Dear Parents and Carers,

As we come to the end of another week, I have two more updates for you in relation to Coronavirus and how this affects the organisation of school.

Firstly, our risk assessment continues to highlight parents congregating and approaching members of staff as an area of risk.  With this in mind, we would now like to ask all parents to wear a face covering when they drop off or pick up their child, or when they are having a conversation with members of school staff.  The threat of the coronavirus being spread by close contact (less than 2 metres) is still very real, and we need to do everything we can to keep staff, parents and of course our children as safe as possible.  From Monday, please wear a face-covering when you are dropping off your child and when you are approaching members of staff, even for a brief conversation.

Secondly, I have been very unhappy with lunch organisation.  We changed the system to allow the maintaining of bubbles, but the packed lunches supplied by CH&Co, our meals provider, are simply not sufficient to keep our little ones and our bigger ones full and satisfied throughout the day.  I have been in constant contact with CH&Co and well as Kent County Council throughout this week, and we have now put in place a system which will allow children to maintain their class bubbles, whilst also receiving a hot meal.  All meals will be pre-served and placed in suitable takeaway containers, a picture of which I have attached to this email.  We have been able to organise lunch times with some children eating in the canteen (whilst still in their bubbles) and other children eating in their classrooms.  We have all the necessary hygiene procedures in place, but now, after a great deal of manoeuvring, we are able to offer a hot meal to all children, as well as maintain our Covid-safe bubbles.  I would also like to remind all parents that ALL children in Years R, 1 and 2 are entitled to a free school lunch, and I would urge as many parents as possible to opt in to this, so your child is receiving a hot lunch every day.  The menu for week commencing Monday 5^th October is attached to this email.

I do apologise that this update is being received on a Friday, before changes take place on Monday, but I had to be very sure that all appropriate measures were in place to keep our children and staff as safe as possible.

Kind regards,

Garry Ratcliffe