Letter from the Headteacher 7th September 2020
Dear Parent/Carer,
We have nearly arrived at the exciting moment when we welcome our students back to school for the start of a new academic year. Staff have been preparing relentlessly over the summer both the site and the teaching to allow students to be able to return to what we all do best in a safe and happy environment.
I am writing today with some final details which will hopefully allow you to make the arrangements you need to for the start of term. Other useful information on the school website includes:
Updated Parent/carer FAQs: To reflect changes to government guidance and some additional detail in response to feedback and discussion. This includes information about what to do in instances or suspected cases of Covid-19.
Updated Risk Assessment: This document will remain organic and will reflect changes as and when necessary.
Updated Welcome back booklet– Which includes information about entrances, exits, year group zones and how to keep safe.
Staggered start times information- Explaining the dates and times that different year groups return to school.
Wellbeing information: A summary of the range of approaches we will use during this year to support our students.
A reduced lunch menu– For students to decide what they would like to eat in advance.
There will be changes to the school site, some for Covid-19 secure measures and some because we have continued to make improvements over the summer holiday period. Students will have an extended advisory/tutor period on their first day to learn everything they need to know about how we will be working.
We know the vast majority of our students are well placed to return to an environment they know and in which they are successful both academically and personally. We believe we know the students for whom some additional support may be needed for them to feel confident coming back and we are prepared to provide that to help them as well as any other students in the coming weeks. Teaching staff are preparing to diagnostically determine where the students are academically and plan for their onward progression.
Finally, the preparation for any new school year is always a mixture of nervousness and excitement. This year feels especially heightened, I would you to encourage a sense of calm when discussing returning to school with your child as the partial re-opening before the summer with year 10 and year 12 was a success. I would also ask you to discuss the importance of returning to school to support your child’s learning as well as their well-being. An enormous amount of planning has gone into ensuring that students and staff will be safe in school. If you have concerns about your child returning to school please contact us to discuss this.
Thank you for your support as we begin our new academic year, I look forward to working with parents and carers as we move forward and our students and staff settle into slightly different patterns. I know that our practice will change and adapt as new information is released but I would ask that we work together with mutual respect and kindness, knowing that Heworth Grange always has your child at the heart of everything we do.
Yours sincerely,
Allie Denholm
Headteacher