Dear Parents, Carers and Students
I hope that you and your family are well.
I would like to update you on two main issues for year 12 currently; Preparing for their next steps, and returning to school.
Preparing for Next Steps:
All students are expected to use the Microsoft Teams platform to engage with their tutors and their subject teachers, and within the main Year 12 group, we have added a ‘next steps’ channel, in which Mr Marshall and I are adding resources, links and also tasks for students to complete. If we were in school at the moment this information would be coming through tutors, assemblies, COPE lessons and 1-1 sessions, so without those possibilities the ‘next steps’ channel is aiming to keep students up to date with information and opportunities. This includes interview support, apprenticeship information, links to virtual open days and much more.
There is a lot of information being shared, and I am conscious that this might seem overwhelming for students. Could I please ask that you take some time to look at this teams channel with your son or daughter, and focus on the areas which you feel are important to them.
In particular there are two things I would like to draw your attention to:
- Google Classroom Sessions, led by Make Happen; these are a series of activities that cover a range of topics we would have covered throughout in school sessions, led by an excellent agency called Make Happen, whose primary aim is to increase the aspirations of young people. All students are expected to engage in these sessions. All guidance is within the channel, and any questions please direct to Mr Marshall in the first instance.
- ‘Gaining experience in a lockdown’; We always encourage students to try and get as much experience in their chosen area as possible, and unfortunately with our work experience cancelled this year, we are aware that this is limited. The University of Hertfordshire have published a lovely list of ideas, including online museums, reading lists and even virtual coffee mornings, to ensure that students can show their passion and commitment on UCAS, Apprenticeship, and job applications. https://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/school-and-college-liaison/getting-ready-for-university/gaining-experience-during-a-lockdown
We will continue to share and communicate all careers information through the Microsoft Teams channel. If you have any questions, or require support with anything careers related, please contact Mr Tim Marshall on marshallT@bromfords.essex.sch.uk, or myself on petchl@bromfords.essex.sch.uk.
Returning to School
I am sure you aware the Prime Minister announced last Sunday that “From 1 June 2020, we expect that secondary schools and colleges will be able to offer some face to face contact with Year 10 and Year 12 pupils.” He crucially went on to say “This will not be a return to full timetables or pupils back in school or college full time, rather some support to supplement pupils’ remote education”.
The government has published a wide range of guidance on how that might be planned for and frequent updates are being received daily. As a school we are currently processing all the information and formulating our plans to reopen in a controlled manner. With a further planned update on schools’ reopening due on 28th May, everything we have planned to date is subject to meeting this guidance and a subsequent review and of our risk assessment.
With many of us being parents ourselves, we fully recognise how challenging supporting your child in maintaining their remote learning during ‘lockdown’ has been and have a desire to get as many of our young people to return to school as quickly as possible, but we are of course, being very cautious to ensure this process is safe and secure.
Ensuring the safety of our whole school community is our prime focus. The remote learning systems we have developed since the school closed will continue to be the main learning tools at our disposal. Given the physical constraints we face, any idea of operating a ‘normal’ timetable for a year group is impossible. Whilst we will continue to reassess our provision in light of government and DfE guidance and their implication on our own risk assessment, the conditions we plan on opening under are:
- The principles of social distancing will mean that we will only be able to accommodate 15-18 students within the Sixth Form Centre and students will always remain in the same room for the duration of their time in school.
- Start and end times for the school day will consider the fact that initially we will be unable to safely operate any break or lunchtime provision. It is likely that there will be staggered start and finish times for different groups of students.
- We will follow government guidance regarding the importance of enabling targeted groups of students, such as vulnerable or disadvantaged students, to be given face-to-face support for their remote learning. Our planning will initially be based upon meeting the needs of those students highlighted by that guidance. The onsite provision will aim to support their remote learning.
- We will shortly send a questionnaire and ask you indicate whether you intend to send your child/ren into school to ascertain which students will be likely to attend.
- The continuing dialogue between government, local authorities and teaching unions means that we have no plans to start lessons, or group sessions until the week beginning 8th June. However, as a sixth form team we have identified students we feel may benefit from 1-1 support and we will be inviting individuals in for these meeting from 1st June, unless government advice changes.
I would like to reassure you that we have put in place significant protective measures to minimise risks as detailed below. However, it is also important to highlight that in these current circumstances, we cannot fully guarantee complete safety and therefore you will need to decide if you wish to send your child into school.
- We have Sanitiser well located at key locations and will try to minimise contact with multiple surfaces.
- We will be ensuring that hand washing is compulsory on both entry and exit to the school building, and encouraging good respiratory hygiene by promoting the government’s ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach.
- We will clean surfaces regularly and students will be allocated a space in which to work which has been cleaned before entry and upon exit.
- Only areas of the school in use will be open and accessible. For the Sixth Form this will be the Sixth Form Centre. Clear guidance on routes to destinations will be given and signage will always promote safe social distancing practises.
- Doors will be wedged open to prevent contact with door handles, and windows opened to ensure ventilation in areas being used.
- It is imperative students bring everything they need for their session in school, pens, pencils, books etc.; they will not be permitted to share resources.
- The reduced timetable of face to face contact means that there will be no provision of food on the school site. Students in receipt of free school meals will continue to benefit from the voucher system that has been in place since lockdown.
- Currently government guidance indicates that ‘Wearing a face covering or face mask in schools or other education settings is not recommended’; we will leave this to your discretion.
- Any child who is in either of the clinically vulnerable groups due to pre-existing medical conditions should not attend school and continue to be supported at home.
- Any parent dropping off or picking up students should remain in their car at all times, and any contact that needs to be made with school should continue to be by email.
I recognise that this, whilst a vast amount to take in, possibly presents you with a number of questions. I hope that many of these can be answered by the Government FAQ here on the matter. However, please do let me know if you have any further questions.
We will be in contact with the parents of the first identified groups of students to be invited into school shortly.
Yours sincerely
Ms Laura Petch
Head of Sixth Form