Please read on to find a very important message from Julie Loizou the Head of School.
Dear Parents/Carers,
Thank you for taking the call from staff yesterday regarding our plans to move to remote learning for students, week beginning 4/1. Your honest reflections, support of our school and our decisions related to safeguarding the children, is always greatly appreciated.
Since then, of course you will be aware, there have been further government announcements related to a return to national lockdown. This decision has obviously impacted on our intention to open our doors to all students again sooner rather than later and I wanted to contact you again today to outline our plans moving forward.
Our position remains this. Currently we believe students are most protected from transmission of Covid 19 if they remain at home and access remote learning. However, if it is your view, that you are unable to provide a safe environment for them to do so, and you are a key worker, we are open to provide this. Yesterday the Prime Minister provided a timescale of February half term when schools will be safe to re-open fully. We will also work to this timescale but review with you every two weeks regarding whether or not your child requires any access to the site.
Those of you who were with us during the previous national lockdown will remember being contacted each day by a member of staff conducting welfare checks. These calls are provided to support you and the children. It is always good for staff making those calls to talk to both you and your child if possible. Please take the calls daily and provide updates for us in order that we can support you and your family.
Remote learning will be provided this time via the online learning platform, Show My Homework. All students and yourselves have been provided with log in details and all students have been trained in accessing it. Our expectation is that all students will log in every day at 9.30 am and access their usual lessons, which will be uploaded by staff daily. It is crucial they submit the tasks set in order to be provided with vital feedback by their teachers. Show My Homework provides the opportunity for regular and valuable dialogue between staff and students in order to facilitate on going progress.
Year 11 GCSE Exams: We are still waiting for final clarification regarding GCSE exams next summer. However, the government statement yesterday evening suggested these will not go ahead as scheduled in the usual way. This means it is even more crucial for year 11 students to undertake tasks via Show My Homework and access the support of their teachers. Work produced now will provide vital evidence for us to submit accurate Centre Assessed Grades (CAGs). It was the CAGs which were used last year to establish final GCSE grades for year 11 students. We know this is not ideal, and some students will be frustrated at not being able to prove themselves in external examinations in the usual way. However, we are experts in our field, so please be reassured by the fact that none of the student grades we submitted last year were marked down by external moderators.
Year 11 students will also be contacted by Michelle Graydon, our post 16 coordinator, in order to continue to support with college applications and plans for next year.
I hope this email gives you the assurance that we continue to work in the best interests of all the children. Contrary to media headlines schools are not 'closed'. We continue to work hard and you are guaranteed our support. This support will just present itself in a different way at the present time. We will keep the situation under constant review and, as soon as we believe it is safe to do so, open our doors to all the students again for a return to normality. We genuinely hope this is sooner rather than later.
Thank you, once again, for your continued support, and please stay safe during these difficult times.
With very best wishes to you all.
Julie Loizou
