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Safe working in Portland Place School: Covid-19

School will reopen fully for all students on Monday 7th September. No protocols can entirely eliminate risk. To ensure we minimise the risks of Covid-19 transmission in school, we will have in place the measures detailed below.

Social distancing

There are two elements to social distancing – space and time. The government guidance is that social distancing of at least 1m should be observed wherever possible. If closer contact is necessary it should be for as short a time as possible and no more than 15 minutes.

In Portland Place School, this means:

  • Classrooms are set up with individual desk, 1m apart;
  • 2-steps-behind guideline for stairs;
  • Lunch rota will ensure seating can be socially distanced in the dining room;
  • A one-way system will operate in 56-58 Portland Place;
  • Time tabled rooming will minimise movement of students between lessons;
  • Potential congestion points, e.g. around lockers, will be supervised by staff to ensure distancing is observed.

PPE

We will provide all students with a cloth facemask and a small bottle of hand sanitiser they must have with them at all times.
We do not expect masks to be worn in lessons but they must be worn travelling to and from school, if by public transport, and on the minibus when travelling for PE.
Personal hand sanitiser bottles can be topped up in school as necessary. Entry points to the school and all teaching rooms will be provided with hand sanitiser. Students will be expected to use these at the start and end of the day and at the start and end of each lesson.
For certain activities full-face visors will also be provided. These will be disinfected before and after use.

Cleaning

In addition to the full clean of the school at the end of each day, there will be cleaners on site regularly cleaning hard surfaces during the day as well.
Music lessons
Individual music lessons will resume in person wherever possible. For all students having ‘in-person’ 1-2-1 or small group tuition, the following will apply:

  • every lesson will begin with both the student(s) and teacher using hand sanitizer,
  • tuition will take place in large rooms, where windows will be opened, and everyone will be separated by a distance of at least 2 metres,
  • teachers will not touch instruments, unless absolutely necessary and if so instruments will be cleaned with disinfectant wipes before and after being touched.

Additionally, for those learning a brass or woodwind instrument (which require further safety measures), rooms for this tuition will be our school hall in the PPS building, therefore maximising space and distance, with three very large windows being open.
Regarding instrumental loans, all instruments, accessories and cases will be fully disinfected before being issued to students.

PE

Sports activities will be restricted to those with natural social distancing and those where there is guidance from governing bodies for school sports. Fixtures will resume as national guidance for school sport allows. At this time, contact sports cannot be played.
Early in the year, we will make as much use as possible of the Regent’s Park facilities. When travel for PE requires a journey by minibus students must:

  • use hand sanitiser when getting on and off the minibus;
  • wear their facemask at all time on the minibus.

Equipment will be disinfected before and after use.

PE kit must be washed after each use. When changing, students must not touch the kit of others. No kit will be loaned to students.

This does mean a wide variety of sports are available including athletics, cross-country, netball, fitness work and football skills training.

General lessons

Wherever possible students will not share equipment.

They must not share their basic lesson equipment – iPad, pens, pencils, rulers, etc.

If it is unavoidable and the activity is essential to their learning, e.g. in the workshops or science labs, equipment will be disinfected before and after use.