Dear Parents/Carers,

A reminder that all pupils and students, unless medically exempt, are required to wear a face-covering when moving around all communal areas of the School. This is in direct response to guidance from the Department for Education following concerns about the new Covid-19 variant now circulating through community tranmission.

Please ensure that you send your child into School with a suitable, plain face-covering for this purpose. If your child is medically exempt from wearing a mask, please ensure that you contact your child’s Pastoral Manager to provide details of this information as soon as possible.

Travel West Midlands have also asked us to remind families that children aged 11 and over must also wear face coverings on public transport at all times.

We are grateful for your continued support.

Kind regards,

Gemma Walker

Vice Principal

Dear Parents/Carers,

Re: Start of January 2022 School Term

As we advance toward the end of this autumn term and look forward to the break ahead, our attention turns also to the arrangements for the start of the January term.

Guidance issued by the Department for Education requires secondary Schools to put in place Covid-19 lateral flow testing at the start of the new term – onsite at the School. Unlike on previous occasions, there will only be one lateral flow test undertaken.

We are therefore putting in place amended arrangements for pupils and students across the first week back which will affect Wednesday 05, Thursday 06, and Friday 07 January – as detailed below:

Year 7 pupils

• Wednesday 5: Remote learning at home – following normal timetable.
• Thursday 6: Remote learning at home – following normal timetable.
• Friday 7: Onsite in School as normal – including Covid-19 testing where permission has been provided.

Year 8 pupils

• Wednesday 5: Remote learning at home – following normal timetable.
• Thursday 6: Remote learning at home – following normal timetable.
• Friday 7: Onsite in School as normal – including Covid-19 testing where permission has been provided.

Year 9 pupils

• Wednesday 5: Remote learning at home – following normal timetable.
• Thursday 6: Onsite in School as normal – including Covid-19 testing where permission has been provided.
• Friday 7: Onsite in School as normal.

Year 10 pupils

• Wednesday 5: Remote learning at home – following normal timetable.
• Thursday 6: Onsite in School as normal – including Covid-19 testing where permission has been provided.
• Friday 7: Onsite in School as normal.

Year 11 pupils

• Wednesday 5: Onsite in School as normal – including Covid-19 testing where permission has been provided.
• Thursday 6: Onsite in School as normal.
• Friday 7: Onsite in School as normal.

Year 12 students

• Wednesday 5: In School for PPE exam sessions and Covid-19 testing* – otherwise study leave and revision at home.
• Thursday 6: In School for PPE exam sessions and Covid-19 testing* – otherwise study leave and revision at home.
• Friday 7: In School for PPE exam sessions – otherwise study leave and revision at home.

*Year 12 students and families will receive additional information from the Sixth Form team about when they are required to attend for lateral flow testing along with their examination timetable.

Year 13 students

• Wednesday 5: Onsite in School as normal – including Covid-19 testing.
• Thursday 6: Onsite in School as normal.
• Friday 7: Onsite in School as normal.

We shall be clarifying arrangements and requirements with pupils and students across today and tomorrow – all remote learning activities will be assigned using ClassCharts.

Of course, as we move into January we shall be keeping a close watch on any changes to national or local guidance in response to Covid-19 circumstances and will communicate any updates as needed – and upon liaison with Public Health England and the Birmingham local health protection team.

For your reference and information, the School’s Covid-19 related risk assessment may be accessed here.

We shall be in touch later this week with our newsletter and some other end of term details.

In the meantime, thank you as ever for your continued support and partnership.

Kind regards,

Colin Townsend

Principal