Sections on this page: 

• Whole school risk assessment updated 5/03/21 - see above 
• School Swimming Lesson Risk Assessment COVID 19- see above
• Public Health England letter of guidance to parents 23/09/20 - see above
• What are the symptoms of COVID-19? (Last updated 26.8.20)
• What should I do if my child develops symptoms of COVID-19?
• What should I do if my child develops symptoms of COVID-19? (Updated 18.9.20) 
• What are bubbles? (Last updated 18.9.20) 
• Why year group and not class bubbles? (Last updated 11.11.20)
• Breakfast club reopening (Last updated 10.4.21)
• Will after school clubs be running in the Summer term? (Last updated 10.4.21)
• Will there be staggered start and finish times? (Last updated 5.3.21)
• Which days will my child have PE and what should they wear? (Last updated 10.4.21)
• Can my child bring a mobile phone to school? (4.8.20)
• Part of child's school uniform no longer fits and shops are closed, what should I do?(5.3.21)
• Swimming arrangements 2020 - 2021 (Last updated 6.11.20)
• Will school accept letters or cash payments? (Last updated 15.7.20)
• Music tuition arrangements: Choir, Guitar, Keyboard, Samba, Drums, Flute, Singing, Violin (Last updated 19.3.21)  

What are the symptoms of COVID19 Coronavirus? 

• High temperature / fever (37.8 degrees) 

• New continuous cough

• Breathing difficulties 

• Loss of sense of smell / taste

The NHS also state that “Trust your instincts” with children - if you suspect a problem get in touch with the NHS via telephone on 111, or 999 for more serious issues.  

What should I do if my child develops symptoms of COVID-19? 

Anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19, or whose household member develops symptoms, should immediately self-isolate. They should not attend school and should follow the steps below:

• Please contact the school of your child's absence by phoning school.
• Stay at home: The person with symptoms should isolate for 10 days starting from the first day of their symptoms and the rest of the household for 14 days. 
• You should arrange for your child should get tested via NHS UK or by contacting NHS 119 by telephone. 
• If there is a delay in the laboratory diagnosis:
  • Your child should stay at home for 10 days. 
  • Siblings from the same household who attend school should stay at home for 14 days. 
  • Any other household contacts should self isolate for 14 days. 

Questions about school during the COVID Pandemic answered 

In this section we will try and answer some commonly asked questions. We will add to this section as more information becomes available or themes emerge. 

What are bubbles? 

Bubbles are groups of children who are kept together to support track and trace. At Gilmour Juniors we have year group bubbles. 

Gilmour Junior School is committed to ensuring the safety of the pupils and staff and seeking to minimise the disruption to the pupils as far as possible. We recognise that when children have to isolate this has a significant impact on them and their parents and carers.  Where isolating is required our aim is to ensure that this affects the minimum number of pupils and staff members at the school. 

Why year bubbles and not class bubbles?

When a year bubble needs to isolate due to a positive COVID case this is often very disruptive for pupils and parents and understandably the school is asked whether it would be possible for the bubbles to be smaller. For example class bubbles. The decision to have year group bubbles is based upon an assessment of a number of factors. 

It is not always the case that the year group as a whole needs to isolate depending upon the circumstances surrounding the positive test - where possible isolation has been limited to individual classes. 

What considerations do you make when determining bubble size? 

Available space, layout of available space, facilities (particularly toilets) and staffing considerations are all relevant to determining bubble size.  The timetable of the school day for each class must also be factored into any decision. 

Space on the playground - to maintain social distancing and allow appropriate space for children to play our conclusion is that a maximum of  two class or year? bubbles could fit in the playground space at any one time.  This capacity is however reduced due to there being only one set of toilets accessible from the playground. Therefore we can only have one year bubble on the playground due to toilet access. 

Staffing - the school employs and deploys staff according to need. Reducing bubble sizes would increase the number of separate morning and afternoon breaks and lunchtimes. With 11 classes across the year groups, we do not have sufficient staffing to provide the required and safe level of supervision for children at playtimes and dinner times whilst also ensuring that colleagues had appropriate breaks across the day. 

Additionally there are timetable implications for have 11 separate breaks and lunchtimes. 

Is this picture likely to change? 

No, as it currently stands year group bubbles are the smallest bubbles we are able to achieve. 

Other questions answered: 

How often are toilets cleaned during the day?

The Department for Education and Public Health England recommend that toilets are cleaned five times daily. This recommendation is adhered to as a minimum. We have a member of our cleaning team on site all day as a result the toilets are generally cleaned more frequently than the recommended minimum. 

Will the Breakfast club re-open?

On Tuesday 13th April our breakfast club will reopen in a very limited capacity. Numbers will be reduced to 15 children and children in breakfast club will be treated as a "bubble". This means that if a child tests positive in the breakfast club bubble all children who attended breakfast club on the day (Or who were in breakfast club in the forty eight hours prior to the child becoming symptomatic) will need to self isolate.

Children who are identified as a contact from the symptomatic child's year group bubble will also need to self isolate.

• The cost of Breakfast Club has been reduced to £1.20 per day.
• Breakfast club will open at 8am.
• Breakfast will be served until 8.30am.
• Previous attendance at Breakfast Club does not guarantee a place.
• Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
• Places are limited to 15 children per day.

If you would like to express interest in your child attending Breakfast Club please click here. 

Will after school clubs be running in the Summer term?

We will shortly be contacting families with a start time for the after school clubs we are able to run. All after school clubs are limited to 15 children if comprised of mixed bubbles under national guidance. Clubs comprised of a children from a single bubble are limited to 20 places.  

Will there be staggered start and finish times? 

Yes, in order to maintain the bubble structure, it will be necessary for classes to arrive and leave at different points throughout the day. To enable social distancing and keep everyone as safe as possible, we ask that only one parent drops off / collects their child. 

Dropping off and Picking up arrangements from Monday 8th March 2021

Will there be staggered play and lunch times? 

Yes, in order that bubbles can be kept distanced children will have staggered play and lunch times.

Which days will my child have PE and what should they wear?

Your child will have PE on the following days, see the table below: In order to ensure that there is always an indoor space available in case we have bad weather the times and days classes have PE have changed slightly. If your child's class has only one tick for PE it means that their class is having two consecutive hours as previously was the arrangement.

 = A day your child's class will be having a PE lesson. 

 = A day your child's class will be having a swimming lesson. Your child should come to school wearing a tracksuit.

Image credits: http://clipart-library.com/

To minimise the need to bring equipment into school we are asking that children come to school wearing their PE kit with a tracksuit over the top. This is because, when possible, PE will take place outside. Children will need both trainers (For outside use) and pumps for indoor sessions. Pumps can be left in school. 

Children will wear their tracksuits / PE kits for the remainder of the day. Children are to wear tracksuits and not sports leggings etc.

Class	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
3G
3P
3K
4T
4M
4B
5W
5S
5T
6M
6S

Can my child bring their mobile phone to school? 

No, children are not allowed to bring mobile phones to school under any circumstances. Any child found with a mobile phone will have this confiscated and only returned to a responsible adult.

Part of child's school uniform no longer fits and shops are closed, what should I do? 

We understand that shopping is really difficult at the moment and that your child may well have grown out of items of school uniform. Until non- essential shops reopen, we totally understand that you may need to send your child into school wearing an item which is not standard school uniform. Please email school at [email protected]  to let us know that you are doing this. 

This year only two year groups will swim. These year groups will be Year 5 and Year 6. 

Swimming for year 6 will restart this term and the day the children swim will be on a Friday. We are waiting for a start date to be confirmed. 

Will school accept letters or cash payments?

No, we will be unable to accept letters or cash payments. We ask that all correspondence be sent via email to the school admin account: 

[email protected] 

Music tuition arrangements: Choir, Guitar, Keyboard, Samba, Drums, Flute, Violin, Singing

As the guidance has been updated, it will soon be possible to arrange music lessons with the guitar, keyboard, singing, drumming and samba teachers. Lessons will be run slightly differently than prior to COVID. Please see advert for guitar lessons below: