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 DownloadEnd 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? Your school or college will be asked to send exam boards two pieces of information for each of your subjects, based on what they know about your work and achievements:
- the grade they believe you were most likely to get if teaching, learning and exams had happened as planned
- within each subject, the order of students at your school or college, by performance, for each grade. This information will be used to standardise judgements – allowing fine tuning of the standard applied across schools and collegesYour school or college will consider a range of things like your classwork and homework; your results in assignments and any mock exams; any non-exam assessment or coursework you might have done; and your general progress during your course.
This information will allow us, with exam boards, to standardise grades across schools and colleges, to make sure that, as far as possible, results are fair and that students are not advantaged or disadvantaged because their schools or colleges are more generous or harsh than others when making those judgements. That means the final grade you get could be different from the one your school or college sends to the exam board.
Do I need to complete any new work for my school/college to submit a grade?
Your school or college is not required to set additional mock exams or homework for your centre assessment grade, and you won’t be disadvantaged if you were not set, or were unable to complete, any work given out after schools were closed. Can I see the grades my school/college submits for me?No, this information will be confidential. Please don’t ask your teachers, or anyone else at your school or college, to tell you the grades they will be sending to the exam boards or where they have placed you in the order of students; they will not be allowed to share this with you.
I am a private candidate – what does this mean for me? If you are a private candidate (for example, home-schooled, following distance-learning programmes or studying independently) the centre you are entering with should include you where the head teacher or principal is confident that they and their staff have seen sufficient evidence of your achievement to make an objective judgement. We are urgently exploring whether there are alternative options for those students who do not have an existing relationship with a centre and who need results this summer to progress. Unfortunately this is unlikely to be possible for all private candidates, some of whom may instead need to take exams in the autumn to get their grades.
We appreciate that this is a matter of real concern to private candidates and will provide an update as soon as possible. We have asked organisations that represent universities and FE colleges to consider the steps that providers could take when making admissions decisions this summer for any private candidates who do not receive a grade. They have told us that they believe that institutions will consider a range of other evidence and information for these students to allow them to progress wherever possible.
When will I get my results?We’re working hard to get results out as soon as is possible – results won’t be delayed after the dates they were expected in August, and ideally they will be issued a little earlier, so you can have the certainty you need.
Can I take my exams another time? We are working with exam boards to offer additional exams in the autumn term as soon as it is possible to do so. We’ll let you know about these in the coming weeks.
The information we have published covers GCSEs, AS and A levels, plus Extended Project Qualifications and Additional Extension Awards in maths. You can find out more about which qualifications and students are included, and the current arrangements for those which are not, in our
detailed guidance; along with answers to other questions that you and your parents or carers might have. We will keep updating our guidance as new information becomes available, including to share details about vocational and technical qualifications as soon as we can, so please keep an eye on our website.
Please be reassured that the grades you get this summer will look excatly the same as in previous years, and they will have equal status with universities, colleges and employers, to help you move forward in your
lives as planned.
With every best wish,
Sally Collier
Chief Regulator, Ofqual
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
HeadteacherYear 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
HeadteacherEnd 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
HeadteacherFree School Meal Provision
With schools closed we have been faced with working out a way to provide a practical alternative to the normal provision in school.
The government promised last week that a scheme would be put in place but we have waited and it's taking too long.
Consequently we have taken the decision to purchase a £30 ASDA evoucher per child to support families in meeting the provision at home. We have identified that there are Asda shops across our catchment area.
This is for the period 23rd March to 3rd April equating to £3 per day. This is more than the daily allowance in school, £2.30, that we normally receive but we have recognised that prices are proportionately higher outside of school. The DFE have said they will compensate us. This takes us up to the start of the Easter holidays during which Free School Meals are not provided and we hope that if it is still necessary the promised government scheme might be in place by the time school is due to return on 20th April.
We have purchased the e vouchers on the basis that an email would be the quickest way to get them to families but are also conscious that some families who are entitled to Free School Meals have not provided us with an email address.
We have a relatively large number to send out and it will take some time. We will start with the families for whom we have email addresses but can I ask that you email the
schooloffice@stmaryswallasey.com if you are aware that you have not provided an email address or have changed it recently.
Please use Free School Meal Voucher as the title of your email, you need to include your child(ren)'s name date of birth and your name so we have an evidence trail as to who has received the vouchers. We will use this email address we receive these details from to send the voucher(s) to and will add it to your child's school information record.
If we do not have or do not receive an email from you, we will post the voucher(s) out but it will inevitably take longer to reach families which we are anxious to avoid if at all possible.
Please take care of yourselves and your family at this challenging time for us all at St Mary's.
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 SmithHarry Smith Year 7 (started in 2019) - 19harr.smit@stmaryswallasey.comorHarry 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 CodesYear 9 GoogleClassroom Codes Year 10 GoogleClassroom CodesYear 11 GoogleClassroom CodesYear 12 GoogleClassroom CodesYear 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 WorkerDear 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
