Provision for First Two Weeks of Term 3 (January 2021)
Dear Parents/Carers
On Wednesday 30th December 2020 the Government announced their guidance for the opening of secondary schools and colleges as follows:
‘Secondary schools and colleges will extend the staggered return of their students to give more time for the rollout of testing. This will help find asymptomatic cases and break chains of transmission, making it as safe as possible to return to face-to-face education.
During the first week of term, beginning on or just after 4 January, secondary schools and colleges will focus on the rollout of testing to help find asymptomatic cases. They will provide face-to-face education for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers, and prioritise resources for remote education for exam year groups in line with what they would receive in class and to all other years as resources permit.
During the second week of term, beginning on 11 January, secondary schools and colleges will start their programme of testing, prioritising staff, those students in schools and colleges and the exam cohorts. Schools and colleges will be able to bring students back to face-to-face tuition as testing is rolled out. Remote education will be provided to all pupils this week prior to return to school or college.
All students will return to secondary schools and colleges for face-to-face education by 18 January.
Vocational exams scheduled for the first week of January will go ahead as planned.’
The Academy has an INSET day on Monday 4th January where staff will undertake professional development activities and undertake further planning for the term ahead.
We have contacted parents/carers of identified ‘vulnerable’ students to offer a place for face-to-face education and also asked parents/carers to inform us if they are Key Workers and if they would like their child to attend for face-to-face education, commencing Tuesday 5th January 2021. The deadline for informing us is Monday 4th January at 11am to assist with planning.
All other students in Years 7 to 11 will access online ‘distance’ learning from Tuesday 5th January to Friday 8th January. To undertake this learning, students should access their Show My Homework accounts. Daily instructional videos, resources and tests / assignments to check understanding will be uploaded by teachers. Engagement and completion will be monitored. If your child has any issues relating to accessing SMHW please contact Miss Peyton ([email protected]) or Mrs Hutchinson ([email protected]). If you do not have a device adequate for accessing online learning, or have internet access issues, please contact Mrs Gardner ([email protected]).
From Monday 11th January 2021 all Year 11 students will join ‘vulnerable’ and Key Worker children onsite for face-to-face education. During this week students in Years 7 to 10, who have not been identified as ‘vulnerable’ or who are not children of Key Workers, should continue to access online ‘distance’ learning on Show My Homework.
From Monday 18th January 2021 it is anticipated all students will return to the Academy for face-to-face education, although the Government have indicated this is subject to further review of COVID-19 data.
As stated by the Government, this staggered start is to support schools and colleges in planning and rolling out ‘mass testing’ for staff and students. The intention is to test all staff and students to make it as safe as possible in the Academy and in the community. (Details of how and when your child will be offered a test will follow this week together with information about the testing).
The plans above are, of course, subject to any subsequent guidance issued by the Government. If there are any changes I will communicate our response to the guidance as soon as possible.
In the meantime, if you require any further clarification on the above, please do not hesitate to contact the Academy either by telephone on 0117 440 8900 (from Monday 4th January) or by emailing [email protected].
Yours sincerely
Mr S T Kneller | Academy Principal
