Dear Parent/Carer,
We are currently making the necessary plans, in line with Government guidance, as to “the possibility of providing some face to face contact with the young people in years 10 and 12 to help them prepare for examinations next year”. The provisional date for this is the week beginning Monday 15 June.
It is important at this point to reinforce that the remote learning model which is in place will continue to be the primary method of learning and we would ask that you continue to support this home-learning, as you have in recent weeks. The face to face sessions we will be putting in place will be to support this remote learning, with some specialist guidance to ensure our students are able to continue to progress in their learning. We intend to begin these sessions with the core subjects of English, maths and science, with the possibility of some option subjects time before the end of the school year.
Please be reassured that very clear guidelines will be set out to ensure the safety of all students and staff.
Social Distancing:
The overriding principle of offering the face to face sessions for Years 10 and 12 is that it must be safe for both staff and students. There will be strict social distancing in place at all times within school. We believe that given our school site can accommodate well over 1000 students, having a maximum of 38 (24 Y10’s and 14 Y12’s) students on site at any one time is something we can confidently do while maintaining strict social distancing.
Classrooms will be laid out with desks 2 metres apart and students will be required to queue and walk through corridors always 2 metres apart from others, corridors will be clearly marked. Students will also be expected to maintain social distancing on their way to and from school. This will be enforced on all school transport as per government guidance for public transport.
Face to face sessions:
- Students will attend for a limited number of sessions per week with allocated arrival and departure times. No more than 25% of students in a year group will be in school at any given time.
- Only a limited number of students will be in contact with each other and with teaching staff at any time.
- Students will be allocated different entrances to the school, to comply with social distancing guidelines and will follow a designated route to their learning area for their time in school.
- Students will be expected to wash their hands on entering the school using the toilet block closest to their learning area.
- Each group of students will have a dedicated toilet block close to their learning area. Cleaning staff will be on site through the learning sessions and toilet blocks will be cleaned frequently. There will be hand sanitiser, soap and hand towels available. Hand driers will not be in use.
- Students will be supervised at all times and will be given a short ‘relaxation time’ within their designated area.
- Sessions will take place either during the morning or the afternoon. This means that there will be no catering provision. Free school meals will continue to be provided by way of the current voucher scheme. Students are therefore encouraged to bring their own drinks and any snacks for their personal consumption.
- Students will be expected to wear full uniform upon their return to school. Any external garments (gloves, hats etc) need to be removed before entering the Academy.
- Students should bring their own specialist equipment (e.g. scientific calculator for A level students) with them in an appropriate bag. Basic equipment, e.g. pen, pencil and ruler will be provided for each student and cleaned before and after use.
Students will be expected to follow the strict social distancing rules and behave in an appropriate manner during their time in school and on entering and leaving the building. If students are deemed to be behaving inappropriately, parents may be contacted to collect their child. Further information on this is included in an addendum to the school’s Behaviour and Relationships policy.
We are also in discussion as to the reinstatement of school transport and it is anticipated that buses will run with far fewer students travelling.
Students will be issued with individual timetables detailing when they are expected to be in school, their entrance and exit point and where their learning area will be. They will be greeted by teaching staff on arrival and shown the route assigned to their learning area.
There is more detail along with the main risk assessment which is available on request. If you wish to give us feedback on our proposals, please email mbedford@workingtonacademy.org or ro’hagan@workingtonacademy.org. Attached to this letter are some FAQs which may answer some further questions you may have.
Very soon, you will receive a text message asking you to inform us of your intention with regard to your child’s attendance from the 15th June. Please reply to this text by 3.00pm on Monday 8 June, with a yes or no, clearly stating the student’s name and form group. It is important that we know your decision, as we will adjust groups and staffing as appropriate. If your child has a medical condition which requires access to the school lift, please let us know in advance, in order that we can make the necessary arrangements.
Additionally, if you wish to inform us of any issues you think we need to know about, you can do this by emailing either of the above email addresses.
Following this consultation, we will be in touch next week with all students who are attending, with further instructions and guidance.
Yours sincerely
Des Bird
Headteacher
FAQs:
How will my child get to school? It is anticipated that school buses will run, with social distancing in place. Pick-up times will vary from normal as far fewer students will be travelling.
Will students need to wear uniform? Yes. Students will be in full school uniform
Does my child need to wear PPE? There is no requirement for any student or member of staff to wear PPE such as gloves or a face mask. They may of course choose to do so if they wish.
How will the students be grouped for the Face to Face days they are being asked to be in school? For the Core Subject Days each of the groups of up to 8 students will be determined broadly by ability so that the review, recap, consolidation and exposition of new material is matched as best as possible to their needs.
Will work be set to be completed remotely by the students when they are not in school? Yes, remote learning work will continue to be set as it is now for the students. The Face to Face sessions are designed to support this work and ensure that students are engaging in the most purposeful manner that will secure their learning. Students will be best placed for Year 11 if they continue to complete all the remote learning tasks they are set and support it by attending the Face to Face sessions.
My child is going to spend the day in one room, will they have access to water? We would encourage all students to bring water to school with them. The water fountains in school will be switched off for hygiene reasons.
How will students use the toilets? Students will be able to go to designated toilets which will be supervised at all times and regularly cleaned. Socially distanced queuing will be in place if there is a queue for the facilities. Students will be advised to wash their hands thoroughly and hand sanitiser will be available to use.
Will food be available? Students can choose to bring a snack into school, no food will be available to purchase on site.
Will students get social time? If so, how will it be supervised? Students will have 10 minutes mini- breaks inside their teaching rooms between each core session. They will be free to get up, stretch, talk to the other members of their class, while remaining socially distanced. It is a limited type of social time and they will be supervised as a group by a member of staff during these mini-breaks.
What happens if my child feels ill during the day? Student Services will be available to deal with illness. They will collect any student from their teaching room and deal with the student as needs dictate. Any student displaying any symptoms of Covid19 will be dealt with according to the school’s risk assessment.
Is pastoral support available for my child? A member of the pastoral team will be available on the school site each day to support the students when they attend school. If your child is feeling anxious about the return to school, support from Kooth and Mentalhealth.org.uk can be accessed, where you will find specific information relating to returning to school after the coronavirus lockdown.
What do I do if my child is not able to attend one day? You should use the normal attendance procedures of ringing in the absence of any student before the start of the school day. We will be contacting parents of students who are not registered at the start of the day to enquire about reasons for their absence as normal; unless we have been previously informed that they will not be attending school.
My child is extremely clinically vulnerable – should they attend? If you have received a letter indicating that your child should be shielding then they should not return to school at this point.
My child is clinically vulnerable – should they attend? Government guidance is that a child who is clinically vulnerable can attend school if strict social distancing is maintained.
My child lives with someone who is extremely clinically vulnerable or clinically vulnerable – should they attend? Government guidance is that a child living with someone who is extremely clinically vulnerable or clinically vulnerable is able to attend school if strict social distancing is maintained.
If I do not wish for my child to return to school at this time will I be fined or prosecuted? The Department for Education has suspended Attendance regulations for this half-term. No fines or risk of prosecution will apply if a parent chooses not to allow their child attend school at this time. The attendance of any student is left at parental discretion, though we would encourage every student to attend, if they are able to do so.
I am not confident to allow my child to return to school on Monday, 15 June. If I change my mind can my child attend school at a future date? If you have decided that your child is not going to attend school through the rota that starts on Monday, 15 June, but then over time decide they should be attending, then please contact Mr Sewell, dsewell@workingtonacademy.org 48 hours in advance of when you wish them to attend. This will ensure we have the correct levels of staffing in place for them and have assigned them to an appropriate teaching group.
