Please do not arrive more than 15-minutes before the start of your session.

When you arrive at the Platform, you are to wait outside the main door until asked to come in one at a time.

The entry procedure is as follows:

• You are requested to wear a face covering when you arrive, unless you are exempt for medical reasons. (if you do not have a face covering, there will be a stock available for sale at the door).
• you will have your temperature taken.  If your temperature is 37.8C or greater, then you will be asked not to enter.
• As you enter the building a hand sanitiser machine is available for your use.
•  We will take your details to comply with track & Trace.
• You will then be told where to go and what to do next.

Parent/carers can assist with the entry but cannot stay in the building whilst the pupils attend their sessions

You are requested to wear a face covering unless directed by your tutor to remove it.  Face covering will be on sale at the door if you do not have one upon arrival.

Where there is a long wait between sessions, pupils will need to leave the building as we do not have a waiting area available and the staff to monitor this arrangement.  Parent/carers will need to give their permission for their child(ren) to leave the building without parental supervision (this information will need to be given upon arrive by the parent/carer).

You must book out and you will be required to go through the entry arrangement as outlined in: 'What is the procedure when I arrive at the Platform?' to re-enter.

We have a limited amount of space on the train carriage available for pupils to wait if there is a waiting time of less than 45 minutes in between sessions/lessons.  This facility will need to be booked in advance on a first come basis. If any child does not comply with the rules set out whilst waiting on the carriage this facility will be withdrawn from that pupil.

The rules are:

• Pupils are to wait quietly and to stay in their designated seating area for the duration fo their wait.  Wifi will be available for them if they wish to do some self-study.
• Pupils are to keep their voices down to an acceptable level.
• Pupils are to wear their face covering.
• Pupils must observe the 1 metre plus rule.

You are to collect you child(ren) at the back of the building on Reading Road.  Please do not arrive at the front door to collect your child(ren).

Please do not be late as we do not have the facility for pupils to remain in the building for any length of time.

There are car parks at:

• Brunel multi-story carpark
• Bristol Street car park

There is no waiting and no parking at the front or back of the Platform.  Please also be aware that is a residential area.

Minimising contact between individuals

The current guidance states:

You must do everything possible to minimise contacts and mixing. Your overarching objective should be to reduce the number of contacts between pupils/students and staff. This can be achieved through keeping groups separate (in bubbles) and through maintaining the social distance between individuals. These are not alternative options. Both measures will help, but the balance between them will change depending on the age of pupils, the layout of the building, and the feasibility of keeping groups separate from each other while offering a broad [musical experience]."

We are therefore encouraging parents to select one session where the groups are large (11 or more).  If groups have the same tutor and the pupils are generally the same from the previous session and the group size is less than 10, then pupils can attend more than one session. An example of this would be that a pupil attends wind band and also Clarinet Choir.  In this case, it would be acceptable.  Where it would be inadvisable would be where a pupil would like to attend Ukulele Group and Wind Band.  Here, there would be too much mixing of bubbles and therefore not advisable. If in doubt, please call the office for further advice.  This guidance is constantly under review.

It is fine to attend an instrumental lesson and then attend a further ensemble session.

We are waiting further guidance and research with regard to singing in large groups.

Yes we have Risk Assessments available for:

• Non-blowing instruments
• Brass & Woodwind instruments
• Individual instrumental lessons
• Activities at the  Platform (to include PPE and Cleaning)
• SYM Activities at the Platform - COVID-19

You can view them by clicking on the link: Risk Assessments

We have developed a flexible approach to this as follows:

1. A face-to-face lesson on alternate weeks will be offered , and a  Zoom on-line lesson is available on the other weeks (the Zoom lesson can be on the same day of the week at the same time, or on another day of the week to be agreed with your designated tutor)
2. All your lessons online lessons will be delivered via Zoom.

We have had to separate the ensembles and group into a two-week programme for alternate Saturdays.  You can view week one and week to activities by clicking the links below:

SYM TABLE 1 Weeks 1,3,5,7,9,11

SYM Timetable 2 weeks 2,4,6,8,10

As well as the PPE regime we have put in place, we have shielding panels to protect the pupils.