Dear Parents and Carers
It was great to welcome back all our students at the start of the week to a school site which has been deep cleaned, with every room and surface disinfected. This was somewhat disrupted yesterday as we had to send home some Year 11s due to our first case of the half term, but I remain optimistic.
Opinion may be divided over the current period of lockdown, but I believe it will help. Last half term we had several cases of Covid, leading to groups of students being sent home. However, it was only within Year 13 where we suspected transmission may have been between students, either in school or through out-of-school socialising. All other cases seem to have been isolated, with the virus being contracted in the community and – with the exception of the Year 13s – none of the close contacts we sent home to isolate going on to test positive (although siblings sometimes did which is to be expected). This leads us to believe that the procedures within school are working, that students and parents are following the guidance very responsibly and that, with no social interactions out of school through lockdown, we should see a reduction of cases and disruption in school. I certainly hope so.
This week I have very much enjoyed students sharing their analysis of the US election as we continue to watch events over there with bemusement. After the last 18 months of political turmoil here, there is a certain pleasure in watching it unfold elsewhere, and I am always delighted to hear (and very much want to encourage) students discussing politics and offering opinions. The students seem to have a great range of theories and ideas on the US election, although I have yet to find anyone with much sympathy with the incumbent President. I had always thought the quote was Churchill’s, but it turns out it isn’t documented in his name, but whoever it was, seems to have a point about certain US politicians when they said: “Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted.”
With best wishes
Andy Perry – Head Teacher
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