Dear Parent / Carer,

Following our letter to you last week, and in conjunction with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) statement from the Prime Minister yesterday, we would like to provide you with the following information related to our planning and actions as a school.

Following the guidance set out by the Prime Minister as we move into the ‘delay phase’ to tackle Coronavirus, anyone who displays flu-like symptoms – defined as a fever of above 37.8C or a “new, continuous” cough – is now advised to self-isolate for seven days. If your child presents with either of these symptoms, please inform us via the usual absence reporting procedures and follow the self-isolation guidance provided by the NHS in the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/

The Prime Minister has also stated that whilst there are no immediate plans to close schools, this would be “under review and this again may change as the disease spreads.” Like all schools nationally, we are currently making contingency plans to support the learning of our students in case of a forced school closure relating to Coronavirus.

As part of our preparations for any potential closure of the school, we are asking subject areas in every year group to prepare some work that could be set remotely via a temporary google website. This would include research project tasks linked to future learning or read, cover, write, review tasks linked to Year 7 & 8 Knowledge Organisers, as well as online tasks set on GCSE Pod, Kerboodle, Mathswatch etc.

In the event that the school is advised to close, we will publish a web link on the school website and Twitter feed that will direct students to teacher set work and resources for each subject. Enough work will be provided to cover lessons missed during the time that the school will be closed and this will be especially important for Year 11 and Year 13 as they continue to prepare for their upcoming exams.

We also recognise that those students who are following self-isolation guidance may benefit from being able to complete school work and we are currently taking steps to address this.

We are mindful of the fact, however, that accessing online materials may not be possible for some students and ask that any parents who do not have internet access, or access to devices which could be used to access these materials, to contact your child’s House Office so alternative arrangements can be made to ensure that all students can access meaningful learning material.

An integral part of life at Great Sankey High School is our extra-curricular provision and opportunities available through school trips and residential stays. We are aware of the updated advice from the Department for Education regarding foreign and domestic travel and are liaising with the Local Authority and travel companies directly. We will update those families involved separately as further information becomes available.

With regards to the upcoming 2020 summer examination series, there has been no central communication from the government or examination bodies as to the possible impact of Coronavirus, or details of any contingency plans in place. Should information become available then we will look to communicate this as soon as practically possible. We are monitoring the information from the Joint Council for Qualifications

(JCQ) and Ofqual on a daily basis. As of today Ofqual have offered the following advice to school, parents and students:

We recognise that students, parents, schools and colleges will be concerned about the possible impact of coronavirus on the 2020 summer exam series. Our advice at this time is to continue to prepare for exams and other assessments as normal.

We continue to work closely with exam boards, other regulators and the Department for Education and we have met to plan for a range of scenarios, as the public would expect. Our overriding priorities are fairness to students this summer and keeping disruption to a minimum.

It is still many weeks until exams start and we will issue updated advice if necessary, giving schools and colleges as much notice as possible.

Please be rest assured, we are receiving daily updates from the Department for Education and Public Health England with advice on the Coronavirus in the UK. We continue to follow this advice and are working to maintain a calm and purposeful environment for all and aim to continue very much ‘as normal’ until we are instructed otherwise by the Department for Education, Public Health England or the Local Authority.

To limit the spread of infection, we will continue to remind students of how they can maintain good levels of hygiene and appreciate you also supporting this message at home. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at school. As always, your support is greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Paul Goodwin
Deputy Headteacher & Educational Visits Co-ordinator