POTENTIAL YEAR 10 PHASED RE-OPENING PLANS - JUNE 2020

Dear Parent/Carer

Re: Potential Phased Reopening to Year 10 Students

As you will no doubt be aware the Prime Minister and Department for Education announced this week that they would like secondary schools to start to provide face-to-face support for students preparing for their examinations. I am writing to update you regarding the current situation with regards providing this provision for Year 10 students.

The importance of the education of this key group of students at this time in their lives cannot be understated. We are keen to support this group to reach their potential as soon as it is safe to do so. As you will be aware the format of their GCSE assessment may be similar to that of our current Year 11 and the evidence from which we will base this decision relied heavily on practice exam papers. With vital End of Year 10 exams approaching we are keen to support your child’s education and to support them in their future aspirations. We know we can do this best when the children are at school.

At present the school is closed to all students outside of key worker children and vulnerable children. Before we open the school for any additional provisions we must be satisfied that it is safe to do so by minimising the risks as much as we can. It is important to note that we cannot completely remove risk of infection as a school only minimise it as much as possible.

The Senior Leadership Team is currently conducting risk assessments and discussing the shape of these provisions. These plans would then need to be presented to the OLICAT Trust Board of Directors who will agree any final plans. Ultimately, if I am not satisfied as a Headteacher with our plans then we will not submit them to the Board and if they are not accepted by the Board we will not open. All of us at the school treat the responsibility of managing this reopening for Year 10 students in safe conditions as our highest priority.

Once we have agreed all aspects of this plan we will write and contact home about the shape and nature of this provision. It is my hope that I will be able to confirm this information next week, although as I am sure you can understand we will not rush through this process given its importance. I felt that it was important to write to you to advise you of the school’s current position before being able to confirm the plans from June 1^st 2020.

Please be safe. Thank you for the significant support in supporting the remote education of your children in such significant numbers and I will write with more information next week.

Mark McLaughlin

Headteacher