Parent Bulletin: 01.01.2021

Dear Parents and Carers

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve all been enjoying the Christmas holidays. Here is an update on arrangements at school for the next two weeks, in light of recent Government announcements and some intensive meetings with school and Trust staff yesterday. The following information is based on the latest Government guidance. At present, all pupils are expected back in school full time from Monday 18 January. Clearly the situation is fluid and we will keep you informed of any changes to the arrangements below, as necessary. 

Week of 4 January

On Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th June, the school will run staff training days as planned, with externally-sourced training for staff, planning time for the delivery of remote learning, and planning for the delivery of Covid testing across the school. Pupils remain on holiday for these two days. 

Wednesday 6^th to Friday 8^th January: All year groups work from home

Work will be set on Show My Homework for all pupils before 9.00 each morning. Links will be provided to lessons and to materials on Teams. 

Staff will prioritise setting detailed work in this period for Years 10 and 11, and will also set appropriate work for Years 7, 8 and 9 to complete at home. Pupils should log on to their registration session at 8.40 am and will follow their usual timetable of lessons for each day. Some form of physical activity will be set in PE lessons although this may not last for a full 100 minutes. 

Monday 11th to Friday 15th January

Year 11 will attend school as usual for this week. All other pupils will work from home on dedicated remote learning materials. We will follow the normal timetable of lessons; this seems to be the least disruptive way of providing home learning for this period. If the lockdown continues, we will revise the timetable to reduce the number of lessons per day. Pupils with special educational needs will be supported to follow a reduced programme of lessons where appropriate.

Key Worker School:  Wednesday 6^th to Friday 15th January

If you are a critical worker and your child is not able to work from home, you can apply for a place in our Key Worker School for the next 2 weeks by completing this form by 6pm on Sunday 3 January. Pupils will be supervised in school to complete the remote learning set for them. Please only use this service if you have no alternative. We will also invite selected pupils into school where we know that they need additional support. 

Free School Meal vouchers will be provided for this period where families qualify and their children are not in school.  

New Government plans for routine Coronavirus testing of staff and students in schools

The Government has released a complex set of plans for schools which we are examining carefully. We already have a testing regime in place for staff so we are ahead of the plans in this respect. Next week we will begin detailed planning to see what we can safely manage with regard to the testing of students. Please look out for further messages in which we will be seeking your permission to test your child(ren) and will give you more information about the process.

Very many thanks to volunteers from the Cambourne Community who replied to my appeal before Christmas asking medically-qualified personnel to sign up to help with this testing. If any other appropriately-qualified person is able to offer us a few hours a week going forward, please reply on this link and we will be in touch next week.

BTEC exams will go ahead as planned during the school closure period and relevant pupils should attend school for their exams as follows:  

Year 10 Animal Care – Monday 11^th January 9:00am

Year 11 Engineering – Tuesday 12^th January 1:30pm

Planning for Year 9 Options is continuing and arrangements will be communicated to you shortly.

I hope this gives you some reassurance that planning is under way to educate and care for your children in the weeks ahead. With your continuing support, which is so much appreciated, we will work our way out of this difficult time into a different world of vaccinations, sunshine and normal school for the summer!

Happy New Year everyone!

Claire Coates