Dear Parent and Carer
As per my letter on 4 March 2021, please find below our plan for our return to school from Monday 15 March 2021.
The Minister has made clear that the focus before Easter will be face to face time in school for Years 11 and 13 as they prepare for their GCSEs and A levels. We can also plan to have time with Year 12 as they prepare for their AS levels. As Year 10 is also an examination year, we have prioritised this year group as per the guidance. The Minister announced that schools can, in readiness for a full return to school after Easter, offer pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 check-ins with a focus on their wellbeing. We have chosen to do this as one full day, rather than a shorter session.
Arrangements before Easter (w/b 15 March and 22 March)
Years 11 and 13 will return to school on Monday 15 March and, with the exception of Wednesday 17 March, will be in school each day. Years 11 and 13 will have 9 days of face to face learning in school and 1 day learning at home over the fortnight.
Year 12 will return to school on Wednesday 17 March. Year 12 will have 8 days of face to face learning in school and 2 days learning at home over the fortnight.
Year 10 will return to school on Monday 22 March. Year 10 will have a week learning at home and a week of face to face learning in school over the fortnight.
KS3 (Years 7, 8 and 9) will continue to learn at home. Each year group will have one full day in school to ‘check in’ with their teachers in their timetable lesson on that day and will be offered support for their wellbeing.
Year 9 ‘check in’ day will be Wednesday 24 March.
Year 8 ‘check in’ day will be Thursday 25 March.
Year 7 ‘check in’ day will be Friday 26 March.
On the days when year groups are learning at home, they will continue to receive synchronous or asynchronous remote learning lessons as per their timetable. When year groups are in school, they will attend the lessons and classrooms on their timetable. The week beginning 15 March is a Week A and the week beginning 22 March is a Week B.
The school day timings remain the same:
0815 This is the earliest time that a child should arrive on school site
0830-0930 Lesson 1
0930-1045 Lesson 2 including a 15 minute break
1045-1145 Lesson 3
1145-1305 Lesson 4 including a 20 minute break
1305-1405 Lesson 5 (there will be a staggered end beginning at 1355 for some year groups)
1410 All children should have left school site
Our Hub will remain open in w/b 15 March for Y7-Y10. In the w/b 22 March, our Hub will be open for Y7-Y9. We have strictly kept to our cohort bubbles in our Hubs. Therefore those children who have attended our Hubs can join their class on their full days in school.
Risk assessment
The most important measure remains prevention:
Hands, face, space, ventilate remain the next most important measures to prevent infection and we will strictly adhere to these measures in school. As in the autumn term, we will minimise contacts and movement across the site, maximising the available space, and ensure that each cohort contact group has a ‘mini school site’ within the school where they will have all of their lessons and break times. Pupils will not be allowed to mix with pupils from other year groups and will not be allowed to enter another year group’s mini school site. Your child will be familiar and confident with this set up.
Face coverings – to be worn in classrooms
All pupils will be expected to wear a face covering indoors. This now includes wearing a face covering in classrooms during lessons. All pupils will also be expected to wear a face covering on school transport, in corridors, whenever they are indoors, or outdoors where they cannot maintain 2m social distance, etc. CCBC provided each pupil with 5 reusable, washable face coverings. We will provide replacement face coverings over the comings weeks as well so that every child has enough face coverings to wear a clean one each day to school.
Lateral Flow Tests
Welsh government have introduced Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs) for all staff and older pupils in Years 10-13. Lateral Flow Tests will be undertaken at home and are strongly encouraged, though voluntary. As these tests are designed to help detect asymptomatic cases, taking part in these tests will help to reduce the risk of transmission from asymptomatic cases.
Y11 and Y13 can collect their Lateral Flow Test packs and documentation from the school site this Friday (12 March) so that they can complete their test at home late on Sunday evening or early on Monday morning before returning to school. Y12 and Y10 will also be informed of when they can collect their tests in advance of their return to school. Details about collection and more information about Lateral Flow Tests will follow in a separate letter.
CCBC school canteen
The CCBC school canteen will not open before the Easter break. Pupils should bring snacks and water with them for their break times in school. eFSM home deliveries from CCBC will continue.
CCBC School transport (school buses and taxis)
School buses and taxis will operate for the two weeks before Easter. I would still urge that children travel to school by walking, bicycle, scooter or having a lift from a member of their household if at all possible.
School Uniform
All pupils should attend school in their full uniform if possible. As in the autumn term, on the days when your child has a PE lesson, they should attend school in their PE kit. However, as non-essential retail has not been open, and some students may have outgrown some uniform items, we will expect and accept some modifications for these two weeks.
After Easter, we will revert to our usual school uniform expectations as detailed on the school website. For those families who qualify for the PDG Access Grant, this has now been extended to Y8, Y9 and Y11 pupils, and details will be shared by Caerphilly Council in the next few weeks about this.
Wednesday 17 March – Wellbeing afternoon for students / extended Y11 Parents Evening for staff
On Wednesday 17 March, Y12 will attend school site and they will have their 5 timetabled lessons. For all other year groups, they will have L1-3 remote learning lessons until 1145, and will then have a screen free, wellbeing afternoon. This is to release teaching staff for an extended Y11 Parents Evening as many teachers have multiple classes in Y11 and to enable as many opportunities as possible for parents to meet with their child’s teacher.
Our virtual Y11 Parents Evening will therefore run from 1215 to 1800.
INSET Day – Friday 12 March
Just a reminder that this Friday is an INSET day for staff training.
We are very much looking forward to welcoming your children back to school site. If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Head of Year in the first instance.
Yours sincerely
Miss Collins
Headteacher
