Dear Parents and Carers
Arrangements for a ‘staggered’ return to school in January 2021
Late yesterday we received communication from the Department for Education which substantially changes the way in which we need to manage the start of the Spring Term.
On Monday 4 January we have a Staff Training day already in the calendar. The school is closed to all students while staff are involved in training on this day.
From Tuesday 5 January, learning will resume on site for certain year groups and remote and online learning for other year groups. The guidance issued by the Government to schools, yesterday afternoon, on students’ return to school in January means that Grace College will open to limited groups of students from Tuesday 5 January. We will then fully opening from Monday 11 January. This staggered return will reduce coronavirus transmission immediately after the Christmas break, and enables arrangements to be put in place to make available in-school rapid (lateral flow) coronavirus testing.
The purpose of making available these lateral flow tests (which are subject to individual parental consent) is to help address two concerns:
- Around one-third of people infected with coronavirus are asymptomatic and that
- Currently all close contacts with a ‘confirmed case’ have to self-isolate, even though they may not have contracted the virus.
The plan for much-increased testing means there should be a far greater accuracy in self-isolating – hopefully with fewer people needing to do so overall whilst reducing infection rates.
From Tuesday 5 January 2021:
- Learning ‘on-site’ will be for:
- Year 11 and Year 13 students (having upcoming GCSE and A-level exams);
- Year 10, 11 and 12 students undertaking BTEC examinations in the first two weeks of January;
- Critical Worker* and defined students in other year groups.
- Remote learning (via Teams) with the potential for live lessons for those Year 12 not undertaking BTEC exams.
- Remote learning (via Teams) with teacher interaction for all other students in Year 7 through 10 based on the normal timetable.
- Planning and preparations will be made for lateral flow tests to be available to students and staff as soon as possible.
- If all adults in a household are Critical Workers and you have no other child care provision available, your child may return on Tuesday 5 January 2021. If you wish them to return on this date, please inform the school by completing this online survey.
There are some students with particular needs or vulnerabilities who we would like to support on-site. These families will receive a separate letter notifying them that they should attend school from Tuesday 5 January.
From Monday 11 January, normal term resumes for all students. We anticipate lateral flow tests being available shortly after your child returns to school, and will communicate further on this (including seeking parental consent).
We appreciate how inconveniently late this information is for schools and for families, and that parents may have queries. We will seek to address these before term recommences for students and will update parents on any further Government guidance including implications for student wellbeing and education. Once again, for further detail please see the guidance issued by the Government to schools, yesterday afternoon.
May I encourage us to remain resolute as a community. Together we will overcome!
Wishing you a good and restful Christmas break.
Yours faithfully
Mr M Hall
Principal