Newsflash – Friday 18th September 2020

18 Sep 2020

Message from Mr Marshall

Keeping Everyone Safe in School

Thank you to the continued letters of support we have received this week as we continue to provide a full curriculum and timetable for all year groups. To achieve this, we have in place extremely complex measures including a complete re-timetable, the zoning of the building, alternative entrance and exit points and greatly enhanced cleaning and sanitising regimes. As you are aware, the primary responsibility to ensure that children understand the seriousness of the situation and take steps to remain safe lies with parents in line with the NHS Hands, Face, Space mantra.

Parents will be aware that the school has a risk assessment and implements it very carefully. It outlines what measures are in place to make our school as safe as possible. The government also acknowledges that this is far from easy in a school of almost 900 pupils. Public Health Guidance is clear that pupils will be unable to socially distance in a school setting but that they have a responsibility to do what they can. Consequently, we are instructed to, wherever possible, create bubble groups of children. Year 7 are placed in form group bubbles, Year 8 and 9 in streamed bubbles whist Year 10 and 11 are in whole year bubbles as there is no other way to enable them to receive their full National Curriculum and GCSE option entitlement. At breaks and lunchtimes, staff work tirelessly, having also taught their normal classes, to ensure that students remain in their bubbles and the indoor, dining and outside spaces are clearly marked to make the correct space clear. Students have been told not to arrive early as we cannot safely supervise them, and there are different entrance and exit points for the different bubbles. Although we have significantly reduced the movement around school during the day, masks are obligatory for all students and staff in all movement spaces.