Welcome Back to all children

We are delighted to welcome all children back to St Bernard’s on Monday 7th September. To ensure this runs smoothly please read the following:

• Ideally one adult dropping off and picking up, to limit the number of people around our school.
• We would encourage children to walk, cycle or scooter to school rather than using public transport
• We ask that all parents are prompt with their exit and entry, dropping children off at the gate, and leaving the site quickly.  (Timetable on our website). We are discouraging parents from gathering for a chat – please use your usual means of communicating with each other.  i.e. What’s App/Facebook. Older siblings can go home with younger siblings. 
•  To bring your child to school, please approach the school at your given time; there will be a member of the senior leadership team, or the Office Team will be on gate duty each day, in case you have questions. When speaking to these adults, please maintain social distancing protocols in order to keep adults safe too. 
•  Any visits to the school must be by prior arrangement please contact the school office 0117-9030352.
• The children will be returning to school wearing their normal school uniform. Following current government guidance, primary school children should not wear protective masks in school. On the day that your child does PE, they will wear their PE kit to school that day. PE bags will not be needed in school in T1 and should not be brought in. We have secured the use of Shirehampton Cricket Club for PE for Y5 and Y6 on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. Plus, on week 2, year 3 and 4 will attend Forest Schools off site (they require wellies, a raincoat, hoodie/sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms), they will enjoy Forest Schools for 6 weeks.
• Children will not need pencil cases as they are being provided with a pencil, rubber, glue stick, ruler and scissors.  If possible, your child is welcome to bring in their own set of colour pencils.
• In KS1 reading books will be changed weekly and older year groups will be changed when they have finished them.  KS1 books must be returned to school on Friday so that they can be quarantined over the weekend for redistribution on Monday.
• Homework will be set by class teachers via Class Dojo.
• Our kitchen will only be doing packed lunches in September and these will be eaten in the classroom. All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to a free packed lunch as are our FSM pupils. Non FSM children in KS2 will not be provided with a packed lunch on a Friday because of early closure.  We will review this with the hope to bring back hot lunches in T2.
• Early closure on a Friday to facilitate deep cleaning will be reviewed at the end of T1, or in the event of new guidance from the DfE. We appreciate your understanding that these measures are to support the health and wellbeing of our children, families and staff (some of whom are vulnerable).