Reopening of Schools
Published 28th February, 2021
Covid-19_Response Plan 2021
Published 24th February, 2021
Updated Coláiste Bríde Safety Procedures
Published 26th August, 2020
HSE Information and Advice for Parents on Covid
Published 25th August, 2020
Click here for the Coláiste Bríde Reopening our School Procedures
Published 25th August, 2020
Click here for the Coláiste Bríde Return to School Bulletin 3
Published 25th August, 2020
COVID-19 Response Plan for the reopening of Post Primary Schools
Published 21 August 2020
Press Release
Minister Foley provides further update ahead of the reopening of schools
Minister for Education Norma Foley TD today provided a further update regarding the plans to fully re-open schools.
With some schools beginning to re-open next week, the Minister acknowledged the enormous work being undertaken in school communities and the commitment of everyone involved in providing a safe environment for the return of children to our schools.
Minister Foley said: “I am heartened by the response of the education sector to the challenge that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented. Principals, school management and staff right around the country have been committed to this re-opening process from the start and we will now see some of our schools begin to return next week.
“For parents, I understand that you may feel anxious about your child’s return to school. We are living in a new normal. However, we have put in place all the precautions necessary and along with the dedication of the principals and teachers at a local school level, you can be assured that your child will return to a safe and welcoming classroom.”
The Minister also highlighted the work of the schools re-opening helpline within the Department which is dealing with queries from schools that arise during the reopening process. This dedicated helpline will remain in place for the next period as schools begin to open and will be on hand to provide assistance with any questions from school principals.
School Transport
Minister Foley noted that guidance has now issued to parents of children using the School Transport Scheme scheme following the most recent advice received from NPHET.
The school transport scheme will proceed as planned with additional measures and hygiene requirements when schools re-open.
At post-primary there will be rolling implementation of the additional measures in line with those required on public transport; that is, using 50 per cent of passenger capacity, which will support physical distancing requirements.
Discussions are already underway with Bus Éireann in respect of these plans, in order to implement measures so that any services that can operate from the start of the school year at 50 per cent capacity will do so. Over the coming period all other post-primary transport services will be re-organised and additional services will be provided as required to allow for physical distancing.
For those children who are eligible for transport under the terms of the school transport scheme and whose parents decide not to use post-primary transport for the 2020/2021 school year, arising from the most recent health advice, the Department will provide a grant to support them with the cost of private transport arrangements. Grants will be paid at the end of the school year, following receipt of relevant documentation, confirming the number of days of school attended in the 2020/2021 school year. The grant is based on the distance a family resides from their school of eligibility with a maximum daily allowance payable of €5.10 per day.
The Minister will continue to work with the Minister for Health and other Government Ministers to identify and consider the additional resources required to support the roll-out of these measures.
Further information and guidance on the operation of School Transport Scheme Services for the 2020/2021 School Year is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/64a88-school-transport/
Materials for students and their families
The Department has produced age-appropriate guidance for students in the form of animated videos which are intended to help students further understand some of the new routines when they return to school. Guidance is also available for parents. The guidance is also being prepared in several languages.
These animations will be available at gov.ie/backtoschool and also issued to schools to be disseminated to parents.
The Department will continue to update all of these practical resources available to schools and parents.
Update for 2021 exam students
The Minister has also provided an update for incoming third year and sixth year students who will be taking state examinations in summer 2021.
The documentation being published today sets out the adjusted assessment arrangements for these post-primary students. These arrangements are designed to take account of the disrupted learning experienced by these students during the 2019/20 school year.
The adjustments have been arrived at through discussions between the Department, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and key stakeholders.
As schools have significant autonomy in determining how to sequence and pace learning for students in their schools, no centrally prescribed adjustment of the curriculum and courses of study would be effective for students taking the certificate examinations in summer 2021.
Consequently, the most appropriate way to reflect and take account of the challenges for students that have occurred in 2019/20 and may occur in 2020/21 is to incorporate adjustments to the certificate examinations in 2021. The adjustments put in place will play to student strengths by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations while incorporating additional choice. The assessment arrangements provide clarity, certainty and reassurance to students, their parents/guardians, teachers and schools in advance of the start of the 2020/2021 school year.
These documents can be found here:
https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Curriculum-and-Syllabus/assessment-arrangements-junior-cycle-and-leaving-certificate-examinations-2021.pdf
https://www.education.ie/ga/Scoileanna-Coláistí/Eolas/Curaclaim-agus-Siollabas/socruithe-measunachta-do-na-scruduithe-teastais-2021.pdf
Press Release
Minister Foley provides further update ahead of the reopening of schools
Minister for Education Norma Foley TD today provided a further update regarding the plans to fully re-open schools.
With some schools beginning to re-open next week, the Minister acknowledged the enormous work being undertaken in school communities and the commitment of everyone involved in providing a safe environment for the return of children to our schools.
Minister Foley said: “I am heartened by the response of the education sector to the challenge that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented. Principals, school management and staff right around the country have been committed to this re-opening process from the start and we will now see some of our schools begin to return next week.
“For parents, I understand that you may feel anxious about your child’s return to school. We are living in a new normal. However, we have put in place all the precautions necessary and along with the dedication of the principals and teachers at a local school level, you can be assured that your child will return to a safe and welcoming classroom.”
The Minister also highlighted the work of the schools re-opening helpline within the Department which is dealing with queries from schools that arise during the reopening process. This dedicated helpline will remain in place for the next period as schools begin to open and will be on hand to provide assistance with any questions from school principals.
School Transport
Minister Foley noted that guidance has now issued to parents of children using the School Transport Scheme scheme following the most recent advice received from NPHET.
The school transport scheme will proceed as planned with additional measures and hygiene requirements when schools re-open.
At post-primary there will be rolling implementation of the additional measures in line with those required on public transport; that is, using 50 per cent of passenger capacity, which will support physical distancing requirements.
Discussions are already underway with Bus Éireann in respect of these plans, in order to implement measures so that any services that can operate from the start of the school year at 50 per cent capacity will do so. Over the coming period all other post-primary transport services will be re-organised and additional services will be provided as required to allow for physical distancing.
For those children who are eligible for transport under the terms of the school transport scheme and whose parents decide not to use post-primary transport for the 2020/2021 school year, arising from the most recent health advice, the Department will provide a grant to support them with the cost of private transport arrangements. Grants will be paid at the end of the school year, following receipt of relevant documentation, confirming the number of days of school attended in the 2020/2021 school year. The grant is based on the distance a family resides from their school of eligibility with a maximum daily allowance payable of €5.10 per day.
The Minister will continue to work with the Minister for Health and other Government Ministers to identify and consider the additional resources required to support the roll-out of these measures.
Further information and guidance on the operation of School Transport Scheme Services for the 2020/2021 School Year is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/64a88-school-transport/
Materials for students and their families
The Department has produced age-appropriate guidance for students in the form of animated videos which are intended to help students further understand some of the new routines when they return to school. Guidance is also available for parents. The guidance is also being prepared in several languages.
These animations will be available at gov.ie/backtoschool and also issued to schools to be disseminated to parents.
The Department will continue to update all of these practical resources available to schools and parents.
Update for 2021 exam students
The Minister has also provided an update for incoming third year and sixth year students who will be taking state examinations in summer 2021.
The documentation being published today sets out the adjusted assessment arrangements for these post-primary students. These arrangements are designed to take account of the disrupted learning experienced by these students during the 2019/20 school year.
The adjustments have been arrived at through discussions between the Department, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and key stakeholders.
As schools have significant autonomy in determining how to sequence and pace learning for students in their schools, no centrally prescribed adjustment of the curriculum and courses of study would be effective for students taking the certificate examinations in summer 2021.
Consequently, the most appropriate way to reflect and take account of the challenges for students that have occurred in 2019/20 and may occur in 2020/21 is to incorporate adjustments to the certificate examinations in 2021. The adjustments put in place will play to student strengths by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations while incorporating additional choice. The assessment arrangements provide clarity, certainty and reassurance to students, their parents/guardians, teachers and schools in advance of the start of the 2020/2021 school year.
These documents can be found here:
https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Curriculum-and-Syllabus/assessment-arrangements-junior-cycle-and-leaving-certificate-examinations-2021.pdf
https://www.education.ie/ga/Scoileanna-Coláistí/Eolas/Curaclaim-agus-Siollabas/socruithe-measunachta-do-na-scruduithe-teastais-2021.pdf
Published 19th August 2020
Reopening for Transition Years 19/08/2020
Published 14th August 2020
Click here for the Coláiste Bríde Return to School Bulletin 2
Published 12th August 2020
Click here for the Coláiste Bríde Return to School Bulletin 1
Published 8th August
Press release from Minister for Education 8/08/2020
Th full Press Release can be read at: https://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Press-Releases/2020-press-releases/PR20-08-07.html
Updated Guidance around wearing of Face CoveringsThe Minister also confirmed that she had been working with the public health authorities to ensure that the public health advice underpinning the safe reopening of schools is fully up to date. The HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre has confirmed that all recommendations published in the public health advice by the Minister at the beginning of July including physical distancing guidelines as set out in the recently published roadmap still apply in all schools, with the exception of the recommendations on face coverings which has been updated to reflect the latest research and expertise. It is now recommended that teachers and secondary school students wear face coverings, similar to those worn in shops or on public transport, when a physical distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained.
Public Health AdviceThe Minister also confirmed that she had been working with the public health authorities to ensure that the public health advice underpinning the safe reopening of schools is fully up to date. Public Health Authorities have confirmed that the recommendations initially issued in July remain current, with the exception of changes to guidance on the wearing of face coverings in a school context. These recommendations from the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre confirm that:
Th full Press Release can be read at: https://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Press-Releases/2020-press-releases/PR20-08-07.html
Updated Guidance around wearing of Face CoveringsThe Minister also confirmed that she had been working with the public health authorities to ensure that the public health advice underpinning the safe reopening of schools is fully up to date. The HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre has confirmed that all recommendations published in the public health advice by the Minister at the beginning of July including physical distancing guidelines as set out in the recently published roadmap still apply in all schools, with the exception of the recommendations on face coverings which has been updated to reflect the latest research and expertise. It is now recommended that teachers and secondary school students wear face coverings, similar to those worn in shops or on public transport, when a physical distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained.
Public Health AdviceThe Minister also confirmed that she had been working with the public health authorities to ensure that the public health advice underpinning the safe reopening of schools is fully up to date. Public Health Authorities have confirmed that the recommendations initially issued in July remain current, with the exception of changes to guidance on the wearing of face coverings in a school context. These recommendations from the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre confirm that:
- All recommendations published in the public health advice by the Minister at the beginning of July including physical distancing guidelines as set out in the recently published roadmap still apply in all schools, with the exception of the recommendations on face coverings which has been updated to reflect the latest research and expertise.
- Face coverings are recommended that are reusable and washed once every day as is consistent with the recommendation to wear face coverings in other contexts such as on public transport, in shops and indoors where a 2m physical distance cannot be maintained.
- Students at post primary level, apart from specific exemptions will be required to wear face coverings in the classroom.
- All staff and students using the post-primary school transport service will be required to wear face coverings on the bus.
- Staff, including teachers at both primary and post primary levels, who cannot maintain a 2m distance from students or other staff will be required to wear face coverings.
- All SNAs will be required to wear face coverings, or in certain situations clear visors, in the classroom.
- Other staff, e.g. bus escorts, who have close contact with students will be required to wear face coverings.
- The Department has met with stakeholders today to reassure school staff, students, parents and management bodies that it is a key priority to support the school community in implementing all of the recommendations from the HSE. Schools will be provided with additional funding of more than €30 million for the period from re-opening to the end of the 2020 to cover costs related to hand hygiene measures and PPE needs through COVID-19 capitation grant. This capitation grant rate up to the end of 2020, reflects the fact that there are a number of once off type costs which schools face in implementing COVID-19 Response Plans (i.e. installation of sanitiser units, signage/posters etc.) which will be incurred upfront.
Published 7th August:
We hope that you are keeping safe well and enjoying the summer.
In advance of returning to school in September the Department of Education has published the Roadmap for the Full Return to School, you can access each of the Roadmap documents at the links below:
- Letter to parents/guardians from Minister Foley
- Letter to teachers/staff from Minister Foley
- Road-map for reopening schools
- Response plan for post primary schools
- Framework for maintaining physical distancing in Post Primary Schools
- Guidance on sample classroom layout
- Advice for TY Programmes
We are currently using the advice in these documents to put in place a return to school plan and we will be in contact with you regarding the safety procedures we will put in place and our reopening schedules in the coming weeks. As stated at the time, the draft calendar and return dates that we sent to parents in June may be subject to change to ensure the safest opening for the school possible.
If you have any questions or suggestions having considered the documents please do not hesitate to contact us through our Office at [email protected].
The Department of Education will continue to update their website with further advice and guidance. You can access this directly at the following link.
All school letters sent to parents can be accessed at this page on our website.
We thank you in advance for your patience and support as we endeavour to plan a return to school in the safest possible way under the guidelines below.