Dear Parent / Carer

Since I last wrote to you, things have developed rapidly and the government has made additional changes to the instructions to secondary schools about the start of term in January 2021. I understand that there has been much press coverage of this but wanted to write to you as soon as possible with a definitive version of the process as we understand it today (31.12.2020)

Monday 4^th January – INSET. School is closed to all students

Tuesday 5^th January onwards – School is only open to those students whose parents are key workers or those who have been directly invited to attend school for other reasons.

Y11 & Y13 students should no longer attend school from Tuesday 5^th and will work remotely at home for this week in line with government instructions. Remote learning will be in place for Tuesday 5^th January onwards.

If you are the parent of a child in Y11 and you are a key worker, you may now also apply for a place for your child using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=nCnxVVhfOkuiO1Bau4fh7qpoXrdLVu9Ekp3-UAh9vh5UOUxXMFE1WThMT0VLQ1g1NkgwV0tFTlI3VC4u

Fill | Key Worker School January 4th - 8th 2021 Please check the criteria for critical worker status on: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision If you fulfil the criteria as a critical worker and would like your child to attend school during the week of Jan 4th - 8th, please complete and return by 12 noon on Monday, December 21st. forms.office.com

Your child may only attend as a key worker student if a place has been pre-arranged using this link.

5^th January – All other year groups; we will also provide remote learning for all other year groups as we had previously planned. This goes beyond the instructions of government who want schools to put in place remote learning for other year groups from the 11^th January. We really value the work your child does at home and we will be providing a range of engaging and meaningful learning for them, please make sure they engage with the work as much as possible. We know it is not easy working independently at home but please encourage your child to do as much as they can to the best of their ability.

Monday 11^th January  - Y11 and Y13 students will return to school for face to face teaching. All other year groups will continue with remote learning.

Monday 18^th January – All other year groups will return to school for face to face teaching and remote learning will end.

All time frames are subject to regular review and we will keep you informed if they change.

Key worker students - Parents of students in Y7, Y8, Y9 & Y10 have already replied to confirm if they require support with a place for their child in order for them to continue in their key worker role (and Y11 parents can use the link above). Thank you to those who have responded and also to those of you who have been able to make suitable alternative arrangements.

Key worker students should attend school in school uniform please and they should follow their usual arrival and departure routines. Despite the smaller numbers, we will be sustaining our full bubble structures to help keep them safe.

There will be a limited grab bag food service available for key worker student lunches during this time.

Examinations

We have a small number of students in Y10, Y11, Y12 and Y13 who are expecting to sit external examinations in January. As far as we are aware, we still expect these examinations to take place as scheduled (with the exception of Y12 performing arts which is being delayed to the week 11^th January). Separate communications will be issued early next week to students sitting those examinations to explain how they need to arrive and depart school. These students will only attend to sit their examinations and will then leave immediately.

Testing – information on testing is slowly emerging and much will be released on Monday. We will talk with in more detail about the process, parental consent and anything else you need to know as soon as we can next week.

A Plea – All the changes are being put in place to reduce contacts and transmission of COVID-19. Please do not send your child in to school for any reason if you suspect they are unwell, they are displaying symptoms, they are waiting for a test result or have had contact with others who have tested positive for the virus. Please also do all you can to ensure your child respects the Tier 4 regulations and help your child support us in what we are doing by staying safe outside of school.

I am grateful to you all for your support and positivity at such a challenging time, to your children who I am sure will respond as brilliantly as before and to our amazing staff who are yet again, turning around huge amounts of work in very short time frames.

All the best from all of us at BCS on the last day of 2020, I don’t think any of us will be sorry to see it end!

Take care

Craig Yates  -  Headteacher