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Worthing High School

Worthing High School

5.01.21 Revised start of Spring Term arrangements

Email sent to parents 5.1.21

 

Dear Parents and Carers,

As you will now be aware we have had to respond to the Government announcement made last night, 4th January 2021, that we are to move to operate our remote learning provision.

Key workers and vulnerable students will still be able to access school and for those children and parents/carers, you would have been contacted to confirm your attendance in school from 7th January: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

The announcement last night, has turned all our planning and preparation for return upside down and contained some significant challenges. I wanted to thank all those who have worked tirelessly over the Christmas break to prepare Worthing High School as a testing centre, the logistics have been significant to overcome in a short amount of time.

I also want to thank those in our school community who agreed to volunteer and help with the testing at very short notice. Our plans to carry out testing for staff and students of key worker and vulnerable students will continue as it is important to ensure that all those who are working within the school can do so in a safe environment.

If your child will be attending school, as they are deemed vulnerable or a child of a critical worker, they will be tested on arrival to school. Further information outlining the process will be provided in a separate communication, for those attending.

Now that we are entering a set period of remote learning it is important that our students are respectful of the live lessons. When online lessons begin, cameras need to be switched on and muted and students should be in school uniform. All students in school will be in full uniform. Even though lessons are taking place at home, it is important for safeguarding that all students wear school uniform, rather than the latest fashion top, pyjamas or other items. Staff will be professionally dressed to deliver lessons, so it is important our students are also dressed and ready to learn.

Vocational exams due to start the week beginning 11th January are still scheduled to take place, as things stand and students should continue to prepare for those exams.

OCR are looking to update schools in the next few days, but we must assume they are taking place and please use the revision and guidance provided by the Subject Leaders in preparing for those exams. We will communicate by Friday the way that students will need to access the school site and the arrangements for the exams, including provisions for lateral flow testing.

Key messages are:

  • All year groups will be taught remotely via MS Teams. Thank you to the many parents/carers who completed our survey regarding IT equipment and have already collected the devices they need. If you have a need for IT equipment, please email workfromhome@worthinghigh.net
  • Those who have already requested a device will be notified tomorrow about a collection time.
  • The following website has further information on lockdown procedures: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home
  • Year 11 must continue to work as normal through their GCSE courses
  • The Government announcement was very clear that exams have not been cancelled at this point. Any further updates will be shared with you in due course.
  • Year 9 SRE event will still continue as planned. Where we would normally finish at 1.30pm on that day so that staff can prepare, I ask that students use the time to read a book. The key worker and vulnerable students in school will remain in school until 3.15pm, to try and keep their first day in school as normal as possible.
  • Free school meal students will continue to receive their entitlement electronically and if your family circumstances have changed and you believe you may now qualify for free school meals please contact covid19@worthinghigh.net where we will be able to help you with your enquiry.

 

Collection of text books:

If your child requires paper or an exercise book to work on, these can be collected from main reception between 10 am and 12 am. Face coverings must be worn and social distancing observed if visiting the school site.

If you have specific books/equipment that need to be collected, for example students studying art at Year 10 or 11 needing to collect their folder / portfolio, please contact your teacher in the first instance to arrange.

Please do not send anyone into school who is self-isolating or displaying Covid19 symptoms.

Remote learning:

All students should be dressed in school uniform for remote learning.

Students will access remote learning through MS Teams. All students are expected to follow their timetable and log on to the relevant Team for the lesson timetabled for that particular period.

Students should also attend a virtual tutor period in the morning only. The sessions that students should join each day are as follows:

8:40 – tutor time

9:00 – period 1

10:05 – period 2

11:25 – period 3

12:30 – period 4

2:05  – period 5

Break and lunch time should be taken as normal.

Students should join the Live Meet on MS Teams at the start of each lesson. They should have their camera turned on but remain silent for their teacher to begin the virtual session.

Their teacher will:

•             Take a register – please ensure that your microphone is on at this point to enable you to answer the register

•             Introduce the learning objectives

•             Explain the activities students are expected to complete, with expected timings

•             Show students where they can access the resources and submit their work

•             Take questions using the ‘hands up’ function or chat function

•             Remain available online to answer questions throughout the lesson via MS Teams

All students have been made aware of these process by their form tutor and have a sticker in their planner to remind them. Further information on accessing MS Teams can be found on our website here https://www.worthinghigh.net/page/?title=Independent+Learning&pid=150

During the session students should behave appropriately and follow the code of conduct for virtual learning which is attached to this email.

Attendance will be monitored.

In the rare circumstance that a member of staff is unable to lead the live element of a lesson, a note will be left on the chat stream of the Team explaining where work may be found to complete independently.

If you are having any problems accessing MS Teams or any other issue with IT, please email workfromhome@worthinghigh.net

Our core values continue to provide a strong foundation and will see us through these testing times, even as we transfer to remote learning, I will continue to keep you updated you whenever we have new information to share and wanted to thank you all in advance for your continued understanding and support.

Kind regards,

Pan Panayiotou

Headteacher