Parents and Carers Letter: 02/11/2020

In the light of national lockdown from Thursday but with schools open, it is our expectation that every one of our students and adults who feel able to wear a face covering as an important way that we can all protect ourselves and those around us. We continue to acknowledge, of course, that there are people exempt and with genuine reasons why they would prefer not to do so (a reminder of the Government guidance is below).

If your child is exempt or feels unable to wear one, that is understood, but for everyone else, this is as much of an expectation now as uniform and equipment to keep each other safe. Should your child be exempt or unable to wear a mask for any other reason, we will be asking you to let us know via the completion of a simple ePraise form which will be sent later today. This is to avoid any awkward conversations for your children and to ensure that the rest of our community does now meet this important public health expectation.

The ePraise form looks as follows:

Government updated guidance and expectations regarding face coverings from Tuesday November 3rd 2020

Please click on the link to read the Government’s updated guidance on the wearing of face coverings in schools:

Please note the wording extracted from this guidance:

Where education leaders may recommend the wearing of face coverings for pupils, staff and visitors:

where the layout of the school or college estate makes it particularly difficult to maintain social distancing when staff and pupils are moving around the premises
where on top of hygiene measures and the system of controls recommended in the full opening guidance to schools and FE colleges and providers, permitting the use of face coverings for staff, pupils or other visitors would provide additional confidence to parents to support a full return of children to school or college

It also includes the fact that where areas of the country are in ‘High’ or ‘Very High’ areas of restriction owing to case spread and prevalence, face coverings should be worn by adults (staff and visitors) and pupils when moving around indoors, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain.

We therefore continue to remind you that it is the Noadswood expectation for every one of our students and adults who feel able to wear a face covering as an important way that we can all protect ourselves and those around us. We continue to acknowledge, of course, that there are people exempt and with genuine reasons why they would prefer not to do so.

This is now a vital measure to be totally committed to now that formal lockdown restrictions nationally are coming in to force on Thursday November 5th.

We will be sharing with the students some input from the science around C-19 after the break to provide further insights as to why we focus on socially distancing, face coverings and sanitising.

Reminder of staggered starts and endings for the rest of the school:

These have been adhered to very well by the majority of students, but may we remind you of their importance in terms of our maintaining of year group bubbles?

Here are the timings and entrances/exits again for your reference:

Please remind your children that when they arrive, it’s straight to tutor bases please.

We mustn’t drift back to arriving all at the same time – let’s reboot the sharpness of it with a new half term starting.

We can't wait to welcome you all back tomorrow,

Kathryn Marshall and the Noadswood Leadership Team