Dear parents/carers,

I am writing to you to give you further information about our re-opening arrangements for the return to school for secondary and 6^th form pupils from Monday 8^th March.

This is a lengthy letter and I am sure that you will appreciate that we have important information to communicate to you regarding the return to in-school provision. You will be familiar with some of the information as I wrote to you before we opened in September, but there are also some important updates and some new information.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming back all of our pupils in all year groups 7-13 to face-to-face education.

The link below will take you to the full government guidance produced for parents and carers at this time:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak

I have organised information under a series of headings or questions for easy reference.

School attendance and a staggered start during the week of 8^th March

The latest government guidance on school reopening allows schools to welcome pupils back on a phased basis during the week of 8^th March to help manage our coronavirus lateral flow device (LFD) testing programme that we will carry out over two weeks from 8^th- 19^th March. The guidance can be located here:

Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

We will operate a staggered start from 8^th March (different year groups returning as the week progresses) and by Friday 12^th March, all year groups will have been welcomed back into school to resume on site education following the normal timetable of hours.

The following table gives you further information about start dates and times for every year group 7-13 and where there is a grey shade box, pupils continue to carry out their lessons remotely from home and we continue our remote learning provision:

Date and Time of arrival week of 8^th March:

ARRIVAL DATES & TIMES	Monday 8th March	Tuesday 9th March	Wednesday 10th March	Thursday 11th March	Friday 12th March
Year 11	08:50	08:50	08:50	08:50	08:50
Year 13	08:50	08:50	08:50	08:50	08:50
Year 12	Remote learning at home	08:50	08:50	08:50	08:50
Year 7		08:30	08:30	08:30	08:30
Year 10		Remote learning at home	08:45	08:45	08:45
Year 9			Remote learning at home	08:40	08:40
Year 8				Remote learning at home	08:35

Once pupils attend on the day and time indicated in the table below, they remain on site and follow the normal school day

PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD INTO SCHOOL BEFORE THE DATE AND TIME IN THE TABLE ABOVE, UNLESS PART OF THE RESOURCE BASE PROVISION. THE RESOURCE BASE ARE IN SCHOOL ALL WEEK.

Remote Learning 8^th-12^th March

Where the table is shaded grey, pupils continue their learning at home as they have been doing since 4^th January.

Where does my child go when they arrive to school from 8^th March to 12^th March?

Pupils are expected to arrive to school at the stated time in the table above. It is important that your child arrives on time in full uniform and not before as there will be no entry into school (if they do, they will be asked to wait outside of the building until their allotted time). Years 8-11 upon arrival will enter through the main school gates and will walk along the main concourse to enter through the doors near main reception. Year 7 will enter through the door to the left into the English Cluster (this will be clearly signed and staff will guide). Years 12 and 13 upon arrival will enter through the main school gates and will walk to the left to the PE side gate to make their way to the 6^th form building. As soon as they enter the building, pupils go straight to their form room, so we can start the LFD testing process for all pupils who have consented.

Once pupils attend on the day and time indicated. Pupils remain on site and follow the normal school day.

Date and time of school departure week of 8^th March

END OF THE DAY DATE & TIMES	Monday 8th March	Tuesday 9th March	Wed 10th March	Thurs 11th March	Friday 12th March
Year 11	15:30	15:30	15:30	15:30	15:30
Year 13	15:30	15:30	15:30	15:30	15:30
Year 12	Remote learning at home	15:30	15:30	15:30	15:30
Year 7		15:10	15:10	15:10	15:10
Year 10		Remote learning at home	15:25	15:25	15:25
Year 9			Remote learning at home	15:20	15:20
Year 8				Remote learning at home	15:15

Attendance to school from 8^th March

Mandatory attendance by law will be in force to allow schools to open at full capacity. Our usual rules on attendance will apply.

During the week of 8^th March, the government is allowing a staggered start to accommodate the LFD testing and this will not negatively affect attendance codes.

 The normal school timetable from Monday 15^th March: Pupils are to attend every day as normal

By 12^th March all year groups will have returned to school and our normal academic timetable resumes:

 

 

The government guidance on positive cases of coronavirus and self-isolation

This has been taken directly from the government guidance.

If anyone in school (staff or pupils) develops a new and continuous cough or a high temperature, or has a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell: -

•          they must be sent home to begin isolation - the isolation period includes the day the symptoms started and the next 10 full days.
•          we request that they follow the guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.
•          we request that they arrange to have a PCR test as soon as possible to see if they have coronavirus (COVID-19).
•          Other members of their household (including any siblings and members of their support or childcare bubble if they have one) should self-isolate. Their isolation period includes the day symptoms started for the first person in their household, or the day their test was taken if they did not have symptoms, whether this was a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) or Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, and the next 10 full days.

If a member of the household starts to display symptoms while self-isolating they will need to restart the 10-day isolation period and book a PCR test.

If anyone tests positive whilst not experiencing symptoms but develop symptoms during the isolation period, they must restart the 10-day isolation period from the day they developed symptoms.

More information can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested

Pupils who are classed as ‘extremely clinically vulnerable (ECV)’

In line with the latest government guidance, pupils who are clinically extremely vulnerable (ECV) should not attend school. If your child is in this group, they should continue to learn from home until further notice. It is important that you notify the school if your child is classed as ECV, as we will ensure that we offer the support we can and of course that your child can continue their education remotely. If a pupil has received a letter from the GP or clinician for shielding, it is important that parents/carers notify us and provide us a copy of the letter for our files. Please contact our enquiry email for communication.

For pupils who are self-isolating or shielding we will continue to set work via the assignments function of Microsoft Teams.

Further information can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

Management confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) amongst the school community

Pupils and staff who participate in the LFD testing process will support us to prevent infection and we strongly encourage participation.

The Prime Minister said on 22^nd February in his address that as a nation we will have to live with covid-19 in our lives now and in the future. The vaccination process will support the reduction of the impact of the virus.

We will take swift action if we become aware that someone who has tested positive for coronavirus and has attended school. We will contact the local health protection team. This team will also contact us directly if they become aware that someone who has tested positive for coronavirus (attended the school – as identified by NHS Test and Trace).

The health protection team in school will assess risk to confirm who has been in close contact with the person during the period that they were infectious, and ensure they are asked to self-isolate - see above.

We will keep confidential and secure records of pupils and staff who test positive and any close contact that takes places between children and staff in different groups.

Please always inform the school as soon as possible if your child or a close contact of your child has tested positive, which means that your child will be self-isolating following all government guidelines.

Coronavirus Lateral Flow Device (LFD) testing from 8^th March until 19^th March in school

To help us keep everyone safe, we’ll be offering rapid coronavirus testing - LFD Testing to all our pupils as they return from 8 March. Pupils will be asked to take 3 LFD tests in school, with a space of 3 to 5 days between each test.

This asymptomatic testing programme does not replace current guidance for those with symptoms or those identified as a close contact of a positive case. Anyone with symptoms, whether they are involved in this programme or not, should book a free NHS test and follow government self-isolation guidance until the results of their test are known.

LFD Testing also does not replace basic preventative measures such as regular hand washing, use of PPE where applicable, the wearing of masks/face coverings and social distancing.

The LFD Testing will be conducted on site between Monday 8^th March until Friday 19^th March (a 2-week window allowed by the government). As we have 1000 pupils to test three times, we do require the 2-week window and aim to complete the first test by Friday 12^th March as we stagger the start days for year groups during this week.

Test results will take about 30 minutes to process.

Pupils who have consent will be tested on the first day of their return and if the test result is negative, they stay in school and continue their education on site. If at any point they test positive, they will need to self-isolate in line with government guidance. Parents/carers will be contacted if their child has a positive test result, so that the child can go home.

Testing is voluntary, and you and/or your child will need to give consent for it to be carried out. However, we strongly encourage your child to take part so we can help prevent the spread of coronavirus and can better protect everyone in school and the local community.

If your child is not participating in testing, they should attend school as usual in line with our phased return arrangements in the table above.

After the three initial LFD tests at school, pupils will be offered self-test kits that they should take twice a week at home. I will write to you separately regarding the home testing kits. What I can say at this stage is that we anticipate them to arrive in school before 8^th March and we will begin distribution before 19^th March.

Frequently Asked Questions about LFD Testing:

Why are we testing people without symptoms of COVID-19?

Up to one in three people who have coronavirus (COVID-19) do not display any symptoms.

Is in-school LFD Testing compulsory for my child?

LFD Testing is voluntary, and your child will not be prevented from coming into school if you do not take part. We strongly advise participation. The success of this public health measure depends on as many people participating as possible.

How do I give consent for my child to participate in the LFD testing from 8^th March until 19^th March?

Please follow this link to our school website:

https://www.waverley.bham.sch.uk/page/?title=Covid%2D19+Lateral+flow+testing&pid=128

Please fill in all the required details as soon as possible and before the day that your child returns. Thank you.

How often are pupils tested between 8^th March and 19^th March (a 2-week period)?

Students will have three tests at intervals of between 3 to 5 days apart between the 8^th and 19^th March.

Why do pupils take 3 LFD Tests?

There are two reasons:

1. The government wants to prevent infection as schools in England re-open, so a series of three LFD tests increases the chances of preventing the spread of infection in our school rather than just one or two test.

2. Taking 3 LFD tests gives pupils 3 opportunities to go through the process of swabbing, which will help them carry out the self-testing process at home from Monday 22nd March.

How effective are these tests in detecting the virus?

LFD tests have been widely and successfully used to detect asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. The speed and convenience of the tests supports the detection of the virus in asymptomatic individuals, who would not otherwise have got tested. LFD tests are approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The tests are highly specific, with low chances of false positives. They are also very sensitive and able to identify the majority of the most infectious yet asymptomatic individuals. It is important to remember that these tests are an additional layer of health protection measure alongside hand washing, face covering and social distancing.

Further information about LFD testing

We are making a video guiding you through the LFD test site set up in school and also the process of the LFD test. I want to reassure you that there is nothing to fear, it does not hurt and it is straightforward to carry out. We will post the video online this week. It will also be shown to pupils before they take the test.

This is the official NHS self-test video that has been produced:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9XR8RZxKNo&list=PLvaBZskxS7tzQYlVg7lwH5uxAD9UrSzGJ&index=1

It is a very useful video as pupils will be self-testing at home from Monday 22^nd March, it shows the steps involved.

Our safety measures including mask wearing

Rest assured that we are doing everything that we can to ensure that our pupils can return to school safely. Our experience to date and our robust risk assessment have supported us to be very well prepared. From 8^th March we will be taking the following protective measures:

We ask that all pupils wear a face covering in classrooms, communal areas and corridors. This is in line with the latest government guidance for schools. The guidance states that it is recommended and we strongly advise the wearing of masks throughout the school day.

We will continue our robust approach that we have followed since September:

•          We will deliver the full curriculum to all year groups.
•          Classes will return to their normal sizes
•          COVID-19 secure hygiene & cleaning and social distancing measures will be in place to reduce the risk of infection. Measures will include:

1.             Increased cleaning of furniture, equipment and frequently touched surfaces.
2.             Frequent washing of hands and sanitising of hands with alcoholic hand sanitiser.
3.             Reducing the use of frequently shared items to mitigate against infection.

•          Pupils will continue to be in year group ‘bubbles’ to minimise contact with others and to maintain social distancing wherever possible. To be clear there will be some movement within a year group bubble to allow for specialist teaching, however measures will be in place to minimise mixing with students in other year groups.
•          To reduce the movement around school, your child will mainly be taught in one room.
•          To minimise contact of year group bubbles student arrival and dismissal times will be staggered- see the table above. All pupils will still receive their full entitlement to the curriculum.
•          We will not complete temperature checks. Public Health England is clear that routinely taking the temperature of pupils is not recommended for identifying coronavirus (COVID-19).

•          All secondary phase and 6^th form pupils will be encouraged to keep their distance from each other and staff. This is alongside the infection protection measures mentioned above.
•          The school will teach a high quality broad and balanced curriculum in all subjects and will make use of existing assessment strategies to address gaps in knowledge and skills
•          Teachers and other adults in school are to socially distance from each other and pupils where possible and everyone is to minimise contact in corridors.
•          Tape has been placed in every classroom to mark a 2-metre gap from where teachers teach.

 

Clean hands more often than usual

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an easy virus to kill when it is on skin. This can be done using soap and running water for 20 seconds or using hand sanitiser. We will ensure that pupils clean their hands regularly, including when they arrive at school, before and when they return from lunchtime and when they change rooms. Regular and thorough hand cleaning is still going to be needed for the foreseeable future. To support school to instil good handwashing and hygiene habits in our pupils, please reinforce these good habits at home. The ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach continues to be very important for everyone to follow in school and at home. We have hand sanitiser units placed around the school building.

Updated risk assessment

As part of the reopening process we will be updating our risk assessment. We will publish this during this week. It will be available on our school website.

Lunchtime/Food and Drink

Due to the staggered start and end times for each year group, we will not be holding any formal break-time. In light of this, students can bring a snack and a drink (fizzy drinks are not allowed) that can be consumed without mess or fuss as teaching takes place. Teachers will control when this takes place. Please provide your child with a bottle (plastic) of water as the water fountains will not be available.

Lunch will take place as normal for 30 minutes (this has always been the length of lunchtime). Lunch time will be staggered by year group to minimise contact between year groups. Your child will remain in their year group bubble. Normal canteen services will be available and all children in receipt of free school meals will receive their entitlement. Your child will also be able to go outside to get fresh air.

School Uniform

All students will be expected to wear full school uniform including their lanyard from the first day back to school. PE kit will also be worn for PE lessons. Please see the school website for further details about our school uniform. Uniforms do not need to be cleaned any more often than usual, nor do they need to be cleaned using methods which are different from normal. Your child can also bring in a coat.

Equipment and Stationery for School

School resources will be frequently cleaned and/ or rotated. To avoid unnecessary sharing of resources, your child

• Must have a school bag and bring it to school every day.
• Must have the necessary stationery and equipment with them as we will not be loaning equipment due to guidance on sharing. The minimum requirements are that students have a pencil case with a pen (plus a spare), pencil, ruler, rubber and pencil sharpener as well as their student planner (planners were distributed in September) and any subject books.

Public Transport

We ask that families try to avoid the use of public transport and lift sharing in cars where possible. We encourage parents, staff and pupils to walk or cycle to school if possible. Be aware that it is now mandatory for anyone over the age of 11 to wear a face covering on all public transport.

Visitors on site including parents and carers

There will be strict control of who is allowed on site in order to prevent the spread of infection. If you wish to talk to a member of staff, please use other forms of communication- a phone call or send an email to our enquiry address. Any visitors on site will be by prior appointment only. We do not want to stop home-school communication, indeed it is very important, that said we are sure that you will fully understand the reasons to limit visitors in school at this time.

Parents and carers coming on site or/and dropping of and collecting children at the beginning and end of the school day

We want to minimise any gathering of people at the school gates or on site, so please do not come on site unless you really have to and please do not congregate at the school gates. During arrival and end times, please meet secondary age pupils in front of the school gates, or preferably away from the school site. Only one parent should meet pupils on the gate.

We request that you wear a face mask when waiting by the school gates and at all times on site, unless you have an exemption. We advise wearing a lanyard and keep it visible to all if you are exempt as staff will be pro-active in politely asking parents/carers to wear a mask.

Please socially distance at all times near and when on the school site.

All these measures help protect our school and local community from virus infection.

Use of the school carpark

(Drop off and pick up) parking will only be for the parents of pupils who have been issued with a parking permit only.

Local Authority Transport for EHCP pupils will continue as before.

Catch-up support

You may have heard that the government announced a package of catch up support for schools. This is to support all pupils to make up for lost teaching time, with extra support for those who need it most. This will include a national tutoring programme. I want to re-assure you that we will do everything we can as a school to support your child to learn and progress. Staff are eagerly awaiting the return to face-to-face teaching and to hear the buzz of learning in all our classrooms and learning zones.

Devices loaned (laptops or tablets) to pupils and families

Those families who have been loaned a device from school will keep the device for now in case any pupil needs to self-isolate and/or work remotely. Families will be notified of a date and time when they will return the loaned devices back to school.

Free School Meal Provision from 8^th March

For those entitled to benefits related to free school meals vouchers cease on 5^th March. From 8^th March all children in receipt of free school meals will receive their entitlement in school at lunchtime. Due to our staggered starts, you will be able to collect a packed lunch from school if your child is working remotely between 8^th and 12^th March. However, we do need to know if you want this option, so please call main reception to request the lunch by no later than 10am every morning. You will then be able to pick up the packed lunch between 12:30pm and 14:30pm from main reception.

Provision for children of key critical workers, SEND (resource base) and other vulnerable children from 8^th March

In January and February, we have maintained provision for a number of pupils. The provision for children of key workers and SEND students and vulnerable students will remain in place until we have re-integrated all pupils by 12^th March. As each year group returns over the week of 8^th March, these pupils will move out of the current group bubble and return to their year group classes.

 Final words of thanks to the school and local community, and hope for the future with the vaccination roll out

Lockdown has been a challenging period. On behalf of the staff of the school, we would like to thank you for your understanding and patience over the last few months. Going into a longer lockdown after Christmas has been a very challenging and tough situation, and we appreciate all the support that families have offered to the school during this time. Many of you have been in communication with school and your kind words and continual support have been well received.

For us to be able to re-open safely we will continue to rely on your support and we would like to thank you in advance for that; your cooperation will be vital. If you or your child have any concerns about returning to school, or if you think your child might need immediate extra support when they return, please get in touch with your child’s achievement coordinator.

The vaccination roll out gives us real hope that we are winning the battle against Covid-19. We strongly advocate that every adult who is offered the vaccination and can have it takes the vaccine. By doing this, recipients play a vital role in protecting our school, our local community, our nation and the wider world.

We will update you if the landscape changes regarding our re-opening plans or if we need to make changes due to any new government guidance this week.

Warm regards,

Mrs. A Lloyd

Head of School- Secondary and Sixth Form phase