Samuel Ward Academy
Year 10 Face to Face Contact
From 15th June onwards
Introduction
The school is closed to nearly all pupils due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Government have given the go-ahead for schools to re-open for year 10 and 12 pupils from 15th June, but only if we ensure a maximum of a quarter of the year group are on site at each time, and that group sizes are smaller than normal (around half the normal size). Therefore, year 10 are invited into school, a quarter at a time, Monday-Thursday, leaving Friday for year 12. The year group has been divided into 16 groups, with 4 groups of 15 maximum attending on each day. This is to complement our remote learning provision we are already providing, and online set work and virtual support will continue as it has been.
Basic Outline of Provision
• The school day for year 10 will be from 8.40am-1.10pm. Please do not come onto site earlier than 8.35am without prior agreement. Breaktime will be as normal, from 10.55-11.10am.
• There will be a briefing for all students and staff on site that day at 8.40am in the Sports Hall, where chairs have been set out at 2m distances. This is to remind staff and students of health and safety procedures and to address any questions. There will also be some presentations on wellbeing by Miss Bush.
• Each group will have 4 lessons on a carousel – one English, one Maths, one Science and one from either History or Geography. For students that take both History and Geography, they have been allocated to their lowest performing subject. For the handful of students who take neither History or Geography, they should leave site after first 3 periods.
• The lessons will be taught by specialist subject teachers, but not necessarily the child’s usual subject teacher.
• Each group will be based in one classroom for all 4 lessons. Chairs and tables will be spaced out as far as possible, leaving at least every other space empty. A designated area for the area for the teacher will be cordoned off at the front of the room and pupils should not enter this space.
• The rooms used for the year 10s will be the Science classrooms on the top floor. This will be their ‘base.’ They are not allowed anywhere else on the school site to avoid coming into contact with other groups of students (e.g. the Mini School, our vulnerable/key worker group).
• Year 10s should only use the designated toilets on the middle or ground floor of B block.
• There will be at least one first aider, a member of the Senior Leadership Team and a member of the safeguarding team on site every day. Miss Bush has been successfully appointed as Head of Year 10 for the duration of Miss Spiers maternity leave, and she will be on site every day.
• The Government guidance does not recommend the use of face coverings/masks in school, but if you want your child to wear one, they can, but they must ensure they use it correctly and are able to wear it without touching it, taking it off and on etc. Gloves are not permitted, as regular handwashing is safer.
Expectations of Students
• We expect students to continue to follow the School Code of Conduct of Ready, Respectful and Safe. All usual school rules and expectations apply.
• As soon as students arrive on school site each day, please wash your hands before you touch anything. If you have hand sanitizer, please bring it with you and ideally use this before entering the school site. There will be hand sanitiser on the main gate and on the main entrances to the building – students should use it if they don’t have their own mini bottle.
• Absolutely no physical contact is allowed.
• Corridors are single file only.
• Students should wash their hands as much as possible, but definitely on arrival on site, before and after using the toilet, before break time, and before they leave to go home.
• Students should avoid touching their face.
• Students should stay in their group and must not ask to change groups. Changing groups becomes complicated due to the limited space in the classrooms and the fact students need to be in groups depending on their History/Geography options.
• If students feel unwell whilst in school, they should notify a member of staff as soon as possible or go straight to B1, which is the new temporary medical room.
• Students don’t need to wear uniform or even PE kit. Casual clothes suitable for a school environment are fine. Usual non-uniform rules apply.
• Students should bring their own equipment (e.g. a pen and their usual class exercise books). We will not be able to lend equipment and they must not share equipment between peers.
• Students should observe the social distancing regulations around school – using only the stairwell designated to year 10 (end stairwell, Rovers end, not mixing with anyone from outside of their group, following the timetable given to them, taking care to remain 2 meters from students and staff where possible, walking single file down the corridors and wiping down computer equipment and printers after using them with the wipes provided.
• “Catch it, bin it, kill it.” If students need to cough or sneeze, they should catch it into a tissue or into their elbow, and then bin it, washing their hands afterwards and wiping down any surfaces with the wipes provided.
• Year 10 students should only use the ground or middle floor B block toilets.
• Students should leave site promptly at 1.10pm, not hanging around or mixing with students from other groups.
• Students should not come onto school site on any other days other than the one they are invited in. These days cannot be changed.
• Follow the behaviour expectations detailed below.
Expectations of Parents
• Students are expected to attend. If you do not wish your child to return to school at this time for any reason, or you are a shielding household and therefore your child cannot attend, please email Miss Bush jbush@samuelward.co.uk. Otherwise, we will presume your child will be returning and follow our standard absence procedures.
• If your child is unwell or will not be in on a particular occasion, please inform us before 8.45am on the day, via the usual school number (01440 761511).
• If your child has a new, persistent cough, temperature or loss of taste/smell, please do not send them to school for the next 7 days. If someone in the household or someone they have had close contact with has these symptoms, please do not send them to school for 14 days, as per the Government guidelines, and please inform us of this.
• If you or anyone in your household has any of the symptoms above, please arrange for a test via https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119, and inform us of the outcome when you get the result.
• Please discuss the importance of handwashing with your child and the importance of social distancing.
• Parents should not come onto school site. Please call us or email us if you need to speak to us.
• As your child is coming to school and mixing with other students and staff, which poses a risk of transmission, we ask that they are practising social distancing when not at school to ensure the risk is as minimal as possible i.e. following the current Government guidelines.
What the School will do
• Clean areas used by pupils with our usual high standards. We have already implemented additional cleaning regularly throughout the school day.
• Disinfect door handles, toilets, handrails, light switches, tables and chairs at the start and end of each day, and between lessons if the classroom/area is going to be used by a different group of pupils. We will also clean any equipment used for Science between each group.
• Provide hot water and soap in all toilet areas and hand sanitising stations throughout.
• Ensure class groups remain consistent to minimise mixing, and that there are never more than 15 students in one group.
• Continue to apply our usual safeguarding procedures.
• Not allow any other visitors on to school site unless they are essential. If they are essential (e.g. deliveries) they will not have any contact with your child.
• Ensure there is a first aider on site at all times.
• Communicate with you any concerns we may have.
• Offer emotional support to your child regarding the current situation, if needed.
• We have installed hand sanitising stations and screens for entrances to buildings and food serving areas.
• Offer a limited food service at breaktime from the main canteen. Only one student will be allowed in the food service area at a time, students will help themselves rather than be served the food, and pay using their biometric system (which will be disinfected between each student) with a member of staff behind a screen. Students will queue on the designated 2m markers.
• Apply our usual high expectations of behaviour (Ready, Respectful, Safe). The safety of staff and students is more paramount than ever. We are sure that our students will respect our values and that poor behaviour will not be a problem, however, as we will not be running after school detentions, the C system is temporarily adapted to the following:
Disruption to lessons/defiance
Warning 1 First warning given to student verbally.
Warning 2 Student removed from the lesson to work with a member of the Senior Leadership Team for the rest of that period.
Serious breaches of the school behaviour policy (including deliberately or repeatedly ignoring social distancing, physical contact, verbal abuse to students or staff, inappropriate language)
Student will be immediately removed and placed with a member of the Senior Leadership Team, for at least one period.
Particularly serious incidents will result in an exclusion, and we will call you to inform you that your child needs to be collected or leave the school site. This will go on the student’s record.
We thank you for working with us.