It has been three weeks since I communicated with you about a number of things and I promised I wouldn’t bombard you with too many messages! I really hope you can spend a few minutes reading this letter and discussing the relevant points with your children.

We have had three weeks of full time school with all students and staff present. It has been a really strong start with very few teething troubles, I hope you will agree.

There is a lot to update you or remind you about, but also a plea from me around keeping children safe.

In no particular order…

Arrival Times

The staggered start and end times have taken a bit of getting used to, but it is proving to be an effective way of maintaining a controlled entry and exit into school. One issue which reduces the effectiveness is students arriving too early and congregating outside school. We need to ask students to arrive in Wendover Way only a few minutes prior to their allocated arrival time.
Year 7 & Year 8 8.25 – 8.35
Year 9 & Year 12&13 8.35 – 8.45
Year 10 & Year 11 8.45 – 8.55

Changes to PE from Mr Walsh – in effect from Monday 28th September 2020

With the reconnecting to physical activity and the new way of working within the PE department, the decision has been made to now allow students to wear PE kit on the days when they have PE. This is mainly down to groups not being able to use the changing rooms to change into PE kit due to social distancing and cleaning between different bubbles using them. It will take affect from Monday 28th September (week 1) for all students EXCEPT YEAR 7 on Monday 28th September only as we need them in full school uniform for their first school photo.

Form tutors have spent the last few reminding students which days they will need to attend school in their Grange PE kit. There is also a reminder as to what is the prescribed PE kit is for school, but please be assured it hasn’t changed. I am sure you are as keen as we are to keep uniform standards as high as possible.

For the remainder of this academic year only, we are allowing plain white polo shirts with no logos as an alternative to the Grange logo polo shirt if you do not currently have one. All students are likely to have either one of these, but if not, they can be purchased at a very reasonable price from many shops and supermarkets.

Can I also ask that you remind your son or daughter that the PE kit is school uniform and any variation will be treated as if they had incorrect school uniform. Form Tutors will continue with uniform checks during registration on the days they attend in kit and the PE department, will continue to give detentions for no kit and incorrect items. Hoodies are still not permitted, but the blazer can be worn during the day. Repeat issues will be challenged with further sanctions if they occur. When timetabled, all students are expected to attend in kit even if they are injured as they will still be involved in the lesson in some capacity – leader, coach, official etc.

I am sure that between us this can be a successful transition period and become the students new way of working for as long as necessary. On behalf of Mr Walsh and I, thank you in advance for your support and understanding.

Congestion at the front of school, my plea for your support.

In my previous letter, I asked all parents to arrange to pick up their children away from the front of the school. Thank you to those parents who had done this, my plea is for those parents who still collect or drop off in front of school.

Many of you would have seen me in my hi vis guiding students and directing traffic at the start and end of most days. Many of you would have also seen some very unsafe driving, caused in part by the congestion due to parents parking opposite the school, making Wendover Way gridlocked before and after school. I have seen so many near accidents, particularly with cars driving up the pavement when the children are leaving but also parents turning into the bus lane entrance to the school. I feel a lot of my concern could be avoided if the road could flow both ways.

Although there are no parking restrictions opposite the school, the chaos caused by parking there is obvious and avoidable. There are yellow school markers on the road outside the school, however, some parents continue to stop on to drop or collect their children, stopping the flow of traffic. I appreciate there are some situations where students need collecting from reception and this is accommodated, but the vast majority of the parents parked outside school do not need this concession.

My plea, for the safety of the children, is to again ask you to park away from the school unless there is a recognised need. Thank you in advance.

Visitors to School, including parents and carers.

As you would expect, we are restricting visitors to the school as much as possible. With this in mind, please do not come into school unless you have booked an appointment. If you turn up at school reception to see a member of staff without an appointment you will be turned away and asked to make an appointment. We need to do this to reduce the number of potential contacts in reception.
We also need to minimise the number of items that need to be dropped off at school. If, however, you really do need to drop something off for you child (e.g. a book, PE kit, lunch box etc.) please make sure the item is bagged and clearly labelled with your son or daughter’s name and tutor group. When you get to the school reception will open the door for you and you will be directed to put the package in the parcel room. Reception will NOT be able to take the item from you or handle it.

If you need to drop off money for lunch please put it in a sealed envelope with the name and tutor group of the student clearly marked and leave it on the desk outside the reception window. The reception staff will then make sure it gets to the correct person.

Meetings with staff will be kept to an absolute minimum and avoided wherever possible. We have very limited appropriate office space and need to reduce the number of contacts wherever possible. We will of course be very happy to discuss any concerns you have by telephone at a mutually agreeable time. Please remember many staff are teaching during the day and are on duty during our student breaks and lunches, so most calls are likely to be returned later in the day.

Year 10 & Year 11 Changeover and protecting our bubbles

In school, we are working hard to ensure the bubble system is working well and respected by the vast majority of students. However, some students are not following our guidance and putting themselves and others at risk. We expect all students to behave appropriately and follow staff instructions at all times, but in the current climate, this is more important than ever.
Please remind your son or daughter for the need to follow the direction arrows, sanitise regularly and follow the instructions of staff. Whilst we will avoid sanctions where possible, if we have multiple breaches of our Health and Safety requirements we will be left with no option but to sanction students in line with the school behaviour policy.

Equipment – the shop reopens!
As we are unable to give stationery or equipment to student to use, each student must have their own. As of this week, we will have stationery items for sale in the foyer at break and lunch for any lost or misplaced items. Please encourage your son and daughter to use the shop rather than rely on parents to bring equipment in to reception. If there is an issue with you providing the equipment needed, please get in touch with your child’s form tutor.

Outer Wear – please bring a coat

Due to the changeable weather, we need all students to be responsible and bring a waterproof jacket to school each day. As we have zoned the classrooms and school site, we do not have the usual capacity for indoor space in wet or cold weather. A light, foldaway jacket in the bottom of the bag would be enough whilst we hold on to the end of summer. We do have enough canopies and covers around the school to remain outside in all but the worst weather.

Uniform, including the new identification badges

We take great pride in ensuring our students look smart and ready to learn. In some instances, a minority of students are deliberately refusing to follow our expectations. Can I please ask you to make sure you read the uniform guidance closely in regards to Skirts and tights, shoes not trainers, hair colour, no nose studs etc.

The coloured badges we have provided have proved to be a great success, it makes it very easy for all staff to identify who should be where in school. Some students have lost or broken their badges, which we are in the process of replacing. The badges are a key part of our safety strategy and are now part of the school uniform.

We require all students to wear the badge consistently on the left lapel of their blazer. Please remind you son or daughter to do this each day. If badges are lost, they can be purchased in school for £2 at the equipment shop at break or lunch in the foyer. If the badge is broken and returned to the school, we will replace or repair without cost to you.

Cycle Safety

It is good to see an increasing number of students cycling to school. However, I am concerned about the safety of students on and off bicycles at the beginning and end of the day. As you know, there is severe congestion coupled with some unsafe driving outside school, so minimising the risk to all students is paramount. The vast majority of students cycle safely on well maintained bicycles. I am concerned how few are wearing helmets, but also how some students are cycling in and out of the road wearing headphones. Naturally, erratic cycling is challenged by duty staff, but we are not confident that the rest of the journey home is as safe as it could be.

We have had serious accidents involving cyclists near to the school in the past, and I am keen to ensure we minimise the risk to all of our students. Please do all you can to reinforce the message to your son or daughter about staying safe on the roads.

Parents Evenings

In the current climate, I am sure it is no surprise to hear we are unable to hold parents evenings (or any event involving parents coming into school) for the foreseeable future. We value parents evenings as much as I know parents do, so I am currently investigating the best way to hold parents evening remotely. I will be in touch again soon regarding these arrangements as soon as possible.

Student Feedback invited

We have sent a link to all students prior to returning to school, their feedback gave us an insight into the challenges they faced during lockdown and how we can support them best on their return. Yesterday, we sent out another brief questionnaire so we can get their feedback around how they feel no they have returned to school. Again, this will guide us and allow us to address any issues we discover. Please encourage your son or daughter to complete the questionnaire as their opinions are very much considered going forward. In the coming weeks, we will also be canvasing parents and carers for their feedback.

In the meantime, if you have any comments you wish to make about how you feel your child has settled since returning in September, I would be very happy to receive them.

If you are still reading this long message at this point, thank you! Together, we will ensure your son or daughter has the best experience possible at The Grange in these uncertain times.

Kind Regards

Nick Golding
Deputy Head Teacher