Dear Parents and Carers
I hope this letter finds you, your family and friends well during this continuing lockdown.
I have been impressed by the motivation, engagement and resilience of so many of our pupils as they have tried their very best to complete their work from home with your support. We have introduced live video conferencing lessons over the past two weeks, focusing initially on some exam groups at KS4 and KS5. We will continue to offer more of these lessons after the half term break, including for KS3 classes. We will balance the demands of synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning, using a blend of pre-recorded video lessons and live video conferencing lessons, so that pupils can organise breaks away from their screen, and manage their work and time.
Our pastoral staff have kept in contact with you and your child by telephone for short catch up calls over the past half term. The purpose of these calls is to keep in touch with you and your child, and to ask whether there is anything we can do to support your child. We will make a small adjustment to these arrangements for our KS5 students following a discussion yesterday with some of our senior students. We will contact the KS5 student rather than their parent after half term. However, please do not hesitate to be in contact with Mr Jones (Head of Years 12 and 13) or Mrs Gail Davies as you wish.
We will be holding virtual parents evenings for Years 11-13 over the coming weeks. We will send details about how you can book appointments, etc. after half term. Each parents evening will run from 3pm to 6pm, and the dates for your diary are:
Thursday 4 March 2021 – Year 13
Tuesday 9 March 2021 – Year 12
Wednesday 17 March 2021 – Year 11
We will arrange dates for Years 7-10 to take place during the summer term.
We are expecting a further announcement about GCSE, AS and A level arrangements for summer 2021 from WJEC and Qualifications Wales after half term. I will hold another series of live assemblies with Years 11-13 in w/b 1 March following these announcements. In the meantime I have sent an email to all KS4 and KS5 students with a letter from Qualifications Wales:
https://qualificationswales.org/media/7068/learner-letter-guidance-update-090221.pdf
As yet, we do not know when secondary schools in Wales will return to face to face onsite teaching. I will, of course, be in contact when we know more. The next review of national lockdown measures by Welsh Government is due next Friday (19 February). Welsh Government have stated that they will give parents, pupils and schools two weeks’ notice before a return, so this will not be until Monday 8 March at the earliest. Remote learning and support will continue for the first two weeks of next half term at least.
As it is the half term break next week (w/b 15 February) we will not be setting assignments or lessons. So many children have worked exceptionally hard over the past six weeks, keeping in touch with their teachers, and completing their assignments to the best of their ability. Like you, we are so proud of them! I would like pupils to take a break from their school work and their screens next week so that they are refreshed and ready for the next half term. We return on Monday 22 February 2021 as per their timetable.
Thank you for your support during this half term as we have taught, learnt, supported and worked remotely. We very much appreciate your support and kindness. Thank you!
Yours sincerely
Miss Collins
