At very short notice, the Department for Education has announced that:
From January, rapid-result tests will be provided to schools and colleges, starting with secondary schools and FE colleges, including special schools and alternative provision:
- for the school and college workforce to conduct weekly testing – this will help identify those who are carrying the virus without displaying symptoms, reducing the risk of transmission.
Further to this, I was made aware only yesterday via the BBC that students will have a staggered return to school after the Xmas period. The DfE’s instruction is that Y11 and Y13 students will return in the first week back and Y7, Y8, Y9, Y10, Y12 won’t start back at school until Monday 11th January – an online provision as per the closed year bubble process will be made available.
After an online briefing by the DfE this afternoon, we have been advised to make Monday 4th January a Staff Day in order to help us to make preparations for testing our community on a weekly basis.
From Tuesday 5th January, there will be an in school provision for our vulnerable students and children of key workers just like the first Lockdown period.
As you can imagine, testing nearly 500 students / 100 adults on a weekly basis will present us with some considerable logistical challenges but as ever, we will continue to do our very best to overcome them.
Many questions remain, but further guidance and advice is being released over the coming weeks, and I will update everyone via our websites in order to keep everyone informed.
So, in summary:
- Monday 4th January will be a Staff Day
- Y11s and Y13s will return to school on Tuesday 5th January (Y11 mock exams will still go ahead)
- There will be an in school provision for vulnerable students and children of key workers from Tuesday 5th January (stay tuned for more details.
- Y7, Y8, Y9, Y10, Y12 students will return to school on Monday 11th January (an online timetable will be published and teachers will deliver live lessons via Google Hangout)
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank parents for the amazing support that you have shown our staff since March. Your messages of appreciation on Facebook, via emails, in person and in the parent survey mean a great deal to us. There is light at the end of the tunnel but know that whatever happens next, we’ll all pull together to get everyone through it.
Have a wonderful Christmas… I’m off for a shandy!
Jamie Portman.