Dear Parent/Guardian,

First of all may I welcome you and your child(ren) back to Donnington Wood Junior School. I am sure you are all concerned, at some level, as to how PE will operate in the school this year and what strategies we have put in place to limit the potential risks of COVID-19.

• As per last year, students will attend school in their PE kits on their given PE Day.

Year 6 – Monday

Year 5 – Tuesday

Year 4 – Wednesday

Year 3 – Thursday

Please ensure that your child has dark joggers and a school jumper to wear on colder days to supplement the PE kit that was supplied to you. You MUST NOT wear any logo trousers, only plain. If your child has grown out of their kit, please contact Ms Armstrong in the school office to obtain/purchase a new one. Children in Year 3 will be issued their PE kits on or before Friday 11th September.

· The first few weeks of lessons will take place with children being taught entirely within their school class bubbles. This means that children will be taught PE by their own class teachers and support adults (TA’s), following an amended version of the school PE Curriculum.

· Lessons will initially use very limited equipment that will be laid out and collected by staff (before and after lessons) and will simply be used to designate areas and give targets to move from/around. Later lessons will then use equipment that is used only within that bubble and is cleaned down prior to, and post, use, before being left unused for a period of more than 72 hours.

· Where equipment such as balls are used, children will be reminded to touch only their own (/groups) ball and in the case of football not to pick it up with their hands.

· As far as possible the activities will observe social spacing and children will be organised and reminded that during periods of post exercise ‘heavy breathing’ they should not be directly facing another person within a 2m distance.

· At the end of lessons students will be required to immediately gel their hands (the teacher will have this with them on the field/playing area) and then wash them thoroughly on their return into class. All adults will constantly remind children NOT to touch their faces during lessons. Where this is an issue, teachers will have hand gel to give to children.

Extra-curricular Provision

· We hope to advise you during Week 3 of the after-school clubs that will be available from Week 4 onwards. These will run within class bubbles. Further info to follow. Naturally, this will sadly limit what can be offered during the first two terms, but the policy and provision will be constantly reviewed in line will Government and BALPE advise. Clubs will ONLY be available for students on their Year groups PE day.

· At present the Education department of Telford & Wrekin has ‘banned’ inter school fixtures (despite children playing for weekend clubs in local leagues) and as such we will not be participating in fixtures against other schools, until changes in this guidance are made.

I trust that you will approve and understand the steps the school has taken to protect your child in these difficult times. Should you require any further information regarding these matters, please feel free to contact the school detailing your enquiry and I will attempt to answer it asap. Updates will also be made on the school website, so please check this regularly and before contacting us, just in case we have already made those changes/answered your questions.

Yours faithfully,

Peter Field

Teacher i/c PE