From Mr M Hall (Principal)
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming every student next week. Working online is not the same as seeing and serving the students of Grace College in the classroom!
Students, who have been in school, have said how much they are looking forward to seeing their friends. We heard from numerous parents, in this week’s Year 11 Parents’ Evening, that many students are very eager to be back at school too!
The time has come to ensure every school day is a fantastic opportunity for learning and an enriching experience as friends are reunited!
I know we will work with a single-minded purpose to make the next four weeks a fabulous return to school. Students should focus on being ready to learn each day by arriving wearing the school uniform with pride, bringing all the necessary equipment with them. Their keen concentration and effort in lessons is the key commitment they must make every day.
It is important to note that our Covid Risk Assessment has been strengthened with additional control measures and is available on our website. The important new control measure now requires all staff and students to wear a face mask wherever 2m social distancing is not possible. Students must bring a face covering with them every day. In addition, students will be tested and trained in the use of Lateral Flow Device tests. Once each student has been tested three times, over the coming two weeks, we will be issuing regular home test kits.
To those who were due to take their GCSE or A level exams, let me assure you and your parents/carers that we will provide detailed guidance in the coming days regarding how students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding, and how we hope to grade students. All students in Key Stages 4 and 5 should ensure their laptops are fully charged overnight, brought to school each day in the protective cases, and carried in a suitable bag to facilitate rapid learning.
We continue to improve the fabric and facilities of the building. Over the last six months extensive work has been undertaken to refurbish the glass roof of the main building and we have just completely refitted the toilets in student reception. Work is now underway to improve the standards in one of the other toilet facilities. Substantial work on the Sixth Form Centre has been undertaken and will be continued in the coming months to enable our Sixth Form to be the post-16 destination of choice.
We continue to make substantial information available on our website and have also upgraded our communication procedures. I would encourage parents to be in touch by phone where there are any concerns, and we will endeavour to provide answers or find solutions. Please look at the information available on our website or through My Child at School.
Please note that in the coming weeks we will be scheduling a remote Parents’ Evening for each year group.
For the week beginning Monday 8 March only, students will have the opportunity to spend a longer period each morning with their tutor and tutor group, helping them re-establish relationships and routines required to support their learning. During this time students will be able to ask questions about their return to school, the testing procedures and any other queries they may have. Students will be reminded that it is essential to do the following:
- Sanitise their hands on entry and exit of a classroom.
- Use the provided disinfectant wipes to wipe down their workspace.
- Wash their hands prior to entering the restaurant facility.
- Always wear a face mask, unless outside of the building where a 2-metre distance can be maintained.
- Wear their full Grace College uniform correctly and smartly. Items of uniform will not be available to loan to students and where students fall short, parents will be requested to bring the relevant item(s) of uniform to the main reception as soon as possible.
Please take the opportunity this weekend to talk to your child about their return to school. Please encourage them to re-establish sleeping patterns and routines that will help them manage the change. It may also be a good time to remind your child that they have a specific entry and exit point to the school grounds and building to ensure that ‘bubbles’ are maintained. If you are driving your child to school, please ensure that you enter the main car park fully before allowing your child to exit the vehicle. This will minimise the disruption to traffic flow and ensure the safety of our community.
It has been tough to live and work under these constraints. Please continue to support and affirm one another. Remember: ‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much!’ (Helen Keller)
Regards,
Mr M Hall
Principal
