Our Ref: 2021/066/AND/SAF
14th May 2021
Dear Parents/Carers,
I am pleased to have the opportunity to write to you with positive news as the country returns to some normality following the period of lockdown.
Our wonderful Year 11 students who have conducted themselves with such resilience and enthusiasm since our return to the classroom will be leaving us on Friday 28th May. In order to mark the occasion, there will be a leavers’ assembly which will begin at 09.00 where Year 11 students will have the opportunity to enjoy the moment with friends, teachers and support staff.
We anticipate the assembly lasting no more than one hour, following which, students will be free to leave site. As I am sure you can understand given the current circumstances, the leavers’ assembly will be for students only. Following the half term break, Year 11 students will be provided with careers guidance, remote learning opportunities and pastoral support via EduLink or MS
Teams. We are looking forward to being in regular contact with those Year 11 students who require additional support, especially given the challenges of the past year.
In addition to the leavers’ assembly we are looking forward to the Year 11 prom and prior to the summer break we will be communicating with the parents and carers of Year 11 students with further information regarding results day.
In a change to our calendar and in addition to the Year 11 leavers’ assembly, Friday 28th May will be our final staff development day of the academic year. In normal circumstances, it is not a requirement to provide learning on staff development days, however, as part of our Covid-19 recovery curriculum, learning will be provided remotely via MS Teams, for students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10, further details of which will be shared with students closer to the time.
As lockdown protocols are eased across the country, I wish to provide the parents and carers of Year 7 and 8 students with advance notice that following the half-term break, students in Years 7 and 8 will have an increased level of independence, within our Covid-19 protocols, as we create new class sets for subject teaching. We believe that the strong friendship bonds and the support from our dedicated form tutors has been essential for our students to navigate a challenging year, so these will remain as a constant. However, in order to progress learning even further, following form time each day, students will be in their new class sets and new timetables will shortly be shared with students.
As I am sure you are aware, guidelines on the wearing of face coverings in schools has changed. It is no longer the case that face coverings in classrooms are required for students. Given that cases of Covid-19 continue to circulate in the community and that some of our students and staff are vulnerable or live with vulnerable people and the majority of our staff are yet to receive the first dose of the vaccine, our position is that we will continue to strongly encourage the wearing of face coverings in corridors and communal areas. Our students have been fantastic at protecting one another by following the national guidance on face coverings and this will continue to be a significant factor in reducing the risk associated with Covid-19. As always, please contact your child’s Progress Leader if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you for your continued support.
Yours sincerely,
Mr A Deen
Principal