Information For Pupils and Parents

Dear Pupils and Parents/Carers,

I wrote to you via the school’s website on Tuesday to outline the general outline of our plan to return to school.  I write now to update you further. This information has been agreed with the staff Professional Associations and the Chair of the Parent Council, as well as DCC.

Monday 10^th August – Inset Day for staff

Tuesday 11^th August – Inset Day for staff

S5/6 Pupils who require course changes due to SQA qualifications should come in to see their Guidance Teachers. They must sign in at the office and respect the Covid-19 protocols: sanitise or wash hands, observe 2m social distancing.

Guidance staff will be in specific classrooms. A list of the rooms being used will be displayed in the foyer. S5 pupils should come in from 2pm; S6 from 2.45pm.

Wednesday 12^th August - http://grove.ea.dundeecity.sch.uk/p7-transition/s1-induction-day

S1 Induction Day

8.45 – S1 pupils should assemble in the Plaza (playground between Grove and Eastern primary) Gates on Church Street will also be open to ease the flow of pupils in and out of the building. S6 Buddies are asked to be there too.  Mr Doherty, DHT, will organise the day.  Fuller details are on a separate posting on the Website.  S1 pupils are advised to bring a snack for break, a packed lunch and bottled water on the Induction Day, as Tayside Contacts will not be selling food at break.  As S1 pupils do not have their NEC cards, they cannot purchase lunches, as we now run a cashless system.  These cards with log-on details for ParentPay will be given out to S1 pupils on Wednesday, allowing parents to put money on their child’s card for Thursday lunches onwards.  Pupils entitled to a Free school meal will be provided with lunches from Wednesday.

S1 Pupils will finish school at 3.40pm, our usual finishing time.

When not required to escort S1 pupils, S6 Buddies should remain in the dining hall and maintain social distancing guidance.

Thursday 13^th August

8.45 – S1 pupils to meet S6 Buddies in Plaza and go straight to Period 1 class.

10.20 – All S5/6 Pupils to start school. Access to the building will be allowed from 10.15. Prior to this, pupils should assemble in the Plaza.  Pupils should go to their Tutor Time Class (see Appendix 2), using the entrances outlined in Appendix 1. All pupils will be given a card with these details.

10.35 – All S2 pupils to start school.  Access to the building will be allowed from 10.30.  Prior to this, pupils can assemble from 10:15 onwards in the Plaza.  Pupils should go to their Tutor Time Class (see Appendix 2), using the entrances outlined in Appendix 1. During Tutor Time for S5/6 and S2, pupils will be given details of the changes to the school day, the staggered breaks and lunches and the new rules for returning to school.

From 10.50 all S1, S2 and S5/6 pupils will follow their timetable.  Lunch for S1 and S2 will be earlier than usual from 11.30 to 12.20. Period 4 for S1 and S2 will now be 12.20 to 1.10.  S5/6 Lunch on this day will be as usual 12.20 to 1.10.  By having staggered lunches, we are adhering to national guidelines aimed at ensuring year groups stay as separated as possible to avoid any possible virus spread.  Full details of the new period times are given below in Appendix 3.

2.50 – School ends.  S1/2 pupils will exit the school first by the exits outlined in Appendix 1 and S5/6 will follow 2 minutes later. This will be the general pattern from now on.

Friday 14th August

8.45 – S1 pupils to meet S6 Buddies in Plaza and go straight to Period 1 class.

S2, S5 and S6 pupils go straight to Period 1 subject, using the entrance outlined in Appendix 1. The building can only be accessed from 8.30. On entry to the school building from 08:30 pupil must not congregate in the dining hall and should go directly to their tutor classroom.

10.20 – All S4 Pupils to start school. Access to the building will be allowed from 10.15. Prior to this, pupils can assemble in the Plaza Pupils should go to their Tutor Time Class (see Appendix 2), using the entrance outlined in Appendix 1.

10.35 – All S3 pupils to start school.  Access to the building will be allowed from 10.30.  Prior to this, pupils can assemble in the Plaza from 10:15 onwards Pupils should go to their Tutor Time Class (see Appendix 2), using the entrance outlined in Appendix 1.  During Tutor Time for S4 and S3, pupils will be given details of the changes to the school day and the staggered breaks and lunches and the new rules for returning to school.

From 10.50 all S4 and S3 pupils will follow their timetable. Lunch for S1, S2 and S3 will be earlier than usual from 11.30 to 12.20. Period 4 for S1/2/3 will now be 12.20 to 1.10.  S4 Lunch will be as usual 12.20 to 1.10.  By having staggered lunches, we are adhering to national guidelines aimed at ensuring year groups stay as separated as possible to avoid any possible virus spread.

12.20 – S5/6 dismissed, as Electives will not run.

2.50 – School ends.  S1/2/3 pupils will exit the school first by the nearest exits outlined below, and S4/will follow 2 minutes later.  This will be the general pattern from now on.

Monday 17^th August

8.45 – All Grove pupils go straight to Period 1 class, using the entrances outlined in Appendix 1. On entry to the school building from 08:30 pupil must not congregate in the dining hall. They should either enter their period 1 classroom or wait outside in an orderly fashion until the teacher arrives.  The building can only be accessed from 8.30.

Please note the following:

• We shall be trying to deliver as full a curriculum as possible, within the guidelines set by the Scottish Government. http://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781839609404
• Parents should drop off/pick up their children a distance away from the school, so as to avoid any congestion or interactions.  Parents will not be able to enter the car park before or at the end of school to drop off/pick up their children. Only parents of pupils with a disability will be allowed to enter the car park and they must follow social distancing guidance including the use of face masks.
• Parents should not enter the school building unless they have been invited to a meeting with a specified member of staff. Parents who have been invited to a meeting will be given details of the times, can only be on school premises at those times, and must follow social distancing guidance.
• Pupils travelling to school on public transport or going to the shops at lunch time must observe the general rules in society to wear a face covering.
• Anyone wishing to wear a face covering in school can do so.
• On entrance to the school all pupils must make use of the installed hand sanitisers.
• The key COVID-secure personal hygiene measures that all children, young people and staff should follow are:

·  frequent washing/sanitising of hands for 20 seconds and drying thoroughly, and always when entering/leaving the building, before/after eating and after using the toilet;

·  encouraging children, young people and staff to avoid touching their faces including mouth, eyes and nose; and

·  using a tissue or elbow to cough or sneeze and use bins that are emptied regularly for tissue waste.

• Pupils will be responsible for cleaning their work stations before and after use.  Wipes /spray will be provided.
• Pupils should wear normal Grove school uniform when they return to school.
• Although the Guidelines say physical distancing between young people in secondary schools is not required, we are encouraging distancing where possible between young people, particularly in the Senior Phase (S4-6).
• We are discouraging social physical contact (hand to hand greeting, hugs etc.)
• 2m physical distancing between adults, and between adults and pupils who are not from the same household must be maintained.
• Passing briefly in the corridor or playground is considered low risk.
• No young person should attend school if they suspect they have Covi-d19 symptoms.
• Young people must inform a member of staff if they feel unwell with symptoms of Covid-19. As outlined in national guidelines, pupils over 16 will be sent home directly, for pupils under 16 parents/carers will be contacted and asked to make arrangements to pick up the young person from school as soon as possible. All family members should then follow the national guidance for households with possible Covid-19 infection including testing and self-isolation.
• We shall maintain plans for providing education remotely to some young people when a they are unable to attend school due to ill health.
• PE will for the most part take place at Dawson Park.  Pupils should ensure they have suitable PE kit that takes into account weather conditions. Pupils who have PE period 1 should go directly to Dawson themselves and not go to the main school building.  Buses will bring them back to school at the end of the lesson.

The PE buses are regarded as part of the school and thus face coverings need not be worn.  Hand sanitisers will however be required on entering and leaving the bus.  Pupils who have PE at the end of the school day at Dawson will be dismissed from Dawson rather than returning to the school unless they have indicated a specific reason for returning to the school.

• There will be no lunchtime or after school clubs for the time being
• To maintain the policy of minimising contact between pupils in different year groups, pupils will use the following venues at breaks and lunchtimes :
  • S1 Assembly Hall and Assembly Hall courtyard
  • S2 Dining Hall and main playground
  • S3 Dining Hall and main playground
  • S4 Assembly Hall and Assembly Hall courtyard
  • S5 Dining Hall and main playground
  • S6 Dining Hall and main playground
• Lessons and materials will continue to be posted on-line so that those pupils whose health prevents them from returning to school can still access the curriculum.
• Arrangement for College courses and the Advanced Higher Campus have yet to be confirmed.

I hope that this information will help to put your mind at rest about returning to school.  We are doing everything we can to try and ensure the return is as comfortable and anxiety-free as possible. We may also need to adapt some of the measures outlined above to take account of a number of potential circumstances.  If any pupil has concerns which are not alleviated by this information, then please contact your Guidance Teacher.

This information is available to be downloaded at http://resolveuid/d85cdd7d268f4ad88b5c158c938000ee

Yours sincerely

Graham Hutton

Rector

Appendix 1 - Designated entrances and exits from the main school building

• PE – Back doors of Dining Hall
• Music & Art – Art/Music stairwell doors
• CDT and Maths – Stairwell at end of CDT corridor
• Physics & Biology – Yellow stairwell next to Assembly Hall/Fabric Room
• Mod Studs/ Geog/ Chem & HE/SFL – Red stairwell next to Mrs Mitchell’s office
• English / Mod Lang – Main entrance then stairs next to Medical room
• Bus Studs/ Comp/ RE / Hist – Main entrance then stairwell next to Fitness Suite   

Appendix 2 - Tutor Groups and classrooms

Appendix 3 – New Temporary School hours