We’re currently undergoing a deep clean and sanitisation of all indoor environments, including classrooms, dining hall, laboratories as well as the boarding areas.
Our Household Department has conducted an extensive review of our housekeeping methods and routines paying particular heed to the ever-changing Government guidance.
Rigorous cleaning and disinfecting of communal areas and furniture will take place daily including high traffic areas and touch points such as door handles, light switches, taps, sinks, toilets, bannisters.
Once a day, a newly-purchased fog machine will be utilised to sanitise the classrooms and high traffic areas.
We’ve also increased the number of hand sanitising stations across the school, updating them, so they are touch free. We’d also like pupils to bring with them their own small bottle of sanitiser, which can be re-filled from central points throughout the day.
Face Coverings
We would like pupils and staff to wear a face covering or mask in corridors and in the lunch queue. Pupils may choose to wear face coverings/masks at other times, including in lessons and we would ask that everyone is respectful of anyone’s choice to wear a mask at these times. We have a number of branded facemasks available for purchase – pupils can access these from their Houseparent, with the cost (£3) being added to the extras bill.
Staying Healthy
As you might expect, the Healthcare Centre will be operating under different procedures! Our protocols are being drafted in direct consultation with our Senior Nurse, Andrea Whitworth, as well as following the latest PHE guidance and will include all COVID-19 related matters as well as general medical issues. Our protocols will continually be reviewed and updated accordingly over the coming weeks.
A few things to be aware of:
- Pupils should not attend the HCC without first consulting a member of staff (teacher/houseparent)
- Should a Day pupil become unwell they will have a space to sit away from other pupils to await collection
- If a pupil exhibits any of the three symptoms listed in the Government guidance (new continuous cough, fever or total or partial loss of sense of smell/taste) they will immediately be isolated either in their room or the Health Care Centre, parents contacted and testing promptly organised. We will take appropriate external health advice about any additional pupils or staff that should isolate and how to safely provide supervision of pupils in isolation.
- Should a Boarding pupil test positive for Covid-19 they will self-isolate in line with Government guidance; if they require nursing care they will be transferred to the Health Care Centre isolation room or to hospital depending on medical advice.
Visiting us
Year group ‘bubbles’ and social distancing
Schools have been advised to consider their own context and make plans to physically distance secondary students where possible. We’d like to stress to you that every school in the country will take a different approach to this. What we are able to achieve depends on many factors, including the design of our buildings and the amount of space around them.
- Pupils will be put into year group bubbles and they will be taught, do sport and activities, take lunch and move around the school with their year group. Year groups will be allocated areas of the school for good weather break and lunch times and will register for fire alarms as year groups rather than Houses.
- Current guidelines allow for pupils in teaching bubbles not to social distance in classrooms provided other safety measures are in place. Whenever possible pupils will be encouraged to social distance.
- Wherever possible one way systems will be in place throughout the College: this includes satellite buildings and into and out of spaces such as the Sixth Form Centre and boarding houses. A map of these will be provided to all pupils and staff.
- In the few areas where there is no one way system (e.g. Chemistry corridor) the general principle of keeping to one side will apply and this will be clearly signposted.
- Signs will indicate to pupils on which side of the door they should wait before entering a classroom
In the Classroom
Class sizes will be as normal but all classrooms will be set up with desks facing forward. There will be seating plans for every lesson and every classroom and pupils will be asked to wipe down their desk and chair at the end of every lesson. All classrooms will have sanitising spray and wipes available for use by pupils and staff.
- Teachers will maintain social distance between themselves and pupils throughout the lesson
- No sharing of equipment will be allowed and so pupils must be sure to bring their own pencils and pens etc. They will also need their laptop or tablet for each lesson
- Any equipment used by more than one group will be sanitised or set aside for 72 hours before use by another group.
- Windows and doors will be kept open wherever possible