Conditions for Safe opening of College under COVID-19 Alert Level 2 (12 May 2020)

To meet our requirements under the Health and Safety Act 2015 during Alert Level 2 the following COVID-19

Safety Plan will be implemented to manage risks and protect staff, children and young people at Roncalli

College.

The key controls for implementing this plan are:

• Ensure people with COVID-19 symptoms or feel generally unwell stay away from school
• Maintain a physical distance so that staff, children and young people are not breathing on or touching each other
• Enable good hygiene practices
• Keep track of people that enter our school to enable contract tracing

Background

At present there are 3 active COVID-19 cases in South Canterbury, 14 recovered and 0 deceased.

As a region we are in a really advantageous position. We have been quarantined for 6 weeks, our numbers

are very low, our transmission risk is low and over-seas tourism has ceased.

With the measures below in place, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the Senior Management team (SMT) of

Roncalli College believe the College can open safely in the current conditions.

The BoT and SMT acknowledge that staff and student wellbeing is paramount.

Staffing

For the duration of COVID-19 Alert Level 2, all staff are expected to return to work from the school site (except

for the usual reasons for leave as per school policy) including staff with a higher level of vulnerability to COVID-

19 (for such staff, individual arrangements covering safety measures or work from home should be made in

advance on a case by case basis with the principal).

Safe Operating Procedure

School grounds and teaching spaces

No person with a contagious respiratory illness may enter the school site. This will be publicised to the

school community and signs will be posted on all entrance points.

• Staff, students and visitors who are symptomatic are not to enter the College. If staff, students or visitor express concerns that they have been exposed to COVID-19, they will be encouraged to call their GP or Healthline for advice.
• All visitors will sign in with VISTAB confirming that they are not symptomatic for COVID-19.
• Staff and students will be allowed to access school by normal means and at normal times.
• Visitors need to report to office, sign in and out via VISTAB (VISTAB provides the H & S requirements and acts as our contact register).
• No cars are to enter the Wellington Street to drop off and pick up students. Students must be dropped off/picked up from Craigie Avenue or Cain Street.
• Hygiene routines will be taught and prioritised:
  • Reinforce good hand washing technique and importance of physical distancing.
    
  • All staff hand sanitise on entry to and exit from the area of the College they are working in.
    
  • All students will be expected to hand sanitise as they enter their classroom Hand sanitiser will be made available on direct entry to the classroom.
    
  • Prior to leaving a classroom the teacher will have the students use antibacterial cleaning equipment to clean any surfaces the students have used (including desks, keyboards, chairs, etc.). The students will leave the classroom immediately after cleaning these surfaces. This will allow time for disinfectant to work on surfaces. All cleaning cloths/wipes are to be disposed of in the red bin.
    
  • Students may use hand sanitize to clean their hands as they leave the classroom.  (NOTE: if cleaning is done as students leave there will be no cross contamination between classes. You won’t have a new class cleaning the last class’ germs.)
  • Wash hands with soap and dry hands before leaving toilets
    
  • Contactless greetings
    
  • Sneeze into elbow
    
  • Maintain as much physical distance as is practical; walk to left and no running in corridors
    
  • Students will be encouraged to bring their own water bottles with a secure lid. Water fountains will be operational to refill drink bottles only.
    
  • There is to be no sharing of bottles, cell phones or other items that may be touched and come into contact with the mouth or nose.
    
• Teachers will adapt learning plans and teaching spaces, to reduce potential transmission of COVID-19 (eg avoiding close face to face exposure, increased distance for singing, adapted sports, increased washing).
• Whole school assemblies will cease and overnight trips and day trips will require additional planning and will need to meet all risk assessment guidelines for LEVEL 2.
• Emergency evacuation drills will not be held but students will be periodically reminded of the College’s emergency evacuation processes. In an emergency the College’s Emergency Evacuation processes should proceed. as normal if required.
• Internal doors in high use areas will be left open (where practicable) to reduce touching.
• Staff will wipe classroom door handles and surrounding areas after every class. Classrooms will be locked when not in use.
• If staff enter a classroom without students, they will wipe any used surfaces prior to leaving.
• Toilets will be cleaned twice during the school day (after morning interval and lunchtime) by property staff at set times in addition to normal daily cleaning processes per day by cleaning staff.
• Classroom temperatures will be maintained between 18-20 degrees to reduce risk.
• All students will remain on site at breaks/lunch (including year 13 lunch). All students must bring their own lunch/snack food. The Wellbeing team will maintain student food wellbeing concerns.
• If any person on site starts to show signs of illness, they should report to the office for assessment.
• Full staff discussion/training about the Health and Safety Plan will take place before all students are allowed back on the school site to ensure a high level of understanding of, and compliance with, the plan. All members of the school community will be encouraged to voice any health and safety concerns at any time. All students will be briefed on health and safety behaviours/expectations at the time of their first arrival at school (this includes those who start after day 1)
• External hire of school facilities will be allowed according to guidelines received from the MOE/MOH
• On-school physical and cultural activities using shared equipment can proceed. If physical distancing is not possible, extra cleansing should be exercised. All practical departments will have a specific plan for their areas.
• Regard to inter-school events, the rules for gatherings will apply. An app is being developed for students to record activities for contract tracing purposes.

Contact Tracing

To enable good contract tracing, the following process will be implemented:

College Office:

• Promote on-site visits by appointment only
• All visitors who are onsite for 15 minutes or more will register at the college office using the VISTAB visitor management system School to record
• RTLB, itinerant music teachers and relieving staff must sign in at the College office using the VISTAB
• All visitors/staff are reminded to use hand sanitizer (available at reception) on entry to the College
• The office hours of 8.30am to 4.00pm are to be adhered to
• A maximum of four visitors at one time may enter the administration reception area. Marks will be placed on the reception floor area where waiting visitors should stand
• Electronic payments including Internet Banking (EFTPOS) will be encouraged (no cash transactions if possible)

Staffroom:

• Physical distancing advised and encouraged (1m)
• Keep surfaces clean - wipe down after use.
• Place rinsed dishes/cups/cutlery in the dishwasher - do not leave on the bench.
• Extra cleaning for peak times.

Buses:

• No-one allowed on buses who is not on bus lists
• Ritchies and A&D have their own H&S procedures based on MoE/MoH guidelines
• Students will wait for busses in groups based on the bus they will ride. Students will maintain physical distancing while waiting for busses.
• Two staff will undertake bus duty on Craigie Avenue to ensure students wait in the field and not on the stairs and spread out as much as possible.

Contractors:

• Briefed on Roncalli College H&S before entry at office. They will sign in to VISTAB.
• Areas they are working in will be secured
• Contractors will be used only in an emergency situation. All contractors will supply their own Covid-19 plan or SSSP.
• Will minimize working in student areas when possible and will follow wipe down procedures when working in student areas.

APPENDIX

The information attached is content selected as most relevant information and advice copied from MoE document Managing health & safety in schools at Alert Level 2: