Dear Parents/Carers,

Further to the email from the Principal on 31 December 2020 we have now been able to assess our staff capacity with reference to setting online learning for your child this week. From 05 – 08 January, pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 will receive Oak Academy lessons (the national online provider) or pre-recorded video lessons provided by their teachers or other third-party providers. These will be scheduled on ClassCharts, and will be following your child’s usual school timetable and curriculum programme. These lessons comprise video explanations and a variety of accompanying activities. We will review this provision over the next week, as we gain a better understanding of staff capacity given the development of live-streaming lessons for older pupils and students.

The School has a limited stock of IT resources to loan to children who cannot access learning and work set electronically. If your child has no access to technology at home, please contact the relevant Year Leader (see below) and the School will seek to support where possible. Please also contact the relevant member of staff if you have any further queries.

Kind regards,

Mark Stow

Vice Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

From 05 – 08 January, pupils in Year 10 and 11 and students in Year 12 and 13 will receive synchronous ‘live-streamed’ lessons using Microsoft Teams where possible. This will continue until 18 January for pupils in Year 10 and 12, while Year 11 and 13 return to school based on the current government proposals from 11th January. Lessons will be scheduled on ClassCharts, and will follow the usual school timetable and curriculum programme – the timings of the school day are outlined below. Further to the email from the Principal on 31 December 2020 we have assessed staff capacity and can offer teaching and learning to Year 10 and Year 12 in this way.

A family friendly guide, and a copy of an addendum to the Home School Agreement are linked below. It is important that you read these documents carefully so that you can support and safeguard your child particularly in relation to live streamed delivery. The relevant teaching staff will be in contact with pupils and students directly via email and on ClassCharts to invite them to join lessons. We understand that some pupils will find using this new software challenging, but please do encourage them to read the attached guide and watch the video here. It would be sensible to log in and try to access some class Teams today, rather than leave it until tomorrow (05 January), and a copy of this message has been sent to pupils and students directly to support this.

The School has a limited stock of IT resources to loan to children who cannot access learning and work set electronically. If your child has no access to technology at home, please contact the relevant Year Leader (see below) and the School will seek to support where possible. Your child will use their UoBS login and password to access Microsoft Teams. All pupils received a new password shortly before the Christmas break, either on paper or via ClassCharts if they were not in school. If they are having difficulties logging in, please contact the relevant Year group staff members from the list below, and they will work to resolve the issues as soon as possible.

School Day for Years 10 – 13

P1 10:00 – 11:00

Break 11:00 – 11:10

P2 11:10 – 12:10

P3 12:10 – 13:10

Form 13:10 – 13:40

Lunch 13:40 – 14:10

P4 14:10 – 15:10

P5 15:10 – 14:10

We know that any periods of learning away from school are challenging for all involved; we hope that using technology in this way will help to keep pupils and students motivated and engaged with their study. If you have any questions, please contact the relevant staff listed above.

Documents:

HSA – Live Streaming

Live Streaming – Pupil & Student Guide

Microsoft Teams – Parent/Carer Guide

Kind regards,

Mark Stow

Vice Principal

Dear Parents, Carers, Pupils, and Students,

Further to various messages and communications across the last week, we continue to find ourselves in fast moving situations as a nation – with the country now in a third period of lockdown since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March last year. I am mindful of how this presents us all with ongoing, and in some respects new concerns and anxieties ahead.

You may have engaged with guidance from the Government, to the extent that it is presently mapped out.

Within the announcements, we know that secondary schools will remain open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers – and all other children will learn remotely until the half term in February. The half term holiday is scheduled 15 – 19 February 2021.

Mr Stow, our Vice-Principal, wrote to you yesterday to outline online learning expectations and arrangements for this week. Moving forward, we shall continue with synchronous (live-streamed) lessons and learning for pupils in years 10 and 11 and students in years 12 and 13 – which have started today.

Pupils in years 7, 8, and 9 will in the period 05 – 15 January receive a-synchronous (uploaded) learning and activities in line with their routine school timetable – with the aim that we move these year groups to live-streamed learning from Monday 18 January, having piloted synchronous learning platforms with older year groups in the first instance.

Year 11 pupils and year 13 students

The guidance received at this time from the Government states also that, in the circumstances, it is not thought possible for all exams in the summer to go ahead as planned – and that alternative arrangements that will allow students to progress fairly will be put in place. We learn that the Secretary of State for Education is scheduled to make further announcements about this tomorrow (Wednesday 06 January) and I know that we shall all be listening to and considering the details, keenly.

Nationally, the messaging this year has been consistently that public examinations would happen in the summer term – and I acknowledge that a changed position will now be very unsettling for our young people and indeed their peers across the country in the same cohorts. It is wise in my view not to speculate too greatly about the plans ahead – and to wait until there is further clarity. Regardless, be assured that your teachers and other staff will guide and support you fully through the remainder of the year. For now, show determination, engage fully with all your online lessons and learning, and continue to work your hardest.

The vocational assessments for year 11 pupils scheduled for next week will still continue – and will be held here on site. This applies to the 30 pupils entered for Sports Studies (on Monday 11 January) and the 28 pupils entered for Hospitality and Catering (on Thursday 14 January). Relevant pupils will have been contacted already by staff members about details – with further confirmations across the coming days for some. Please attend school in our normal, Covid-Secure, manner – remembering hands, face, and space procedures.

Year 7 pupils

Mr Reeves contacted families today to alert that we will now defer the assessment week that we planned for next week. We realise that it remains important to proportionately review progress and development, both academically and personally, but it is also important that these are undertaken at a time when activities can be most supported and effective. Any revisions to expectations ahead will be communicated – not least so that we can report to families about your child’s induction and settling at the School, in a way that is as meaningful as possible.

Year 8 parent/carer (progress consultation) evening – from 16:45

This remains scheduled, online, for the evening of Thursday 07 January this week – and families have received separate communication about accessing and using the virtual platform that we have in place for this.

Remote learning

As per previous communications, please be reminded that if your child experiences any difficulty with accessing remote learning, including if there are any limitations with technology available for use at home, please make contact with your child’s Year Leader in the first instance, and they will do their best to help:

Year 7: Miss L Saunders l.saunders@uobschool.org.uk

Year 8: Mr A Herbert a.herbert@uobschool.org.uk

Year 9: Miss S Heath s.heath@uobschool.org.uk

Year 10: Miss C Exton c.exton@uobschool.org.uk

Year 11: Mr J Bennett j.bennett@uobschool.org.uk

Year 12/13: Mr S Washbrook s.washbrook@uobschool.org.uk

Pupils eligible for free school meals

We have arranged for our families of children eligible for free school meals, continuing throughout this new lockdown period, to receive supermarket vouchers. If these do not arrive by Wednesday please email fsm@uobschool.org.uk

Colleagues and I shall be further in touch across coming days and weeks with pertinent details and guidance.

With my continued wishes for your family’s well-being, and our assurance of support for your child at this time.

Kind regards,

Colin Townsend

Principal

Dear Parents/Carers,

Following on from the communication yesterday from Assistant Vice-Principal, Mrs Walker, where she addressed some details around our management of remote learning, I write to express our recognition and thanks to you, for all you are doing in partnership with the School in uncharted times.

With the Prime Minister announcing today that children will not return to schools and settings until 08 March at the earliest, as a learning community we have yet more time ahead where almost all of our pupils and students will continue with home learning.

I am acutely aware of what this means for family-life. As a School we are attuned to the increasing challenges of balancing the day-to-day family responsibilities; work commitments; and that’s before we put in the mix your parent or carer role ongoing as a de facto teacher. Of course, many of my staff members are also parents or carers in all that they are themselves presently balancing.

We have in place learning and expectations that fulfil Government guidelines of five hours of study per school day for secondary school learners. This national threshold is lower for younger children. It is our aim and hope that on almost all days remote learning goes well for your child. Conversely there will be days where this is tough. We recognise that achieving the ordinary, in extraordinary times, requires stamina, and from time to time some flex.

In my view, now is a time for an agile blend of ambition and pragmatism in education. We are a School that holds the bar high for our children. In my experience most children relish structure, routine, and high expectations – and enjoy striving to meet them – as they draw on their performance virtues. Mrs Walker’s message to you stressed our focus on praise, encouragement, reward – and the purpose of positive recognition – much as we would when based here on site.

We shall therefore do our best to deliver demanding standards of home learning – and we absolutely welcome your part in that. As in any profession, our teachers take years to refine their knowledge and craft. My point here, is that if as a parent or carer you are finding frustration with home learning, you certainly won’t be alone across the country, and my ask based in realism and respect is no more complex than ‘please do your best’. We can never ask more than that of ourselves, in any context.

You have our continued commitment to support you and your child as best we can. Please make contact with us through the normal channels, where beneficial or needed.

Kindest regards,

Colin Townsend

Principal