Health & Safety Officer: Mrs. Bishara Noorudeen

Contact : [email protected],  Tel No : 04 2800691

  HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
   
Health and Safety Protocols:

IMPORTANT POINTERS

  • In line with new protocols for face-to-face learning, please note that it is no longer obligatory for schools to request parents to submit a “Travel & Health
    Declaration Form”, as this embedded within the wider Dubai protocols.
  • For any student/parent/staff member, if they have been back in Dubai for more than 10 days before returning to school – no further PCR test is needed.
  • For any student/parent/staff member, if they have been back in Dubai for less than 10 days before school starts – you need a PCR test from within 48 hours prior to returning to school, or you must complete 10 days quarantine away from school if you do not wish to have a PCR test.
  • Students attending the school will be allotted designated furniture, which will be sanitized as per the health and safety protocols.
  • All students will bring their own sanitized learning materials and stationery and sharing of materials will not be permitted.
  • The Canteen facilities will be unavailable, therefore all students and staff are encouraged to carry their own food.
  • The use of water dispensers and coolers will be suspended and students and staff will need to carry their own water.
SAFETY  PROCEDURES
Temperature Taking

 

  • All students and staff will have their temperatures taken as they enter our school buildings each day.
  • The school has procured thermal temperature scanners, which will be placed at every Entry Gates.
  • Students who are riding the bus will have their temperatures taken as they board the bus.
  • Any individuals who record a temperature equal to or higher than 37.5 C will be sent home immediately.
Hand washing

 

  • Students and staff will be regularly reminded about the importance of proper hand washing.
  • Hand washing is non-negotiable after using the washroom, before breaks, at the end of breaks and at the regulated hand washing breaks for each cohort (the school will factor in hand washing breaks throughout the school day).
  • Students and staff will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer regularly.
  • SANITIZERS to be carried by each child to maintain safety protocols
Use of Masks
  • Students (aged 6 and above) and staff are required to wear masks while in school.
  • Students to carry an extra mask to school.
   
   
   
Entering/Exiting Schools

 

  • To protect students’ safety and provide for more orderly temperature taking, all students will enter and exit each building/block using separate entry doors. The arrival and dispersal time will also be staggered.
  • For students using Own Transport, the list of designated gates and staggered timings will be shared.
Physical Distancing Protocols
  • We are implementing a number of measures to ensure students remain at least 1 meters apart in the school premises.
  • The number of students attending school in every Kindergarten class will be in bubbles of 15 students per group.
  • The number of students attending school in Grades 1-Grade 12 will be seated with 1 meter distance in class.
  • Floor markings and posters regarding social distancing will be put up across the school in all areas like common areas, entry-exit, corridors, washrooms, buses etc.
  • Students will be allocated seats in the classroom and school bus which they will adhere to throughout the term.
  • Staff will be ever present and vigilant to ensure that students maintain social distancing.
  • Monitoring duty roster has been developed, which will enable round-the-clock supervision of students by responsible adults.
  • To help avoid situations in which large groups of students are gathered in one place, we will adjust ON-CAMPUS TIME TABLE.
  • To limit movement, lessons except PE, labs, etc. will be held in the classroom itself instead of the specialized areas
  • ALL lab instruments and material will be sanitized before the next group uses the same.
Monitor Students’ Health
  • Students using Own Transport will have their temperature taken on arrival.
  • Students who are riding the bus to school will have their temperatures taken as they board the bus. Anyone who records a temperature higher than prescribed will not be permitted to board the bus and will be sent home immediately.
  • Any student or staff member who is feeling ill will be required to visit the School Medical Center immediately.
  • Our nurses will operate under a standard procedure set by DHA for addressing situations in which an individual is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
  • The individual in question will remain in the Isolation Room and will be sent home.
Keeping School Premises clean
  • The school will implement enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols to keep students, staff and families safe. All our cleaning staff have been trained rigorously to meet the new cleaning and disinfecting protocols.
  • Our cleaning staff will significantly increase the wiping down and disinfecting of high-traffic areas/ common areas and surfaces throughout the school day.
  • We will also provide access to cleaning materials for our staff so that they can clean and disinfect spaces, as needed.
  • After students leave, our support staff team will conduct a thorough cleaning of our spaces, again disinfecting high-touch surfaces like sinks, door handles, tables and desks.
  • Windows will be kept open during the evening to ensure ventilation and airing out of the spaces.
   
Personal Hygiene of Younger

Students

  • A number of measures will be in place to ensure personal hygiene of younger students
  • Staff will give regular reminders to students on when and how to wash hands eg. 20 seconds, between the fingers etc. Younger children’s handwashing will be supervised.
  • Staff will remind children not to touch their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Children will be reminded to cover their mouth and nose with a bent elbow, or use a tissue, when coughing or sneezing.
  • If children sneeze or cough, they must wash their hands and use wipes to clean any equipment before handling again.
  • There will be visual posters around the school to remind pupils of the expected behaviour.
  • The duration of each period/lesson will be increased to factor in time for these protocols to be maintained.
  • Frequent reminders will also be sent to parents to educate children in hygiene etiquettes.
Arrangements for the start and end of the day

Own Transport

For students using Own Transport (OT), the following arrangements are in place:

Start of the day – OT students

  • Students will maintain social distancing while travelling to and from school.
  • Only one parent should escort the child  to school gate.
  • Parents are expected to drop their wards at the school gate. They will be escorted  to classes.
  • Staggered arrival times will be informed shortly
  • It is important that pupils arrive punctually according to the time slot allocated to them.
  • Parents dropping a child should aim to avoid arriving at school gate early or staying late.
  • Entry and exit for Own Transport students will be through designated gates .
  • Staff will be available to show the children where to go in the first few days.

End of the day – OT students

  • Exit timings will be staggered for different year groups
  • Please come alone as far as possible, and avoid bringing younger children with you
  • Please avoid sending older than 60 years individuals to collect students
  • Please ensure that you collect your child on time to avoid inconveniencing other parents.
Arrangements for the start and end of the day

Bus Transport and Social Distancing

Students using school transport will disembark from their buses and proceed to their classes, using the designated entry doors for the different blocks/building

All guidelines provided by the authorities will be followed. 

  • All students will be allocated a place to sit – one to a seat. Conductors on duty in the bus will ensure the same.
  • The support staff in the bus will use non-contact thermometers in buses to monitor temperature of students before they board the bus.
  • Parents must remain at the bus stop till their child’s temperature has been checked in case the child needs to go back home.
  • Students will be sent home immediately if they are determined to have a fever.
  • All students and staff are required to wear masks.
  • Dispersal and boarding the school buses will be staggered.
  • All buses will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis, between routes.
 Recess
  • There will be a staggered recess across the school. Students will wash their hands before and after they eat their snack/ lunch.
  • Students will eat inside their classrooms. Children will be allowed to take off their masks to have lunch under supervision.
  • The water coolers will be out of use. Every child should bring their own, labelled bottle of water to be kept on their desk in the classroom.
  • At the end of each day, water bottles must be taken home, otherwise they will be disposed of.
 Bringing devices- tabs/ laptops  The students in class will use Smart Boards in class. The students will be required to  bring their own devices.
School Visitors
  • The school will maintain a ‘non-essential visitor approach’. All meetings with vendors or visitors will take place after students leave the campus.
  • Parent meetings would be conducted over the phone or online. If face- to-face meetings are absolutely essential, they will be only by appointment.
Help children adjust  return to school Live sessions/online meetings will be held with parents before re-opening to support this process.

  • Once in school, teachers will explain safety routines and expectations. Time will be set aside to reiterate and reinforce new safety practices.
  • All staff will reassure children that they are safe, and we are there to keep them safe as well as teach them.
  • We will focus on Personal, Social, Health Education and encourage open discussions around worries and feelings of being in school and away from home.
  • We will structure the day – initially focusing on previous learning and retrieval in all subjects whilst ensuring our children have physical activity during the day.
Parents support towards school

 

On days they attend school, students are required to carry their own personal sanitization kit – wet wipes, hand sanitizer, face mask + extra face mask

  • Monitor your child’s temperature before he/she leaves from home
  • Encourage your child to practice good hygiene
  • Kindly share Timings for pick-up and drop-off (OT and school buses)
  • Inform your ward of any additional guidelines from school
  • Respond timely to the school’s requests related to:
  • Updated contact information
  • Updated medical records
  • Any other information
  • Keep your child home if they are unwell.
  • If your child is 6 years and above, ensure he has at least two masks (if disposable) to wear at school during the day.
  • Wear a mask for dropping off / picking up your child to/ from school.
  • Provide them with a hand-sanitizer to carry in their pocket
 

What to do  if the child  is  unwell

  • If you, your child  feels unwell and shows any symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, headache, please refrain from sending your child to school.
   
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE The KHDA has set out clear instructions in their recently released “Protocols for the Reopening of Private Schools in Dubai”. 

Please be assured that Primus is committed to strictly observing these and other health and safety regulations as and when received/updated.

In case of further queries We look at your continued support to make On Campus learning safe and successful. Please feel free to reach out to the school, should you have further queries.