Coronavirus: Update
With all of the current press coverage about the containment and management of the coronavirus, I thought it would be useful to clarify the situation about any school closure and also to reassure you that we are taking all measures here advised by the Department for Education and Public Health England.
All students have had reminders about frequent handwashing through tutorial time and posters are in all key areas to remind members of the school community and visitors that this is the most important step everyone can take to reduce the spreading of germs in the school. Please support us by encouraging your child(ren) to wash hands before leaving for school and upon return home as well as throughout the day. Advice is also to avoid touching the face with unwashed hands and this is another message to discuss at home.
Our cleaning team are also following government advice about the cleaning of public places and as a school site, areas defined as "high contact" which include toilets, door handles and desks, are cleaned on a daily basis.
With media discussion of school closure, there will be parents who are concerned about how to support students with learning at home and especially those in year 11 preparing for their GCSEs. All students have had advice about how to revise and will have lots of revision guides and other materials they can use at home for this purpose. In addition, if there were to be government guidance to close the school, all students would have a suitable amount of work set for each subject on their timetable to complete at home. This would be set on google classroom (which is accessed alongside school emails) and further information would be on our school website.
If any family cannot access school emails or the internet at home, it is really important that students advise their tutor or parents/carers contact the school and we will make alternative arrangements for work to be shared.
GCSE students working on their non-examined assessment (NEA) in various subjects (Health and Social Care and Business Studies for example) or preparing for practical exams or assessments (eg Art and GCSE PE) should continue to work towards the published dates and if there is a school closure the exams authority Ofqual will make arrangements regarding these which we will communicate as soon as we are able.
All GCSE students have their exam timetables and handbooks and it is useful to remind you all that Wednesday 24th June has been identified as an additional day for the examination series in case "sustained national or local disruption arises during the summer 2020 examination series".
Finally, some students are due to participate in trips and visits over the coming weeks and summer term and we continue to follow advice from the government including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about these. In some cases, there may be further information issued about the trip to relevant parties, but I am sure you will appreciate that we need to check all of the details, particularly related to payments and travel insurance before we communicate with families.
Can I remind you that all Government advice related to the coronavirus is available online and there is a dedicated phone line related to queries about schools (0800 046 8687 with an email address too: DfE.coronavirushelpline@