Dear Parents and Carers
In my summer end of term letter, I wrote to reflect on the lockdown period prior to the summer and how our community had come together over that time and to share our plans for the full return of all our staff and pupils in September. Over this term we have been able to refine our bubble model and our pupils and staff have responded very positively to the new challenges this has brought.
Ready Respectful Safe
Our new behaviour policy with an emphasis on recognising and celebrating positive behaviour is becoming embedded in the minds and hearts of our pupils. It is encapsulated in the three words Ready Respectful Safe which we use as our reference points for celebrating the positive behaviours, which far outnumber the negatives on our Classcharts system.
My Christmas challenge is for you to ask your child “What are the three words that capture St Mary’s behaviour policy?”
I hope you have had the lovely experience of receiving one of the many positive phonecalls home made by our teachers or a praise postcard. We will be sending out more commendations before the end of term.
Going the extra mile
I am incredibly proud of all that my colleagues have done for pupils and families in our community during this time of unprecedented challenge. We have been able to source laptops and other devices through successful bids put together by members of our staff team. Teachers have continually adjusted the curriculum to recognise the learning gaps that the lockdown has created. They want the best for your children. I would like to thank them on your behalf. They are a great team.
Diagnostic Mock Exams
As you will be aware, the government is intending to go ahead with GCSE and A Level exams this summer. This week and last our Year 11 and Year 13 pupils have been undertaking Diagnostic exams which is their first experience of formal examinations at their respective levels. These will provide us with crucial information to inform our planning for the time that remains on their courses. They have been revising hard and invariably they have been mature and focused in their approach.
Year 10 and 11 Review Day 15th January 2020
I will be writing separately to Year 10 and 11 parents about the details of the arrangements for Year 10 and 11 Review day on 15th January 2021 but want to remind parents and carers that the school is closed to pupils on this day. As with the Year 8 and 9 Review day we will use the School Cloud appointment system which parents told us worked really well.
Full Uniform and piercings
Can I thank you for your continuing support for ensuring our pupils are in full college uniform.
The Christmas season sometimes bring gifts that pupils would like to show peers on their return in January eg new trainers and pupils occasionally get piercings done over the holiday. As you know we have clear specifications about acceptable footwear which does not include trainers or similar footwear, and any piercings have to be removed in school regardless of when they were done. If people are concerned that they cannot remove them for a period afterwards then they should wait until the start of the summer holidays.
Wearing of Face masks
The wearing of face masks in communal areas will remain compulsory until we are advised otherwise. Can I thank you for your support for this both in supplying your children with them and for urging them to wear them. It is helping to keep us all safe.
Change to end of this term
You may have heard from the national press that the government has advised that schools should close a day early to ensure that family Christmases are not disturbed by Covid track and trace. We will therefore close for Christmas on Thursday 17th December at the end of the school day. Pupils will leave at the end of their day 2.40/2.50pm.
What if there is a positive test in the holidays?
Please be aware of the following information and relevant arrangements regarding positive cases in the holidays:
For the first 6 days after Thursday 17 December, if a pupil tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), having developed symptoms within 48 hours of being in school, we will identify close contacts advising self-isolation, as the individual may have been infectious whilst in school, the school should be contacted via [email protected]
Please do not message/contact school via ringing the school office number, messaging Google Classroom or via social media as these platforms will not be monitored.
Where a pupil or staff member tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), having developed symptoms more than 48 hours since being in school, the school should not be contacted. Parents and carers should follow contact tracing instructions provided by NHS Test and Trace.
As the end of term is now Thursday 17 December, school should not have to contact you regarding contact with a positive case beyond Wednesday 23 December. Had we have finished as planned on Friday 18 December, contact tracing by school leaders would have continued until Christmas Eve and through to Christmas Day.
Start of new term
The new term begins on Tuesday 5th January 2021 at 8.30am for all pupils.
Advent
Although constrained by some of the restrictions we have continued to focus on what we can do to prepare for Christmas through our collective worship and in what we are still able to do to support vulnerable members of our community including collections for the foodbank. We have focused in our PSHE curriculum on Kindness and how we can demonstrate this and this has been picked up in our new Key Stage 3 Inspire curriculum with pupils committing to various local projects.
Can I finish by thanking you for all your support and understanding over the last 12 months. I don’t think any of us will forget 2020 in a hurry but hopefully the measures we have all committed to over recent months to reduce levels of transmission will allow us to celebrate with our immediate families over Christmas and we can look forward to the New Year optimistically given the great news about the vaccines that are now being rolled out.
Can I wish you and your families a Happy and Holy Christmas and every blessing for you all in 2021.
Yours faithfully
Mr A Boyle
Headteacher
