Headteachers Letter – Year 10 – Phased Return to School
Dear Year 10 Parents and Carers
Year 10 – Phased return to school.
As you will be aware the government has announced plans for schools to start to engage with Year 10 students from June 1st 2020. This letter is to share with you the plans that we have devised for year 10 students after May half term. Please read the information carefully. There will be a phased approach, so that we have the ability to assess and evaluate as we move through the final summer term of this academic year. It is also important to emphasise that phases will only start when it is deemed safe to do so.
Phase 1
A focused 1-1 meeting between student and a member of staff. In this meeting we will be discussing how they are, the work they have completed (the work they have not completed), where the struggles have been, what support they need to succeed, how can we best support them, how their mental and physical health is. It will be a positive, upbeat, ‘smiley faced’ welcome alongside an honest assessment of the impact the last few months have had on them and their education. We care greatly about your son/daughter and with this knowledge we can start planning Phase 2; ensure that we support your son/daughter in the best possible way.
The plan is for Phase 1 to start on June 1st 2020. We will send you an invite so that you can book your son/daughter in for the meeting. It will only be your son/daughter in attendance and the member of staff carrying out the review meeting. It is important for them to attend, as this is the first step of the journey back to school. We need to build confidence and a reconnection, for all involved; this will support the following phases to be successful.
We will only use designated areas of the school, social distancing, hand washing, one way system, area marking and cleaning of areas will be in place to ensure the 1-1 meetings are safe. The current plan is to use the outside space, ‘patio’ for the meetings.
The government will be taking advice on Friday 28th May and informing us if the scientific advice allows us to begin the re-opening on June 1st. I will contact you all over the weekend of the 29th/30th May if there is any change to the plan outlined in this letter.
Phase 2
Small groups working in Maths, English and Science. Proportions of year 10 in school for a proportion of the school week, class sizes of less than 15, social distancing, regular hand washing, staggered start and finish to the day, staggered break time, A shorter school day, groups (‘bubbles’) created to limit the amount of people that staff and students are in contact with.
The plan is to begin this after Phase 1 has been completed and it is hoped that this would be one/two weeks from phase 1’s start date.
Phase 3
Small groups working in option subjects. Class sizes of less than 15, social distancing, regular hand washing, staggered start and finish to the day, staggered break time, A shorter school day, groups (‘bubbles’) created to limit the amount of people that staff and students are in contact with.
The plan is to begin this after Phase 2 has been completed and it is hoped that this would be approximately two weeks after Phase 1 started.
Phase 4
Small groups working in core subjects and option subjects. Class sizes of less than 15, social distancing, regular hand washing, staggered start and finish to the day, staggered break time, A shorter school day, groups (‘bubbles’) created to limit the amount of people that staff and students are in contact with.
We will strive to achieve phase 3 before the end of the academic year, but due to our dependence on government guidance, scientific evidence and much that we are not in control of, it should be said that we might not achieve Phase 4 this academic year.
I will keep you informed throughout and share with you information when plans/phases are finalised. All of the above planning is also subject to change depending on local and national guidance.
I would like to ask you to complete the following, short survey, so that I am able to ascertain the number of year 10 students to expect in school for each stage. I understand that decisions might change, so just answer as best you can at this stage.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2Z9YPFD (Please use the link on the letter emailed to you)
The deadline for completing the survey is midday on Thursday 21st May.
I thank you for all your support; we are a community and we have all adapted, changed and will continue to do so as we collectively transition back to ‘normality’.
We miss your sons and daughters and are excited to see them again. I hope you are all staying safe and well.
Kind regards
Kate Williams
Headteacher
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