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News - Sixth Form

Important Update for Parents
18/12/2020

Dear Parent,

Yesterday the government made a series of important announcements to help deliver the national priority of keeping as many pupils and teachers as possible in school during the Spring Term while fighting the spread of coronavirus.

With this in mind we have agreed to a three-strand approach:

  1. Establishing an on-site regular COVID testing programme for staff and the close contracts of staff and pupils who test positive for the virus.
  2. Offering testing to as many pupils as possible as they resume face-to-face education.
  3. Reducing the number of children in School for the first full week of January, with vulnerable children, children of critical workers and those in exam cohorts (years 11 and 13), receiving face-to-face education, with all others learning remotely.


The delivery of these strands will mean:

Week commencing 4th January 2021

Years 11 & 13, and children of critical workers

Pupils in Year 11 and students in Year 13 will attend school as normal. For Year 11 this will coincide with the start of PPE (‘mock’) exams which will take place as planned.

The children of critical workers are also invited to attend as normal. This option is offered for those occasions where child supervision is not possible at home. Pupils who attend will be supervised in accessing and completing the online provision. We must know in advance if you would like to take advantage of this opportunity and request that you contact Mrs Moran by email to alert her of your needs and your critical worker status .This should be done at the earliest opportunity and no later than Monday 21st December.

We anticipate that pupils attending school during this week will be offered a coronavirus lateral flow test. Testing will not be mandated and will only take place when we have received a parent consent form (to follow in a future Update). Please be patient as we wait for more information from the government on this matter.

Years 7, 8, 9, 10 & 12

Pupils and students in years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 will remain at home and attend lessons remotely.

Pupils have attended an assembly this morning where we have been able to share clear expectations about remote learning. Attendance at each lesson will be recorded and full participation is required.

Remote learning will continue to be delivered through School Synergy. Pupils must check that their log-in works before the beginning of the new term. Any password issues, please contact Mr Goddard by email.

All teachers have been trained in the use of Microsoft Teams and we anticipate that most lessons will be taught live in an effort to replicate as closely as possible the normal classroom experience.

If you are aware that accessing remote learning will be problematical, because of difficulties accessing a suitable laptop or computer or because of internet access, please contact Mrs Moran here by Monday 21st December.

Pupils who are ill during this week will not be required to join-in with remote lessons. Please report any absences of this sort in the usual way by contacting School through Synergy.

During this week we expect pupils to:

  • Log-on to Synergy at 8.45am and check the Student Bulletin and watch/think/pray using the form time worship resources.
  • At 9.10am, click onto the Classwork tab where the work from all lessons will be displayed. Begin with Period 1, access the work and complete it to the best of your ability. Do not rush! Contact your teacher if there is a problem and use the Dialogue box if the lesson is coming to you live.
  • Repeat for Period 2 and then have a twenty minute break at 11.10am.
  • Complete the work for Periods 3 & 4 and then stop for lunch.
  • Finish the day at 3.15pm having completed your fifth period.

In the unlikely event that you find yourself having completed work there are still things to do:

  • Make sure that all work is well presented, accurate and completed in full
  • Search ‘Oak Academy’ and look at their online lessons. Some of them are first rate!
  • Do the same for BBC Bitesize
  • Find a book and read.

We have a responsibility to provide work and support but you too have a responsibility to work conscientiously and to the best of your ability.

Week commencing 11th January 2021

ALL pupils and students will be expected to return to school.

We anticipate that pupils attending school for the first time will be offered a coronavirus lateral flow test. Testing will not be mandated and will only take place when we have received a parent consent form (to follow in a future Update). Please be patient as we wait for more information from the government on this topic.

The government’s announcements have yet to be supported with detailed guidelines. We hope to have receive this information at some point during the Christmas holiday and urge you to keep a watchful eye out for another Update before the beginning of the new term.


With my best wishes to you and your family for Christmas and the New Year.

RD Jones

Headmaster


“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14