Update to Covid Guidance

Dear Parents/Carers

Covid-19: Guidelines to reducing the risks in schools

As you will hopefully be aware, the Scottish Government has placed Dundee City in Level 3 of the new Coronavirus Tiered system. This has implications for all of us living in our city, but it has direct consequences for the pupils at Grove Academy.  On top of all the other regulations we have had to put in place to protect ourselves from this virus, we are now being asked to wear face coverings in classrooms. This will take effect from Monday 2nd November and at Grove Academy will apply to every pupil (S1-6) and member of staff. I would ask you to support this measure and to impress upon your child the importance of adhering to this new rule in order to keep Covid-19 at bay. Please can you ensure that your child comes to school with at least one face covering (a spare might be useful in case of loss or damage to the original face covering). Pupils who are exempt should wear their lanyards to indicate this.

PE lessons may now be held indoors although it will be non-contact sport and pupils must maintain physical distancing.  PE will also continue outdoors as required.

Please could you also impress on your child the following rules which we have had since we stared back in August, but which need to be constantly reinforced:

• Please enter the school from 8.30 a.m. via the door nearest their Period 1 class. 
• Face coverings must be worn everywhere in school, except when eating or drinking.
• Please sanitise your hands on entering and leaving the school building and when going into class.
• Please wipe down your work-station on entering the class.
• Pupils must keep a 2m distance from all adults in classrooms and when out and about in the school corridors and grounds.
• Pupils must try to adhere to social distancing rules from each other where at all possible.
• In the corridors keep to the left.
• When the bells ring, S1-3 will leave classes on the bell, S4-6 classes will leave 2 minutes later, apart from the system we have in place for breaks and lunchtimes.
• Pupils can only leave classrooms during the period in emergencies.
• If pupils need to see their Guidance Teacher, they must see them at Tutor Time and make an appointment and have an appointment card. 
• At break and lunch, pupils must remain in the allocated social area:
  • S1 and S4:            Assembly Hall and Courtyard
  • S2/3 and S5/6:      Dining Hall and upper playground
• At the end of the day, pupils must vacate the building promptly through the door nearest to their last period class.

In the community pupils must 

• wear a face covering on public transport and in shops.
• adhere to 2m social distancing.
• be respectful to other members of the community

These new restrictions also mean that the school is closed to all members of the public and parents should only enter the building if they have a scheduled appointment with a member of staff. Unfortunately, this means that parents will be unable to enter the school to drop off items for pupils unless it’s medication. If you have been contacted by the school to collect a pupil or your child has an appointment, we would kindly ask that you wait outside the building for them.

For all our sakes, it is crucial that we all adhere to the rules set out by the Scottish Government and the school to reduce the chances of infection from the virus.

I thank you and your child for your cooperation in these matters.

Yours sincerely

Graham W Hutton

Rector

This information can be downloaded from our website here.