2nd National Lockdown Letter - 06/11/2020

Dear Parents and Carers,

Firstly, I hope you and your families had an enjoyable half term and have remained safe and well. As we enter the second National Lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to update you on what it means for us all at Sewell Park Academy. As we have stated continually since March, the safety of students, parents, staff and the wider community will always be paramount. Thank you for your ongoing support with this.

Due to the extensive safety measures we have had in place from September, there are no major changes required in our practice. In regards to face coverings, on Wednesday the Department of Education stated:

In schools where pupils in year 7 and above are educated and further education colleges, face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained. Face coverings should also be worn by pupils in year 7 and above when travelling on dedicated school transport to secondary schools or on public

transport to college.

Whilst we are aware of one local school Trust who have recently requested that all pupils wear face coverings throughout lessons, at present we have not elected to require this. Currently at SPA, as in the letter from Mr Gannon prior to half term, face coverings are now a part of the Sewell Park uniform policy and as such are required items for each day of school. In order to maintain safety for all, if a student does not have an acceptable face covering with them, they will be required to purchase a temporary one (at a cost of 50p). Alternatively, we

will require parents to bring in the forgotten face covering before the student can re-join others in their bubble. Students will be required to correctly wear these, currently, at all times when not seated in lessons or socially distanced from others in outside zones. For those students where we have clear evidence of medical exemptions, we will be providing them with a lanyard, which must be worn from Monday so that they are identifiable to staff.

The Government regulations regarding the National Lockdown also state that people must not meet socially with more than one person outside of the household, or support bubble, and this must not be done in a home or garden. We will be reiterating this with students regarding their travel to and from school and meeting friends. We would also ask that any parents meeting students at the end of the school day ensure that they follow social distancing guidelines and do not congregate around the entrances to the school. Only essential meetings will take place within the school during the lockdown, any other meetings will take place over the phone or via a video call.

I would like to remind you that all students have a parallel lesson-by-lesson curriculum with online resources available on Google Classroom for any absence from school. In the event of a student or bubble isolating, they should use this daily and can email teachers with any additional questions. If you have not already, please fill out the short survey regarding device access for your child, this will be emailed to you again shortly.

Finally, thank you all for your continued support for the procedures we have in place at Sewell Park and your appreciation that these will be implemented in a clear manner with the highest expectations that our students will continue to adhere to these at all times. In that manner, all members of the school will be doing all that they can to ensure the safety of our community. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. In the meantime please see the enclosed link to a fantastic resource to help improve student’s mental health and wellbeing – the website has lots of brilliant ideas and apps you can use, visit

www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters

Best wishes

David Day

Headteacher