COVID 19 SCHOOL OPENING RISK ASSESSMENT
COVID19 School Opening Risk Assessment January 2021 (PDF)
COVID19 Testing in school updated 7 January 2021
Letter from The Headteacher
14 January 2021
Dear Parents
I hope that you and your families are well and that you are managing to stay positive during this difficult time. Every day we get through is a day closer to the day when life can go back to normal.
The Prime Minister’s key message last week was that we ‘stay at home’. This is because schools, although viewed as being safe for children, are ‘vectors of infection’. We must accept that everyone is at risk from the prevalence of this new strain and we must do all that we can to reduce contact by staying at home. Whilst places are available for pupils classed as vulnerable and children of critical workers, these should be accessed as a last resort. We have had a rapidly increasing number of requests for these places and we have reached a point where we simply do not have the staff to supervise the children in school safely, whilst providing high quality live learning for the children at home. Parents requesting places from now on will be prioritised according to vulnerability and the nature of their key worker roles. Children should only come to school if it is absolutely necessary. We know it can be hard at home to complete home learning, but this is not a reason to send your child to school; we will do everything we can to support you.
Our Pastoral Team have been working incredibly hard and have already made over 900 phone calls in the last two weeks to support our pupils in accessing and engaging with their live lessons. If your child is struggling to access their lessons or struggling for any other reason, please contact us in school. Please be assured we are here to support your child throughout this period of home learning.
Year 11
At the end of next week we shall be sending out Year 11 Progress Reports, which will include updated predicted grades.
As pupils are not in school with us to talk about these predictions and what they mean,
• we shall send out a short video next week to talk you through the significance of these grades and next steps for all Year 11 learners
• from next week, where we have concerns about pupils' grades and current engagement in lessons, we shall be arranging online meetings with some of you to discuss the actions we would like to see
• we would like to remind parents that there will be a Year 11 progress evening on 3 February 2021. This will enable all of you to talk about your child’s progress and engagement with subject staff.
Remote Learning
A big thank you for all the work that is being done by yourselves to support your child in their home learning. Please find attached the pupil and parent guide as well as the link below for a video guide in to home learning.
https://www.loom.com/share/f3614d00a65f4c35850a0d92fc7ccbe7
If there are any technical issues please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Skills Builder
We are really excited to be re-launching Skills Builder this week with all our pupils. It is an online interactive programme designed at helping pupils develop the skills and attributes necessary for the workplace. Developing these skills will support pupils in all their future endeavours, including college applications, apprenticeships, and employment.
This week we are asking pupils to set up their own accounts. We will be focussing on the 'Staying Positive' skill this half term, which I am sure you will agree is very appropriate during these difficult times. Planning for a successful future can also help to focus the mind when we are experiencing difficult times.
Please follow this link to set up an account https://www.skillsbuilder.org/benchmark
The weekly tasks will also be put on SMH. Participation in the tasks will be linked to rewards, which will look good too in Records of Achievement and on CV's. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Final Comments
We have had a busy and productive week introducing lateral flow testing for staff and pupils in school. Thanks to all who have been involved. Thanks to all of you who have sent messages of support and praise to staff. They are a real tonic! Thanks to you all for your patience and support. God bless; stay safe.
Yours sincerely
Richard Varey
Headteacher
STUDENT RESOURCES AND INFORMATION
REMOTE LEARNING GUIDE FOR PUPILS AND PARENTS
The following guide is for parents or guardians of pupils who will be learning from home.
MANAGING YOUR SHOW MY HOMEWORK ACCOUNT
A Useful Guide to Managing your Show My Homework Account so that it more organised and appears less cluttered
ONLINE SAFETY
Keeping students safe online
Parent / Carer Online Safety Support Guide
Parent / Carer Online Radicalisation Information
OFFICE 365 FOR STUDENTS
Logging onto Microsoft Office 365 for Email, Teams and More
Follow the link for Instructions about logging onto Office 365 and Teams
Students at Blessed Trinity have access to use Microsoft Office 365 at home
Follow the link for Instructions on installing Office 365
Using an xbox with Microsoft Apps including Teams
