Dear Parent,
Welcome to this week’s Update.
Pastoral Support Week and Communicating with School
Thank you if you were one of the many hundreds of parents who accepted a call from our pastoral team during the last week. Our form teachers were delighted to have the opportunity to speak to you and your son/daughter. The overriding message was that arrangements for online teaching and learning are going well, that routines are in place and that the opportunity to consolidate work has been welcomed. Thank you if you also took the opportunity to share your appreciation of the teaching staff.
Last week was a formal opportunity to contact all pupils but we don’t want communication between home and school to be restricted to particular dates or times. Please do continue to contact us as at any time should the need arise.
And on the topic of communication, Mr Goddard (Senior Assistant Head) has offered a helpful reminder for responding to information on School Synergy.
“The vast majority of communication from school to parents is now made using School Synergy. This communication is received by parents either as an email or SMS text based alert. To view the message parents must click on the link contained within the alert. This allows school to see if a parent has received and read the message. If the message includes the option to reply to school this will be available in a reply box at the bottom of the message. Please do not reply directly to the email or text alert as this will not be received correctly. Copies of all messages sent are also available on Parent Portal accounts.” - Mr Goddard
I have now asked teachers to resume the setting of new work and I am delighted that a good number have already responded to this and to an earlier request to increase the frequency of live lessons. We live with the reality that for years 7, 8 and 9 there is no prospect of any return to school before September at the earliest.
Emerging Plans for ‘face to face support’ - Years 10 and Lower Sixth
You will be aware that our plans for the phased reopening of the school for pupils from Year 10 and students in the Lower Sixth are dependent on governors being able to assert with confidence that this is the safe and proper thing to do. Our intention, in line with secondary schools around the country, was to offer some face-to-face support from next Monday. However, yesterday’s announcement from Lancashire’s Director of Public Health has put these plans on hold for at least one more week. Dr Sakthi Karunanithi has advised schools to remain closed because he believes that two of the five government tests have yet to be met in the county. Monday 22nd June is now the earliest date from which we will be able to invite years 10 and 12 into school. Parents from both these year groups will be contacted directly by the middle of next week in order to confirm arrangements.
School Appeals
A number of you may be involved in appealing for a place for September, or perhaps you know of a family where this is the case. Plans are in place for all school appeals to be heard virtually and the date set for Hyndburn secondary schools is the week commencing 13th July. All appellants will be contacted directly by Lancashire County Council with details of date, time and process.
Year 6-7 Transition
A number of you may also be preparing for a new member of your family to join the St Christopher’s community in September. I have recently written to the heads of local primary schools outlining our plans for the exchange of information and for some form of virtual transition visit. In addition to this I will write to all new parents by the end of this week with key information and with what I hope will be a reassuring message for our year 6 pupils.
Until next week …
RD Jones
Headmaster