Update Letter May 20th

Dear Parents and Carers

I thought it timely to write to you as we approach the planned half-term break. I’ve hesitated to do so, given the fluidity of the situation in which we find ourselves and the conflicting messages that have been coming our way from a variety of sources.

There has been much debate and many opinions expressed about when is the right time to extend schools’ opening and what measures should be in place when this happens. Indeed, Wirral Council very recently issued a statement in which they stated that they “do not expect parents or carers to send their children to school from the 1st June. We therefore do not expect childcare providers or schools to adhere to government guidance in terms of timescales or the suggested year groups if they judge this not to be in the best interest of children.”

I will try to summarise our current position to give you as much clarity as possible. St Mary’s is part of Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust (HFCMAT) alongside four other schools. Since the Covid crisis began we have been working closely together to support each other and ensure that our schools are safe for the children of key workers. (Our schools will remain open for them next week.) As well as this, we’ve been ensuring that pupils have been well supported at home with online learning and/or paper based resources. We’ve communicated regularly with all families, particularly those who are finding these times a real struggle.

In terms of extending our opening, I think we can say, with a degree of certainty, that Years 7, 8 and 9 will not be returning to school until September at the earliest. This is hugely frustrating for everyone concerned. The pupils have missed coming to school. They’ve missed their friends and their teachers and I have no doubt that when we get back to a ‘new-normal’ everyone will have more appreciation of the value and importance of education. Teachers, whilst being desperate to get back into school, will continue to go the extra mile in setting meaningful work and providing feedback on the progress of your child. I want to thank you for all the messages of support and gratitude for our staff. However, as great as that support is, there is no substitute for being in the classroom and part of the daily hustle and bustle that school life offers.

In terms of Years 10 and 12, the policy is clear. Before this academic year is completed, the Government wants us to plan for their return, initially for ‘face to face’ meetings with staff. We have taken this to mean that pupils will come in on a staggered basis where we can implement social distancing and facilitate meetings (in which pupils can reflect on how they are doing academically and pastorally). These meetings will then help to form an action plan of learning for the summer so that they are not disadvantaged in 2020-21. We are currently working on developing that model. I will write to the parents and pupils of Year 10 and 12 as soon as I have completed the necessary planning and checks to ensure the safety of all, including details of how the ‘face to face’ meetings will operate.

As a Trust, we are taking the necessary measures to mitigate risks before extending our opening to additional year groups. Plans are currently being refined with leaders from all schools and these will be discussed with the Board of Directors on Friday. A decision will be made at this meeting about the date for students to return. Following guidance from Wirral Local Authority and Diocese, we can inform you that this will not be 1st June. More information around this will be shared on Friday.

It’s unfortunate that I can’t be more precise at the moment: you’ll appreciate there is still a lot of uncertainty and many significant issues to address. I understand those of you who are anxious about sending their child back to school and offer reassurance that I will respect your decision whatever it is at this point.

In terms of Year 11 and Year 13, we have been working hard to submit accurate grades which the examination boards will consider alongside those of all the other schools in the country. In some cases, these will not necessarily be the final grades awarded to each pupil as they have to go through a number of checks and processes before being finalised. For this reason, they cannot be shared with you until results day. These are unprecedented times and I understand the natural sense of anxiety our youngsters will be feeling. I will write to them separately.

Half-term officially begins at the weekend. As per the Easter break arrangements, staff won’t be setting work but please continue to encourage your child to remain engaged and focused. Home-schooling has presented rewards and challenges aplenty, but in these crucial times our children can advantage themselves by working hard and learning the best they can. Keep going!

Tony Boyle
Headteacher

HFCMAT Newsletter

This week’s Newsletter is now available to download. Click the link below to read; What’s going on across our schools & Our good news stories of the week. #TogetherStronger
Download Here

Follow the Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust on Twitter. Twitter.com/HFCMAT

Hope everyone is well.

Just a reminder that Friday 8th May is a Bank Holiday and school is fully closed. Pupils will not be expected to complete work at home on that day. We'll be in touch next week following Sunday's promised announcement.
Stay safe!

Start of Summer Term Update

Dear Parents and Carers

We are now coming to the end of what was our designated Easter holiday. I hope you have been able to have some positive family time in these unusual times. I hope you are all well and keeping safe. You will have seen on the news yesterday that the lockdown is to continue and as such schools will remain closed. So I am writing to you with some current updates.

Easter Opening
Our school has been open for the last two weeks for the children of our critical workers. The sun shone for virtually the whole time, enabling the children to enjoy some fun activities outside as well as those inside the school. Our school will continue to be open from 8am on Monday April 20th for vulnerable children and those from critical worker families. Once again, thank you to all of our families where there are critical workers carrying out a range of work to ensure we are safe and to support us in accessing vital services. We all appreciate it.
Home Learning
On Monday, we will be returning to our systems for remote learning, particularly Google Classroom for those who are able to access it. Our staff are preparing work for your child to tackle each day, in the same way as before the holiday. Please can you prepare your children over the weekend, so they know that the official holiday period is over and it is time to recommence learning. Please try and get back into a routine to support the children in making that transition. Remember Joe Wicks is a good way to start the day! [for children and adults!]
We appreciate there may be some increased challenges with remote learning, as a result of the Easter break and the continued lockdown. Our staff are on hand to support this process, so please continue to communicate with them and ensure the children know that you are in touch with their teacher.
Although we know many of your children have been using Google Classroom we are aware that others have been using paper resources. This alternative remains, so please contact college if you would like further paper resources or if you would like to start using these.
Free School Meal Vouchers
Vouchers for those families in receipt of free school meals continue to be distributed. Please contact us if you have any issues accessing them.
Communication and wellbeing
If you feel your child would benefit from speaking to a member of staff over the phone, please let us know. Phone calls are being made to support individual children and to reassure them that we are still here and are able to help.
It will be important to continue to consider ways to ensure the children’s physical and mental well being is supported. Communication is important for this, as is regular exercise and a healthy diet. If you would like any support with any aspects of your child’s physical and mental wellbeing, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We post regular ideas and resources to help with this on our Twitter and Facebook pages. Please use them.
Our Staff
Our staff are generally well. We keep in touch and there is a good network of support for everyone. As you may know, some of the staff have young families or elderly parents themselves to support at home. All eligible staff are on a rota to come into school to support critical worker and vulnerable children.
Please be aware that not all staff are available immediately should there be any communication delays with you. All of the staff have appreciated your understanding with this and your positive responses to the work set before the break.
When will school return?
There has been a lot of talk in the press regarding the end of the lockdown and schools reopening. I know that many of our families and the staff have expressed the hope that we will return before too long and definitely before the summer holidays. We do not have any additional information to share with you relating to this. As soon as we do, we will of course let you know. In the meantime please try and keep positive and focus on a day at a time. We are here if you need us.
Please continue to look after your children, yourselves and your wider family and community.

Kind regards
Tony Boyle
Headteacher

Free School Meal Eligibility

Hello Everyone
We are aware that currently many families' financial circumstances have changed. You may now qualify for your child(ren) to receive Free School Meals.
How will we receive a FSM if my child(re) is currently not attending school?
Currently, unless the child is a Key Worker or Vulnerable child, this is being sent to parents electronically as a voucher that can be spent in a supermarket. We need you to supply us with an email address please.   Does my child(ren) qualify? Your child will be eligible for Free School Meals if you get any of these benefits:

·         Income Support

·         Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

·         Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

·         Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

·         The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit

·         Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190

·         Working Tax Credit 'run-on' - the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

 
Pupils can qualify for Free School Meals if they get any of these benefits themselves.
  How does it work?

1. Checking whether you qualify and registering is really quick and easy – do it online at:

  :  https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims-wirral.
 

2. If you want your child to have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime that’s great – they will get the free meal (saving you more than £350 a year) and the school gets extra money to help your child and others in their class.

 

3. If you don’t want your child to have a free school meal they can continue as normal – as long as you qualify, and are registered, the school still gets the extra money.

 

Best wishes from Everyone at St Mary's.

Staying safe online

In the current situation where children may be spending more time online, we felt that it was worth reminding parents and carers of some of the advice that is available as to how we can make sure this is as safe an activity as possible. The Police have provided us with this document below which captures this very well. Please try to find the time to read it and act on it. Click to Download

End of Week 2 Update

Home Learning
Our Home Learning strategy has presented pupils, parents and their teachers with some new challenges. The way in which pupils, with yours and their teachers’ support, have engaged with this has been impressive. It is something that we could never have foreseen only a few weeks ago. Well done everyone in persevering so far.

We will continue to evaluate what’s working well and what isn’t as we are conscious that one approach doesn’t work for every child or family.

We’re sharing our experiences with other schools in the MAT, the Wirral and nationally to ensure we do what’s best for our pupils.

Please continue to encourage your children to communicate with us through the Google classroom and use the helpdesk email if you are having any login problems.

Easter Break 6th April to 19th April 2020
As you will be aware, the fortnight starting from Monday 6th April was designated as the Easter Break and we are conscious from feedback that everyone, including our teachers and other non-teaching colleagues, would still appreciate a period of respite from the new daily ritual of home learning and so we have decided, along with all the other secondary schools across the Wirral, to not set any new work for pupils to complete during this fortnight. That doesn’t mean pupils can’t still enjoy reading fact or fiction works beyond that linked directly to the curriculum.

Continuing childcare for vulnerable groups and critical key workers In line with our commitment to support the National Emergency we will be continuing to offer childcare provision for the children of vulnerable groups and those in critical key worker roles. The children from these families have engaged well with this provision. I am very proud of the significant number of staff who have volunteered extra time over the holiday period if it is needed to staff this.

Wellbeing
We know that changes in our family routines can be very stressful for all of us and bring additional challenges in spending much more time in our homes, in following the government’s advice.

I have included a link below to some useful resources. CAMHS COVID 19 MYMind

I don’t know how long it will be until we can return to school but, unless something unforeseen happens, will post a message just before we resume home learning on Monday 20th April.

Hope you all stay well and stay in unless it is absolutely necessary to go out.

Best wishes
Tony Boyle
Headteacher

GCSE, AS and A level students in England

3 April 2020

A message for all GCSE, AS and A level students this summer How will grades be calculated?

Year 13 Update

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope this letter finds you and your family well at what undoubtedly is a time of unprecedented challenge for us all.

Sustaining education for all pupils is leading us to new ways of working but we are very conscious that the children and parents who will be the most anxious are those of pupils who would have been due to sit public examinations this summer. We have been promised far more detailed information this week about how grades will be decided and as soon as we have this and have had the chance to consider its implications we will be back in touch.

During this period of time we want you to know we will do everything possible to support your child. We have set up a Google classroom [class code: kzt7fz3] where there is information and resources on a range of topics that your child can access, in addition to their subject classrooms. There is also the facility for your child to communicate with the Sixth Form team. We are aware that a number of students have already accepted their university offers and are underway with organising their student finance and accommodation, where necessary. The team will be in touch with students if they have not yet received all their offers or confirmed them, to check our students have all the advice and guidance they need.

We are aware that a number of students are applying for apprenticeships and we will be able to give them support with writing their CV, covering letters and completing application forms, through the Google classroom.

Members of our teams will also be in touch directly to support pupils. Most staff are now working from home so phone calls may appear as number withheld rather than St Mary’s number. It is unknown how long schools will remain closed and this is a significant year in education for your child as they will leave us after seven years.

At the end of June our staff would ordinarily be wishing your child the best of luck with their future and celebrating their achievements and wider personal development. This would usually include our memorable Leavers’ Assembly and Ball. We know everyone would really miss this opportunity should it not be possible in the forthcoming months, therefore we want you to know we plan to hold an event to recognise all they have brought to our college at some point in the future.

In summary, please encourage your child to persevere with their studies and to stay in touch with our Sixth Form team who are still available to guide and support them. Yours faithfully

Mr A Boyle Headteacher

Year 11 Update

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope this letter finds you and your family well at what undoubtedly is a time of unprecedented challenge for us all.

Sustaining education for all pupils is leading us to new ways of working but we are very conscious that the children and parents who will be the most anxious are those of pupils who would have been due to sit public examinations this summer. We have been promised far more detailed information this week about how grades will be decided and as soon as we have this and have had the chance to consider its implications we will be back in touch. Inevitably your children will have some anxieties about what will happen in September, assuming that they are able to return to an educational setting by then. We appreciate this and we would like to reassure you that we have a place for your child in our college.

Our Year 11 and Sixth Form teams have already had discussions with your child over their future plans, however, we know from experience that these can change with time and so they have set up a Y11 Sixth Form google classroom [class code: 5lduy3r] for all our Year 11 students to join.

This classroom will allow our Sixth Form team to keep you updated with information and provide the facility for your child to communicate with them. The transition to Sixth Form is another major step in your child’s life, as we already know your child best academically and pastorally we are best placed to support them and we will continue to do this. Members of our teams will also be in touch directly to support you. Most staff are now working from home so phone calls may appear as number withheld rather than St Mary’s number.

We are also conscious that the end of Year 11 marks a significant transition point as pupils move from Key Stage 4 to 5 and we would normally acknowledge that with our Year 11 Celebration Assembly and Service where we would celebrate your child’s first five years with us. We will be exploring ways that we can recreate this as far as possible and would welcome pupils sharing ideas and reflections in the google classroom which we can then incorporate in our celebration.

Please do encourage your child to stay in touch with what’s happening through the Google classroom and do contact us if we can help. We look forward to seeing your child in September, if, hopefully, not earlier. We have some exciting new developments planned for our Sixth Form which we’ll share with you separately.

Yours faithfully

Mr A Boyle
Headteacher

End of Week 1 Update

Dear Parents and Carers

We have come to the end of the first week of our new way of working. What a week!
I can't believe it was only seven days ago we were saying a temporary goodbye. I hope you are all well and have coped with the changes that have been forced upon us. It has been so strange here at school, as I'm sure it has been for you all at home. I hope you have been able to develop some kind of routine each day to help give structure to your lives. We have been thinking of you. A few updates below ...

Home Learning
Our staff have been keeping me up to date with home learning. Thank you to all our families for your engagement with it and your positive responses. Our teachers appreciate your feedback. They are able to see who has logged into the various websites and apps, so will be in touch for any family where there appears to be no response, just to ensure everything is ok and to offer any support.

It is only Week 1 and we know there may be many more weeks ahead, so please keep at it and ensure the children maintain their focus, especially as the novelty may be wearing off for many of them. As I have mentioned before, it will be so important for the children to return to school, whenever that may be, feeling up to date with their learning and able to get back into their school work routines quickly.

Critical Workers
We continue to support our community and the critical workers who are doing such a fantastic job to keep us all safe. I imagine you were as moved as I was by last night's tribute to our NHS workers. Your children in school have been fantastic too! They have really shown our school values all of the time and we are very proud of them. Thank you to all our critical worker families for all the work you are doing in the community. We all appreciate it.

Our staff
I have been delighted with the teamwork displayed by our staff. They have been constantly communicating and sharing ideas and support. This includes those that have self-isolated. They are working very hard and I have been so impressed with everyone's approach. As you can imagine, for some staff with children and/or elderly parents there is a lot to manage, in terms of coming into school to support our critical worker families and support the remote learning for the rest of the class. So I want to say a big thank you to the staff at this challenging time.

All in all it has been great to see our community coming together in this way. Thank you everybody.

Contact
Don't forget we are all still working and if you need to contact us please do. If you need support with learning or have other concerns relating to your child's general well being and would like support, please get in touch. You all have our contact details with the school office email address. If you would like someone to give you a call, then please let us know.
schooloffice@stmaryswallasey.com
Let's hope the sunshine returns again next week. Keep yourselves fit and healthy and most importantly, keep smiling.

Kind regards
Tony Boyle
Headteacher

Free School Meal Provision

Google Classrooms – Continuing Learning Strategy

20/3/20

Dear Parent / Carer

Google Classroom – Continuing Learning Strategy
From next Monday, pupils will be able to continue their studies via Google Classroom. Please read the information below and instructions for how your child can log in and use Google Classroom as an online virtual learning facility. Teachers have been working hard to ensure that this is all up and running and have set up a class within Google Classroom that pupils can access whilst they are not in school. This facility enables teachers to upload resources, assignments, tasks and include links to relevant learning websites.

• How can my child access Google Classroom?

This can be accessed via the website https://classroom.google.com/ from a laptop or computer. If you have access to smart devices (smart phones/tablets) there is also a free Google Classroom App that can be downloaded, where students can access their specific classes.

• How does my child log on to Google Classroom?

Each student has a unique log in (username) and password.

Username

This is your child’s current username for the school’s network (year entered into St Mary's followed by the first four letters of their first name, then a dot, then the first four letters of their surname) with the school domain following. This is your child’s current username for the school’s network (year entered into St Mary’s followed by the first four letters of their first name, then a dot, then the first four letters of their surname) with the school domain following. Example for Harry Smith Harry Smith Year 7 (started in 2019)  - 19harr.smit@stmaryswallasey.com or Harry Smith Year 8 (started in 2018)  - 18harr.smith@stmaryswallasey.com

Password

Passwords for all year groups EXCEPT Y11. 07042008HS (8 digit date of birth example is for 7th of April 2008 followed by initials in capitals e.g for a pupil called Harry Smith, HS). Password FOR Y11s 070408HS (6 digit date of birth example is for 7th of April 2008 followed by initials in capitals e.g for a pupil called Harry Smith, HS).

• How does my child access a class for each subject?

Subject teachers have created a classroom for their teaching groups. On creating a class, teachers have generated a unique Google Classroom code, which allows those students within that class to access the materials.  This can be found using the Year Group links below. Look for the relevant subject, the side of the year your child is on and their teacher(s). You will then find the Google Classroom code next to this information. After pupils have logged in to Google Classroom, they then need to go to the top right of the screen where they will see a ‘+’ sign. Students must click on this and select ‘join class’. A box will then appear on screen where students must enter the class code for that particular subject and then click join. A video tutorial of How to Log on to Google Classrooms is available here. A step-by-step guide of How to Log on to Google Classrooms is available here. Year 7 GoogleClassroom Codes   Year 8 GoogleClassroom Codes Year 9 GoogleClassroom Codes   Year 10 GoogleClassroom Codes Year 11 GoogleClassroom Codes Year 12 GoogleClassroom Codes Year 13 GoogleClassroom Codes  

• Once my child has joined a class what should they do then?

Once a student has accessed the individual class, teachers will regularly post work for them to complete.  

• What if my child’s log in doesn’t work?

Please email loginproblems@stmaryswallasey.com if you are experiencing difficulties logging in.  

• When does my child need to complete the work?

Predictability and routine is known to be helpful in times of stress and anxiety. It might help to make a daily schedule while schools are closed so that pupils know what will happen during the day. Making this visual by using pictures, lists or traditional timetables etc. can help. We have linked a suggested one here. Please be aware that Google Classroom will be used as our main virtual learning environment, we expect all students to be accessing the classes to complete the relevant work. However, in some subjects teachers may signpost students, via Google Classroom, to tasks on other websites (e.g. mathswatch, educationperfect and theeverlearner).

Before 9.00	Wake up	Eat breakfast, clear up after breakfast, make your bed, get dressed.	Wash your hands regularly.
9.00-10.00	Morning Exercise	Use the Core PE links, in GoogleClassroom, to access online fitness training OR if it is allowed, go outdoors for exercise but socially distance.	Wash your hands regularly.
10.00-11.00	Learning Time	Complete work on GoogleClassroom or in your school work pack.	Wash your hands regularly.
11.00-12.00	Creative Time	Complete some Art/DT/Music/Drama/Dance work.	Wash your hands regularly.
12.00-12.30	Lunch	Help make lunch, make sure you get some of your 5-a-day	Wash your hands regularly.
12.30 -1.00	Help Out at Home	Ask whoever is at home, what they would like you to do around the house each day to help out.	Wash your hands regularly.
1.00-2.30	Quiet Time	Reading, puzzles, TV Documentaries, nap	Wash your hands regularly.
2.30-4.00	Learning Time	Complete work on GoogleClassroom or in your school work pack.	Wash your hands regularly.
4.00-5.00	Afternoon Exercise	Use the Core PE links, in GoogleClassroom, to access online fitness training OR if it is allowed, go outdoors for exercise but socially distance.	Wash your hands regularly.
5.00-6.00	Tea	Help make tea, make sure you get some of your 5-a-day!	Wash your hands regularly.
6.00-8.00	Free Time	TV, games, reading, board games, electronic games e.g. X Box	Wash your hands regularly.
8.00-9.00	Wind Down Time	Come off electronic devices, read, talk to your family, take a shower.	Wash your hands regularly.

 

• What about my child's mental health? 

There is a lot of uncertainty around the current COVID-19 outbreak, particularly given that the situation is constantly developing and the information about the virus remains incomplete.

Understandably, this is causing a lot of worry and anxiety for people. Having children and young people at home, often when people are trying to work themselves, adds another layer of stress. It is therefore important to not only consider our physical health during such challenging times, but also to pay attention to our mental health. It is normal to feel worried, stressed and anxious when we are faced with uncertain situations, but the sooner we acknowledge and learn to take care of our mental health, the healthier and better equipped we’ll be to cope with the situation we’re having to face. Wirral have an excellent website to signpost some online information and help in these areas.

 https://localofferwirral.org/looking-after-yourself-looking-after-your-children/
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support in an extremely difficult situation. Our students are our priority and we will endeavour to ensure that they have every opportunity to continue with their learning.

Yours faithfully
Mr A Boyle
Headteacher    

Key Workers Letter

Re: Key Worker Dear Parents and Carers,

Guidance for schools remaining open from Monday was posted in the early hours of this morning (see link below). The guidance is clear “If children can stay safely at home, they should.” 

My view as your Headteacher, based on the guidance, is that all parents should endeavour to keep their children at home safely. The fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread across the wider community. Outside of school, parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way that can continue to spread the virus.

If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors, our school staff are committed to providing childcare whilst you are at work. We are also committed to keeping our opening hours from 8am to 4pm to enable you to keep the country operating.

Furthermore, we will take all practical steps to keep our vulnerable children safe and we will endeavour to provide care, when and if it is needed.

In summary, the scientific guidance is clear - the fewer children we have in school each day, the greater chance we have of limiting the risk of the virus spreading.

These are testing times and is our civic and moral duty to keep our community safe, whilst at the same time keeping our critical services operating.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision?fbclid=IwAR0bw2mh1vPBfncuKKMfNm0eexgk0q65mvG-esGQBavtsVAe_bcImlBIF9A

Can I ask that you email If you will need to take advantage of the Key Worker provision for St Mary’s pupils then can I ask that you email as soon as possible to the email address keyworkerregistration@stmaryswallasey.com
identifying the name of your child(ren), your own name, your employer and their contact details.

I appreciate that this is very short notice but you might be aware of how late this list has been in coming.

Thanks for your support and encouragement at these challenging times for us all.

Yours faithfully
Mr A Boyle
Headteacher