and up. Please follow these guidelines and encourage your child to follow theirs too. Along with regular hand washing/sanitising and social distancing, this will reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 at school as far as possible. They have been made stronger to keep you and your families as safe as possible. They are based on new advice from Welsh Government’s Technical Advisory Group, as we learn more about the way COVID-19 is transmitted. Thank you for your help in doing all we can – together – to keep ourselves and others safe.
Dropping off my child                 How will they come into school?	Pupils will arrive and wait at different gates with one parent on socially distanced queue spots next to their class’s assigned gate/s.     *It is important that pupils are accompanied by one parent or carer and that parents/ carers are on time.     Parents/ carers will be asked if they or their child have any Covid symptoms.     Children will enter one at a time and find a ‘splat’ to stand on.   All children will use hand sanitiser as they enter school and the need to handwash reinforced throughout the day.    Please help us by ensuring social distancing, thinking twice before sharing lifts to schools, holding parties, sharing childcare, mixing on the way to school, whilst on school premises or afterwards. Please act responsibly as not doing so could jeopardise the return to school for the rest of the spring term.
Collecting my child    How will they leave school?	All pupils must be collected from school. Staff will bring pupils down to the allocated exit and wait on splats.  Parents/carers are asked to wait on queue spots, a member of staff will call each child in turn. Once reunited with your child, parents and carers are asked to move away from the gate to avoid a gathering of any kind.  Please maintain a social distance of 2m.
How will children be grouped?	Your child will be in a consistent class size contact group.
What about break times?	Pupils will stay with their class for break times and lunch play on a staggered basis. They will be able to use an outdoor zone (weather permitting) with the aim of minimizing contact between groups, whilst still giving our children chance to run around and play together.
Will there be Social Distancing?	Reducing the number of contacts between learners and staff will be achieved through keeping groups separate and through maintaining distance between individuals.   In primary schools, especially for younger learners the emphasis will be on separating groups. For learners old enough, they should be supported to maintain distance and not touch staff where possible.
What if my child becomes unwell?	Pupils who are feeling unwell during the school day will be allocated an isolation room for their and others’ safety.    Pupils who are feeling ill before school should not attend and if they exhibit COVID19 symptoms, they should follow Public Health Wales advice for families in terms of quarantine and Track and Trace.
Will the school continue to provide childcare for KS2?	Yes. Onsite learning for children of critical workers in Y3-6 WILL be available from 23 February. Onsite learning will still be offered to those who need it as opposed to those who want it.     No onsite learning available for Foundation Phase pupils prior to their return to avoid mixing of contact groups during week beginning 22 February.  Places will continue to be confirmed on a first come, first serve basis for the children of critical workers.
What about Lunchtimes?                       Free School Meals	Pupils will stay with their contact group (class) and will eat together in class or outside.     Between 24 February and 26 February, your child (Foundation Phase and Childcare) will be required to bring a packed lunch to school.     From the week commencing 1 March, Reception to year 2 children will start to receive a hot meal in school again.  Please remember to make sure your sQuid account is topped up.  Free school meal payments/parcels will not be provided for Foundation Phase children after 26 February (the last payment should be in bank accounts by Friday 12 February to cover the period up to 26 February, and the final fortnightly food parcel will be delivered on Monday 15 February    The Local Authority catering service have informed schools that they are planning to offer school meals. For parents who wish to use this service, it will be available via Squid as usual from the 1ST March.
Will my child need equipment?       Can my child share class resources?	For individual and very frequently used equipment, such as pencils and pens, pupils need to have their own items that are not shared. They should bring in their own pen and pencil case (one). However, if pupils need to borrow, then these will be cleaned at the end of the day.      Classroom-based resources, such as books and games, can be used and shared within the contact group; these will be cleaned regularly    Pupils should bring in their own water bottle and can fill it up through the day themselves, not share.
Will there be Nursery provision?	Nursery will be returning on Thursday 25th February 2021
Do staff or pupils need PPE?	Due to the scientific evidence related to the wearing of PPE clothing and masks, the schools risk assessment identifies when it may be needed, and that staff may choose to wear masks. If you wish your child to do so, we respect that choice however, parents are asked to consider WG guidance, which states that “No one who may not be able to handle face coverings as directed (e.g. young learners, or those with special educational needs or disabilities) should wear them as it may inadvertently increase the risk of transmission”    They must wash their hands upon arrival and dispose of temporary face covering in a bin.     Hand washing should always be practiced before putting on and after removing PPE
How will infection control be managed?	Additional cleaning will take place through the day of all surfaces, high touch areas and resources used. Children will only use resources that can be frequently cleaned. Posters and videos will reinforce this with pupils. Toilet usage will be managed and water fountains will be made unavailable. Pupils with First Aid or Personal Care needs will be attended to by staff with PPE.
What about uniform / clothing?	There is an expectation that pupils will wear uniform in line with the school policy. (clean each day)
Will there be Breakfast Club?       Will Playworks After School Club be operating?	There will be no Breakfast club     Schools in Swansea have risk assessments in place that will focus on educating 3-7 year olds within their class bubbles. This means that after school clubs, breakfast clubs and any activity that mixes bubbles in schools should be avoided.
What will children be doing?	WG are directing schools to develop an approach to learning for the Autumn term which is flexible enough to adapt to different scenarios and differing amounts of in-school learning and learning at home or elsewhere.    Priorities continue to include:   health and well-being   what is important for learners now, the skills that our learners need to develop most both currently and in the longer-term  literacy, numeracy and IT skills   Opportunities across all of the curriculum areas, developing learning experiences which involves learning inside and outside school  .
Will I be able to talk with my child’s class teacher	Of course – however ad hoc site visits are not permitted. Where possible, we would try to arrange consultation remotely either via a telephone call or over Microsoft Team at the earliest convenience.     Please note, with the exception or drop off and collection, all gates will be locked. Should parents/carers require access to the school building, please contact the school office of 01792 463019     Class dojo messaging service should be used as a means of communication between school and home.

I have children with different start and   finish times.  What are my options?	Dropping off    Where siblings start times are different we would ask that the children arrive at the time (and gate 1) of the later sibling.    Collection.  WG Guidance demands that schools endeavour to avoid contact between different groups of learners. We would ask, unless in the case of an emergency, that your child/ren are collected at their allotted class pick up time.

 

Our E-safety Journey so far!

Can we once again say thank you so much for your continued support over the Autumn Term. Putting together a virtual concert was never going to be the same as a concert with a live audience, but we are truly proud of what the children and staff have achieved.

We hope you enjoy the show. Please click the picture link to watch: