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Letter to Year 10 parents/carers 3rd June

Posted: 3/06/20

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

I wrote to you before half term about the plans for the return of Year 10, and since then the government has issued further guidance for secondary schools which Mr Vosper referenced in his recent update letter.  This guidance makes clear that “remote education will continue to be the predominant form of education delivery for these year groups” and that “schools should have flexibility to implement face-to-face support for Year 10 and Year 12 pupils in the way that best suits their circumstances ”. 

 

The guidance also states that this support should not begin before Monday 15th June at the earliest and that only a maximum of 25% of the year group are allowed to be in school on any one day.

 

Please see detailed DFE guidelines for secondary schools below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools

 

On this basis, the plan we wrote to you about prior to half term has had to change. We have now established what, we hope, will be the final plan for offering Year 10 students some on site learning. 

 

From Monday 15th June we will be inviting all Year 10 students to return to school for one day a week.  The year group will be divided into four groups so that we only have 25% of the year group on site at any one time, in accordance with guidelines.

 

Students do not have to attend and may continue to work remotely from home if parents/carers prefer but I strongly believe that all of our Year 10 students should be given the opportunity to attend school again, even in this reduced format.   

 

It is important that we know which students will be returning to us from Monday 15th June to enable safe and secure planning of both the school site and lesson delivery.  Therefore can you please complete the online questionnaire via the link below for your child by Monday 8th June 3.00pm

 

Please also indicate the mode of transport your child will be using as public transport is not advised and government have requested that we take journeys to and from school into consideration when planning what we are able to offer. 

 

If parents/carers do not complete the form below by the deadline then we will assume that the student will not be attending Cheam High School from Monday 15th June and that the student will continue to learn remotely from home for the rest of this term.

 

Online Questionnaire, please click  https://forms.gle/eM5fd7hK6dUBgkYK8

 

As always, many thanks for your understanding, patience and support at this difficult time.  We will continue to do our best to offer Year 10 a high standard of remote education but we are pleased that we are now able to invite students into school in a minimal way whilst following strict DFE guidance.  We will continue to follow government advice regarding schools closely and if any significant aspect of advice changes, we will inform parents and carers as soon as possible.

 

Please see the following pages for a more detailed overview of our school opening proposals for Year 10, including additional health and safety arrangements.  These must be followed stringently for the time being and would be appreciated if you could discuss the safety plan with your child before they return to on-site learning.  Guidance is very clear that we should not have students on-site who do not follow health and safety guidelines.  We will also communicate this directly with students via Show My Homework.

 

Many thanks and I hope that you and your families and loved ones are keeping well,

 

Regards

 

Mr Naudi

Headteacher

 

 

FAQs

What will the school day look like? 

  • Year 10 students will be issued with a personalised timetable prior to their return to school, including which day to attend, which school entrance to use and which classroom to attend.   This new timetable will be fixed for the remainder of the term.
  • The start of the day will be staggered to reduce student contact. Students will attend school from either 9am-12.50pm or 9.30am-1.20pm.
  • Each student will be in school one day a week. School will only be open for Year 10 from Monday to Thursday.  This is due to DFE guidance that schools must only allow 25% of Year 10 students on site on any given day.
  • Your child will be assigned a particular day and that day will be fixed for the rest of term.
  • There will be a maximum of 12 students per class with one teacher for each subject lesson.
  • Teachers will move rooms to teach the students but students will remain in their allocated classrooms apart from a short 20 minute break.
  • This short break will be after the 2nd lesson to allow time for supervised toilet breaks and for students to eat any snacks they have brought in before returning to a new classroom for lessons 3 and 4.  Students will not necessarily be with the same students in the post break lessons but mixing and movement will be minimised.
  • Each student will have 4 x 50 minutes lessons: English, Maths, Science + 1 Ebacc subject (History or French).
  • Students must bring in their own pens, pencils, calculator etc to ensure no cross contamination of equipment.  No equipment will be given out to students.
  • Students will leave the school site at the end of their 4th lesson (Either 12.50pm or 1.20pm). 

What safety measure will be in place?

  • Students must go straight home when dismissed from school, not linger in public areas and not wait for other students.  If students do linger outside school parents will be informed and students will not be allowed to attend school in future weeks.  We have a responsibility to the local community to minimise risk of Covid 19 transmission in the areas around school as well as on school site.
  • Students must maintain the 2m distancing rule when walking to and from school and at all times on the school site.
  • There will be minimal movement around the school and there will be a one-way system in place and tape on the floors of the corridors to indicate the 2m distance students need to maintain.
  • There will be more staff on duty to remind students of the 2m distancing rule and the need for hand washing or hand sanitizer before and after school and before and after break and toilet use.
  • Any student unable to follow the social distancing rules will be sent home immediately and parents contacted, so please ensure your child is very clear about the 2m distancing and no physical contact with any other person in school. 
  • All students, including those on free school meals* will need to bring food for the break at the end of Lesson 2, if they wish. The canteen will not be open. (* FSM vouchers will continue to be delivered to those families who have applied for them until such time as the canteen can reopen).  
  • Students must bring a full water bottle to school as there will be limited opportunities to refill.
  • There will be hand sanitizer and tissues available in each classroom and bins for tissue and rubbish disposal. Students will be expected to sanitize their hands before entry to the room. 
  • School will remain open Monday to Friday, 8.30-2.50pm, for the group of students who fall into the vulnerable category and/or are children of key workers (as now).
  • Home learning work will continue to be set on line for all year groups until such time as all students return to school and this will remain the predominate form of education for all students in Year 10.
  • Students must wear either Cheam High School PE kit or full school uniform. I strongly advise that each student showers and washes their clothes on return from school.  More information about student dress code will follow next week.
  • Please note lessons delivered in school will not be repeated online unless you are in a high risk group.

What support is there for my child's wellbeing? 

  • During the students’ first day back there will be planned wellbeing discussions in lesson time. 
  • The pastoral support team will be available to work with students who may feel nervous about returning to school.
  • There will also be time if any student feels particularly upset or anxious for them to have conversations with key staff in school should the need arise.
  • I am aware that some parents/carers and students may be feeling anxious about the return to school, however, we will do our best to provide reassurance through frequent communication between home and school and providing the support outlined above in order to provide a safe environment for all.