Re-opening of dance school guide-lines

Starting lessons in September

We look forward to welcoming everyone back to SDA Classes in September. Details of start times for each session can be found on our website.
Please take time to go through this information. It explains how we are planning to minimise risks to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The last page has answers to some questions I have been asked by parents.
The Government has been clear that sports clubs/groups is optional: We are happy to hear that so many of your children will be returning. Extracurricular activities can promote their development and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. Furthermore, returning to dance, performance and fitness classes are considered greatly for children’s wellbeing.
We will be offering a varied lesson plan with the hope of all children’s full corporation and enjoyment.

Coming back safely

The venues we use cannot be a totally risk-free environment regardless of how many new procedures are in place. Staff at SDA tend not to be at any greater risk from the disease than many other occupations. There is no evidence that children transmit the disease any more than adults.
We must comply with health and safety law, which requires us to assess risks and put in place proportionate control measures. We have thoroughly reviewed our health and safety risk assessment, and this can be found on our website.

Essential measures the school must take include:

• Ensuring that people who are ill stay at home
• Maintaining robust hand and respiratory hygiene
• Putting in place enhanced cleaning arrangements
• Reducing contacts and maximising distancing between those in school wherever possible and minimising the potential for contamination so far as is reasonably practicable

Preventing the spread of the disease

We will:

• minimise contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do not attend any of SDA’s classes.
• clean hands thoroughly more often than usual – coronavirus is an easy virus to kill when it is on skin.
  This can be done with soap and running water or hand sanitiser. All students should clean their hands regularly, including when they arrive at our lessons, when they return from breaks, and before and after drinking. Regular and thorough hand cleaning is going to be needed for the foreseeable future.
• ensure good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach – classrooms will have tissues and bins available to support students and staff to follow this routine.
• introduce enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, using standard products such as sanitisers and bleach.

Preventing the spread of the disease

We will also:

• minimise contact between individuals and maintain social distancing wherever possible
  – For lessons at the Town Hall each session will start 15 minutes after the normal time to ensure enough cleaning time of the premises for SDA Staff between lessons.
  (- For lessons at the Charlton Marshall Village hall please look at our website timetable page.)
• It is strong public health advice that staff in our setting to maintain distance from their students, staying at the front of the class, and away from their colleagues where possible. In particular, they should avoid close face to face contact and minimise time spent within 1 metre of anyone. This will not be possible when working with students who may have complex needs or who need close contact care; these students’ care support will be provided as normal.
• where necessary, wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), for example when treating someone with symptoms. Public Health England does not recommend the use of face coverings for over 11-year olds. However, we are recommending their use in corridors or bathrooms. Face coverings are required at all times on public transport

Responding to any infection

• Staff and students must not come into the school if they have symptoms and must be sent home to self- isolate if they develop them in any SDA class.
• The symptoms are a new and persistent cough or a high temperature, or a loss of, or change in, the normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia). Anyone with these symptoms will be sent home and advised to follow the governments ‘stay at home’ guidance.
• The NHS test and trace process ensures that anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus can quickly be tested to find out if they have the virus and helps trace close recent contacts of anyone who tests positive for coronavirus and, if necessary, notifies them that they must self-isolate at home to help stop the spread of the virus.

Responding to any infection – test and trace

• Staff and parents/carers must be ready and willing to provide details of anyone they or their child have been in close contact with if they were to test positive for coronavirus or if asked by NHS Test and Trace.
• The SDA directors will contact the local health protection team when they become aware that someone who has attended has tested positive for coronavirus.
• This team will also contact schools directly if they become aware that someone who has tested positive for coronavirus attended the dance school.
• Schools must send home those people who have been in close contact with any person who has tested positive, advising them to self-isolate for 14 days since they were last in close contact with that person when they were infectious.

Close contact means:

• direct close contacts – face to face contact with an infected individual for any length of time, within 1 metre, including being coughed on, a face to face conversation, or unprotected physical contact (skin-to- skin)
• extended close contact (within 1 to 2 metres for more than 15 minutes) with an infected individual
• travelling in a small vehicle, like a car, with an infected person

Frequently asked questions

Venue entrances –

Town Hall – students can enter through the main entrance of the Corn Exchange in Blandford and will be greeted by their teacher or teacher helper.

Charlton Marshall Village Hall- students can enter through the main entrance of the village hall and will be greeted by their teacher or teacher helper.

Travel – we expect that public transport capacity will continue to be constrained in the autumn term. Its use by SDA students, particularly in peak times, should be kept to an absolute minimum. We encourage all parents, staff and students to walk or cycle to school if at all possible.
Uniform – we will be back to the usual uniform and suitable dance footwear is a must.
Every student should bring all their own necessities to avoid sharing.

Drinks – Please remember each student needs their own drinks bottle, preferably labelled.

Please do not hesitate to ask any questions or give any suggestions. We are all working together to make this work and ensure we are all kept safe and well.
info@starlightdorset.com

Remember to visit our website for more information starlightdorset.com

A Safe Return to SDA Classes:

It has been an anxious time awaiting the news that it is safe to return to classes and we have missed you all so much!

We thank you for your patience and support throughout this uncertain time and we are confident that with everyone’s co-operation we can safely welcome students back for the new term. Things will be a little different, as you would expect, but creating a fun, friendly and safe learning environment for our students will always be at the forefront of all our decisions.

The doors will open for the new term on 14th September with the following guidelines:

• No student who is showing symptoms or has been in contact with anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 14 days will be permitted into the studio.
• Maximum of 15 students per class, with no mixing of other class groups.
• Each student will have a designated performance area marked out on the floor to adhere to social distancing.
• We have amended our timetable to allow sufficient time between class groups for cleaning of all high touch areas and toilets.
• The dance space, stairs and entrance hall and any touchable surface will be cleaned all classes.
• Doors and windows will remain open, weather permitting, to improve ventilation and only teachers will touch the doors.
• Staggering drop-off and pick-up times between classes to avoid congestion outside.
• No adults other than teachers to be permitted in the building. Except our under 7s where one adult per student will be admitted and they must adhere to all the regulations listed.
• One parent only per student to wait outside a minimum of 2m apart when dropping-off/ collecting.
• Where possible, we request parents and students do not use public transport to travel to or from the studio.
• Students are to travel to class with members from their own household only.
• Separate spaces will be designated per student for outside clothes/shoes which will not be permitted out of the foyer.
• Hand washing will be implemented on arrival, departure and throughout the session where required.
• Paper towels are available in place of hand towels.
• Hand sanitizer available for use throughout the session and between classes where required.
• Dance shoes must always be worn in the studio, so no bare feet and shoes should not be worn at home or outside.
• Props, equipment will not be shared and cleaned after every use.
• All students over the age of 11 who take classes at Charlton Marshall village hall must wear a mask.

If your child exhibits any of the COVID-19 symptoms after attending a class, they must be taken for a test as soon as practically possible and you must inform us immediately. As soon as the test result is known you must update us. We will inform all students parents by email that have had contact and keep them updated of the results when known.

We have completed an additional comprehensive COVID-19 specific risk assessment, in addition to our regular risk assessment, for the reopening of the dance spaces and will continue to monitor and adjust the procedures as required.

We will continue to follow all official guidelines set out by the government and our regulatory bodies.

All staff are health and safety and child protection trained and have undergone training in the prevention of COVID-19 and the safe return to dance.

If you have any questions please contact us at info@starlightdorset.com

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