Please do note that as government guidance or circumstances change, we are ready to adapt in order to ensure that we meet new requirements whilst maintaining a high standard of education.
This page was updated on 10 September 2020. Changes are highlighted in yellow.
Objectives and Targets
- That what we do is safe and minimises risks to our staff, our students and their families.
- That the systems that are in place are straightforward and easy to understand.
- That our education provision remains of the highest quality and that we are also prepared for a seamless transition to remote learning, should there be any further local or national period of lockdown.
Student Briefings
Travel to School
Students are advised to avoid public transport. Where this is necessary, they must wear a face covering and maintain social distancing wherever possible.
Parents/carers must not gather around the school gates at the start or end of the school day. Please also note that a new Controlled Parking Zone is now in place on Ridgeway Road and some of the surrounding roads.
Students must not congregate in large groups in the local community. We ask that all parents/carers reinforce this most basic requirement.
Arrival and Departure (Updated 10 September 2020)
In order to increase safety on site, we have amended our protocols for student arrival and departure.
Key Stage 3
Students must use the gates listed below. They need to arrive in time for their first lesson at 8.40am. They will leave by the same gate at the end of the school day.
- Year 7 – the entrance gate on Ridgeway Road (the gate nearest to the Crown Court)
- Year 8 – the entrance on Church Road
- Year 9 – the exit gate on Ridgeway Road (the gate nearest to the school tower/reception).
Key Stage 4
Students need to arrive ready for their first lesson at 9.40am. They should arrive and depart via the same gate:
- Year 10 – the pedestrian gate at the back of the Sports Hall (accessed via the footpath)
- Year 11 – the entrance on Church Road.
Sixth Form Students
Arrival time will depend on individual timetables. Students are to use the Church Road gate for arrival and departure.
Cyclists
Students should enter the school via Church Road and lock their cycles in the bike sheds. They can then walk through the back playground to their designated toilet or to their first classroom. Please ensure that your son/daughter/ward wears a cycle helmet on the journey to and from school.
Parking
Please note this is very limited around the school and, in many places, restricted. We urge parents/carers to encourage their children to walk or cycle to school. If a car journey is essential, please drop children well away from Ridgeway Road and Church Road so that the roads do not become congested.
All students must, on arrival at school, sanitise or wash their hands. It is far more efficient for each student to carry their own supply of hand sanitiser as this will mean they will do far less queuing during the school day.
The gates will be open, so will not need to be touched. Parents/carers are currently not to come on-site unless this is by prior arrangement.
On departure, students will be dismissed in a staggered way and they will be encouraged to go straight home.
The School Day
On arrival, all students will be directed to wash their hands or to use their own supply of hand sanitiser ahead of moving to their allocated base room.
Learning time remains the same as before the pandemic with each student in class for five one-hour lessons. The curriculum remains broad and balanced with a full coverage of each curriculum area.
There are a number of changes to the school day to increase safety on the school site. For the time being, there will not be a registration period. Registers will be taken during lessons. Breaktime has been extended to allow more time for getting a snack or a drink and lunchtime has been reduced in time so that we can accommodate different sittings.
A Study Support period will be used for a number of different purposes, including virtual House Assemblies and support for online learning and PPA (homework) activities.
Key Stage 3 – Years 7, 8 & 9
Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 need to arrive on-site for the first buzzer at 08:25. There will be no provision for students before 08:10, so please make sure that arrival time is considered. Students will leave at 14:50 to make their way home. The timings of the school day for Key Stage 3 are below.
| Start | Finish | |
|---|---|---|
| 08:25 | 08:30 | Arrival / Pre-School Buzzer |
| 08:30 | 08:40 | Handwashing |
| 08:40 | 09:40 | Period 1 |
| 09:40 | 10:40 | Period 2 |
| 10:40 | 11:00 | Break |
| 11:00 | 12:00 | Period 3 |
| 12:00 | 13:00 | Period 4 |
| 13:00 | 13:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | 14:30 | Period 5 |
| 14:30 | 14:50 | Study Support |
Key Stage 4 – Years 10 & 11
Students in Years 10 and 11 need to arrive on-site for the first buzzer at 09:25. There will be no provision for students before 09:10, so please make sure that arrival time is considered. Arriving students will also need to be mindful that Key Stage 3 lessons will already be taking place. Students will leave at 15:50 to make their way home.
The timings of the school day for Key Stage 4 are below.
| Start | Finish | |
|---|---|---|
| 09:25 | 09:30 | Arrival / Pre-School Buzzer |
| 09:30 | 09:40 | Handwashing |
| 09:40 | 10:40 | Period 2 |
| 10:40 | 11:40 | Period 3 |
| 11:40 | 12:00 | Study Support |
| 12:00 | 12:30 | Lunch |
| 12:30 | 13:30 | Period 4 |
| 13:30 | 14:30 | Period 5 |
| 14:30 | 14:50 | Break |
| 14:50 | 15:50 | Period 6 |
The Sixth Form (Key Stage 5) – Years 12 & 13
Sixth Form students will have individual timetables that will determine the structure of their school day. Students will be informed of their specific school day timings once their subjects and timetables are finalised. The timings of the school day for the Sixth Form are below.
| Start | Finish | |
|---|---|---|
| 08:25 | 08:30 | Arrival / Pre-School Buzzer |
| 08:30 | 08:40 | Handwashing |
| 08:40 | 09:40 | Period 1 |
| 09:40 | 10:40 | Period 2 |
| 10:40 | 11:40 | Period 3 |
| 11:40 | 12:00 | Study Support |
| 12:00 | 12:30 | Lunch |
| 12:30 | 13:30 | Period 4 |
| 13:30 | 14:30 | Period 5 |
| 14:30 | 14:50 | Break |
| 14:50 | 15:50 | Period 6 |
“Bubbles” and Classrooms
Each year group will become a “bubble” and as far as possible, students will remain in their bubble for their time on the school site and not mix with students from other year groups.
To minimise student movement around the site, students in each form group will be assigned to a specific classroom for the school day. Students will not move around the school at lesson changeover – the teacher will move to the new class. Within each classroom, students will be assigned to a desk/workstation, which will remain as their allocated place from one day to the next. All classrooms have forward facing desks in order to reduce face-to-face contact. Allocated areas of the school are below:
- Year 7 – new block ground floor
- Year 8 – new block first floor
- Year 9 – Modern Foreign Languages rooms and new block classrooms
- Year 10 – science rooms
- Year 11 – geography and history rooms
- Sixth Form – main block second floor.
Students in Key Stage 3 will move for computing lessons. Other specialist rooms will be phased in as we progress through the new arrangements.
Students in Key Stages 4 & 5 will move to specialist teaching areas according to curriculum demands.
Reporting Absence
Should there be a need for a student to self-isolate, please communicate with our Attendance Officer and we will discuss the most up-to-date guidance and any further required action.
Handwashing (Updated 10 September 2020)
Our students will be reminded of the importance of regular handwashing. This is the most important first defence against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Students will be expected to wash their hands when they arrive at school (or to use their personal supply of hand sanitiser).
We would encourage all students to carry their own supply of hand sanitiser as this will decrease the need for queuing at various points during the school day.
Toilet Facilities
Toilets are open so that students can wash their hands as required, including for 20 seconds before and after using the toilet. Handwashing must also take place before consuming food. The toilet block near PE has been refurbished over the summer to increase the provision for students.
New soap dispensers and toilet roll dispensers have been installed in all facilities and these will be checked at the start of the school day and frequently during the day. Toilets will also be cleaned more often during the school day.
Designated toilet facilities are below:
- Key Stage 3
- Year 7 – new block ground floor toilets
- Year 8 – new block first floor toilets
- Year 9 – PE block toilets
- Key Stage 4
- Year 10 – Dining Hall toilets
- Year 11 – Humanities block toilets
- Key Stage 5
- Sixth Form – Dining Hall or Humanities block toilets.
Hygiene Measures (Updated 10 September 2020)
Water fountains are currently out of action, so students must bring their own pre-filled water bottle for use during the school day. A number of filling stations have been installed on the school site so that water bottles can be re-filled.
Around the school, many doors will be propped open to cut down on the need to touch handles. We will also be keeping more windows open than would normally be the case to allow for a constant flow of fresh air. As far as possible, students must not touch surfaces in school (e.g. door handles; walls; other work areas).
Students should bring their own tissues to school and, when coughing or sneezing, observe the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ rules. If they have no tissues, they must use the crook of their elbow. Bins are available in all classrooms and toilets for the safe disposal of any waste.
Face Coverings
According to the current guidance, face coverings are currently not required on the school premises, unless the school is in an area of local lockdown. This guidance is constantly under review and we will continue to monitor it and make any changes to our policy, if required.
Should your son/daughter/ward wish to wear a face covering, this will be a personal choice. Face coverings need to be appropriate and if worn, should be worn correctly (over mouth and nose) and throughout the school day (except when eating or drinking). At this stage we would recommend that all students carry a face mask (in a plastic bag) and get used to doing so, in order to prepare for any policy change whether this is government advice or our own school decision.
Students will be reminded that they should, as far as possible, not touch their nose, eyes and mouth.
School Equipment
- 2 pens (black or blue)
- 1 ruler
- 1 rubber
- 1 sharpener
- 1 pencil
- 1 scientific calculator
- 1 French or Spanish dictionary.
Walk on the Left
Where possible, when students need to move around the school they will do so outside the buildings, via the playgrounds and front car park.
Should they need to move around the inside of the building, they must walk on the left-hand side of the corridors. Signage is in place to remind students of this and the corridors have a line down the middle to delineate left and right.
Break, Lunchtimes & CucinA
Students will be allowed to go outside for break or lunch into a designated area. In the first phase of return, we will not be allowing any active play, however, we hope to move to more normal breaks as soon as possible.
You will be aware that we have recently secured nearly £750,000 to enhance our kitchen and dining hall, along with changes to drama, music and Sixth Form study facilities. The work on this project has started and this means that our food provision will be reduced for the duration of the works.
Many schools are asking all students to bring in packed lunches during next term, so it is an opportune time to undertake the works when we would have been running a reduced service.
Our caterers, CucinA, will provide a ‘grab and go’ food offer which will be available to students. There will be different servery points which will enable us to maintain year group bubbles. The weekly menu will be on the school website in the near future. Students may, of course, continue to bring in a packed lunch, should they prefer to do so.
The biometric system for purchasing food will not be used at this time. The students’ names will be searched on the system to ensure payments are made and to avoid cross-contamination on the biometric readers.
Fire Safety
If the fire alarm sounds, students will evacuate the school buildings as normal, but they should ensure that social distancing takes place whilst leaving the building and at the various assembly points. The students will be briefed on this at the briefing session prior to their return to lessons.
School Uniform & Appearance
The school’s appearance policy will be implemented as normal on return to school in September. This applies to school uniform and PE/games kit and all normal appearance expectations.
Lockers
During the first phase of the full return to school, lockers will not be allocated to students, to avoid the need for surface cleaning and to avoid cross-contamination. Students should therefore plan carefully, on a daily basis, what they bring to school.
For students in Years 7, 8 and 9, we will be providing one exercise book for all subjects, to avoid the need to bring a number of books to school (see above image). Students in Years 10-13 will be provided with stationery, as normal.
If a student from last year needs to access a locker, please discuss this with a member of the school office.
Illness & First Aid (Updated 10 September 2020)
If your child feels unwell at any point in the school day, he/she should report this to a member of staff in the first instance and as normal. The School Welfare Officer will see the student and if there are symptoms of COVID-19, he/she will be isolated in a supervised separate room and to await collection by a parent/carer.
Please see this handy flow chart that will guide parents/carers through the steps to take for suspected or actual cases.
Behaviour Policy Updates
It is a requirement that every member of the school community takes responsibility for ensuring that they act in a COVID-19-secure manner at all times on the school site and on the journey to and from school. Your son/daughter/ward will be briefed on all the expectations during the initial student briefing at the start of the school year and before they return to school for the resumption of lessons.
Our school expectations of being ‘Ready, Respectful and Safe’ cover the specific additions to the school policy during the pandemic. A COVID-19 addendum will be uploaded to the school website at the start of the school term so that all parents/carers are aware of our new expectations and rules, and the associated sanctions and rewards.
The instructions of all members of staff must be followed at all times for the safety of our whole school community.
School Activities
A number of practical lessons may well be different, especially in Key Stage 3, although in Key Stages 4 and 5, students will have the opportunity to undertake practical lessons where the course or syllabus suggests that this is required or that it is beneficial or essential for learning.
PE/games lessons will take place but they will be adapted to incorporate activities that enable social distancing and that can take place outside and in fresh air. Further details will be given to students ahead of their first active lesson.
For the first half term, assemblies will be held online, to avoid the need for large gatherings. Our Expectations Evenings for Years 7, 10, 11 and 12 will be held remotely and Awards Evenings will also take place via online presentations.
Clearly, as circumstances change, we will adapt accordingly and inform you of any changes as they are planned.
School Trips & Ventures
We will maintain a careful watch on how government guidance changes over the course of the term and re-activate our normal and extensive range of opportunities as appropriate.
Visitors to School (Updated 10 September 2020)
Parents/carers are asked to only come onto the school site in an emergency. They must report to reception if they do so.
We are required to request details from you for the purposes of safeguarding and for health and safety. In addition, in the current climate we also require your immediate contact details, in the event that anyone at the school tests positive for Coronavirus within the next 21 days.
In this instance we may be asked for the information you have provided to us by Government or health agencies such as NHS Test and Trace for the purposes of locating and advising those who may be at risk or be may be required to self-isolate.
We would be sharing this information for such purposes under the legitimate interest basis, and we would therefore not require your consent.