New children will be in school from August 31st. This is a ½ day, 9.00 to 12.00. The buses will operate on that day.
All children will be in school from September 1st. This too is a ½ day.
Normal school hours from September 2nd, 9.00 to 2.40.
Safety will be our number 1 concern and will underpin everything we do.
Your child will be met by staff and brought to their line one by one.
Please do not gather at the entrance to the school.
Please do not park anywhere near the entrance to the school as we will need all the space to get the children in safely.
Your child will need lunch and drink and a school bag. All other material will be provided for them.
Please send in rainy day clothes that we can keep in school. These should be clearly marked with your child’s name. We will keep these clothes in school.
PLEASE do not send your child to school if you have been abroad unless you have completed the full 14 day quarantine.
Please do not send your child to school if they have any symptoms whatsoever. It is better to keep your child at home to see how symptoms develop rather than take a chance.
Please send in an e mail address for contact if you have not yet done so.
Your child will need to be able to open their own lunch boxes, tie their own shoes, button their own coats and open their own drinks.
If your child needs medication during school time, please let us know.
If your child has allergies, please let us know what symptoms to expect and also keep a careful eye in case these symptoms change.
Uniforms should be taken off as soon as the child gets home and could hang in the fresh air after school. If you don’t have a uniform that is clean send your child in in ordinary clothes.
Bank transfers, refunds for swimming and uniforms will all be sorted out next week.
There must be someone available AT ALL TIMES to collect your child in the event of a Covid scare.
Buses will be in touch with you re pick up points and times.
There will be no homework at the start of the year.
The issue of primary school children wearing masks is still be debated. If you want your child to wear a mask, there is no problem but they must know how to use it properly and you must supply properly fitting child-sized masks.
Please practice safe handwashing again with your child.
If you are giving your child a particular hand sanitizer, please ensure it is in a spill proof bottle and that children do not share.
Please read the entire Covid Response Plan. It isn’t the most exciting read in the world but it is very important. It is available under “Policies”.
The
Board of Management acknowledges the difficulties involved in the opening of
the school and wishes to reassure the school community that every effort is
being made to make this process as safe as possible. The reopening is
underpinned by the following considerations:
Safety will be the first consideration
at all times. This may mean that education will be challenging at times.
Measures will be very restrictive in the
beginning but the wish is that new procedures, that will lead to a more enriching
environment for everyone, will be introduced over time when it is safe to do so.
These measures will only be as strong as
the weakest adherence to them. Parents, children and staff are all in a large
community together and the safety of each individual will very much depend on the
actions of each member of this community. Behaviour outside of school will
impact the health of others when in school. Now, more than ever, we will be
depending on each other.
The community will come before the
individual, measures that are introduced may not be to everyone’s taste but,
since they are underpinned by the common good, no deviation from them will be
allowed. Non-adherence will be considered a disciplinary issue and will be
referred immediately to the Board of Management.
This
Covid 19 Response Plan has been developed in line with public health advice
issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and in compliance
with the “Return to Work Safely Protocols” developed by the Department of
Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Health with guidance
documents provided by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).
It
is the intention of The Board of Management of St Oliver Plunkett National School,
in accordance with all relevant guidelines, to identify the steps that will be
taken to minimise the risk of the introduction of COVID-19 into St Oliver
Plunkett NS. It is, however, recognized that no interpersonal activity is
without risk of transmission of infection at any time.
In
addition to being a place of learning, St Oliver Plunkett NS is also place of
work. The purpose of this document is to provide clear and helpful guidance for
the prevention, early detection, and control of COVID-19 in school. This
document provides key messages to minimise the risk of COVID-19 for staff,
pupils, families and the wider community while recognising the importance of
education for the health and wellbeing of pupils and society as a whole.
Planning and Preparing for a Return to
School
Before
reopening schools for the 2020/21 school year, the management of St Oliver
Plunkett NS will have:
planned to keep up to date with public
health advice, changes to any Government plans for the safe reopening of
society and Department of Education updates.
planned to pass on this information in a
timely manner to staff, pupils, parents and others as required.
ensured that staff have reviewed the
training materials provided by the Department of Education
provided staff with access to the Return
to Work (RTW) form
identified a Lead Worker representative
We have
decided on a team instead of one individual. This Covid Team will consist of
the Principal, Deputy Principal and Teacher Representative on the Board of
Management. (Angela, Alison and Julie). An SNA will also be selected for this
team.
displayed
posters and other signage to prevent introduction and spread of COVID-19
made
the necessary changes to the school and classroom layout to support the
redesign of classrooms to support physical distancing.
organised for the removal of unnecessary
clutter to facilitate ongoing cleaning of the school considering the importance
of having educational materials to create a stimulating learning environment.
updated the health and safety risk
assessment
made necessary arrangements to limit
access to the school to necessary visitors and maintain records of contacts to
the school
provided induction training.
School profile
63
pupils (33 new)
7
mainstream class teachers
1
administrative principal
5
SNAs
1
Caretaker
1Secretary
1
cleaning company (now 3 hours per day and a commitment that, as far as is
possible, the same staff will clean the school every day)
For
the purposes of this document the “old” part of the school is Rooms 2 to 5
inclusive and the “new” part is Room 6, 7, the staff room, library and hall.
Room 1 and the secretary’s office are in the “extension”
Classes
vary in size from 46 sq. metres (Room 3) to 63 sq. metres (Room 7)
There
are toilets in rooms 1, 6 and 7. There are sinks in all of the classrooms.
There are two toilet blocks with 3 cubicles each on the old corridor and 2
individual toilets located in the hall.
Additional challenges
There
is no on-site parking for parents/guardians and very limited and cramped
parking for staff. This parking blocks the gate at times.
There
is no room for parents who bring their children to school to gather safely
outside the school.
There
are no dedicated toilets for all classrooms
There
is no outside access door in each classroom
The
staffroom/kitchen is very small.
The
majority of the children travel to school on 4 different bus/taxi routes. The
guidelines around safety on school transport is not at all reassuring at this
time. This is one of our biggest challenges and the safety of our bus escorts
is a priority. Each escort will be provided with PPE and we have decided that children will be
obliged to wear masks on the school buses and are watching daily developments
on this.
Children will be anxious, parents will be
anxious and staff will be too.
Because of the volatility of the national
situation, the school will need to prepare for shutdown as soon as it opens.
Assumptions
School
will re-open for all NEW pupils on Monday, August 31st, 2020. The
school will open for all pupils on Tuesday, September 1st. Both of these
days will be ½ days. Normal school hours will resume on Wednesday, September 2nd,
2020. From September 2nd school will open at 9.00 and close at 2.40.
The School Day
Arrival/Entry into the building
At the moment the
official position is to fill the buses as normal with no allowance for social
distancing. Obviously, this could/will change.
Bus Escorts have an issue with one bus company as bus hygiene and
cleanliness leave a lot to be desired. This is an ongoing issue. The principal has spoken to the school bus
inspector about it. The bus company in question have been reminded of their
responsibilities and if these is an issue in September, the inspector will be
contacted and he will inspect the bus. We will advise parents that the bus may
not be up to standard.
It
will not be possible for parents/guardians to come on to the school grounds or
into the school building at any time of the day.
Children,
or parents, were never allowed onto the school grounds before 9.00 and this
will remain the case. On no account will anyone be allowed to congregate
outside the gates.
All
staff will need to be on the premises no
later than 8.50. This will be essential to ensure safe entry of all
children. Parents are asked to wait at a safe distance outside the school,
preferably by parking safely and walking their child to the pavement outside.
Social distancing will be essential at this point. No parking will be allowed close to the entry to the lane and this will
be strictly enforced. This is to ensure that there is an open space to allow
children to enter safely. There will be
no parking before the gate on either side.
The
principal and SNAs will meet the children (one by one) and direct them safely
to their designated line where their teacher will be waiting. These lines will
be stencilled onto the tarmac in line with social distancing. Teachers will
wait at the head of the line.
Children
will start to be admitted from 9.00am. It is envisaged that this will be very
slow at the beginning as it will be important to get it right and because the
new children will need extra time. Lines will be clearly marked with “feet”
stencils and room number.
Temperatures
will not be taken every day but an infrared thermometer has been purchased for
use in school.
Children
will be brought into the building through the designated doors. They will
sanitize their hands before they enter the building.
All
staff will wear masks and/or visors. These are, however, useless unless used
properly.
Very confused national messaging is coming
through on children wearing masks. At the moment, they are not mandatory for
our students but can be worn if parents feel that it is safer. Your child will
need to be educated in the proper use of a mask, and you will need to provide
them. We will have a small store of child-sized masks.
In
advance of the school reopening, the Principal, Deputy Principal and chairperson
of the BOM will meet with the parents of the children in a Zoom meeting. This
document will be available on the school, website from Wednesday, August 26th.
Children
will enter the building in the following manner:
Rooms
1 and 2 will enter through the main door
Rooms
3 and 4 will enter through the Red Door.
Room
5 will enter through the yard door.
Room
6 will enter through their fire door
Room
7 will enter through their fire door.
The
children will sanitise their hands before entering the building.
Physical Distancing
Physical
distancing can be usefully applied in primary settings allowing for some
flexibility when needed. It must be applied in a practical way.
A clear area around the teacher and SNA desk
will be marked to ensure that a 2 m area of social distancing is maintained.
Children will not cross this area unless they are invited to do so.
Maintaining
physical distancing in the school environment is recommended as one of the key
control measures to minimize the risk of the introduction and spread of
COVID-19
The
DES guidelines recognise that a common-sense approach is needed in our Primary
schools. To that end, every effort will be made to limit interactions within
classrooms, to limit contact between class groups and to limit the sharing of
common facilities.
Staff
will maintain a minimum of 1m distance and where possible 2m. They will also
take measures to avoid close contact at face to face level such as remaining
standing rather than sitting beside/crouching down.
Each
class in St Oliver Plunkett has 9 pupils, a teacher and, in 5 classrooms, an
SNA. The children and their teacher and SNA constitute a “Bubble”. A Bubble is
a grouping which stays apart from other classes as much as possible. The aim of
the system within the school is that Bubbles stay together from arrival at
school in the morning until the children go home at the end of the day.
It
is a requirement from the DOES that all unnecessary clutter and furniture is
removed from classrooms to facilitate as much distancing as is possible.
Children
will be distanced from each other by at least 1 metre (2 if possible in the
size of the room) and the nearest child will be 2 metres from the teacher.
Perspex
screens have been provided for all staff.
Doors
and windows
Where practical, all
internal doors will be left open to minimize hand contact with common surfaces.
Doors will be opened before the children enter the building and sanitised after
they are in. Doors will be open during the day to ensure that classrooms are
well ventilated, Windows will also be kept open as often as possible, and will
be opened while children are taking breaks in the playground. All windows will
be opened at the end of the day for a period of several hours regardless of the
weather.
Cloakrooms
and toilets and handwashing
Specific toilets have been assigned to each Bubble. Rooms 1, 6 and 7
have toilets in the class. Whichever toilets are being used, only one child
will be in each toilet at a time and children will not be allowed to wait
outside these toilets. The outer door will be propped open to minimize hand
contact. Children will learn how to sanitize the door handles and the flush
handle after using the toilet.
Room 2 will use the upper toilets on the old corridor. The middle
cubicle will be locked. The children will not be allowed to wait in the toilet
area or in the corridor.
Room 4 will use the toilet block at the end of the old corridor. The
children will not be allowed to wait in the toilet or in the corridor.
Room 5 will use the main staff toilet by the staffroom.
The hall toilets will become the staff toilets
Whatever option is chosen, individual hygiene in these toilets will be
absolutely critical.
Additional soap dispensers have been installed in the classrooms. Hot
water was not deemed to be necessary but it is something we will be considering
before the winter months.
Handwashing
There will be 6 formal handwashing times every day*
1 when children enter the class (they will have sanitised but will need
to handwash too)*
2 Before eating at little break*
3 After little break*
4 Before eating at big break*
5 After eating at big break*
7 After using the toilet.
8 When hands are dirty
9 Before going home *
The Covid team will monitor this by checking in with classes in the
early days.
A
formal record of this process will be kept until it becomes a habit.
Parents
may wish to send their own sanitiser in for their child. This will be allowed
but this sanitiser must be in a spill proof bottle and must not be shared with
other children.
Breaktimes
The
DES guidelines state that the risk of transmission from contact with outside
surfaces or play areas is low.
There will be 2 “big” and 2 “little” breaks
in September, small break 1 will be from 10.50 to 11.00 (children eat from 10
35 -10 45) and small break 2 will be from 11.05 to 11.15 (children will eat
from 10 50 to 11.00). Big break 1 will be from 12.30 to 1.00 and break 2 from
1.05 to 1.35. Rooms 1, 3 5 and 7 will go out together and Rooms 2, 4 and 6. This
is to facilitate lining up in that yard. These can be rotated (i.e. the classes
can go out on early break for a while and then go out on later break) but the
classes groupings will not be changing. It will be important to keep this manageable
and we can tweak it over time. The children will not mix on yard as each Bubble
will have an area in the yard and that area will be rotated every few weeks. The
children will go out and back in to class through the doors that they entered
the school except for rooms 4 and 5 who will return through the yard door.
In September there will be no equipment of
any kind in the yard but it is envisaged that, once the children are used to
their very new routines, we could slowly introduce a sanitizing system so that
some equipment, such as footballs, could be used.
The playground will be used (on a rota and by
one Bubble only) on Tuesdays and Fridays. This is to allow the equipment time
to self-sanitize as cleaning it properly would be impossible.
On very wet days SNAs can supervise a maximum
of five rooms at breaktime, and could keep an eye on one class next door if
needed. The class can be left 100% seated with a movie only and the door open. Children
will be going outside unless the weather is truly awful.
Lunches
Parents
must make sure that children bring their lunches to school as they will not be
allowed to drop them in during the school day.
Children will not be allowed to share their food or drinks with other
children. Children will eat their lunches at their desks, as per our usual
practice. They will be encouraged to eat directly from their lunchbox rather
than placing items on the table.
Parents
will be encouraged to sanitise the lunchbox each evening.
Books, copies, pencils etc
Children
will not bring these to school as they will be in the classroom for them and
all items will be kept separate in baskets or cubicles.
Pupils will be
encouraged to avoid behaviours that involve hand to mouth contact (putting
pens/pencils in the mouth).
Uniforms/Tracksuits
There
is no guidance or advice to say that school uniforms or tracksuits should be
washed every day and this may not be practical for most families. However,
parents will be asked to ensure that uniforms are washed more often than usual
and if they are not dry there will be no issue if they wear ordinary clothes to
school.
We
will request that children have a set of waterproof clothing that they leave in
school since they will be going out every day unless the weather is extreme.
Parents
have been requested to provide warm clothes for their children since the school
will be a lot cooler than normal.
Parents
will be advised that school clothes should be taken off straight after the
child arrives home from school for the day. They should not be worn for after-school
facilities, shops, during after-school activities, etc.
It is not envisaged that the children will be
able to hang their coats near each other so some of them will need to be kept
on the back of the chairs until we get around to sorting more hooks. Coats will
stay in the classrooms.
Parents will be encouraged to send in shoes
with no laces, lunchboxes and flasks that can be opened by the child and coats
that are easy to tie.
Curriculum
As
a staff, we are very aware that the children have been away from school since
March 12th. Half of our children are new to our school. School
habits have been lost and a new, strict routine will be very tiring and
challenging after being at home for months. We appreciate the time and effort
that went into home learning, and we recognise the challenges that it presented
for all families but we are also aware that the task of settling the children
into school cannot be underestimated. A large amount of patience, kindness and
understanding will be needed from everyone. It is likely to be most difficult
for the children entering their second year as the change will be quite
dramatic for them.
The DOES have suggested that all emphasis
should be on Literacy, Numeracy, PE and SPHE for the first term of the school
year.
Because we will be preparing for shut down
from the day we open, and we could lose children and staff to self-isolation at
any time, we will be working on as much blended learning as possible so that
the children can continue on easily at home.
Literacy/Numeracy
Some of the children will need to be tested
in Literacy as there was some turnover of children over the summer and we do
not have a starting literacy level for some of the new children. There is a
possibility that there will be more of a discrepancy than normal in the
literacy levels of the children in each class. Children will not be regrouped
for Maths this year.
Shared textbooks will need to be wiped with
antiseptic wipes after use. Any concrete maths materials that are used will
need to be sanitised after use.
We will explore the use of Bug Club for
structured reading in school and at home.
We will explore an online Maths learning
programme that the children can continue on with when/if we shut down again.
SPHE
Anxiety could be a very large issue in the
children so it is envisaged that there will be a lot of work needed with the
children on this. The introduction of all the protocols including regular
handwashing, lining up and limited social interaction in the classes will take
an enormous amount of time.
There are lovely materials available through
NEPS “Returning to School after Covid 19 Closure”.
PE
Children are encouraged to be out in the air
as often as possible, especially in the better months of the term. The school
garden needs loads of work! Loads of exercise (in each individual Bubble, will
be wonderful)
Children will not go swimming for the
foreseeable future. Mini Movers will be cancelled. We will explore this later
in the year.
Homework
It is envisaged that there will be no
homework for at least the first month. This is because the children will not be
encouraged to bring anything (other than a lunchbox and a coat) between school
and home.
Notes will not be sent home, homework
journals will not be used and parents will be communicated with by e mail.
Art
Where
possible pupils will be encouraged to have their own individual art and
equipment supplies.
Other
activities
For
the moment there should be no group art projects, no cooking or activities that
involve the children working closely together. Children cannot share equipment
in the classroom for the start of the school year until we get a tight system
in place.
There will be no physical assembly of the
children and staff but the idea of a virtual assembly will be explored.
Photocopying.
Any staff member who
uses the photocopier should clean it down after use with the wipes provided.
Only one person at a time in the photocopying room.
Laptops
There should not be used at the start of the year but we will consider
safety around them, and their eventual use, later in the term.
Substitute
Teachers/SNAs
A
copy of the Covid-19 Response Plan will be provided to each substitute
teacher/SNA. Substitutes will be required to complete a Return to the Workplace
form before they enter a classroom and will be asked to confirm that they have
engaged in online Induction training.
A
list of available substitutes has been created. These will all need to be garda
vetted.
All
SNAs will be replaced for all absences.
The
Deputy Principal is allowed 16 release days. These are substitutable.
Physical Education and
P.E. Equipment
Physical
Education lessons will take place outside when the weather allows. The hall
cannot be used.
Staff
members and pupils may take additional breaks outside during the school day.
Exiting the school
This
will be entry to the school in reverse. Children will be brought to their line
and supervised by their teacher. They will slowly be released out the gate
(both sides will be open)
Since
this will be a slower process than normal, pupils will gather in their lines
from 2.30 and will be released over a period of time. We may even have to start
a bit earlier for the first few days but when we get it going it will be
faster.
All staff will be asked to fully vacate the
building by 3.30pm to facilitate full ventilation and cleaning of the building.
This will be recorded by the Covid team.
Cleaners will not start enter to start work
until staff are gone home. This is because the cleaning staff may have been in
other work environments before coming to the school.
Staff
(some general points)
Because our children come from a wide
catchment area and a lot travel to school on school transport, school staff
will be required to wear a mask and an optional visor.
Online training videos have been sent to
staff. These are mandatory viewing.
The staffroom and hall will be available to
staff but no more than 4 can be seated at any one time. Remember that a
distance of 2 meters is recommended for adults. The tables will be turned
sideways so someone can sit at each end.
Anyone that wants a kettle for their room is
urged to buy one and the cost will be refunded by the Board of Management.
No one will be allowed to use the crockery or
cutlery in the staffroom (for the moment) as all staff must provide their own
and bring them home to be cleaned.
The dishwasher will not be in use.
Staff CANNOT visit each other’s classrooms at
any time for any reason.
All staff will be offered the flu vaccine.
A box of basic PPE and other equipment will
be provided for staff before school starts.
Staff will be asked NOT to bring home any
school material with them, that included children’s work.
It will be suggested that, if possible, staff
have a type of “uniform” for the school day and to change straight after
arriving home.
Staff should maintain a distance of 2 meters
at all times especially when arriving at and leaving work.
Gloves are available for staff but should be
used carefully and should never be a substitute for hand washing.
Staff Responsibilities
Staff
have a statutory obligation to take reasonable care for their own health and
safety and that of their colleagues and other parties. The cooperation and
assistance of all staff is essential to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19
and to protect health and safety as far as possible within the school. All
staff have a key role to play. In this regard and in order to facilitate a safe
return to work, these duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
Adhere to the School COVID-19 Response
Plan and the control measures
outlined.
Complete the RTW form before they return to
work.
Must
inform the principal
if there are any other circumstances relating
to COVID19, not included in
the form, which may need to be disclosed to facilitate their safe return to the workplace.
Must complete COVID-19 Induction
Training and any other training required prior to their return to school.
Must be aware of, and adhere to, good hygiene
and respiratory etiquette practices.
Coordinate and work with their
colleagues to ensure that physical distancing is maintained.
Make themselves aware of the symptoms of
COVID-19 and monitor their own wellbeing.
Self-isolate at home and contact their GP promptly
for further advice if they display
any symptoms of COVID-19.
Not return to or attend school if they
have symptoms of COVID-19 under any circumstances.
If they develop any symptoms of COVID-19
whilst within the school facility, they
will adhere to the procedure outlined above.
Please
note:
·
After entering the school, a person must use the hand sanitiser placed at
the front door.
· On
leaving the building, staff must use wipes to wipe down the handle and are to
use elbows to push open and close the door.
·
Used wipes to be placed in a special bin inside the door.
· All
staff must adhere to social distancing rules- keep a space of 2 metres (6.5
feet) between you and other people.
· If
returning equipment to a staff member said equipment should be wiped down
before handover.
·
Staff are advised to remain in their own rooms to carry out any work they wish
to. Movement throughout the school is to be kept to a minimum.
·
Doors are to remain open at all times so that you do not touch door handles.
Windows should also be opened to allow ventilation.
·
Only four staff are allowed in the staffroom at any one time.
·
While in the staffroom staff should use their own cup and cutlery. They
are to bring these home to wahs
·
Staff are to use hand sanitisers before using any equipment or touching
any handles etc.
·
Staff are to wipe down their eating area with sanitiser.
·
Staff must maintain the two meter distance if you are queueing up to use the
hot water/fridge or microwave etc.
·
Maintain distance if using the photocopier. Each person must wipe it down
with sanitiser after using.
As part of social distancing there is a ‘no handshaking policy’
·
avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth – if you touch your eyes, nose
or mouth with your contaminated hands, you can transfer the virus from the surface.
Meetings
All large meetings will take place remotely
but some smaller meetings (among staff) may be facilitatedin the school.
All meetings with people other than staff
will be done remotely for the moment.
Children will not travel through the school
for any reason other than going in and out and going to the toilet.
Parents will be encouraged to e mail
Janette with queries rather than clogging up the phone.
Signage
St
Oliver Plunkett NS will display signage, ordered specifically, with age
appropriate key health messages outlining the signs and symptoms of COVID- 19
and to support good hand and respiratory hygiene.
St
Oliver Plunkett NS will display the posters in prominent areas such as offices,
corridors, staffroom area, classrooms and toilets.
Health and Safety Risk Assessment
COVID-19 represents a hazard in the context of
health and safety in the school environment.
Members of the Board of St Oliver Plunkett NS will conduct a full risk
assessment before the school opens and any necessary changes will be made
before August 31st.
First Aid/Emergency
Procedure
The standard First Aid/emergency procedure shall continue to apply in
schools. Physical distancing may be very difficult to maintain at this time so
goggles and aprons have been purchased to ensure safety. These can be used by
staff at any time.
First aid supplies will be
redistributed so that there is a small supply in each room and each individual
teacher/SNA is responsible for their own Bubble. This will limit possible cross
contamination.
Control Measures – To prevent
Introduction and Spread of COVID-19 in Schools
Access to School/Contact Log and Communication
Access
to the school building will be in line with agreed school procedures.
Visitors
will be restricted to essential purposes only and will be limited to those who
have obtained prior approval from the principal or deputy principal.
The
Department of Education Inspectorate may also need to visit schools to support
them as appropriate in the implementation of public health advice relating to
creating a safe learning and working environment
The prompt identification and isolation of potentially infectious
individuals is a crucial step in restricting the spread of the virus and
protecting the health and safety of the individuals themselves and other staff,
contractors and visitors at the workplace. A detailed sign in/sign out log of
those entering the school facilities will be maintained. The school will
maintain a log of staff and pupil contacts. This is a vital step in the control
of the virus.
One of the key
messages to manage the risks of COVID-19 is to do everything practical to avoid
the introduction of COVID-19 into the school. If infection is not introduced it
cannot be spread. The risk of spreading the infection once introduced exists in
all interpersonal interactions; student-student, teacher-teacher and
teacher-student and must be managed in all settings for all.
How to Minimise the Risk of Introduction of COVID-19 into
Schools:
Probably the most important point is
that staff will now have a responsibility to behave in accordance with the
national regulations while not in work. Any setting that is deemed to be unsafe
carries a risk of infecting an entire school community.
Staff and pupils that have symptoms must
not attend school, must phone their doctor and to follow HSE guidance on self-isolation.
Staff and pupils must not attend school
if they have been identified by the HSE as a contact for person with COVID-19
and must follow the HSE advice on restriction of movement;
A child who has allergies,
or a condition with symptoms that may be similar to Covid 19, will have to have
a doctor’s note explaining these symptoms and advice on how to recognise the
symptoms of Covid 19 should they arise.
Staff and pupils that develop symptoms
at school must bring this to the attention of a member of the Covid team
immediately.
A protocol for managing a suspected case
of COVID-19 in in place for the school. Put simply, a child will be escorted to
the isolation room (library) and will be collected as soon as possible. Staff
will contact their doctor and isolate themselves in the school immediately.
Everyone entering the school building
needs to perform hand hygiene with a hand sanitizer.
They will then be encouraged to sanitise before leaving.
Staff are requested NOT to leave the
school during the school day for any reason other than an emergency.
Visitors to the school during the day
will be by prior arrangement and will be received at a specific contact point;
Physical distancing (of 2m) will be
maintained between staff and visitors where
possible.
There will be no volunteers, work
placements, visiting sports coaches, music teachers, school trips, visiting
authors or other visitors until further notice. We will however, explore the
reintroduction of as many of these vital parts of school life as soon as
possible. So much will depend on the success of our initial procedures and, of
course, the evolving nationwide picture.
Make sure you, and the people around
you, follow good respiratory hygiene. Children will need to be taught this
clearly and explicitly. This means covering your mouth and nose with a tissue
or your bent elbow when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue
immediately and safely into a nearby bin.
Staff and pupils will understand why
hand hygiene is important as well as when and how to wash their hands. The
school will promote good hygiene and display posters throughout the schools on
how to wash your hands. The following should be explicitly taught to the
children. https://www2.hse.ie/wellbeing/how-to-wash-your-hands.html
·
Staff will need to Know the
Symptoms of COVID-19 and children
will need to be taught them. They are
High temperature
Cough
Shortness
of breath or breathing difficulties
Loss
of smell, of taste or distortion of taste
Hygiene and Cleaning in Schools
The
school will be cleaned for 3 hours every day. Cleaning will be focus on the
sanitation of frequently touched surfaces – door handles, hand rails,
chairs/arm rests, communal eating areas, sink and toilet facilities.
All
staff will have access to cleaning products and will be required to maintain
cleanliness of their own personal work area. These cleaning products and PPE
will be stored in the Principal’s office.
Staff
will be required to thoroughly clean and disinfect their work area before and
after use each day.
A
hygiene committee, with a child from each class, will be formed.
Children
will need to be shown how to clean their own desk area every day. They will
also need to learn to sweep up as all the official cleaning time will be
focused on disinfecting and sterilization of common areas.
The “dirty” bins will be covered bins and
will be emptied every day. Recycling bins will be treated as
normal.
Dealing
with a Suspected Case of COVID-19
Staff
or pupils will not attend school if displaying any symptoms of COVID-19. The
following outlines how a school will deal with a suspected case that may arise
in a school setting.
The
designated isolation area is the school library in the school building If a
staff member/pupil displays symptoms of COVID-19 while at school the following
are the procedures to be implemented
If the person with the suspected case is
a pupil, the parents/guardians will be contacted immediately.
Parents will have given a written
assurance that an adult will be available to collect their child immediately.
A procedure will be in place to
accompany the individual to the designated isolation area via the isolation
route, keeping at least 2m away from the symptomatic person and also making
sure that others maintain a distance of at least 2m from the symptomatic person
at all times. Once the parent arrives to the gate the child will be escorted to
the gate to be brought home. They will exit by their usual route.
Nobody will stay in the isolation with
the person who is deemed to be at risk.
If it is not possible to maintain a
distance of 2m a staff member caring for a pupil will wear a face covering or
mask/goggles and an apron.
A mask will be provided for the person
presenting with symptoms. He/she will wear the mask at all times.
No medical decisions will be made by
staff. Symptoms means that the HSE will be contacted, the individual will be
isolated and will exit the building as soon as possible.
Parents will be informed that there will
have to be someone available to come and collect their child as soon as they
are notified.
The individual will avoid touching
people, surfaces and objects. Advice will be given to the person presenting
with symptoms to cover their mouth and nose with the disposable tissue provided
when they cough or sneeze and put the tissue in the waste bag provided.
Public transport of any kind will not be
used;
If they are too unwell to go home or
advice is required, contact 999 or 112 and inform them that the sick person is
a Covid-19 suspect.
Careful records will need to be kept of
each isolation incident.
The HSE will inform any staff/parents
who have come into close contact with a diagnosed case via the contact tracing
process. The HSE will contact all relevant persons where a diagnosis of
COVID-19 is made. The instructions of the HSE will be followed and staff and
pupil confidentiality is essential at all times.
Cleaning/Disinfecting rooms where a
pupil/staff member with suspected COVID- 19 was present. The room will be
cleaned as soon as practicably possible. Once the room is vacated the room will
not be reused until it has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and all
surfaces are dry.
Special Educational Needs
Additional considerations for
those with Special Educational Needs that are relevant to our cohort of
children.
The focus will be on emphasising that
parents/guardians who notice signs, symptoms or changes which suggests
illness/COVID-19 infection and where symptoms are present, their children will
not attend school.
Children who are unable to wash their
hands by themselves will be assisted to clean their hands using soap and water
or a hand sanitizer (if their hands are visibly clean) as outlined previously.
COVID-19 related Absence Management
The
management of a COVID-19 related absence will be managed in line with agreed
procedures with the Department of Education. All absences will be entered on
the OLCS system
Substitute cover will be provided for 1 EPV
day to be taken in the first term. No decision has been made about the other 2
days. It is generally agreed that no more than 3 days will be possible this
year. There is also a suggestion that those who have 5 days can carry 2 over
into 21/22.
Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Programme
The
Department recognises the need for school staff wellbeing and collective self-
care. Support for school staff wellbeing will be provided by Department Support
Services including the PDST and CSL, as well as by the HSE’s Health Promotion
Team. An Occupational Health Strategy is in place as a supportive resource for staff
in schools. The aim of the Occupational Health
Strategy is to promote the health and wellbeing of employees in the workplace,
with a strong focus on prevention. The Occupational Health Strategy comprises
the Employee Assistance Service and the Occupational Health Service. The Employee Assistance Service (EAS) is provided by Spectrum
Life under the logo of ‘Wellbeing
Together: Folláinne Le Chéile’.
As
part of the services provided by
Spectrum Life a Mental Health Promotion Manager is available to develop and
deliver evidence based mental health and wellbeing initiatives to reduce stigma
and improve mental health literacy and to increase engagement with the service.
They will also be providing a series of webinars and presentations to promote
staff wellbeing in schools as schools reopen and during the upcoming school year.
APPENDIX 1
Lead
Worker Representative
The COVID-19 Return to
Work Safely Protocol provides for the appointment of a Lead Worker
Representative (LWR) in each workplace. The LWR will work in collaboration with
the employer to assist in the implementation of measures to prevent the spread
of COVID -19 and monitor adherence to those measures and to be involved in
communicating the health advice around COVID-19 in the workplace.
The purpose of this
section is to set out the provisions in respect of the LWR in schools. The
operation of these arrangements will be kept under review by the parties.
This document should be
read in conjunction with:
the COVID-19 Return to Work Safely Protocol;
the Guidance and FAQs for Public Service Employers during COVID-19;
COVID-19 Response
Plan for Primary and Special Schools (available on the Department of Education
website).
Collaborative Approach
Responsibility for the
development and implementation of the COVID-19 Response Plan and the associated
control measures lies primarily with the Board of Management/ Education and
Training Board and school management.
Strong communication
and a shared collaborative approach is key to protecting against the spread of
COVID-19 in schools, and looking after the health, safety and wellbeing of
staff and students. Adherence to the Return to Work Protocol will only be
achieved if everyone has a shared responsibility in implementing the measures
contained within the Protocol in their place of work.
If a staff member has
any concerns or observations in relation to the COVID-19 Response Plan, control
measures or the adherence to such measures by staff, students or others, they
should contact the LWR who will engage with school management.
Role of the Lead
Worker Representative/Covid 19 Response Team
In summary, the role of the LWR is to:
• Represent all staff in the workplace regardless of role,
and be aware of specific issues that may arise in respect of different staff
cohorts;
• Work collaboratively with school management to ensure, so
far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare of employees
in relation to COVID-19;
• Keep up to date with the latest COVID-19 public health
advice;
• In conjunction with school management, promote good hygiene
practices such as washing hands regularly and maintaining good respiratory
etiquette along with maintaining social distancing in accordance with public
health advice;
• Assist school management with the implementation of
measures to suppress COVID-19 in the workplace in line with the Return to Work
Safely Protocol and current public health advice;
• In conjunction with school management, monitor adherence to
measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19;
• Conduct regular reviews of safety measures;
• Report any issues of concern immediately to school
management and keep records of such issues and actions taken to rectify them;
• Consult with the school management on the school’s COVID-19
Response Plan in the event of someone developing COVID-19 while in school
including the location of an isolation area and a safe route to that area;
• Following any incident assess with the school management
any follow up action that is required;
• Consult with colleagues on matters relating to COVID-19 in
the workplace;
• Make representations to school management on behalf of
their colleagues on matters relating to COVID-19 in the workplace.
What
can a Lead Worker Representative Do?
The
LWR may consult with, and make representations to, school management on any
issue of concern in relation to COVID-19. These include issues in relation to:
Cleaning protocols and their implementation
Physical Distancing
Implementation of one-way systems in the school to ensure
social distancing including when entering and exiting the school
Hand
Hygiene facilities including their location and whether they are stocked and
maintained
Hand sanitising
Staff awareness around hand hygiene in the school
Respiratory hygiene
Personal Protective Equipment
At Risk Groups
Visitors/Contractors
Lead
Worker Representative
Every
school will appoint one Lead Worker Representative.
Deputy
Lead Worker Representative/ Assistant Lead Worker Representative
In
schools with less than 30 staff, a Deputy Lead Worker Representative will be
appointed in addition to the LWR. The role of the Deputy LWR will be to
deputise as LWR where the LWR is absent.
In
schools with 30 or more staff and in all Special schools, an Assistant Lead
Worker Representative will be appointed in addition to the LWR. The role of the
Assistant LWR will be to:
assist the LWR in their duties as set out above; and
deputise as LWR where the LWR is absent
Selection
of Lead Worker Representative/ Deputy LWR/ Assistant LWR
The
school staff are entitled to select staff members for the LWR, Deputy LWR and
Assistant LWR positions as appropriate. The LWR/ Deputy LWR/ Assistant LWR
represents all staff in the workplace regardless of role and must be aware of
specific issues that may arise in respect of different staff cohorts. In this
regard, if a teacher is selected for the role of LWR, then the Deputy LWR/
Assistant LWR should be selected from the non-teaching staff where feasible and
vice versa.
The
process for the selection and appointment of the LWR/ Deputy LWR/ Assistant LWR
as appropriate should be arrived at by consultation and consensus at school
level, through the seeking of volunteers to act in that capacity. Where there
is more than one volunteer, all school staff should vote to select the LWR/
Deputy LWR/ Assistant LWR.
The
LWR/ Deputy LWR/ Assistant LWR will, following selection by the school staff,
be formally appointed by the employer. LWR/ Deputy LWR/ Assistant LWR will be
required
In summary, the role of
the LWR is to:
Represent all
staff in the workplace regardless of role, and be aware of specific issues that
may arise in respect of different staff cohorts;
Work
collaboratively with school management to ensure, so far as is reasonably
practicable, the safety, health and welfare of employees in relation to
COVID-19;
Keep up to date
with the latest COVID-19 public health advice;
In conjunction
with school management, promote good hygiene practices such as washing hands
regularly and maintaining good respiratory etiquette along with maintaining
social distancing in accordance with public health advice;
Assist school
management with the implementation of measures to suppress COVID-19 in the
workplace in line with the Return to Work Safely Protocol and current public
health advice;
In conjunction
with school management, monitor adherence to measures put in place to prevent
the spread of COVID-19;
Conduct regular reviews of safety
measures;
Report any issues of concern immediately to school
management and keep records of such issues and actions taken to rectify them;
Consult with the school management on the school’s COVID-19
Response Plan in the event of someone developing COVID-19 while in school
including the location of an isolation area and a safe route to that area;
Following any incident, assess with the school management
any follow up action that is required;
Consult with colleagues on matters relating to COVID-19 in
the workplace;
Make representations to school management on behalf of their colleagues on
matters relating to COVID-19 in the workplace.
Every
school will appoint one Lead Worker Representative.
In
schools with less than 30 staff, a Deputy Lead Worker Representative will be
appointed in addition to the LWR. The role of the Deputy LWR will be to
deputise as LWR where the LWR is absent.
In
schools with 30 or more staff and in all Special schools, an Assistant Lead
Worker Representative will be appointed in addition to the LWR. The role of the
Assistant LWR will be to:
assist the LWR in their duties as set out above; and
deputise as LWR where the LWR is absent
Supports
for the Lead Worker Representative/ Deputy LWR/ Assistant LWR
The
LWR/ Deputy LWR/ Assistant LWR shall be entitled to:
Receive information and training in respect of their role [further
detail to be provided];
Be consulted by school management on the control measures
being put in place by the school to minimise the risk of being exposed to
COVID-19;
Regular communication with school management on issues
related to COVID-19;
Be
informed of changes in practice arising from COVID-19 response measures;
Where
the LWR/ Assistant LWR is a teacher (including a postholder), the 10 Croke Park
hours which can currently be used for planning on other than a whole school
basis will be utilised by the LWR and Assistant LWR to carry out their duties
in that role.
Where
the LWR/ Assistant LWR is an SNA, 10 of the “72 hours” will be utilised by the
LWR and Assistant LWR to carry out their duties in that role.
Where
the LWR/ Assistant LWR is a Secretary or Caretaker, a re-prioritisation of
duties by school management should be carried out to afford the staff member
sufficient time to carry out their duties in that role.
8.
Procedure for dealing with issues that arise
Where
an issue of concern is identified by the LWR (or is notified to the LWR by a
staff member), the LWR should bring this to the attention of the Principal.
Action points for addressing the issue should where possible be agreed between
the LWR and the Principal. Staff should be informed of the outcome.
If
agreement cannot be reached, the LWR may notify the Board of Management
(Chairperson of the BoM in the first instance)/ Education and Training Board
head office of the issue. Action points for addressing the issue should where
possible be agreed between the LWR and the BoM/ETB head office. Staff should be
informed of the outcome.
Glossary of Terms
COVID-19
Response Plan: plan designed to support the staff and BOM/ ETB in putting
measures in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the school environment.
The plan details the policies and practices necessary for a school to meet the
Return to Work Safely Protocol, the Department of Education plan for school
reopening and to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in the school
environment. COVID-19 Response Plans for Primary and Special Schools are
available on the Department’s website.
Labour
Employer Economic Forum (LEEF): the forum for high level dialogue between
Government, Trade Union and Employer representatives on matters of strategic
national importance – involves the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Government
& Employers.
Return
to Work Protocol: national protocol designed to support employers and
workers to put measures in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in
the workplace.
Safety
Representative: Section 25 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act
2005 sets out the selection and role of the Safety Representative in the
workplace. The rights of the Safety Representative are set out in legislation.
(Note: A Safety Representative has rights and not duties under the 2005 Act).
This role is separate to the LWR under COVID-19.
Checklist
Lead Worker Representative
1. Have you agreed with your school
to act as a Lead worker representative for your school? (
2. Have you been provided with
information and training in relation to the role of lead worker representative?
3. Are you keeping up to date with
the latest COVID-19 advice from Government?
4. Are you aware of the signs and
symptoms of COVID-19?
5. Do you know how the virus is
spread?
6. Do you know how to help prevent
the spread of COVID-19?
7. Have you watched and do you
understand the online Induction Training provided by the Department of
Education before returning to school?
8. Are you helping in keeping your
fellow workers up to date with the latest COVID-19 advice from Government?
9. Have you completed the COVID-19
return-to-work form and given it to your school? (
10. Are you aware of the control
measures your school has put in place to minimise the risk of you and others
being exposed to COVID-19?
11. Did your school consult with you
when putting control measures in place?
12. Have you a means of regular
communication with the person with overall responsibility for the school
COVID-19 plan?
13. Are you co-operating with your
school to make sure these control measures are maintained?
14. Have you familiarised yourself
with the cleaning requirements needed to help prevent cross contamination?
15. Have you been asked to walk
around and check that the control measures are in place and are being
maintained?
16. Are you reporting immediately to
the person with overall responsibility for the school COVID-19 plan any
problems, areas of non-compliance or defects that you see?
17. Are you keeping a record of any
problems, areas of non-compliance or defects and what action was taken to
remedy the issue?
18.
Are you familiar
with what to do in the event of someone developing the symptoms of COVID-19
while at school?
19. Are you co-operating
with your school in identifying an isolation area and a safe route to that
area?
20. Are you helping in
the management of someone developing symptoms of COVID-19 while at school?
21. Once the affected
person has left the school, are you helping in assessing what follow-up action
is needed?
22. Are you helping in
maintaining the contact log?
23. Have you been made
aware of any changes to the emergency plans or first aid procedures for your
school?
24. Are you making
yourself available to fellow staff to listen to any COVID-19 control concerns
or suggestions they may have?
25. Are you raising
those control concerns or suggestions with your school and feeding back the
response to the worker who raised the issue?
26. Are you aware of the availability of the Spectrum Life
Wellbeing Together Programme?
APPENDIX 2
Arrangements
for people who are diagnosed who have symptoms ofCovid 19
Bring the person to the
designated isolation area available in each school;
Arrangements to contact
parents/guardians in the event of a suspected case in a pupil/student;
Facilitate the person remaining
in isolation if they cannot go home immediately;
Supporting the making of
arrangements for transport home or if they are too unwell to go home to contact
999 or 112 to advise it is a COVID-19 suspected case;
Carrying out an assessment of
the incident to determine follow up actions; and
Arrangements for the appropriate cleaning of the isolation and work areas.
inform any staff/parents or students who come into close contact with a
diagnosed case via the contact tracing process;
contact all relevant persons where a diagnosis of COVID-19 is made; and
advise on the appropriate action, on a case-by-case basis, that should be taken
vis-à-vis the operation of the school.
Appendix
3
Checklist
for dealing with a suspected case of COVID-19
Staff
members will be required to manage a suspected case in line with the protocol
and training.
A
nominated member of the school management team will be responsible for ensuring
that all aspects of the protocol to deal with suspected cases have been adhered
to.
Isolation
Area
1. Have you identified a place that
can be used as an isolation area, preferably with a door that can close?
2. The isolation area does not have
to be a separate room but if it is not a room it should be 2m away from others
in the room.
3. Is the isolation area accessible,
including to staff and pupils with disabilities?
4. Is the route to the isolation
area accessible?
5. Have you a contingency plan for
dealing with more than one suspected case of COVID-19?
6. Are the following available in
the isolation area(s)
Masks
Gloves
Tissues
Disinfectant wipes
Bin
Waste bags
Isolating
a Person
7. Are procedures in place to
accompany the infected person to the isolation area, along the isolation route
with physical distancing from them?
8. Are staff familiar with this
procedure?
9. Have others been advised to
maintain a distance of at least 2m from the affected person at all times?
10.
Is there a
disposable mask to wear for the affected person while in the common area and
when exiting the building?
Arranging
for the affected person to leave the school
11.
Staff – have you
established by asking them if the staff members feel well enough to travel
home?
12. Pupil – have you
immediately contacted their parents/guardians and arranged for them to collect
their pupil? Under no circumstances can a pupil use public or school transport
to travel home if they are a suspected case of COVID-19.
13. The affected
person should be advised to avoid touching other people, surfaces and objects.
14. The affected
person been advised to cover their mouth and nose with disposable tissue(s)
when they cough or sneeze, and to put the tissue in the bin.
15. Has transport
home or to an assessment centre been arranged if the affected person has been
directed to go there by their GP?
16. Has the affected
person been advised not to go to their GP’s surgery or any pharmacy or
hospital?
17. Has the affected
person been advised they must not use public transport?
18. Has the affected person been advised to continue wearing the
face mask until the reach home?
Follow up
19. Have you carried
out an assessment of the incident to identify any follow-up actions needed?
20. Are you available to provide advice and assistance if
contacted by the HSE?
Cleaning
21. Have you taken
the isolation area out-of-use until cleaned and disinfected?
22. Have you made
arrangements to clean and disinfect any classroom space where the staff or
pupils were located?
23. Have you
arranged for cleaning and disinfection of the isolation area and any other
areas involved, as soon as practical after the affected person has left the
building?
24. Have the cleaners been trained in dealing with contaminated
areas and supplied with the appropriate PPE? (It is intended to provide
online training for cleaning staff. Appropriate PPE will be available to
schools through the national procurement process which schools can access
before reopening).
APPENDIX
4
Checklist
for School Management
Composite
Checklist for Schools
This
checklist supports planning and preparation, control measures and induction
needed to support a safe return to school for pupils, staff, parents and
others.
For
completion by the agreed person with overall responsibility of managing the
implementation of the COVID-19 Response plan in line with the supports as
agreed with Department of Education.
Planning
and Systems
1. Is there a system in place to
keep up to date with the latest advice from Government and Department of
Education, to ensure that advice is made available in a timely manner to staff
and pupils and to adjust your plans and procedures in line with that advice?
2. Have you prepared a school
COVID-19 response plan and made it available to staff and pupils?
3. Have you a system in place to
provide staff and pupils with information and guidance on the measures that
have been put in place to help prevent the spread of the virus and what is
expected of them?
4. Have you displayed the COVID-19
posters in suitable locations highlighting the signs and symptoms of COVID-19?
5. Have you told staff of the
purpose of the COVID-19 contact log?
6. Have you a COVID-19 contact log
in place to support HSE tracing efforts if required?
7. Have you informed staff on the
measures and provided a system for them to raise issues or concerns and to have
them responded to?
8. Have you reviewed and updated risk
assessments in line with DES advice to take account of any controls to help
prevent the spread of COVID-19?
9.
Have you updated
emergency plans, if necessary to take account of the COVID-19 response plan?
Staff
10. Have you made available to each
staff member a COVID-19 return-to-work form to be completed and returned 3 days
before they return to the workplace? (Template attached)
11. Are you aware of staff members
who are at very high risk under the HSE guidance on people most at risk (HSE
guidance on people most at-risk) and advised them of the DES agreed
arrangements for management of those staff?
12.
Have you advised
staff and pupils they must stay at home if sick or if they have any symptoms of
COVID-19?
13. Have you told
staff and pupils what to do and what to expect if they start to develop
symptoms of COVID-19 in school, including where the isolation area is?
14. Have you advised
staff of the availability of the supports of the occupational health and
wellbeing programme through Spectrum Life?
15. Has a lead worker representative been identified (in line
with the process agreed with the DES and education partners) and detailed at
Section 4.3 of this plan to help advise staff and to monitor compliance with
COVID-19 control measures in the school and taken measures to ensure all staff
know who the representative is?
Training and Induction
16. Have you advised
staff to view the Department of Education’s training materials which are
available online?
17. Have you taken
the necessary steps to update your school induction / familiarisation training
to include any additional information relating to COVID-19 for your school?
18. Have first aiders, if available, been given updated training
on infection prevention and control re: hand hygiene and use of PPE as
appropriate? (It is intended that training will be provided as part of the
Department’s online training programme).
Buildings / Equipment
19. If you have
mechanical ventilation does it need cleaning or maintenance before the school
reopens?
20. Does your water
system need flushing at outlets following low usage to prevent Legionnaire’s
Disease?
21. Have you
visually checked, or had someone check, all equipment in the school for signs
of deterioration or damage before being used again?
22. Have you arranged for the school, including all equipment,
desks, benches, doors and frequent touched surfaces points, to be cleaned
before reopening?
Control Measures in place
Hand / respiratory hygiene
23. Have you
accessed supplies of hand sanitisers and any necessary PPE equipment in line
with the interim HPSC health guidance relating to the reopening of schools,
from the national framework provided by the Department? (RFI published and
framework available from early August).
24. Are there hand
washing/hand sanitising stations in place to accommodate staff, pupils and
visitors adhering to hand hygiene measures in accordance with Department
guidance?
25. Have
arrangements been made for staff and pupils to have regular access to
hand-washing/hand sanitising facilities as appropriate?
26. Are hand sanitisers easily available and accessible for all
staff, pupils and visitors – e.g. in each classroom and at entry and exit
points to school buildings?
27. Have you made
arrangements to ensure hand hygiene facilities are regularly checked and
well-stocked?
28. Does the
alcohol-based hand sanitiser have at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol as
the active ingredient?
29. Have you
informed staff about the importance of hand washing?
30. Have you
arranged for staff to view how to wash their hands (with soap and water for at
least 20 seconds) and dry them correctly through the use of the HSE video
resource?
31. Have you shown
staff and pupils how to use hand sanitiser correctly and where hand-sanitising
stations are located?
32. Have you
displayed posters on how to wash hands correctly in appropriate locations?
33. Have you told
staff and pupils when they need to wash their hands or use hand sanitiser? This
includes:
before and
after eating and preparing food
after coughing
or sneezing
after using the
toilet
where hands are
dirty
before and
after wearing gloves
before and
after being on public transport
before leaving
home
when
arriving/leaving the school /other sites
after touching
potentially contaminated surfaces
if in contact
with someone displaying any COVID-19 symptoms
34. Has you told
staff and pupils of the importance of good respiratory measures to limit the
spread of the virus?
avoid touching
the face, eyes, nose and mouth
cover coughs
and sneezes with an elbow or a tissue
dispose of tissues in a covered bin
Physical Distancing:
35. Have you
identified all available school space to be used to maximise physical
distancing?
36. Have you
reviewed the templates provided by the Department of Education which show
options for revised layout of school rooms to meet physical distancing
requirements?
37. Have you
arranged to revise the layout of the rooms and furniture as per the Department
guidelines if necessary?
38. Have you
arranged in each room that the teacher’s desk should be at least 1m and where
possible 2m away from pupil desks?
39. Have you
arranged in each room that pupils would be at least 1m away from each other?
40. Have you
allocated work stations consistently to the same staff and children rather than
having spaces that are shared?
41. Have you structured pupils and their teachers into Class
Bubbles (i.e. a class grouping which stays apart from other classes as much as
possible) and discrete groups or “Pods” within those class bubbles to the
extent that this is practical?
42. If you have
divided a class into Pods, have you arranged at least 1m distance between
individual Pods within the class bubble and between individuals in the pod,
whenever possible?
43. Have you taken
steps to limit contact and sharing of common facilities between people in
different Class Bubbles (and Pods within those class bubbles) as much as
possible?
44. Have you
arranged Pod sizes to be as small as it is likely to be reasonably practical in
the specific classroom context?
45. Have you
arranged to the greatest extent possible for pupils and teaching staff to be
consistently in the same Class Bubbles acknowledging that this will not be
possible at all times?
46. Have you
arranged where possible that different class bubbles to have separate breaks
and meal times or separate areas at break or meal times?
47. Have you made
arrangements to limit interaction on arrival and departure from school and in
other shared areas?
48. Have you
encouraged walking or cycling to school as much as possible?
49. Have you made
arrangements, in so far as practicable, to open additional access points to
school to reduce congestion?
50. Can you provide
a one system for entering and exiting the school, where practical?
51. Have you
arranged for staff meetings to be held remotely or in small groups or in large
spaces to facilitate physical distancing?
52. Have you a
system to regularly remind staff and pupils to maintain physical distancing
53. Have you advised staff not to shake hands and to avoid any
physical contact?
Visitors to Schools
54. Have you
identified the activities that involve interacting with essential visitors to
the school, made arrangements to minimise the number of such visitors and put
in place measures to prevent physical contact, as far as possible?
55. Are there
arrangements in place to inform essential visitors to the school of the
measures to help prevent the spread of infection?
56. Have you a system in place for all visitors who do need to
come to the school to make appointment, arrange to contact a central point and
to record their visit using the contact tracing log?
APPENDIX 5
Contact Tracing Log Name of School
School Contact Person
Address of School
For Queries only: Phone No
Email
Name of Visitor
Was the visit pre-arranged?
Yes o
No o
Date of Visit
__ __ / __ __ /________
Time
entry/exit school
Exit from School __________ am o pm o
Visitor Status
Contractor
Parent/Guardian
Other o
Please complete:
_______________________________________
Contact details of visitor
Company Name
(if applicable)
Address
Contact No.
Email Address
Reason for Visit/Who visited
and length of time.
APPENDIX 6
Checklist
for Cleaning
1. Have you a system in place for
checking and keeping up to date with the latest public health advice from
Government and the Department of Education, to ensure that advice is made
available in a timely manner in order to adjust your cleaning procedures in line
with that advice?
2. Have you reviewed the HPSC
interim health advice for the safe reopening of schools, in particular Section
5.6 Environmental Hygiene?
3. Have you explained the need for
the enhanced cleaning regime to staff?
4. Are you aware that cleaning is
best achieved using a general purpose detergent and warm water, clean cloths,
mops and the mechanical action of wiping and cleaning, following by rinsing and
drying?
5. Have you sufficient cleaning
materials in place to support the enhanced cleaning regime?
6. Have you provided training for
cleaning staff on the enhanced cleaning regime?
7. Have you made arrangements for
the regular and safe emptying of bins?
8. Are you familiar with the
cleaning options for school settings set out in the interim HPSC health advice
for schools for surfaces, toilets, cleaning equipment, PPE and waste
management?
9. Are you aware that each school
setting should be cleaned once per day?
10. Have you provided cleaning
materials to staff so that they can clean their own desk or immediate
workspace?
11. Have you advised staff that they
are responsible for cleaning personal items that have been brought to work and
are likely to be handled at work or during breaks (for example, mobile phone
and laptops) and to avoid leaving them down on communal surfaces or they will
need to clean the surface after the personal item is removed?
12. Have you advised staff and pupils
to avoid sharing items such as cups, bottles, cutlery, and pens?
13. Have you put in place a written
cleaning schedule to be made available to cleaning staff including:
Items and areas to be cleaned
Frequency of cleaning
Materials to be used
Equipment to be used?
14. Details of how to clean following
a suspected case of COVID-19 are at Section 7 of the Plan above
15.
If disinfection
of contaminated surfaces is required, is a system in place to do this following
cleaning?
16. If cleaning
staff have been instructed to wear gloves when cleaning are they aware of the
need to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water, both before and after
wearing gloves?
17. Have you a
system in place for the disposable of cleaning cloths and used wipes in a
rubbish bag? Current HSE guidance recommends waste such as cleaning waste,
tissues etc. from a person suspected of having COVID-19 should be double bagged
and stored in a secure area for 72 hours before being presented for general
waste collection.
18. Have you ensured
there is a system in place to make sure reusable cleaning equipment including
mop heads and non-disposable cloths are clean before re-use?
19. Have you ensured there is a system in place to ensure that
equipment such as buckets are emptied and cleaned with a fresh solution of
disinfectant before re-use?
APPENDIX
7
Protocol
for the return to work
Before
returning to the workplace, the staff must complete *a pre-return to
workplace form *at least 3 days in advance of the return.
This form seeks confirmation that each staff member, to the best of their
knowledge,
– has no symptoms of COVID-19,
-that the staff member is not self-isolating,
or is not awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.
If a staff member answers “Yes” to any of them, you are strongly advised to
follow the medical advice
Sample Return to School Form
Do you have symptoms of cough, fever, high temperature, sore throat, runny
nose, breathlessness or flu like symptoms now or in the past 14 days? Yes/No
Have you been diagnosed with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection in
the last 14 days? Yes/No
Are you a close contact of a person who is a confirmed or suspected case of
COVID-19 in the past 14 days (i.e. less than 2m for more than 15 minutes
accumulative in 1 day)? Yes/No
Have you been advised by a doctor to self-isolate at this time? Yes/No
Are there are any other circumstances relating to COVID-19, not included in
the form, which may need to be disclosed to allow their safe return to work.
Please complete and return the pre-return to work form before you return to
the school.
If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, you are advised to seek medical advice
and to stay out of work
until all symptoms have cleared following self-isolation.
Signed: __________________ APPENDIX 8
Safety on the buses
Observing
hygiene requirements will be a key priority and clear communication to all
parents of children or to older students using school transport services will
set out the following requirements for those travelling on school transport:
Not to use school transport if
they are displaying symptoms.
To maintain physical distancing
while waiting for transport.
To always sit in pre-assigned
seating and next to a sibling or child from their class group (this should be
the same child at all times).
To use hand sanitizer on
boarding the bus.
To observe respiratory
etiquette at all times while waiting for and on-board transport services.
To disembark the bus one by one
in an orderly fashion; and
With the exception of those children who for medical or special educational
needs reasons are not in a position to wear a facemask or face covering, all other students
travelling on the post-primary scheme are required to wear facemasks while
waiting for and on-board transport services.
With regard to SEN Transport services, these health
guidelines will also apply. Funding supports will be made available to schools
for the provision of masks or visors to School Bus Escorts where required,
bearing in mind the SEN needs of the child/children on the service, and where
physical distancing cannot be maintained. These will be accessible to schools
through the drawdown framework described earlier.
Bus Éireann, in consultation with the Department, is
providing information and guidance for their own employees and to contractors
contracted to operate on the School Transport Scheme to advise them of:
• Sanitisation
and additional cleaning requirements.
• Use of
Personal Protective Equipment for school transport staff.
• Measures to
take if a child on a service becomes ill or is displaying symptoms while
travelling.
• Return to work safely protocols.
Appendix
9
St Oliver Plunkett National School
COVID-19 Policy Statement
St Oliver Plunkett National School is
committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our staff and a
safe learning environment for all our pupils. To ensure that, we have developed
the following COVID-19 Response Plan. The BOM and all school staff are
responsible for the implementation of this plan and a combined effort will help
contain the spread of the virus. We will:
continue to monitor our COVID-19
response and amend this plan in consultation with our staff
provide up to date information to our
staff and pupils on the Public Health advice
issued by the HSE and Gov.ie
display information on the signs and
symptoms of COVID-19 and correct hand- washing
techniques
agree with staff, a worker
representative who is easily identifiable to carry out the role outlined in
this plan
inform all staff and pupils of essential
hygiene and respiratory etiquette and physical distancing requirements
adapt the school to facilitate physical
distancing as appropriate in line with the guidance and direction of the
Department of Education
keep a contact log to help with contact tracing
ensure staff engage with the induction /
familiarisation briefing provided by the Department of Education
implement the agreed procedures to be
followed in the event of someone showing symptoms of COVID-19 while at school
provide instructions for staff and
pupils to follow if they develop signs and symptoms of COVID-19 during school time
implement cleaning in line with
Department of Education advice
All
school staff will be consulted on an ongoing basis and feedback from staff is
encouraged on any concerns, issues or suggestions.
This
can be done through the Lead Worker Representative(s)/Covid team, who will be
supported in line with the agreement between the Department and education
partners.
