Our Ref: 2020/074/AND/SAF
22 May 2020
Dear parents/carers
Firstly, thank you for your hard work over the last nine weeks to keep your children safe and for
ensuring they have remained engaged with their education. It has been a challenge for everyone
involved but the Amington staff and I are thankful for your efforts at educating your children at
home. This letter will cover a number of important issues, namely our principles for the limited
reopening of the Academy; remote learning; and saying farewell to our Year 11 student
The following is an overview of the expectations on the Academy from Government:
The Government has set out five key tests for the phased and limited reopening of schools.
- The deadline the Government has set for meeting these tests is Thursday 28th May
- The expanded reopening will only be for students in Year 10. There is no suggestion that
students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will return to school before the new school year in September. - All students, including Year 10, should continue learning through the on-line platform
provided by the Academy. - The Academy will continue to provide childcare for vulnerable children and the children of
key workers. - It will not be compulsory for Year 10 students to attend on-site sessions when they are made
available, but it is encouraged. - Children who are clinically vulnerable or shielding should not attend.
You will no doubt be aware that the Government has proposed that some students will be
returning to education following the national closure of schools. What we are initially proposing is in-line with current Government guidance; that students in Year 10 will receive some face-to-face
contact with a teacher prior to the summer break. This contact will not mean a full reopening of
the Academy nor a return to timetabled lessons. Due to the fast changing nature of the guidance
and advice we are proposing to expand our on-site provision in the week beginning Monday 15th
June at the earliest. As I hope you can understand, the safety of students, staff and our wider
community is paramount and therefore the date for reopening is dependent upon Government
finalising their advice and guidance.
We are currently involved in a detailed planning process and at present, our plans include inviting
small groups of Year 10 students in to the Academy to engage with staff in a guidance and
mentoring session. We will initially aim to provide the capacity for one, one hour session per
week for every Year 10 student to supplement the online learning we already provide. These onsite sessions will allow us to reengage with students following the long period away from Academy life whilst also refocussing our students in this important GCSE year.
We understand that this is a time of anxiety and uncertainty for us all. To reassure families, our
provision will include a strict adherence to social distancing, regular hand washing and
temperature checks on entry to the building. We appreciate that sending your child in to the
Academy at this time may be a difficult decision and we will support whichever decision you
make. We encourage your child to attend these sessions but under current Government
guidelines no family will be penalised for their child’s non-attendance; this however may be
subject to change. With regards to personal protective equipment, Government guidance is yet to
be confirmed however, if any parent wishes to provide their child with protective equipment such
as a face covering, this is a personal choice and will not be challenged.
It is impossible to predict for how long these circumstances may endure. From the start of this
crisis we have worked hard to provide an efficient and effective means of learning and
communication. The feedback from parents and students regarding EduLink is overwhelmingly
positive but we are always looking at ways to improve our provision. To this end, we are currently
trialling the using of MS Teams as a long term effective method of providing high quality distance
learning. This approach is currently being trialled with Year 10 students and we hope to roll this
out more widely.
Finally, we say farewell to our Year 11 students who end their formal education with us on Friday
22nd May. From this point, Year 11 students will no longer receive lessons via EduLink but will
retain access to enable all students the ability to communicate with their Amington teachers. The
staff at Amington will continue to offer the advice and support that they always have until the end
of the academic year in July. It is an understandably difficult time for Year 11 students who will
receive GCSE grades in the summer generated from a combination of classwork, mock exams
and teacher assessments. More information will follow on the grading process and how results
will be shared with students. When it is safe to do so, we hope to provide a farewell gathering for
our Year 11 students to enable us all to say our goodbyes in person but for now, good luck and
best wishes to all of our students in Year 11.
As the national situation evolves, I will keep you updated as the circumstances change with
regards to your child’s education. Year 10 students will receive individual invitations to their
allocated sessions with specific times and dates but only once the Government tests have been
met and their guidance has been confirmed.
Yours sincerely
Mr A Deen
Principal