Dear Parents and Carers
Contact tracing has become a feature of this term for many of us in school and unfortunately for many of our students and parents. Today we have well over 300 students isolating at home (although that means we have over 1,400 still here) and I know that this is pain for students and parents. Thank you all for your understanding through this.
However, it isn’t all doom and gloom. We are learning and adapting to the circumstances and, as I have said before, there are many things we will keep. Increasingly I see students at home dialling into lessons via Teams, or staff who are self-isolating delivering lessons from home through Teams which are projected onto the whiteboards. We had a virtual Sixth Form Open Evening last night and have a virtual Parents’ Evening next week.
It has taken us a few months to get to grips with this technology but, as we go on, our minds are opening more and more to what can be done remotely. Even when we are allowed to mix in person again, maybe some of the remote work is better? It’s certainly worth considering and we’ll consult with parents following all these trials, and use their responses to inform our plans.
Staggered breaks is something I am definitely interested in keeping; small or non-existent queues, no rushing, more space, a calmer site, all things which appeal. We can further improve these with some outdoor heaters for winter and improved toilet facilities, both of which we are planning to do. The staggered ending to the day is better as well. It allows more learning time for the exam year groups and also leads to a less crowded school gate. I have never liked our school gates at the end of the day. It’s too busy and, although we are working with local councillors to create an alternative entrance to school and rearrange the front of our site with some new-build projects, these things take years to achieve and cost millions of pounds. They are all in the plan, but in the meantime the staggered exit times are working better. And of course there is SEND. We learned so much over lockdown and the idea of an ‘in-out’ curriculum, where students can work in smaller more attentive groups when they need to but also access parts of the mainstream curriculum where they can. This is something which has stuck and, although it takes space and finance, is in our plans.
These aspects of our new world order are possibly why the feeling of staff, students and parents/carers all pulling together to make the very best of our current circumstances is noticeable and continues to be so. With the news about possible vaccines leading to the prospect of a return to normality, I will say again, let’s not rush too quickly; much has been learnt and will be kept.
With best wishes
Andy Perry – Head Teacher
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