Dear Parents and Carers
I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and well.
You will have heard the announcement earlier today from Mark Drakeford, First Minister, about the new lockdown from 1800 on Friday 23 October through to 0001 on Monday 9 November 2020. This lockdown is planned as a short, sharp shock to the virus and its transmission.
To confirm, this lockdown means that
- Primary schools and special schools will re-open as normal after half term on Monday 2 November.
- From Monday 2 November until Friday 6 November, secondary schools will be open for children in years 7 and 8 only.
- From Monday 2 November until Friday 6 November students in year 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 will continue their learning from home for that week. We will be providing video lessons and support for all students in Y9-Y13 on a daily basis to be completed at home in line with their timetable for that week.
- Y9-Y13 students will return to school on Monday 9 November.
Examinations
A number of our Y11 and KS5 students are due to sit GCSE exams at the beginning of November. I can confirm that these examinations will go ahead and these students will be able to attend the school for their examination.
The announcement by the Minister for Education about examinations in summer 2021 has been further delayed and will not now be announced until w/b 9 November.
Wellbeing
For many of our older students, the prospect of missing a week of school in November will be worrying them. Please know that our pastoral staff will be on hand, as well as their teachers, to ‘touch base’ throughout that week and offer support through wellbeing phone calls. You will know that staff made phone calls to students during the lockdown earlier in the year, and we will do this again.
If you think that your child would benefit from a wellbeing call from school in that week, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Head of Year to arrange this.
Free school meal and CCBC canteen
Free school meal deliveries will continue for pupils in year 9 and above for the week beginning 2 November.
After half term, our CCBC run school canteen will be reopening and offering a limited menu. Here is a link to the limited menu that will be offered by the CCBC canteen.
Children, including those entitled to a free school meal, will have to order their food using the order form for the following week by Thursday first break. Therefore Y7 and Y8 pupils will place their order for food on Thursday this week for the week beginning 2 November, and Y9-Y11 students will place their order for food on Thursday this week for the week beginning 9 November.
There are two ways to pay for this food. The easiest way is to visit www.upay.co.uk and load money onto your account using a debit or credit card. Alternatively CCBC will accept cheque or cash payments which will need to be in an envelope along with the order form. Your child’s full name, date of birth, class/set, year and Uniware ID number (found on your child’s cashless catering card) must be written on the back of your cheque or on the envelope if providing cash. CCBC will debit your Upay account with the total cost of your purchases. Please note that the cash machine at school will not be available to pay money onto the card.
All pupils who wish to order food for the following week must post their order form (with cheque or cash to cover the order if not using Upay) in their year group post box by the end of break 1 each Thursday. Our block leaders will be on hand to help pupils with this in the first instance.
Curriculum Information Booklets
Later this week we will be publishing Parent Information Booklets outlining curriculum and assessment information for each year group. These will be available on our school website.
I know that this is a very uncertain time and, although this ‘firebreak’ lockdown was widely expected, it is still unnerving at the end of what has been a long and successful half term. I am very proud of everyone at school as we work together to keep everyone safe and thank you for your continued support.
I wish you and your family a restful and safe half term.
Yours sincerely
Miss Collins
Head Teacher
