Dear Families,
The last few months have created challenges for all of us. We have experienced an unprecedented level of change and we recognise that some families and children have found lockdown very hard. First and foremost, we would like to thank you for supporting your child with their home schooling and for being so amiable during our welfare phone calls.
You will be aware that the Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, announced that, as of 29th June, schools would partially re-open for a number of weeks. This will either be up to the 20th July or the 29th July depending on a decision by the Welsh Government.
Following the announcement, we have put a great deal of work and thought into how we can create a safe and nurturing environment for our valued pupils, staff and our respective families. We are pleased to announce that Years 7 to 10 will be invited into school once a week from 9.30 until 12.30. In order to make this easier for parents, we have ensured that pupils from the same house attend on the same day. This means that siblings will be in school at the same time each week. There will be a few exceptions to this (for well-being reasons) and the families involved will be included in these plans. All parents will receive a text detailing the specific day of the week their child can attend school.
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Mon:
Caernarfon Pupils to attend (green ties)
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Tues:
Denbigh pupils to attend (yellow ties)
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Wed:
Harlech pupils to attend (blue ties)
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Thurs:
Raglan pupils to attend (red ties)
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The school will be a very different environment and we have tried hard to adapt to keep everyone safe but also to ensure valuable time with form teachers and friends. Pupils will be in a maximum group of 8 and will remain in this group for the summer term. We have included a photo of a typical classroom so that you can show your child what to expect and talk to them to prepare them for their return.
What follows is an outline of how the school will operate and we hope will answer many questions you will have about the next few weeks:
Should my child attend?
The Welsh Government has made it very clear that it is a matter of personal choice for parents and carers as to whether to send your child back to school. There will be no issuing of any fines should you decide to keep your child at home. Please do not feel obliged to send your son or daughter to school at this stage. If your child is clinically extremely vulnerable, or living with someone who is in this group, they should not come back to school and should continue home learning. If your child is clinically vulnerable (but not clinically extremely vulnerable), you should follow medical advice to decide if they should come back to school.
No child should be sent to school if they show any signs of Covid-19 symptoms, are unwell or have a shielding letter. This aside, attendance at school during this period is for each family to decide. The school will take a register but this will only be for safeguarding purposes. Welsh government guidance makes it clear that pupils should continue to learn from home if they cannot adhere to the strict behaviour rules that the school needs to follow in the current pandemic. Parents of those who attend on the wrong days or fail to comply with the rules will be contacted in order for the child to return home.
How should my child travel to school?
Pupils should arrive independently to avoid contravening the 2 metre distancing rule. The school bus will be unable to operate. The larger pupil gates (Mercia Road) will be open from 9 am and pupils should walk straight through these (not congregating) and into the yard where they will stand on markings 2 metres apart. Members of staff will be present to supervise this and a safe entry into school.
What should pupils wear to school?
Uniform for pupils will be relaxed for the rest of the term. We advise that clothes worn to school are washed daily to reduce the potential cross contamination into the home, community and school. It is advised that hair is tied back and that jewellery should not be worn. Pupils and staff are welcome to bring a facial covering although this is not compulsory. We advise that gloves should not be worn.
What should pupils bring to school?
Pupils will need to bring a school bag containing equipment and a drink. No catering will be available as pupils will leave at 12.30 pm.
If a pupil has their own portable device (not including a phone) please can they bring it to school as they can have a hands-on learning experience. These devices will need to be fully charged as pupils will not be able to charge them in the building.
Any material that is issued to pupils throughout the course of the day will be placed on their teaching desk by staff who have sanitised their hands before placing them there. This will be put in bags and taken home at the end of the session.
We advise, if possible, that all pupils should have their own bottle of sanitiser and a small packet of tissues to use should the need arise. There is plenty of access to soap and water plus sanitiser points around the school but as an extra precaution we suggest that each pupil has their own supply.
How will the school work and what will the classrooms look like?
The school will have clearly marked social distancing measures inside and outside the school. It will also have a one-way system and utilise the ‘8 pupil’ approach to classes for the foreseeable future. Tables and chairs have been placed at the required distance throughout the school. When pupils arrive they will be guided through the entrance to their designated spot. Staff will check pupils are equipped and have read and understood the behaviour code. After sanitising pupils will then make their way to their allocated classroom and their allocated desk. All classrooms hold a maximum of 8 pupils and they will be the only pupils using the classroom that day. There will be a ‘check in’ and well-being session as well as a chance for pupils to experience lessons and practise accessing them through our new blended approach.
What hygiene measures will be in place?
All advice received by the school stresses the importance of good hand hygiene, social distancing and clean surfaces.
Pupils will be asked to sanitise/wash their hands upon arrival to school.
The school will be cleaned each afternoon and deep cleaned every Friday. Pupils and staff will only be able to access the area which they are linked to. Throughout the day cleaners will be available to clean ‘high touch’ areas and to regularly sanitise toilets.
What if a pupil becomes ill during the day?
First Aid will be offered by the school. Any pupil demonstrating Covid-19 symptoms will be placed in a separate designated room, monitored and parents called for in accordance with Welsh Government guidelines.
What will pupils do in lessons?
From Monday 22nd June, pupils will cease to receive their lessons by e-mail to allow teachers time to train for the new way of operating. Instead, pupils will receive instructions to complete the BeReady courses and daily reading material. However, the booklets will continue to be available on OneDrive if the pupils want to continue with them. The exception to this will be if teachers have already scheduled their lessons, then they will continue to go ahead in the usual way, through emails to the pupils.
From Monday 29th June, all pupils whether they are in school or at home will follow the following time-table.
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | |
| 9.30 – 10.00 | Check-In | Check-In | Check-In | Check-In |
| 10.00 – 10.25 | Mindfulness | Mindfulness | Mindfulness | Mindfulness |
| 10.30 – 11.25 | Catch-Up Maths | Catch-Up English | Catch-Up Science | Catch-Up Languages |
| 11.30 – 12.25 | Catch-Up Humanities | Catch-Up Art | Catch-Up Express. Arts | Catch-Up Technology |
All students will be expected to continue home-learning. We anticipate that the limited teaching sessions will complement this. This new approach to teaching, known as blended learning, may be with us for some time and will very much be a new way of working for the foreseeable future. The pupils at home will receive videos of the lessons experienced in school and will start to turn in assignments using Microsoft Teams. This will allow more digital interaction with their teachers. Pupils in school will receive training in this during the three weeks in school and instructions will also be communicated to those at home. We expect Parents and Carers to make themselves familiar with this way of learning so they can monitor the amount and quality of work that their children are producing. Further time-tables for September will be communicated home as and when guidance is released by Welsh government.
What about the work Year 10 have missed?
Please be assured that the WJEC are looking at the exams for next summer. All pupils across the whole of the UK are in the same position and the school will work with pupils to ensure that they are fully prepared for any assessments. Pupils must focus on doing what is asked of them to the best of their ability and let us as educational professionals do the rest!
What expectations will the school have of pupils?
Most of our pupils behave admirably all of the time but parents and pupils are reminded that now, more than ever, it is important that pupils who attend school, do so in a respectful manner. The parent of ANY pupil who misbehaves will be contacted and expected to collect their child immediately. We will not put others at risk for the small minority who chose to behave unsafely. In addition to our usual behaviour policy, Governors have also approved the following:
- All pupils should keep a distance of 2 metres apart at all times
- Pupils should adhere to the one-way system in place around the school and ONLY use the areas designated to them. All other areas are out of bounds.
- Pupils must not gather in large groups inside or outside the school
- Pupils must stop and wait when asked
- Pupils should not attend school if they are unwell or if anyone in their families have Covid-19 symptoms
- Pupils must wash their hands for 20 seconds regularly throughout the day
- Pupils should cough and sneeze into their elbow
- Pupils should place all tissues into the designated bins
- Pupils should avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth
- Spitting is prohibited
Behaviour that undermines the safe running of the school will not be tolerated. Students that fail to follow the safety procedures will not be permitted on the school site for the rest of the term to ensure the safety of all staff and students.
How will the hub provision operate?
A separate area of the school will operate as a Hub for the children of key workers. These pupils can attend from 8 am to 4.30 pm and will not mix with the other pupils in accordance with the Welsh government guidelines. This provision needs to be applied for through the Local Authority. Details can be found here:
What happens next?
During the week commencing 22nd June parents and pupils will receive further details about their plan for return.
We are really looking forward to seeing our pupils again and I do hope that this letter gives you an overview of how our school will work and keep us all safe. If you have any additional questions, then please e-mail contact@willows.cardiff.sch.uk and we will do our best to answer them.
Next week you will receive confirmation of the day your child is to attend. We would politely request that you avoid turning up to school unannounced and to remain mindful of social distancing measures at all times, should you have to attend school yourself.
We would be very grateful if you could ensure you are signed up to Classcharts (please contact classcharts-signup@willows.cardiff.sch.uk to request access) and that the school has the correct telephone number and e-mail address for you.
After reading this information I would be grateful if you would complete this new short survey, even if you have already completed last week’s, so that we can have an accurate picture of the number of pupils who will be returning. The link to the survey is: www.willowshighschool.wales/reopeningsurvey2
Kind regards,
Chris Norman
Headteacher