Since we wrote to you at the end of Term 5, the Government has issued further detail on how schools should approach the ‘face-to-face support’ for Year 10 students. We now know that we are only able to have 25% of a year group in the academy on any one day and that we cannot start to offer face-to-face support until Monday 15th June.
A reminder that no one should feel under any pressure to put themselves at risk and it is completely acceptable for individuals to decide that they are unable to work on site. However, based on the evidence we have, including the recent scientific advice published to teachers’ unions last week, together with the detailed risk assessments we are carrying out, we believe that the face-to-face opportunities we hope to offer will ensure the safety of students and staff. We also appreciate that travel may be impossible for some and therefore Microsoft Teams sessions we will continue to be the primary way of delivering the curriculum.
At the moment, it is likely that each student in Year 10 will have the opportunity to come into school for a whole week beginning the 15th June to benefit from small group sessions from subject specialists and then a face to face mentoring meeting in the final week of term.
We will be writing to parents/carers of Year 10 students early next week with detailed plans about these learning sessions outlining the final arrangements and entitlement once we know how many students intend to take this offer up during the last 5 weeks of this term.
Below are some frequently asked questions that are aimed to help you as a parent come to an informed decision as to whether to allow you child to come into the academy from the 15th June.
What time is the day likely to start and finish?
To help reduce people travelling by public transport at any one time we are looking at starting the sessions at 10:00am and finish at 1:30pm.
Can my child wear PPE if they choose too?
Yes, students are allowed to wear PPE if they so wish but it must be the PPE made available by the academy (gloves and masks).
Will my child be expected to wear uniform?
No, we understand that uniform might not now fit so we ask that appropriate non-school uniform is worn that can then be washed or bagged at home ready to wear the next day in the academy.
Will my child be with their friends?
No not necessarily as we are going to create 4 Year 10 groups to come in for a week at a time. These groups will be based around the learning needs of our students and have no more than 15 in a double class room to maintain social distancing.
Will my child be able to buy food on site?
No students will not be able to buy food, we will however be providing ‘grab bags’ for those students who are eligible for Free Schools Meals.
What will happen at break times?
There will be one break of 30 minutes for students, looked after by a member of staff within a designed zone. Students will be expected to maintain social distancing and there will be no more than 15 students in each zone, which will be outside if the weather permits.
What will learning look like?
Each student will get 9 learning sessions across the week covering each of their examination subjects. Each session will look to check on the learning that students should have covered online and prepare them for the weeks of online learning left in the term.
What happens if a student refuses to adhere to the systems being put in place to keep students and staff safe?
As with our current system the student will be given a chance but if it were to happen a second time then the student would be asked to leave the lesson, the parent contacted and the student sent home to try a again the next day. If a student was sent home for a second time they would be asked not to return and access the learning via the internet.
Please can parents complete the questionnaire that will be sent to them (via text) so that we can work out how many students are intending on taking up this face to face offer.