Arrangements for Spring Term

Submitted by steven.jones on Wed, 01/05/2022 - 12:42

Happy New Year!

We hope you and your families have enjoyed a pleasant Christmas break, and continue to be safe and well.

Before Christmas, Jeremy Miles, Minister for Education, informed schools that the Spring Term would begin with two ‘planning days’ – Tuesday 4th January and Wednesday 5th January. The purpose of these planning days is to assess staffing capacity and put the necessary measures in place to support the return of pupils from Thursday 6th January. All pupils will return to school, following their normal timetable on Thursday, with arrangements for the start and end of the day remaining unchanged.

Schools have been asked use the planning days to plan for the following:

the return of pupils and staff based on the ‘very high’ risk level as outlined in the Local COVID-19 infection control decision framework for schools https://gov.wales/local-covid-19-infection-control-decision-framework-schools-html;
arrangements for learners to safely sit their January exams. Year 11 pupils will be sitting the GSCE Geography NEA on Monday 10th January and GCSE English Literature (Module on Tuesday 11th January
the establishment of robust plans in place to move to remote learning. This could be for individual classes/year groups or possibly for the whole school, depending on staffing availability.

The Coronavirus Control Plan for Wales: autumn and winter update sets out that, despite the challenges the winter period poses, the expectation is that schools should remain open. The guiding principles are to:

enable schools to offer as wide a range of support and experiences as possible, including the provision of after school clubs, extra-curricular activities and practical subjects;
secure the best outcomes for all learners by considering both their educational needs and wellbeing,
and manage ongoing risks of COVID-19 as safely as possible.

A – Start of Term Arrangements

B - Should I wear a face covering?

Welsh Government guidance regarding the use of face coverings has changed temporarily as a precautionary step while we learn more about the Omicron variant of concern. The following measures should be in place in all schools. It is the clear expectation that children now wear face covering in classrooms and in canteen queues, unless medically exempt.

Throughout the pandemic the Welsh Government’s priority has been to maximise learning and to minimise disruption for our young people. We are doing our best to try to avoid staff and pupil absence and to maintain continuity of learning in school, and this is an important measure to try to keep everyone safe.

Face coverings are required to be worn by secondary aged learners in all indoor areas where physical distance (2m) cannot be maintained, and in classrooms.
We would encourage face coverings to be washable and reusable rather than disposable in nature. Please ensure that your child is equipped with a face covering and also a spare.
There will be some learners and staff who are medically exempt from wearing face coverings. Written parental confirmation will need to be provided to secure exemption status. Should there be a specific medical reason as to why your child cannot wear a face covering, we would be grateful if you could contact the school to enable us to discuss the situation.
C - What are the new arrangements on self-isolation?

If anyone tests positive for COVID-19 they must self-isolate and not attend school. Arrangements on self-isolation have changed. All staff and learners should to follow the Welsh Government guidance for self-isolation. https://gov.wales/self-isolation#section-38154

All over 18s who are fully vaccinated (having received two full doses of an approved vaccine) and children aged 5 to 17 are now asked to take lateral flow tests (LFTs) every day for 7 days if they are identified as a contact of a positive COVID-19 case.
those undertaking Daily Contact Testing do not need to self-isolate for that day unless they have a positive lateral flow test or develop symptom. In either of these cases, they should book a PCR test as soon as possible.
Anyone identified as a contact, who is fully vaccinated or aged 5 to 17 can access daily contact testing instead of self-isolation, regardless of whether they are a household or close contact.
Secondary age learners are advised to undertake LFD testing three times a week at present on Monday, Wednesday and Friday using LFTs and record their results.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should self-isolate and take a PCR test as soon as possible. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 you must self-isolate and follow the guidance.
You can leave self-isolation after 7 full days (on day 8 of your self-isolation period). You should take a lateral flow test (LFT) on day 6 of your self-isolation period and another lateral flow test 24 hours later. This is to check if you remain infectious and could pass COVID-19 on to others.
You should not take a LFT before the sixth day of your self-isolation period because the risks of remaining infectious and the chances of passing it on to others before this period is significantly higher.
If you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you should follow this guidance. If you are not fully vaccinated, you are legally required to self-isolate as a close contact for 7 days.We have prepared a simple protocol for parents to inform school about Covid related absences, and particularly, the return to school following such absences. We will write to you in a separate communication to explain the protocol

B - Should I wear a face covering?

Face coverings are required to be worn by secondary aged learners in all indoor areas where physical distance (2m) cannot be maintained, and in classrooms.
We would encourage face coverings to be washable and reusable rather than disposable in nature. Please ensure that your child is equipped with a face covering and also a spare.
There will be some learners and staff who are medically exempt from wearing face coverings. Written parental confirmation will need to be provided to secure exemption status. Should there be a specific medical reason as to why your child cannot wear a face covering, we would be grateful if you could contact the school to enable us to discuss the situation.
C - What are the new arrangements on self-isolation?

All over 18s who are fully vaccinated (having received two full doses of an approved vaccine) and children aged 5 to 17 are now asked to take lateral flow tests (LFTs) every day for 7 days if they are identified as a contact of a positive COVID-19 case.
those undertaking Daily Contact Testing do not need to self-isolate for that day unless they have a positive lateral flow test or develop symptom. In either of these cases, they should book a PCR test as soon as possible.
Anyone identified as a contact, who is fully vaccinated or aged 5 to 17 can access daily contact testing instead of self-isolation, regardless of whether they are a household or close contact.
Secondary age learners are advised to undertake LFD testing three times a week at present on Monday, Wednesday and Friday using LFTs and record their results.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should self-isolate and take a PCR test as soon as possible. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 you must self-isolate and follow the guidance.
You can leave self-isolation after 7 full days (on day 8 of your self-isolation period). You should take a lateral flow test (LFT) on day 6 of your self-isolation period and another lateral flow test 24 hours later. This is to check if you remain infectious and could pass COVID-19 on to others.
You should not take a LFT before the sixth day of your self-isolation period because the risks of remaining infectious and the chances of passing it on to others before this period is significantly higher.

If you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you should follow this guidance. If you are not fully vaccinated, you are legally required to self-isolate as a close contact for 7 days.

We have prepared a simple protocol for parents to inform school about Covid related absences, and particularly, the return to school following such absences. We will write to you in a separate communication to explain the protocol.

D - What will classrooms look like?

Welsh Government Guidance states:

“It is strong public health advice that staff in secondary schools maintain distance from their learners, staying at the front of the class, and away from their colleagues where possible. Ideally, adults should maintain a 2-metre distance from each other, and from learners…. Schools should make small adaptations to the classroom to support distancing where possible. That should include seating learners side by side and facing forwards, rather than face to face or side on, and might include moving unnecessary furniture out of classrooms to make more space.”

At Bryntirion, this means that:

all students will need to sanitise, or wash hands prior to entry to classrooms and exit from classrooms;
all classrooms will be configured so that they are forward facing;
we will aim to ensure classrooms are well ventilated either through opening doors/windows or through air conditioning units (where available). We appreciate this is difficult in winter months, and will also prioritise thermal comfort in classrooms;
whilst in classrooms the teacher will, wherever possible, maintain a 2-metre distance from students;
all pupils will be in a seating plan recorded via Classcharts for every class they attend;
desks will be cleaned at the end of each lesson.

E – What measures are there elsewhere on the school site?

Movement around the school site should be kept to a minimum. We will attempt to avoid creating busy corridors, entrances and exits by continuing with one-way systems. These systems will be re-emphasised at the start of term. The Oriel sixth form common room has been organised to ensure social distancing can be maintained as far as possible.

Whilst we will aim to minimise interactions between pupils wherever possible, we are also keen to enable school to operate as normally as possible for our pupils. However, year groups will remain in strict internal zones at break and lunch. The use of outdoor spaces will not be restricted to any particular group.

F - What equipment will I need and can I share it?

For individual and very frequently used equipment, such as pencils and pens, it is recommended that students have their own items that are not shared. Classroom based resources, such as books and games, can be used and shared. In line with Welsh Government guidance, students and staff can take books and other shared resources home, although unnecessary sharing should be avoided. Pupils should limit the amount of equipment they bring into school each day, to essentials such as lunch boxes, bags, hats, coats, books, stationery, mobile phones (kept in bags). Exercise books and pupils’ work can be taken home by teachers to mark and assess.

G - What about catering facilities in school?

Catering provision will now revert to its pre-COVID arrangements. Learners who are eligible for free school meals will be provided with a free meal on each day they attend. Other learners will still be expected to pay for their meals. Children will be permitted to bring a packed lunch to school.

Pupils in Years 7 and 8 will use the ‘Junior Canteen’ in D Block; those in Years 9, 10 and 11 will use the Senior Hall in E Block. The canteens will be divided into sections for use by particular year groups. Students in Years 12 and 13 are permitted to use either canteen, and can leave the school site should they wish to do so.

Cashless payment systems will be in operation as usual from September. However, parents/carers will need to ensure there is sufficient balance on their child’s account. If you have not received a recent email with your child’s account balance, please contact the school to ask for this information. It is unlikely that cash machines in school will be accessible, initially, and parents/carers are advised of the need to credit school meal accounts via the ‘Pay it’ function on the Bridgend County Borough Council website. This is the usual method for adding credits to accounts for school meals.

Please note that canteen services have been severely depleted by staff absence in recent weeks. This has impacted on the meal services available. We will still be able to serve hot food, but we may not always be able to deliver the ‘main meal’ option. Many parents have opted to provide packed lunches through this period, and we would encourage this in the short term.

H - Will visitors be allowed onto the school site?

We are still required to encourage parents/carers not to remain on the premises/at the gates longer than necessary especially when dropping off/collecting children.

Please note that parents will only be able to come onto the school site for a pre-arranged appointment. Social distancing and hand sanitising will be in place in our reception area and all meetings will take place in the school’s conference room or meeting rooms in E Block. A record will be kept of all visitors as this may be needed at a future point to assist with contact tracing processes.

We will not permit any other visitors onto the school site without a pre-booked appointment.

J – Will my child be advised to take part in LFD testing in January?

Ahead of the start of the new school term, the Welsh Government is asking families and learners to continue to follow guidance on isolating, testing and vaccination, to minimise the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in education settings. In secondary schools, pupils not showing symptoms are now advised to take regular rapid lateral flow tests three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and report the results online. Please use any LFTs you have at home first, or order tests online for free, or collect them from community collection points or pharmacies. School will provide LFTs during term time to those pupils whose parents have provided consent.

From Monday 10th January, we hope to be able to provide one LFD kit to those pupils for whom we have received parental consent. You can also access LFD kits from community sources where available. The tests are free. You can get lateral flow tests by:

collecting from a pharmacy or a local collection point: Find your nearest pharmacy or collection point and opening times (on nhs.uk)
by ordering online for home delivery: Order rapid lateral flow home test kits on GOV.UK. You can order 1 home testing kit (7 tests) at a time. Delivery takes 1 to 2 days.

K - Will there be a return to remote learning? If so, what might this look like?

Teachers and subject teams have used the two planning days (as the main focus) to ensure that robust arrangements are in place should pupils be required to work from home due to staffing restraints. In this period, we have been asked to plan arrangements to cope with the potential of staff absence – with an emphasis on relevant asynchronous resources to support home learning.

The aim of our ‘Continuity of Learning Plan’ is to support pupils in their learning. This means having plans in place for a range of scenarios and stages. During the lockdown periods, we developed our online platforms in order to support learning at home. As we move forward, we will use these platforms as part of our plan to enable continuity of learning should there be further disruption. In simple terms, we have plans in place for 4 stages as follows:

Stage 1 – All pupils (in school or otherwise)

We have developed long term curriculum plans which outline the skills and content covered in every subject in each year. These plans detail the learning expectations and means of assessment used to measure progress. Supporting learning in school, staff set tasks to be completed at home, either electronically, on paper or in books (much like traditional homework).

Stage 2 - Individual pupils ill/self-isolating at home (not full class)

The aim in this stage is to ensure that anyone at home due to illness or self-isolation can access work missed in school. Every pupil is a member of a class ‘TEAM’, linked to the subjects on their timetable. On a regular basis, classroom teachers will be uploading resources to the class team so that all children in that class can access activities and resources at home.

Pupils who are not able to attend school will have access to these resources, which they can then use at home to continue their learning. These resources are available online or can be printed at home. Pupils can use the class TEAMS to send work, completed electronically or on paper, or submit when returning to school.

During this stage it is not expected for pupils to follow their normal timetable and teachers are not required to post work each lesson or provide feedback.

Stage 3 – Whole year groups home (full class)

In the event that a whole year group is required to work from home because of a ‘forced school closure’ due to staff absence, pupils will be expected to follow their normal timetable by logging into the class TEAMS. They can use home computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones or any device that has an internet browser, e.g. a PlayStation or Xbox, to do this. The activities set will enable pupils to undertake a range of learning experiences, which may include a focus on new knowledge, consolidation activities on topics already covered (extension work to help with continuity) or research activities to develop depth of knowledge (deepening and broadening existing knowledge in key topic areas). These activities will be asynchronous and not synchronous (live) lessons. This work can be completed and recorded in a variety of ways, including using exercise books, file paper or digitally.

TEAMs will be used to upload work for pupils to complete during this stage. Learning objectives and teacher explanations will be provided to support any work set; this may be via a recorded or written instruction. In this stage it may not always be possible for feedback during lessons due to staff availability.

Stage 4 – Whole school closure

In the event that the whole school is required to work from home because of a ‘forced school closure’, pupils will be expected to follow their normal timetable by logging into the class TEAMS. They can use home computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones or any device that has an internet browser, e.g. a PlayStation or Xbox, to do this. The activities set will enable pupils to undertake a range of learning experiences, including projects, written tasks and research, using a blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning. This work can be completed and recorded in a variety of ways, including using exercise books or file paper.

Teachers will use TEAMs to upload work for pupils to complete at home. Learning objectives and teacher explanations will be provided to support any work set; this may be via a recorded or written instruction or live explanation. Teachers will be available throughout the lesson to answer any queries posed via collaborative functions in TEAMS.

In conclusion, we are very grateful for your support in ensuring your child is fully prepared for a return to school in January. Please use the information above to speak with them and settle any queries that they may have and impress upon them the need for cooperation and good behaviour.

The above information may change from time to time as the situation is still so fluid. This may be in relation to new advice that is shared with us. We will write to you with updated information as soon as it becomes available.

We look forward welcoming your children back to school and to working in partnership with you once again in the term ahead.

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Arrangements for Spring Term