Reopening in September
Q. Does my child have to return to school in September?
A. Yes, the government have made school attendance compulsory again from September 2020. It is expected that everyone returns to school. If you believe your child has an extreme clinical vulnerability and their medical professionals believe they should not be in school, please contact Ms Walters, Welfare Officer who will ask you to share a care plan with those professionals and work together ahead of September.
Q. What should I do if my child has COVID symptoms?
A. Please refer to this Ealing guidance.
No one should come to school if they have symptoms. Please contact the school immediately and explain what these symptoms are. We will then ask you to arrange a test and enact our processes for managing a suspected case at Elthorne using the Ealing guidance.
Changes to the School Day
Q. What is a Year bubble?
A. Students are organised in ‘bubbles’ by Year group for lessons and at break and lunch time. Students are assigned to geographical areas of the playground at break and lunchtime to retain separation.
Q. Will you have a staggered start and finish to the school day?
A. Year groups will arrive and leave the school site at staggered times. Please refer to your child's published timetable.
Q. Has the structure of the school day changed?
A. Yes. This was done to reduce the number of students at break and lunch
Q. Will lunch and break times differ to last year?
A. Yes.
Welfare
Q. How will the school provide for my child who has an EHCP?
A. A detailed answer is provided in the following link- EHCP Pupils- Information on Returning to School
Q. Will student temperature checks take place in September?
A. No. The school will not be taking students temperatures in the new term following guidance from the Department of Education.
Q. Can my child wear a protective mask to school?
A. This is not a current requirement by the government in schools. Students may wear a plain - non patterned protective cloth mask to school and in school if they want to.
Q. Can my child wash their hands frequently during the school day?
A. Students are encouraged to wash their hands throughout the school day. Hand sanitisers are available for use at each classroom door.
Q. What will happen if my child becomes ill at school?
A. Students will be sent to the school’s welfare room and will be assessed by our welfare officer. Parents will be contacted and informed.
Q. Will I be informed if there is a positive COVID 19 case reported in my child’s Year bubble?
A. The school will follow government and local authority medical procedures if a positive COVID19 case is reported at school. Parents of students who may be affected will be informed.
Educational Trips and Visits
Q. Will there be any educational visits or school trips occurring this year?
A. In accordance with the most recent government guidance to schools, we will not be offering any domestic or overseas residential visits throughout the Autumn Term in 2020 as we allow our community to adapt to the new school model. Additionally, although schools are able to resume non-overnight domestic educational visits, a decision has been made to delay these until 2021 to prioritise the health and safety of our staff and students. This decision will be consistently reviewed throughout the year and informed by any future updates to government guidance.
Q. I still haven’t received a refund for my child’s cancelled trip. When can I expect this to be returned?
A. The refund process for a number of trips is taking longer than we would like however the finance department remain committed to getting refunds back to families at the earliest opportunity. We are unable to provide specific dates, however I can provide the following estimates:
Trip Refund Expected
The Ski Trip- August
The Bushcraft Residential- August
The German Exchange- August/September
The French Exchange- August/September
The Berlin Trip- August/September
The Bushcraft Residential- August/September
The Spanish Exchange- October
If your family remains adversely affected by the economic impact of the virus and has experienced a significant reduction in income, please request support by making representation to the Headteacher by emailing finance.admin@ephs.ealing.sch.uk.
Careers and Aspirations
Q. How will my child continue to receive career guidance if they are unable to access educational visits or external speakers?
A. The school has invested in a new virtual platform from September which allows students to access career pathway and labour market information remotely. Further guidance on how careers and aspirations are embedded into your child’s curriculum will be communicated in the Year Ahead information at the start of next year.
Behaviour
Q. An addendum to the behaviour policy was previously added, will there be any further changes for next year?
A. Yes. Although the addendum was a response to the pandemic, the Behaviour Policy is reviewed annually and amendments will be made. Any new changes will be communicated before the 2020/21 term begins. This behaviour update can be found on our Homepage.
Q. Will there be any extra-curricular activities running next year?
A. We are currently exploring how we can maintain an extra-curricular offer whilst upholding the wider protective measures. Any extra-curricular provisions will be promoted on the school website in the new year.
A. Yes, the government have made school attendance compulsory again from September 2020. It is expected that everyone returns to school. If you believe your child has an extreme clinical vulnerability and their medical professionals believe they should not be in school, please contact Ms Walters, Welfare Officer who will ask you to share a care plan with those professionals and work together ahead of September.
Q. What should I do if my child has COVID symptoms?
A. Please refer to this Ealing guidance.
No one should come to school if they have symptoms. Please contact the school immediately and explain what these symptoms are. We will then ask you to arrange a test and enact our processes for managing a suspected case at Elthorne using the Ealing guidance.
Changes to the School Day
Q. What is a Year bubble?
A. Students are organised in ‘bubbles’ by Year group for lessons and at break and lunch time. Students are assigned to geographical areas of the playground at break and lunchtime to retain separation.
Q. Will you have a staggered start and finish to the school day?
A. Year groups will arrive and leave the school site at staggered times. Please refer to your child's published timetable.
Q. Has the structure of the school day changed?
A. Yes. This was done to reduce the number of students at break and lunch
Q. Will lunch and break times differ to last year?
A. Yes.
Welfare
Q. How will the school provide for my child who has an EHCP?
A. A detailed answer is provided in the following link- EHCP Pupils- Information on Returning to School
Q. Will student temperature checks take place in September?
A. No. The school will not be taking students temperatures in the new term following guidance from the Department of Education.
Q. Can my child wear a protective mask to school?
A. This is not a current requirement by the government in schools. Students may wear a plain - non patterned protective cloth mask to school and in school if they want to.
Q. Can my child wash their hands frequently during the school day?
A. Students are encouraged to wash their hands throughout the school day. Hand sanitisers are available for use at each classroom door.
Q. What will happen if my child becomes ill at school?
A. Students will be sent to the school’s welfare room and will be assessed by our welfare officer. Parents will be contacted and informed.
Q. Will I be informed if there is a positive COVID 19 case reported in my child’s Year bubble?
A. The school will follow government and local authority medical procedures if a positive COVID19 case is reported at school. Parents of students who may be affected will be informed.
Educational Trips and Visits
Q. Will there be any educational visits or school trips occurring this year?
A. In accordance with the most recent government guidance to schools, we will not be offering any domestic or overseas residential visits throughout the Autumn Term in 2020 as we allow our community to adapt to the new school model. Additionally, although schools are able to resume non-overnight domestic educational visits, a decision has been made to delay these until 2021 to prioritise the health and safety of our staff and students. This decision will be consistently reviewed throughout the year and informed by any future updates to government guidance.
Q. I still haven’t received a refund for my child’s cancelled trip. When can I expect this to be returned?
A. The refund process for a number of trips is taking longer than we would like however the finance department remain committed to getting refunds back to families at the earliest opportunity. We are unable to provide specific dates, however I can provide the following estimates:
Trip Refund Expected
The Ski Trip- August
The Bushcraft Residential- August
The German Exchange- August/September
The French Exchange- August/September
The Berlin Trip- August/September
The Bushcraft Residential- August/September
The Spanish Exchange- October
If your family remains adversely affected by the economic impact of the virus and has experienced a significant reduction in income, please request support by making representation to the Headteacher by emailing finance.admin@ephs.ealing.sch.uk.
Careers and Aspirations
Q. How will my child continue to receive career guidance if they are unable to access educational visits or external speakers?
A. The school has invested in a new virtual platform from September which allows students to access career pathway and labour market information remotely. Further guidance on how careers and aspirations are embedded into your child’s curriculum will be communicated in the Year Ahead information at the start of next year.
Behaviour
Q. An addendum to the behaviour policy was previously added, will there be any further changes for next year?
A. Yes. Although the addendum was a response to the pandemic, the Behaviour Policy is reviewed annually and amendments will be made. Any new changes will be communicated before the 2020/21 term begins. This behaviour update can be found on our Homepage.
Q. Will there be any extra-curricular activities running next year?
A. We are currently exploring how we can maintain an extra-curricular offer whilst upholding the wider protective measures. Any extra-curricular provisions will be promoted on the school website in the new year.
