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A High Performing Specialist Academy for Technology & Applied Learning

Letter from the Principal Dated 08.07.20

Dear Parent/Carer

 

Government guidance on the reopening of schools

 

It is the government’s intention that all pupils, in all Year Groups, will return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term and we are delighted that we will be welcoming back our students.

 

The guidance was published last Thursday, and the full document can be accessed at 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

 

The key points in the guidance include:

  • Grouping children together in groups or "bubbles", a class in primary and a whole Year Group in secondary;
  • Avoiding contact in school between these groups as far as possible, with schools asked to consider separate starting, finishing, lunch and break times;
  • Attendance will be compulsory with penalty fines imposed for non-attendance;
  • Test and trace in place for schools;
  • Regular cleaning of hands, but masks not expected for pupils or staff;
  • Those with symptoms told to stay out of school;
  • No big group events like school assemblies and arranging classrooms with forward facing desks;
  • Separate groups on school buses and discouraging the use of public transport;
  • Pupils will be expected to continue with all their GCSEs and A-levels.

We are currently finalising our plans which I hope to share with you in more detail next Wednesday. This planning includes working with the Local Authority regarding the safest way for students to be transported to and from College, looking at the structure of our day to see how we might stagger social times and ensuring all hygiene processes are in place.

 

Although transport and size make planning more complex, in other ways the College is in a reasonable position to comply with social distancing guidelines as we have separate entrances/exits to the site, separate social areas for different Year Groups and separate catering facilities for Sixth Form, Upper and Lower College. However, teaching groups within bubbles and minimising student movement across the site are more challenging for us although we have been given flexibility to arrange this within our context.

More details next week!

 

Onsite provision

 

It is very encouraging to see the high attendance for our onsite provision with good feedback from our Year 10 and 12 students on the support they are receiving in College from staff.

 

Advance notice that on our last day of term, Friday 17 July, the Year 10, Year 12 and Key Worker provision will all finish at 12.30pm. This will allow all staff to attend an end of term staff meeting to say goodbye to colleagues who are leaving and to finalise plans for our return in September.

PiXL Edge

I would like to congratulate all those students who have gained their PIXL Leadership Awards; the scheme continues to thrive in lockdown with 29 students receiving Leadership Awards with 22 Apprentice promotions, 5 Pioneer promotions and 5 Graduate promotions. There have also been 3 students who have also completed both the Apprentice and Graduate Awards during this time. Amazing achievements by all students!

Bethany

Cooper

7H

Apprentice

Nischal

Gurung

7B

Apprentice

Sneha

Anil

8G

Apprentice

Sian

Batchelor

8E

Apprentice

Lexie

Coster

8J

Pioneer

Elouise

Flowers

8G

Apprentice

Lauren

Jones

8G

Apprentice

Siddhi

Kansare

8G

Apprentice

Alexa

Macbeth

8J

Pioneer

Charlie

Mackay

8G

Apprentice

Amy

Medhurst

8J

Pioneer

Amy

Pilkington

8J

Pioneer

Lily

Risbridger

8G

Apprentice

Emily

Smith

8J

Pioneer

Amelie

Dalton

8G

Apprentice

Leo

Desai

9D

Apprentice

Lauren

Albury

10D

Apprentice

Anna

Brimble

10K

Apprentice

Joel

Cooper

10D

Apprentice

Henry

Li

10D

Apprentice

Lauren

Sawyer

10D

Apprentice

Sophia

Stephens

10D

Apprentice

Nicola

Turner

10E

Apprentice Graduate

Tia

Barnett

11C

Apprentice Graduate

Wendy

Li

11I

Apprentice

Mia Bella

Wright

11J

Apprentice Graduate

Ellie

Kemp

11A

Apprentice

Aimee

Corr

11K

Apprentice Graduate

Hearn

Holly

12

Graduate

Thank you for your continued support. I hope you and your family have a good week.

Curriculum Information