What are government requirements for reopening the school?
The government has provided a list of 44 actions which all schools must abide by in order to operate safely. These actions are discussed below.
How will the school be supporting the wellbeing of its students?
The school is committed to the wellbeing of its students, and will be supporting its students through this transition, beginning with reconnection sessions with form tutors/class teachers at the start of reopening.
Our wellbeing team will provide more information for parents on supporting the transition back to school.
Do students have to attend school, or can they continue with online learning?
The choice to attend school or not rests with parents. The school will provide both online (for a short period of time) and at-school learning. We believe at-school learning will be more effective. We acknowledge that the arrival of some students will be delayed due to quarantine and travel restrictions.
Will you continue with temperature checks and emphasising hand washing?
Yes, absolutely. As before, anyone with a temperature of 37.5℃ or more will not be permitted onto the site.
Staff and students will be required to sanitise their hands upon entering the site and frequently thereafter.
What is the policy towards wearing face masks?
Anyone on the school campus is expected to wear a cloth face mask, in accordance with government protocols. Staff and students must provide their own mask. Teachers will be provided with face shields, and students may wear face shields if they wish.
Will classrooms change to accommodate social distancing?
Yes, modifications will be made to classroom layouts to maintain a minimum of one (preferably more) metre between students. Each room will be given a maximum capacity of students that can be accommodated whilst maintaining social distancing. Where class sizes are larger than this we will split the class between two teachers in two rooms to maintain social distancing.
What social distancing measures will be in place throughout the school?
Special protocols will be in place for different facilities. To highlight one, in the Refectory there are clearly marked spots for students to stand on whilst waiting to be served.
Seating areas in the school have been adjusted and students will be expected to sit at least 1m away from other students.
Will there be any additional precautions or changes to the facilities that students can use?
The use of shared equipment will be minimised and it will be thoroughly cleaned between users. Students will be directed to separate play areas during break and lunchtimes. Arrangements for PE and swimming lessons will be communicated to parents at the start of term. Teachers will be encouraged to take students for outside activities when possible.
Can children play sport at school?
Yes, but within strict guidelines provided by the government. The school has already conducted sporting sessions through the month of July following these guidelines.
Will there be after-school, weekend activities or trips?
There will be after-school and weekend activities commencing in the second week of term as normal. Staff will advise students regarding any special requirements regarding safety requirements.
There will be no residential trips in term 1. These will be scheduled in terms 2 and 3.
Will individual instrumental lessons be held in school?
In school one to one instrumental lessons will be held. Students should contact their instrumental teacher for more details. Please be advised that students must bring their own instrument or the one allocated to them by the school.
Can children bring their own hand sanitiser?
Yes they can, however the school will provide hand sanitiser and hand washing stations throughout the school. Hand sanitising will be encouraged after every lesson.
Can parents and visitors go inside the school?
Visitors can enter the school if they have an appointment. Parents of children under seven years old may enter the school to drop their children at the classroom and to pick them up. At this stage, all other parents are requested to not enter the school unless they have an appointment with a teacher or an administration department.
Special arrangements will be made and communicated to parents of Early Years students.
How do parents contact teachers?
Parents can contact teachers via the normal channels. If they are unsure of the process then they should email [email protected] or [email protected] for assistance. Meetings between parents and teachers are available on the school site or through Google Meet via appointment. How should children get to school?
Parents can bring and collect students to the school by car. Those who wish their children to walk to school, admission via Gate 3 will be permitted by the normal prior arrangement. School buses will be operating as usual but will temperature check students before they get on board.
Which typical events or activities will be cancelled?
All large gatherings of students will follow social distancing rules. Calendar events for the term will be published in the first few weeks.
Will libraries be open?
The school libraries will be open to students. Safety measures will be implemented when books are returned, before they are reissued.
Will the refectory/Bake and uniform shop be open?
The school refectory will be open and students will be provided with breaktime snacks and lunches. Social distancing measures and additional hygiene measures will be observed in the Refectory.
The Refectory will be opening a set menu which will be sent to parents and students in advance.
The school uniform shop will be open. For an appointment, please contact [email protected]
BAKE Coffee shop will be open for students and teachers at this stage.
What happens if there's a case of COVID-19 at school?
If a case is confirmed, the Health Authorities will be informed immediately. The school will be required to follow the direction of these Authorities. Parents will be informed of any positive cases and any ensuing directives.
How is the school screening students and staff who return to school?
Prior to admission to the school everyone will undergo a temperature check and visual screening. If a high temperature or any symptom of COVID-19 is detected admission to campus will be refused.
At this time parents are politely requested to follow the approach that if there is any doubt regarding health then please keep your children at home.
Any families returning from overseas will be required to follow the quarantine procedures outlined by the government. Parents should contact the local Thai Embassy in their country of departure and request appropriate documents from our admissions team. Should the government remove the quarantine procedures, the school will inform parents of new entry procedures for overseas travelers.
How and when will the school be cleaned?
The school cleaning staff will be working throughout the day and there will be a regular cleaning of all communal facilities, including corridors, banisters, and toilets.
Classrooms will be thoroughly cleaned and ventilated between each day, and further cleaning will occur throughout the day.
Deep cleaning of the campus will also occur at the weekends and at times throughout the week.
Will hand washing and hand sanitising stations be available?
Yes, facilities are available throughout the school and include manual hand pumps, foot pumps and automatic alcohol-based gel dispensers.
How many students are likely to be in a class?
Each room will be given a capacity whilst maintaining social distancing and if that capacity is not sufficient for a class then the class will be split.
Will classes be split?
If the number of students in the class is above capacity then the class will be split.
Will all year groups be returning to school?
Yes, all groups will be returning to school on the first day of term.
Prior to return, families will be sent a questionnaire to enable us to prepare for the school year.
Will all year groups start and end the school day at the same time?
Yes, the timings of the school day will be as normal although there will be changes to drop off and pick up arrangements to reduce congestion.
Will BISP be operating the school bus?
Yes. Temperature checks will be conducted prior to a student boarding the bus and again at the school. Masks must be worn at all times on the school bus.
Are face masks compulsory?
Yes, for anyone on the school campus.
Will students and staff wear masks in school?
All students and staff are expected to have, and wear, cloth masks in school, although there are times such as when eating, drinking or engaging in physical activity that this will not be practical. They may also be removed on occasion to aid effective communication. Staff may wear face shields in lieu of a face mask to aid communication.
As with social distancing: the younger the child, the more difficult this may be to maintain. We can anticipate children losing their mask, or dropping it in a puddle, or tearing it or some other occurrence meaning they can no longer wear it. We would recommend all children having a spare mask in their bag. Spare masks are also available for purchase in the school shop.
How will the school manage circulation and airflow?
Airflow in classrooms will be increased by opening windows and controlling air-conditioning. All students will be given regular opportunities to move into open spaces.
Movement around the school will be controlled and students should follow the rules of walking in single file on the left hand side of corridors and staircases as indicated by the social distancing stickers.
What will the arrangements be for food and drink?
Food will be served in the refectory or to students in classrooms with additional hygiene. Social distancing measures will be observed in the Refectory.
Should children bring their own water bottles and their own face-masks to school each day?
Yes, these are requirements. Students not wearing a face mask will not be admitted to campus and all students are expected to bring their own water bottle.
Who manages the COVID-19 response at the school?
The school has set up a COVID-19 response team, led by the Headmaster to evaluate the school’s preventative measures against COVID-19 and to provide a daily report to the school’s Director.
How can you enforce social distancing in the Primary school?
As far as possible, we intend to practise social distancing with the younger students. This will include rearranging seating arrangements and possibly even considering classroom capacity; we may need to split some classes. We will avoid large gatherings, such as assemblies. There will be protocols for moving around the school and particular arrangements will be in force in the Refectory. We will also be staggering breaktimes.
However, it will not be possible to enforce social distancing all the time. Children will still play at playtimes; we think that is an important part of returning to school.
We do not think it feasible to practice such social distancing in an Early Years setting, so children in Little Ducks, Nursery and Reception are unlikely to be exercising social distancing for some of the time in school. Parents should be aware of this when they make their choice about sending their child back to school. However, we have successfully delivered Early Years summer sessions in July, and are very happy with the cooperation of students at this time.
Will there be changes to the dropping off and pick up arrangements for children?
Yes. As a principle, we try not to divert too much from the normal times and practices whilst at the same time making changes to reduce the number of people on site and crowds waiting for children. In keeping with this, we ask Primary parents to follow these arrangements:
– Children in Little Ducks, Nursery & Reception Parents can drop off and pick up children as usual. We do ask, though, that parents leave once they have dropped their child off and having picked them up. Please don’t stay around to play in the playgrounds. We ask that the parents of Little Ducks, Nursery and Reception children use the Gate 5 car park.
– Children in Year 1 & 2 We hope parents can drop their children off outside the turnstiles, although they can still bring their children to the classroom in the morning if that is felt to be necessary. At the end of the day, parents can come to meet their children on-site as usual (outside the Year 1 & 2 pod). Please leave the site once you have your child; please don’t stay around to play in the playgrounds.
– Children in Year 3, 4, 5, 6 We ask parents to wait outside the turnstiles, around the turning circle at the foot of the stairs. We will bring the children to you there. Of course, children who travel by bus will still travel by bus, and those older Primary children with specific permission to leave via Gates 3 or 5 because they walk home from school can continue to do so.
Should my child bring anything in particular?
All children should have their own cloth mask (and, ideally, a spare) and their own water bottle. They should also bring their own pencil case so that they don’t need to borrow stationery. From Year 5, they should be sure to bring their own computer, which should be fully charged.
What is the minimum that should be in a pencil case?
Ideally, we would like the following to be in each student’s pencil case. This is to ensure students do not need to borrow equipment from teachers or their peers. Most items were contained in the stationery kits distributed for online learning.
- 2 normal pencils
- An eraser
- A black pen
- A pencil sharpener
- A ruler
- Coloured pencils
- A pair of Scissors (Secondary students)
- A glue stick (Secondary students)
