Coronavirus: COVID-19

This page contains information about how the school is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will be updated regularly as Government and Local Authority guidance is released

View the latest post on the DfE blog: Coronavirus testing for secondary and college students in the first week of the spring term: Your questions answered here.

The latest COVID-19 advice from the NHS (including how to book a test) can be found here.

A letter from the DfE (23.9.20) to parents/carers: When you should book a coronavirus test for your child can be viewed here.

Information about the use of face masks and the adapted school day to facilitate social distancing can be found here.

Guidance from the Local Authority, including information about self-isolation can be found here, as well as a summary leaflet.

In accordance with DfE requirements, we have produced a statement of Remote Education Provision, which can be viewed here.

Guidance from the DfE (published February, 2021), Supporting your children’s remote education during coronavirus (COVID-19), can be viewed here.

Information from the Headteacher

20.7.21: Information about the Autumn Term COVID-19 Testing Programme for Years 7-13

As we approach the end of this term, I would like to thank all of you in your ongoing patience with the twice weekly testing of students. As a school, we have been pleased with the low numbers of students over the last year we have had to send home to self-isolate. However, in recent weeks we are aware that this has increased. As a result of this rise nationally you may have seen the announcement last week from the government of their plans for the Autumn term. (Please see below information sent to schools from the Department for Education):

Information on testing in the autumn term in secondary schools and colleges

Following the announcements on Step 4 this week, we are asking secondary schools and colleges to test all students at an on-site asymptomatic test site (ATS) on return following the summer holidays. This approach is based on the latest public health advice and will help us break chains of transmission in education settings after the summer holidays when students may have been mixing with lots of people. We are asking these tests to be carried out on site as testing participation rates amongst students via ATS are much higher than when testing at home.

We are also asking that schools and colleges encourage students to continue twice-weekly testing at home for the rest of this term and in the autumn, following the two initial on-site tests. All the education workforce should also continue to test – twice-weekly at home – on return in the autumn term. We will review the continued need for testing, based on public health advice at the end of September.

The measures we will have after summer, including testing, strike the right balance as we learn to live with the virus so children can continue in face-to-face education. Department of Education July 9th 2021.

Therefore, we will be setting up an asymptomatic test site at school for the start of the Autumn Term. The tests that are to be completed at school are similar to those that students have been completing at home, but from the information we have received the test from the Autumn are nasal tests only. We aim to try to ensure no students or staff will be returning to school positive with COVID 19.

Our plan is to test all of next academic years Year 7-13 students on Tuesday 31st August for their first test and then Friday 3rd September during the school day for their second test. Students will receive their home testing kits when they have their second in-school test, which they should then use every Sunday and Wednesday evening and log results with both the school and NHS. The twice-weekly testing will continue throughout September. We will send reminders on Sundays and Wednesdays.

We will be asking students to arrive on the Tuesday 31st August at a set time: see schedules below. They will complete their test and leave. We will process all tests and will inform you within an hour of any positive or void tests. We would like students to bring along with them the cardboard section they currently have in their home test kits to use to hold the vial for the buffer solution.

The testing schedule for Year 7 students can be viewed here.

The testing schedule for (NEW) Years 8 – 13 can be viewed here.

A site map, showing testing locations and access, can be viewed here.

Please complete a Google Form to confirm attendance here.

From 16th August children under the age of 18 will no longer need to isolate if they are a close contact with a person who has tested positive to COVID 19. However, for Year 13 students when they reach the age of 18 years and 4 months they will be required to self-isolate as a contact if they have not received both vaccinations.

I hope you have a good summer break and we look forward to a new term and hopefully the continued journey back to normality.

Mrs Y Powdrell

Deputy Headteacher

19.7.21

The DfE has stated that secondary school students should continue testing twice weekly at home over the holidays. Students have been provided with Rapid Lateral Flow testing kits for this purpose and additional kits are available locally here.

16.7.21

A letter from Hertfordshire County Council:

Dear Parents and Carers,

Firstly, we would like to thank you for the efforts and sacrifices you have made to keep your nursery and school communities safe over the past 16 months. As we head into the summer holidays, we’d like to remind you of some of the ways we can all enjoy a safe summer together.

While people will be excited at the prospect of restrictions being lifted on 19 July, others will be fearful or apprehensive. Remember, rules around self-isolation of close contacts for under 18s do not change until 16 August 2021. We all need to be kind to each other as we move into this next phase.

Covid-19 won’t end when the rules change, in fact cases are rising and we need to keep being sensible. It’s important to recognise that everyone’s circumstances are different and what feels comfortable to one person might not feel that way to another. Let’s keep looking out for one another and recognise that we’re all going to be moving forward at our own pace.

What you can do to keep yourself and others safe

Get vaccinated

Vaccinations are now available for everyone aged over 18 who is eligible, you don’t need a GP and often don’t even need to book an appointment. Visit https://covid.healthierfuture.org.uk/ for local sites and regular pop ups. If you or children have medial conditions, please speak to your GP about your Covid-19 vaccination.

Keep testing

Regular rapid testing, including for those who are vaccinated, for everyone in year 7 and above (tests are not designed for use on children younger than this) can make a big difference, as most people don’t know they’re infected until they have infected others. You can order or collect free rapid tests locally, visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/rapidtest for more information. If you have symptoms get a PCR test and self-isolate.

Look out for one another

Give people space, wear face coverings in crowded indoor areas, keep your windows and doors open when you have people round, wash and/or sanitise hands. These measures have kept us safe and will keep us safe still.

By looking out for one another we can help us keep infections low. There are many people needing healthcare for non Covid-19 reasons who have been waiting for some time. If Covid-19 cases continue to rise, people will have to wait longer for hospital and health care so let’s try to stop that by working together.

We hope you all enjoy a safe and happy summer!

Hertfordshire County Council

21.6.21

The Secretary of State for Education has written an open letter to parents about the importance lateral flow testing.

The letter can be read here.

15.6.21

Information for parents/carers from Herts County Council:

The Public Health team at Hertfordshire County Council has asked us to share the following information with you.

Firstly, we want to thank you for all you are doing to play your part and help protect your school community – you’re all doing an amazing job. As we head towards the end of the academic year, let’s work together to reduce the number of cases in our nurseries, schools and colleges and make sure less children will need to learn remotely.

We’re now at a crucial time in our fight against coronavirus. In line with yesterday’s Government announcement we’re asking everyone to not drop your guard just yet – Covid-19 is still here.

There are simple things you can do right now to continue to protect yourself, your family and your school community:

Remember hands, face, space, fresh air – each school may have different rules around face coverings, but everyone aged over 11 should be wearing a face covering when in indoor venues. If you can still meet outside do

Testing – students in year 7 and above are being provided with a free, regular supply of rapid tests and they should continue to take these twice a week. Parents

If you or your child/ren receive a positive result from a rapid test you must begin self-isolating immediately, not attend school and book a confirmatory PCR test.

If you or your child/ren have symptoms (new, continuous cough, change or loss of taste or smell or a temperature) you must self-isolate immediately and book a PCR test at: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

If you need help to self-isolate contact HertsHelp for advice and practical help with things like getting food and medicine and accessing financial support. Call 0300 123 4044, email info@hertshelp.net or visit www.hertshelp.net

We know none of this is easy, but if we throw our arms around schools to protect them now, we can all look forward to the summer holidays we’re hoping for. Thank you again for helping to keep yourselves and your community safe.

Hertfordshire County Council

27.5.21

Information for parents/carers from Herts County Council:

Thank you all so much for playing your part and helping to keep case rates of Covid-19 low in Hertfordshire. During half-term, and as restrictions ease more generally, it’s more important than ever that we follow current guidance to help keep each other safe and our nurseries, schools and colleges free from outbreaks.

Please do not send children back into education if they are sick or feel unwell. If you or children have symptoms you must self-isolate immediately and book a PCR test at: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

During half-term you should continue to encourage children in year 7 and above to test and report their results as they have been in term time.

We would be grateful if you could ensure that children in year 7 and above take a rapid test on Sunday 6 June ahead of their return to school. Should they receive a positive result they must begin self-isolating immediately and book a confirmatory PCR test. Any student with symptoms of Covid-19 or feeling unwell should take a PCR test immediately and not attend school.

Parents and carers of children of school age are also encouraged to take regular rapid tests. You can find your nearest collection site or order online at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/rapidtest.

14.5.21

From Monday (17th May), we are removing the requirement for students to wear face coverings in classrooms and reverting to where we were earlier in the year by asking everyone to wear a face covering when inside the buildings in corridors and communal areas.

22.3.21

Information about the updated COVID-19 precautions for Years 7 & 8 after the Easter holiday can be read here.

10.3.21

Letters sent to parents/careers about the second and third Lateral Flow tests:

9.3.21

A letter to parents/carers from Professor Jim McManus, Director of Public Health, can be viewed here.

Letters sent to parents/carers about the phased return to school-based learning, commencing 8.3.21

Guidance for parents/carers on Lateral-Flow Testing in schools and households can be read here.

26.2.21: Information for Year 11 students about GCSE and vocational qualifications

I am writing to inform you about our initial steps in response to the announcements on 25^th February from the Department for Education and Ofqual, outlining their plans for the awarding of this year’s GCSEs and other qualifications. You can find out more about the national arrangements in this summary for students from the DfE and this infographic from Ofqual.

We will now need to make our plans about how to assess students fairly and accurately within this framework. We will identify a portfolio of assessment evidence for each subject, some of which is likely to come from assignments already completed, but much of which is still to be produced. We await information from the exam boards about exactly what evidence is permitted, but it is likely to include the mock exams, any coursework in the subject and the widely publicised exam-style questions, which will be provided by awarding bodies by Easter. We anticipate students answering a selection of these questions in secure conditions next term, and we will choose the ones which will reflect the parts of the course which were covered with least disruption and which we believe will give students the fairest opportunity to excel. I must stress that grades achieved in mocks and other assessments will not, in themselves, count towards the final result. Instead it will be raw scores which will be combined to produce a final outcome, which will then be translated into a grade. The final result could be higher or lower than individual grades achieved during the course.

I am well aware that our students are in a very difficult situation and I can only imagine that they must be feeling a lot of anxiety. We want them to get the success they deserve so they can go on to fulfil their ambitions, and I hope that this information helps by providing a bit more certainty. There are still many questions which they will want answered, most notably about exactly what evidence will be used in each subject to determine their grade. We will make this decision when we have further instructions from the exam boards, and will communicate it to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, the message to students remains that their ongoing work is still important, that everything is still to play for and that their effort now and over the next few weeks and months will pay off.

25.2.21

Further details of the COVID-19 mass testing programme have been sent to all parents/carers. They can be viewed here.

23.2.21: Phased return to in-school learning, commencing 8th March 2021

A letter from the Headteacher explaining how there will be a phased return to school for all students (to allow Later Flow Testing to take place) can be viewed here.

5.1.21: School Closure and Remote Learning

I suspect, like me, that you watched the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday evening with feelings of shock and sadness. I am so disappointed to email you with the news that students will need to work from home until February half term at the earliest, but that is the situation we find ourselves in. I know you will have lots of questions, but please be sensitive to the fact that my colleagues and I have only found things out at the same time as you, and are unlikely to know the answers at this stage. We will communicate important information to you as soon as we are able to. For now, please find below a reminder of our remote learning arrangements.

We intend to maintain a full curriculum for all year groups while they are learning from home.

Therefore the information below remains unchanged from my email of 18 December for the duration of the period of remote learning. Most of our students are now used to accessing lessons remotely due to last year’s lock down and/or periods of self-isolation this term. Google Classroom will continue to be our platform for delivery of the curriculum and lessons will follow our normal school timetable. There will also some contact with the tutor on each form’s Google Classroom every Thursday morning, in which we expect every student to participate so we can keep in touch with them as part of our duty of pastoral care.

Teachers will make a decision to either deliver a live lesson at the usual time via the Google Meets videoconferencing software, or to provide recordings and other material to enable students to access the work on demand. Either way, the Google Meets link or the work will be available at 8am on the day of the lesson and will be set as an assignment on Google Classroom. If the lesson is live, it is expected that students will attend at the normal time, ready to carry out the work, unless they are unwell. They must be dressed appropriately and follow all instructions, just as they would in lessons. They will need to mute their microphones, unless told to do otherwise by the teacher, and should only communicate with other students if asked to do so. If it is not possible for them to attend live, they should let the teacher know via Google Classroom in advance. Lessons will be recorded, but we want students to attend in real time if possible.

If the instructions are pre-recorded and available on demand, students may complete the work at a time convenient to them, as long as it is submitted on Google Classroom by the end of the day of the lesson. We recommend that students follow their usual timetables and carry out the work during lesson time as much as possible, to maintain a sense of routine and avoid falling behind.

The Prime Minister announced that the full series of summer exams will not go ahead, but he did not confirm that all exams will be cancelled. We await more information about this from the DfE and Ofqual and will update you as soon as we have it. In the meantime, we are unable to answer questions about how GCSEs, A Levels and other qualifications will be assessed, because we simply do not know. If your son/daughter is in Year 13, however, I can confirm that we will not be able to go ahead with the planned January series of mock exams, because students will not be in school. At this stage I cannot say whether we will replace them at a later point, because much will depend on when students return to school and what is announced about assessment in the summer.

If your child needs to attend school because you are a critical worker, we should already be aware. If this is not the case, please let us know as a matter of urgency via this online form.

Thank you very much for your understanding at yet another difficult time. Please bear with us as we work through the implications of this sudden change. Please pass my best wishes to your children, and I do hope that this further lock down does not cause them too much stress.

M Atkinson

Headteacher

22.12.20: Information about Covid-19 testing in school

The Department for Education intends for schools to conduct testing for those without coronavirus symptoms using new, quicker COVID-19 tests known as ‘lateral flow tests’. One of the aims is to reduce the numbers of students and staff who have to self-isolate unnecessarily after contact with a positive case.

We have been asked to test staff and students who are willing to participate from week commencing 4 January 2021. Taking the test is free of charge and, while it is voluntary, I would encourage everyone to take it. Those taking the test will be supervised by trained personnel/volunteers. The ‘lateral flow’ tests are quick and easy to use by swabbing your nose and throat. Results (which take around half an hour from testing) will be shared directly with staff and students participating. Where participants are under 16, parents or legal guardians will also be informed.

There is an information leaflet, and a Registration Form and Consent Form, which you will need to complete in order for your child to be tested. We await further information and support from the DfE about how testing will be managed in schools, but it would be very helpful for me to have your consent as soon as possible to enable the process to happen as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Could I ask you to complete and sign the Consent Form and hand it in to A block reception on Tuesday 29th December between 9.00 am and 2.00 pm. The separate Registration Form is needed for each student on each occasion that they take the test so please do not hand this one in.

I am aware that the situation is shifting as I write, but I want Beaumont to be as prepared as possible in order to make this mass testing successful.

Thank you for your support and I wish you a restful Christmas period.

18th December

Important information about the start of next term (January 2021)

I hope that you are well. I am writing to provide you with information about the start of next term, following announcements made yesterday by government ministers about a staggered return to school and testing for COVID-19 on site. I am afraid I will not be able to answer all of your questions at this stage, because information is still emerging from the Department for Education. I would ask for your understanding as my staff and I work through a rapidly changing situation and respond to unexpected demands as they are made of us.

Arrangements for the start of Spring Term 2021

The government has announced that schools will be open for the first week of next term to year groups taking public exams in the summer, vulnerable students and children of critical workers. This will mean the following arrangements at Beaumont:

4 January 2021

Inset Day (as per the school calendar) with no students in school.

5-8 January 2021

Years 11 and 13 will return to school and have face-to-face lessons, following their usual timetables, unless individual students need to self-isolate. Year 11 will have a different start time and will be based in a new zone of the school, as previously announced.
Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 will remain at home and will be taught remotely, unless students are vulnerable or children of critical workers. If you believe that your child is in one of the latter two groups, it is urgent that you complete the form (see below) as soon as possible to alert us.

From 11 January 2021

Students in all year groups will be in school for face-to-face lessons, unless individual students need to self-isolate. Year 10 will have a different start time and will be based in a new zone of the school, as previously announced.

I am sorry that these arrangements mean more remote learning for students, but I hope you can appreciate that this decision is not in my hands. Please rest assured that we will do our utmost to deliver our curriculum effectively under these conditions. You will find our remote learning plans below.

Arrangements for vulnerable students and children of critical workers.

Students in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 who are vulnerable should attend school between 5 and 8 January 2021 and children of critical workers are entitled to do so if parents/carers need them to. They will be allocated to a bubble for the week (Years 7 and 8 together, Years 9 and 10 together and Year 12 on their own) and based in a computer room. They will follow the remote learning timetable along with the rest of their year group, making use of the computer facilities to access Google Classroom. They will need headphones to listen to audio material, so we ask students to bring their own if possible. They will have their normal breaks and lunches in their new bubble for the week. Computer rooms will be staffed by our cover supervisors, since teachers will be following their own timetables to deliver lessons.

If you have a child who is in the vulnerable category, or if you will require your child to attend school because parents/carers are critical workers, please complete this form as a matter of urgency, and by Monday 21 December at the latest, to enable us to make suitable plans.

Arrangements for remote learning

Most of our students are now used to accessing lessons remotely due to last year’s lockdown and/or periods of self-isolation this term. Google Classroom will continue to be our platform for delivery of the curriculum and lessons will follow our normal school timetable.

If the lesson is live, it is expected that students will attend at the normal time, ready to carry out the work, unless they are unwell. They must be dressed appropriately and follow all instructions, just as they would in lessons. They will need to mute their microphones, unless told to do otherwise by the teacher, and should only communicate with other students if asked to do so. If it is not possible for them to attend live, they should let the teacher know via Google Classroom in advance. Lessons will be recorded, but we want students to attend in real time if possible.

COVID-19 testing in schools

You may have seen it announced in yesterday’s news that testing for COVID-19 will be taking place in schools in the new year. Results of these tests will be available in 30 minutes. The aim is for staff to be tested weekly, and for students who are identified as a close contact of somebody with COVID-19 to be offered daily tests for a week. They will be able to remain in school as long as the result is negative. This testing will be optional, but those not consenting will be subject to the usual 10 day period of self-isolation.

I welcome anything which helps to keep people safe and reduces the need for students and staff to self-isolate, so I am pleased to hear about the provision of testing for schools. I have concerns, however, about the logistics of administering these tests, as well as the timing of the government’s announcement about them. My staff and I will do our best to step up and make the system work, but the Department for Education has advised me to look for volunteers to provide support, and you will receive a separate communication about this in the near future. I await further guidance and will no doubt need to communicate with you about this issue when I know more. In the meantime, I appreciate your patience.

Finally

Thank you for your time and attention in reading a lengthy letter. I suspect that many of you will be feeling frustrated at the suddenness and late notice of these changes, and I share those frustrations. I hope that this provides you with the information you need and I will update you when there is more to say.

I would request your forbearance over the Christmas holiday in refraining from contacting the school unless it is absolutely unavoidable. There are many questions which we will be unable to answer until we are provided with more information and are able to digest it. Furthermore, my staff have worked incredibly hard in unfamiliar and stressful circumstances this term and they deserve some rest. A proper break will enable them to return refreshed in the new year, ready to provide the high quality education of which we are very proud at Beaumont. I appreciate your understanding in this regard.

As a hectic and highly unusual term draws to a close, I would like to thank you for all your support for the school and to wish you and your families a safe, happy and peaceful Christmas.

Kind regards

Martin Atkinson

Headteacher

Volunteering to help Covid-19 testing in school

As many of you will have seen on the news, schools are now required to set up a testing area within the school to be able to offer tests to both staff and students as well as continue to run the school.

We are looking to see how we could staff this and are asking if any parents/carers would be available to help out from January when this is due to commence . To aid the logistics of this we are asking for volunteers to help with this activity for a half day or full day on a weekly basis. At this stage we do not know how long we will be expected to provide this service and training will be provided.

If you are able to volunteer at any times could you please complete the attached Google form: https://forms.gle/3RRrYv18sKS1jXcP8

If you would like to ask any questions please email admin@beaumont.school for my attention.

Thank you all for your continued support of the school at these times.

15th December

A press release from the DfE about mass Covid-19 testing in schools, commencing in January 2021 can be read here. There is also a parents’ Q&A post on the DfE blog which can be read here.

11th December

Dear Parents/Carers

I hope that you and your families are well. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support of the school over the course of a long and hard term, in which we have been working in unfamiliar circumstances. I know that the staff are very tired and I have no doubt that this is the case for students too. I do not wish to give you cause for anxiety as we approach the festive period, but it is my duty to alert you about the school’s procedures for track and tracing coronavirus (COVID-19) incidents over the Christmas break.

If a child develops the symptoms for coronavirus (COVID-19) within 48 hours of being in school (i.e. on Saturday 19th or Sunday 20th December 2020), and goes on to test positive, you should contact the school via the admin@beaumont.school email address. The school will be responsible for alerting any students or staff who were in close proximity. Please do not call the normal absence line as this will not be covered during the school holiday.

Where a student or staff member tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), having developed symptoms more than 48 hours since being in school, the school should not be contacted. Parents and carers should follow contact tracing instructions provided by NHS Test and Trace. You can arrange for a COVID test via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling NHS 119.

Please remember that as soon as your child or any member of your household develops symptoms, they must start self-isolating immediately and book a test, regardless of the fact that it is Christmas.

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

a high temperature;
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot, for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours;
a loss of or change to sense of smell or taste – this means they cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.

Please do not send children back to school if any of the following apply:

they have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19);
they, any members of your household, or any close contacts (including extended family or friends they have seen and bubbles at holiday activities and sports clubs) have tested positive for COVID-19;
they have not completed the full 14 day isolation period requested.

Self-isolating is one of the most important things we can all do to help stop the spread of the virus and protect our loved ones and the vulnerable. You can read a helpful self-isolating guide at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/selfisolatingguide.

If you or your family are affected by COVID-19 and need support locally with things like shopping, getting medication or financial advice, please visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/coronavirus.

I hope that the ongoing pandemic does not spoil the Christmas period for you, and that you are able to enjoy a happy and restful time with your families. My season’s greetings to you.

15th November

Hertfordshire NHS has produced updated guidance about how to support children and young people’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be viewed here.

9th October

An important letter to parents can be downloaded here.

8th September

Schools have received a letter from the Director of Public Health which we request that parents read and share with their children. It can be viewed here.

27th August – arrangements for the start of the new academic year

Parents have been sent details specific to each Year Group via a ParentMail but general information for the start of the year is as follows:

Given the latest information available on the wearing of face masks, I would like all non-exempt students and staff to wear a suitable face mask in indoor communal areas such as corridors. Students and staff may choose to wear a face mask whilst in lessons or when outside.

Our students will have staggered starts and finishes to the day, and be entering school at different points. One of the attached documents has the exact timings and entrance/exit points.

At break and lunch times, each Year Group will have a designated area they can access. They must not go to other areas within the school. One of the attached documents shows the Year Group areas – it is important that students do not go into other Year Group areas. There will be no food service at break time, so students may wish to bring in their own snacks. At lunchtime, each Year Group has an allocated food outlet to purchase food where a limited range of hot and cold options is on offer.

At the end of break, students will be asked to line up in seating plan order to walk back in single file to their classrooms. On entry to the classroom they must sanitise their hands. (If students wish to bring their own hand sanitiser to school they can – they should not share this with other students).

At the end of Lunch students will be asked to line up in their seating plan order to repeat the process of washing hands from the morning.

If at Break or Lunch time it is raining students will return to their form rooms to eat.

On the days that students have a Physical Education lesson they are to come to school in School Physical Education Kit. If students wear any other sports clothing they will be asked to return home to change on arrival. If students do not have a black sweatshirt or tracksuit trousers they can wear their blazer/ school trouser/skirt over the top of their PE kit. All other uniform rules apply regarding hair/jewellery/shoes, &c

During the school day, we will have either the Head of Year or the linked Leadership Team member within the Year Group area during lesson times. If students need to access medical help at Student Services or go to Main Reception, they should find either the Head of Year or LT member before leaving their designated area.

During break and lunch times, students must stay in their designated area. If they need to go elsewhere they must speak to a member of staff on Duty.

There will be no extra-curricular activities at lunch or after school at the start of term, but we are hopeful that we will gradually be able to re-introduce these as the term progresses.

I am aware there is a lot of information within this letter but wanted to reassure parents/carers that we are following the DFE guidance and have worked hard to create bubbles, prevent overcrowding at entrances and exits, and to ensure that students can still follow a broad and balanced curriculum.

8th July

I am writing to update you on the practical arrangements for your child’s start at Beaumont School in September.

As you may be aware, Transition Day for all Year 6 students in Hertfordshire was scheduled for this Thursday 9th July. On this day, all students starting secondary school in September would normally have had the opportunity to visit their new school for the day. Unfortunately, given the current circumstances, this is not something that could be offered this year. In its place, we have provided a series of different online activities, all of which were introduced as part of our recent ‘Virtual Welcome Evening’. It has been pleasing to see how well Year 6 students have engaged so far and the Year 7 team looks forward to reviewing all future entries also. Please encourage your child to visit our website for further information, if they have not yet done so, here.

I have recently received updated guidance from the Department for Education about the wider reopening of schools. On the basis of this, we have had to amend some aspects of our arrangements for the start of term in September. Therefore, please ensure that you take note of the following details as there may be some changes from the information that you have been provided with so far:

The first day of term for Year 7 students will be Thursday 3rd September 2020.
Year 7 students will be expected to arrive at 8.10am in time for their tutor registration
session at 8.20am. Students will be met by key staff on arrival and taken to their first session. Given our requirements for students to remain within their class bubble, we would appreciate your cooperation with ensuring your child is punctual.
Year 7 students will need to arrive at school and enter through the gate on Oakwood Drive that is nearest to Hatfield Road. This will be clearly marked for students. Please note that there is another gate on Oakwood Drive that is closer to Oakwood Primary School that will not be open for Year 7 students.
The school day for Year 7 students will finish at 3.10pm and students will be required to exit through the same gate by which they entered. Where possible, we would like students to walk to and from school and we would appreciate parents and carers being mindful of this if picking their children up from Oakwood Drive, due to the congestion on the road.

Although we have had to make these changes to the school day, we are pleased to have been able to do without reducing the teaching contact time for students, because their education is paramount, especially after the disruption to Year 6. I wish to reassure you that we want students joining us in September to make a great start to their secondary education in spite of the current challenges, and that we are doing everything we can to make their transition as smooth as possible. We very much look forward to welcoming your child to Beaumont in September.

19th June

I hope that you are well. I am getting in touch at the end of a very busy week to let you know how lovely it has been to see significant numbers of Year 10 and 12 students in school, experiencing face-to-face lessons from our teachers. In spite of the fact that it is so different from the school routines they are used to, students have been extremely respectful of the measures we have put in place to ensure social distancing around the site and I would like to place my thanks to them on record, as well as to my staff whose hard work has made it possible. Teachers have commented on how rewarding it has been to see faces in front of them in the classroom, rather than having to record their instructions for a remote audience or type them on a screen, and we hope that students have found the experience similarly positive.

If you have a child in Years 7-9 I can appreciate that you might be feeling left out as Years 10 and 12 seem to be getting all the attention. The return of these year groups has been prioritised because I am following instructions from the Department for Education to bring them back first, and not to exceed 25% of them in school on any one day. This decision is not in my hands and I would hate you to think that we value them more than other year groups. Therefore, we welcome a recent update to the government’s guidance, which gives us a little more flexibility to invite small groups of other students in Years 7-9 in for a little face-to-face contact, because it gives us the opportunity we were hoping for to give students the chance to visit school before the summer holiday.

We are currently at an early stage of planning, but the idea would be that students will be invited to come to school at a set time along with some other members of their form (it will not be possible to have the entire form in at once) to meet with a member of staff (the form tutor where possible) and to spend a little time together. The intention will not be to teach them anything or to assess them, but to build their confidence about coming back to school and to allow them to rebuild their links as a form community. We will be in touch with you in the near future with more details, but I thought you would like to have an idea of our thinking.

Of course, although it is lovely to celebrate students returning to school and to plan for more to do so, I recognise that some are not able to join us because of their own medical conditions and those of family members. I would hate for those students to feel forgotten and I feel strongly that their sacrifice should be recognised. Therefore, I would be very grateful if you could pass my best wishes onto them, reassuring them that we will continue to make work available to them for lessons which take place in school, and reminding them that they can contact their teachers via Google Classroom if they have questions about it. Their lengthy absence will make us even happier to see them again when things have improved enough to make it safe.

As tantalising signs of normality return to our lives, we look forward to being able to welcome all our students back more fully, but we also recognise the need to do things gradually and with appropriate safeguards in place. Until we can open our doors to everyone, my continued best wishes to you and your families. Thank you so much for all your support.

11th June

I hope you are well. I am writing to let you know of some minor changes to our remote learning expectations for Year 10 from 15th June, to take account of the face-to-face lessons which will be taking place in school from that date. The key changes are as follows:

We appreciate that it will not be possible for students to complete remote work on the days when they are in school. Therefore all remote work will due by the end of the week (Friday), rather than on the day when it is set. This gives students flexibility to fit it around their time in school.
Teachers whose lessons take place on Thursdays and Fridays will set their work on Google Classroom on Wednesday each week, to allow more flexibility for students who will be in school later in the week.
English, Maths and Science teachers will reduce the amount of work set online each week, to make allowance for the fact that face-to-face lessons are taking place in school for these subjects.

The hybrid of face-to-face and remote learning over the next few weeks will inevitably involve some glitches which we will do our best to iron out as we get to them, but it is good that students will have the opportunity to receive some teaching in school and we look forward to seeing them. At this stage we do not know what September will look like and it is likely to involve us making a different set of plans, but we will update you on that issue as and when we know more.

Thank you for your ongoing understanding and support.

8th June

I hope you and your families are well. I am writing to provide a brief update about our provision for Years 7 to 9 in the upcoming weeks. As you will be aware, the government has decided that schools should provide some face-to-face contact to students in Years 10 and 12, because they will be sitting public exams next year, but that education will remain remote for Years 7 to 9 until further notice. I am working hard with my staff to follow these instructions, and I would like to offer my reassurance that the quality of distance teaching remains of the utmost importance to all of us.

If your son/daughter is in Year 9, you will be aware that timetables have changed and that GCSE courses have started. In many cases this has involved a new teacher, and although things are very different from normal, these members of staff still see the coming weeks as crucial in laying foundations for the rest of Key Stage 4 study. Important material will be covered on which future learning will depend.

If your son/daughter is in Year 7 or 8, the timetable and teachers remain the same, but the message that the curriculum continues to be important still applies. To that end, although we cancelled our Key Stage 3 exams, we will be writing and issuing our reports for these year groups between now and the end of term, to provide you with an insight into the progress which your child has made both before and since lock-down.

The week beginning 29 June 2020 would have been our Curriculum Enrichment Week under normal circumstances. Unfortunately it is not possible for the usual programme of activities to take place, as you already know, but we would like to offer something different to keep alive a Beaumont tradition and to provide some of the creativity which is such a great strength of the school. Therefore, there will be no lessons for Years 7 to 9 on Monday 29 or Tuesday 30 June. Instead Monday 29 will be a Creativity Enrichment Day, with a choice of over 15 different activities to get involved with, and Tuesday 30 will be a Virtual Sports Day. Both days will feature opportunities to gain house points. Further details will follow. Distance learning lessons will then resume for Years 7 to 9 on Wednesday 1 July 2020.

As I am sure you know, at this stage I do not know what September has in store for students, and I await a decision from the government as to what is expected of schools. It may involve more remote learning, a return to school or a combination of the two. This decision may come at a late stage, but no matter what is asked of us, we will give our all to provide an excellent education to our students, whatever form it takes.

Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding. My best wishes to you and to our students as the challenging times continue.

5th June

An ‘addendum’ has been added to the Behaviour Policy explaining the expectations as students return to school as the COVID-19 lock-down is eased under the direction of the Government. It can be found on page 2 of the Policies and Key Documents section of the website here.

Parents of Year 12 students have been sent (via email) a letter explaining the process for the Year 12 end of year exams, which can be downloaded here.

3rd June

The Department for Education has updated its guidance for parents and carers:

What parents and carers need to know about schools, colleges and other education settings during the coronavirus outbreak can ve viewed here.

Opening schools and educational settings to more pupils from 1 June: guidance for parents and carers can be viewed here.

2nd June

I hope that you and your families are well and that students benefited from a break from school work over half term. I am writing to give further information as to our plans to provide some face-to-face teaching to supplement our online curriculum. Since receiving the Secondary Guidance on Monday 25 May, we have considered several models. The trickiest obstacle is the 25% of each of the cohorts as a maximum number of students in school on any one day. I will give a summary of the likely arrangements below and our Governing Body is meeting on Thursday evening to approve our plans. I then intend to confirm the details for you on Friday 5 June 2020.

For Year 10, we can have 47 students per day and so this means each student can come in for one day per week. In order to keep the mixing of students to a minimum, we will do this in the students’ Science groupings. We will hold double lessons in the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science each day and then a single pastoral session. The beginning of the school day, break time, lunchtime and end of the day will all be staggered. The remaining 80% of lessons will be provided remotely. A video is being prepared to show how the days will work under these new conditions. The details of when students need to attend will be published via Google Classroom.

For Year 12, the 25% per day rule is even more challenging due to the differing combinations of subjects that the students study. During the week beginning 15 June we will run morning lessons in a third of each of the subjects in teaching blocks A, B, C & D from the students’ timetable. In the week beginning 22 June there will be exams, which students will sit at home, as previously announced. In the week beginning 29 June, we will begin the UCAS process via Unifrog. In the week beginning 6 July, we will run lessons for the second third of the subjects from each block during periods 4 and 5, and the final third in the week beginning 13 July during afternoon lessons. All other lessons will continue remotely. Again, the details of this will be published to students via Google Classroom.

We will also be sending a survey out to parents to gather information regarding attendance to these lessons, covering students who are shielding or living with others who are shielding, etc.

We look forward to welcoming our students for some face-to-face contact after a long period of absence, but I appreciate that this is a worrying time and that you may have concerns about sending your child back to school. I can reassure you that we take our responsibility in providing as safe an environment as possible very seriously and continue to work on our preparations with the utmost care, but I will respect the decisions made by you, since you know your children’s needs and family circumstances best. Whatever you decide, I would like to thank you for your ongoing support of your children’s education.

Best regards and keep safe.

26 May

Ofqual has updated its guidance for students and parents about how GCSE and ‘A’ level qualifications will be awarded this year. It can be viewed here.

22nd May

A whole half term has been completed via remote learning and I am sure all our students are looking forward to a break next week. I am writing to assure you that we at Beaumont are making every effort to get school ready for reopening at some point next half term. I can confirm that we will continue our remote learning from 1 June 2020 and we remain open for children of key workers.

I would have liked to give you a clearer picture for the next half term, but unfortunately I am still awaiting the guidance for reopening Secondary Schools to be published by the Department for Education. I have been waiting since last Friday, getting regular indications that it is coming, but as of the time of writing I still do not have it. This guidance should outline what the ‘face to face’ contact anticipated for Years 10 and 12 should entail. We have mapped out several versions of how this can be interpreted and there is debate as to whether these one to one encounters might be better organised online, but as I say, I cannot lay out more concrete plans for next half term without this further information.

Even in the absence of official instructions, we have made some preparations for the arrival of more students in school. For example, we have created one way systems, marked out 2 metre distances in corridors, spread out furniture in classrooms and put a screen at reception. Further work to make the school environment suitable is still ongoing.

We realise that during this difficult time the financial circumstances may have changed for some families and it may now be the case that your children are potentially eligible for free school meals. During lock-down we are providing supermarket vouchers for all eligible students via the government’s scheme. Please find here a link to the Hertfordshire County Council website providing information regarding Free School Meals and the eligibility criteria for these. You complete an online form which processes your application and confirms your eligibility. If you do not meet the criteria for Free School Meals but require financial assistance for school activities going forward please contact the Finance Office on finance@beaumont.school.

I am sorry that I cannot give you more detail about what will happen next half term, but we very much look forward to welcoming our students back to school when the time is right and with appropriate measures taken to protect both them and the staff. In the meantime, I hope you can enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend. My best wishes to you and your families.

11th May

The DfE has published further guidance on the status of schools from 1st June onwards. It can be read here.

4th May

Proposed arrangements for the Year 7-10 internal exams and Year 12 Threshold Exams have been published.

A letter to parents regarding the Year 7-10 internal exams can be downloaded here.

A letter to parents regarding the Year 12 Threshold Exams can be downloaded here.

1st May

As we complete another week of distance learning, I want to thank both students and staff for their hard work over this period. Heads of Year have been tracking learning and all have said how pleased they are with the vast majority of students’ efforts. It looks like next week when we will be given a little more information as to the future reopening of schools and we are busy modelling different alternatives depending on what is announced.

While the nationwide lock-down and social distancing policies continue, parents and carers may be interested in the advice and guidance published on the @BeaumontSupport Twitter stream.

I’d like to remind Year 13 students that if they have applied to university, their student finance application deadline is approaching (22nd May) and they may still need to confirm the first choice and insurance offers via UCAS.

Finally, if your child is ill or otherwise unable to complete distant learning tasks set, please make a record of this here to ensure that class teachers and the relevant pastoral staff are aware. Thank you.

Take care and have a good weekend.

24th April

I hope that you and your families are well and that the Easter period was pleasant and restful, even though it did not provide the usual opportunities for enjoyment and activities. We have been back at school (for a few of us physically and for the rest of us virtually) for a week now, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to send a message about the forthcoming weeks.

You will no doubt be aware that there has been much speculation in the national press about when schools will open more fully, including some suggestions that it could happen very soon. I would like to clarify that we have received no information about this whatsoever, other than the rebuttal of the rumours issued by the Secretary of State for Education on 19 April, explaining that five tests will need to be met before restrictions can be relaxed. Therefore, I am afraid that I can offer no further information on this point, and our focus is on providing the best education we can for our students under the current circumstances, which could go on for some time. Even when things do start to change, it is very likely that it will be a gradual process with ongoing measures in place, rather than a sudden return to normality. Of course, we will follow all official guidance when the time comes, and will do all we can to strike the right balance between offering as much as we normally do and protecting the health of students, staff and their families. In the meantime, I would like to remind you of two important decisions which I have made regarding remote learning and the thinking which underpins them.

Firstly, I have not asked my teachers to deliver live lessons either via video or other methods. I can readily appreciate that many of you would like such lessons to take place, and some of the teachers at Beaumont have chosen to provide them, but I do not think it would be right for me to insist on it. This is partly because many of my teachers have children of their own and spend their days caring for them, so it would not be possible for them to teach according to their normal timetables. They are working very hard in the evenings and at weekends to plan work which will enable their students to learn and make progress. Of equal importance is my concern not to disadvantage those students who do not have access to devices which would enable them to participate in such lessons, or who have to share equipment with other family members. If this is the case in your household, please rest assured that we have your children’s interests at heart and want to avoid setting work which will cause your children to fall behind because of the difficulties of participating.

The second decision is to ask my staff to prioritise setting and monitoring assignments over marking them. I believe that they can best meet students’ needs by planning work carefully, assessing whether it has been completed to a satisfactory standard, checking whether students understand it and adapting future work accordingly, rather than by providing individual feedback. Where possible, teachers will set online quizzes which mark themselves, provide answers so students can assess their own work, or review students’ answers and give feedback to the whole class. On an individual level, the main method of feedback will be through My Child At School, where teachers can issue positives to praise effort and negatives to raise concerns about work not being completed.

In order to avoid teachers issuing negatives when students are poorly, please can I remind you to inform the school if your child is unwell and consequently unable to complete work. You should do so by completing a Google Form here. I cannot promise that it will be a foolproof mechanism to avoid teachers making mistakes, but we will do our best.

Thank you so much for your ongoing patience and support for your children’s education at such a difficult time. We will make mistakes, but we are learning so much every day and hopefully this will enable us to do a better job as time passes. I look forward to the day when things are safe enough for us to welcome all our students back to school.

Yours sincerely

Mr Martin Atkinson Headteacher

22nd April

In these difficult times, it is important that our students have a balanced week. While distance learning work is very important, it is also crucial that students look after their well-being and have some time to connect, be active, keep learning, give, and take notice. In order to support our community with this, we are introducing a weekly challenge that is focused on one of these Five Ways to Well-being. These entirely optional tasks have been designed to support our students’ mental health and well-being and we hope that trying these things could help us all feel more positive and make the most out of the current period of school closure. Each week, there will be a new challenge to complete. They can be found here.

21st April

As we now enter another three weeks of lock-down we want to remind parents and carers that we are still available to help support your child not just through their learning but also their well being.

From Thursday onwards, every Form Tutor will be posting a question to their students on the Form Group Google Classroom, which we expect every child to reply to. This will ensure weekly contact with their Form Tutor. Your child can also post comments on a more regular basis to their From Tutor as necessary.

We also want to ensure all our students are staying safe (not just medically but also mentally and socially, in particular, online)

We would like to draw your attention to the updated Child Protection policy that is on the school’s website. The only changes are Appendix 5 (the last four pages). In particular, the section which gives advice on keeping your child safe on-line and how to report any concerns that either you or your child may have.

Students who have concerns on line can be signposted to:

Childline – for support
UK Safer Internet Centre – to report and remove harmful online content
CEOP – for advice on making a report about online abuse

Some parents may choose to supplement their child’s online learning with support from online companies and in some cases individual tutors. Beaumont School expects all parents/carers to ensure they are only seeking support from reputable organisations/individuals who can provide evidence that they are safe and can be trusted to have access to children.

Support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online includes:

Internet Matters – support for parents and carers to keep children safe online.
London Grid for Learning – support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online.
Net Aware – support for parents and carers from the NSPCC.
Parent Info – support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online.
Thinkuknow – advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online.
UK Safer Internet Centre – advice for parents and carers.

Mental Health

As you will be aware we do a lot of preventative work through the “5 ways to well-being” from Year 7 onwards. There is also advice in your child’s planner, and on the school website, including the distance learning portal. https://learn.beaumont.school/help-and-support

The “5 ways to well being” is a Government supported initiative. The main focus is that small improvements in well being can decrease some mental health problems and also help people to flourish. The scheme has been written by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and sets out 5 actions to improve personal well being:

Connect
Be active
Take notice
Keep learning
Give

We would advise all students to try and ensure they are covering all five of these on a daily basis.

If you have concerns over your child – please do contact the relevant person in school, via admin@beaumont.school:

Form tutor
Head of Year
SENCO – Mr Baker
Designated Safeguarding lead – Mrs Powdrell
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Ms Dundjerovic

We hope to see your children back at Beaumont when all is safe and we have been advised we can open.

10th April

Ofqual (the regulatory body for qualifications, examinations and assessments in England) has released a video to explain to students and parents how GCSE and ‘A’ level grades will be awarded this year. It can be viewed here.

6th April

Enrichment Activities, designed to supplement work set by class teachers can be found here.

1st April

I am writing to you in reference to our Curriculum Enrichment Week and Work Experience programme scheduled to run from Monday 29 June through to Friday 3 July 2020.

Unfortunately, due to the uncertainty of the current global health crisis and maintaining our responsibility of putting the health and welfare of students and staff at the school first, we have made the very sad decision to cancel this weeks’ programmes in its entirety.

This includes all activities that were scheduled to take place that week – foreign residential trips for Years 7 & 8 / UK based residential trip for Year 9 / all day trips for Years 8 & 9 / Year 10 Work Placements. In the event that we have returned to school by this time, we shall be operating a normal working week at school, following the students’ normal timetables.

We appreciate that you will be keen to know what is happening with any monies that has already been paid for activities. Please be assured that over the next few weeks we shall be working closely with both the tour operators and our own insurers to try and recoup as much of the monies as possible. As soon as we have an update on this for you we shall be in contact.

We understand how much the students will have been looking forward to their Curriculum Enrichment activities and Work Experience opportunities and we share their disappointment in this decision. However, our main priority is to ensure the health and safety of our pupils, the staff and all their families throughout these difficult times.

25th March

Our local MP has produced a guide for teenagers and young people to help them understand the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and what they can do to keep themselves and others safe. It can be downloaded here.

24th March

Firstly I would like to say a huge thank you to every member of our Beaumont Community. We appreciate parents for supporting their children, key workers for helping to keep this country running, my staff for all their hard work, and the students who have taken to their online learning in such a positive manner.

As we now enter another unknown stage in all our lives I wanted to communicate with everybody to say how proud I am of each and every one of you for the way in which we have been able to move to this new style of learning and living. I will ask that everyone does follow all advice given by our Government in relation to COVID-19 to keep themselves and their families safe.

I know my staff are working hard to provide the work to allow our students to continue their learning. I would implore every student to try to complete the work to the best of their ability, so when we are able to return to school they can continue with their studies smoothly.

I will endeavour to give updates on a weekly basis during term time but I also know departments are sending messages through Google Classroom, Twitter and other forms of social media.

Please stay well and safe during these times and look out for one another.

23rd March

Information for parents of students attending school by arrangement

We have a skeleton staff who will be supervising the students. These will not be your child’s normal teachers, and these teachers will not be teaching the students but ensuring your child is completing the work set by their ‘normal’ class teacher. As you are aware from information sent previously from Mr Atkinson all staff will be setting work remotely. We will therefore give computer access to all students to be able to log in to google classrooms and other resources. We are anticipating no more than 15-20 students in a classroom together.

Our plan is also for the students to be able to do some creative work during the day (art) as well as daily exercise.

Students will need to arrive at the normal school day and the only entrance open will be A block

On arrival they should go to either A03 or A04 where they will be registered. If your child is unable to come into school on any day you must phone the absence line: 01727 732987

Students will not need to come into school in uniform.

Chartwells will be providing both a break time and lunchtime reduced service for students to purchase food in the normal way.

If during the day there is an emergency and you need to contact your child please call: 01727 854726 which will put you through to the main switchboard, where you will need to leave a message. This answerphone will be checked regularly during the day.

If there are any changes to your circumstances please email admin@beaumont.school for the attention of Mrs Powdrell.

Clearly if any member of your family becomes ill with symptoms of the CORVID-19 then the rules regarding self-isolation for all family member stand. We would ask you phone in to let us know.

We will endeavour to provide as normal as an school experience as possible, but please do bear with us.

20th March

Thank you for your understanding and patience as my team and I have developed our response to the government’s announcement of school closures in ever-changing circumstances. I appreciate that the next few weeks and potentially months will be unfamiliar and challenging, and we will adapt as you and your children do to the demands of distance learning.

Please find a link to the latest guidance from the Department for Education on provision for students while schools are closed. In particular, I would draw your attention to the request for parents to ‘do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus.’ It is very important for students to follow the same distancing guidelines as adults, remaining at home and avoiding meeting their friends, in spite of the temptation to do so. This will help to safeguard public health in the community, which is a shared responsibility for them as well as us.

We have just received further information on the plans for awarding grades at GCSE and A Level. Please find this information using the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/further-details-on-exams-and-grades-announced

Update for parents identified as Key Workers

Our plan is also for the students to be able to do some creative work during the day (art) as well as daily exercise.

Students will need to arrive at the normal school day and the only entrance open will be A block

On arrival they should go to either A03 or A04 where they will be registered. If your child is unable to come into school on any day you must phone the absence line: 01727 732987

Students will not need to come into school in uniform.

Chartwells will be providing both a break time and lunchtime reduced service for students to purchase food in the normal way.

If there are any changes to your circumstances please email admin@beaumont.school for the attention of Mrs Powdrell.

Clearly if any member of your family becomes ill with symptoms of the CORVID-19 then the rules regarding self-isolation for all family member stand. We would ask you phone in to let us know.

We will endeavour to provide as normal as an school experience as possible, but please do bear with us.

19th March

Update for Year 11 parents:

Further to my general letter, I am contacting you in the light of the Education Secretary‘s announcement that all public exams will be cancelled in the summer of 2020. No announcement has been made as yet about how qualifications will be awarded, but I have received assurances that this will take place and that the government is working with the awarding bodies on an ongoing basis to address the issue. I am informed that there will be an announcement on Friday 20 March 2020 and I will update you when I know more.

In the light of the danger of infection, the reduced levels of staffing at the school, and the fact that they are no longer preparing for exams, I have made the decision to close the school to Year 11 students as of Friday 20 March 2020. Students will be in lessons on Thursday 19 March 2020, but thereafter we will set work online to enable them to complete their courses of study, in line with the approach outlined in my general letter.

Students in the priority categories identified by the government (students with Education Health Care Plans, students with social workers and children of key workers) will be able to continue to attend school. If you are a key worker, I will provide a Google Form as soon as possible to enable you to register for this provision.

This is clearly not the way I would have wished to say goodbye to Year 11, who have contributed a huge amount to the school community over the years, and whose dedication to their studies has impressed us all. However, I am sure that you and they will understand that the demands of public health and the needs of more vulnerable students take priority in the current circumstances.

Thank you very much for your support and understanding at a difficult time.

From the Chair of the Governing Body:

A letter from the Chair of Governors about the COVID-19 pandemic can be downloaded here.

Update for all parents:

As I am sure you are aware, schools have been directed to close from the end of school on Friday 20^th March for all excepts students with EHCPs, social workers and children of designated key workers. Our distance learning platform will be live from Monday 23^rd March and our aim is that students’ education will continue as seamlessly as possible. You can find further information and updates about our expectations of work on our website.

I am sorry that a significant burden of responsibility will fall on parents to ensure that their children are completing the tasks set, but I will be asking my staff to keep you informed where work is not being completed. We will do this via My Child At School. I am aware that we are now encouraging students to be online for significantly more time than we would normally recommend and I would alert you to my concerns that this will present an increased risk to safety and wellbeing. We would appreciate your support in monitoring this and supporting them to be responsible.

I am awaiting publication of the list of designated key worker groups and will be giving you an opportunity to self-identify if you belong in one of the categories as soon as possible via a Google Form. If you have a child in Year 11 or Year 13, I will also be contacting you separately about how we are responding to the cancellation of exams for these year groups.

I hope you appreciate that I am receiving regular updates from the Department for Education on an ongoing basis, and that I am not in possession of all information as things stand. I am very grateful for your support and understanding.

Information for Year 13 Parents

Further to my general letter, I am contacting you in the light of the Education Secretary’s announcement that all public exams will be cancelled in the summer of 2020. No announcement has been made as yet about how qualifications will be awarded, but I have received assurances that this will take place and that the government is working with the awarding bodies on an ongoing basis. I am informed that there will be an announcement on Friday 20^th March and I will update you when I know more.

In the light of the danger of infection, the reduced levels of staffing at the school, and the fact that they are no longer preparing for exams, I have made the decision to close the school to Year 13 students as of today. Students will be free to leave the school from break-time onwards, but we will allow them to remain in school if they need support or are unable to get home. However, there will be no lessons.

This is clearly not the way I would have wished to say goodbye to Year 13, who I consider to be a tremendous year group, and whose contributions to the school over the years deserve something much better. However, I am sure that you and they will understand that public health and the needs of more vulnerable students take priority.

Thank you very much for your support and understanding at a difficult time.

18th March

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

We at Beaumont are listening carefully to the announcements this afternoon. Clearly these are sweeping changes and an awful lot of the announcements need further clarification. Please bear with us as we produce our action plan. Thank you.

Given that we have already cancelled Parent Consultation Evenings, I am now extending this to parental meetings in school in and out of school hours; communication between staff and parent/carers should therefore for the time being be via telephone or email. I should also add, please do not come into school if your child has forgotten equipment or kit, we will manage these situations as they arise. However, if you are called and asked to collect your child if they are unwell in school this would be the exception to what I have said above.

For those parents who have telephoned in and alerted us that their child is self-isolating, you do not need to call every day, we will mark your child off school for 14 days from the first day of absence.

Our support staff levels are now particularly low so please bear with us if communications are not dealt with as swiftly as usual.

Thank you again for your support.

17th March 2020

Currently, the school is open and planning to be open tomorrow for all year groups. However, our staffing levels are already exceptionally tight so please be prepared for potential partial closures i.e. a year group or two year groups being closed should staffing levels become untenable. Information will be shared via Scopay, Twitter, the school website and Facebook.

Please also be aware that whilst we are open, the planned ‘Distance Learning Curriculum’ for full closure is not in operation. I have asked staff to post as much lesson material as possible on Google Classroom as far as they can but I must point out that whilst staff are teaching and covering for missing colleagues, there may be limited ability to do this. For students who are off school, please also ask them to contact their peers to share class work as obviously this is another avenue to keep up.

I am aware of the concerns and upset for Years 11 and 13 with regards to their formal examinations. Unfortunately, at this point, I have not been provided with any information as to what the plan is going forward and any rumours on Twitter and social media are precisely that, rumours. As soon as I am made aware of what the Government are planning to do, I will share it with parents and students.

Further to my communication yesterday, I would like to draw everyone’s attention to the ‘vulnerable health group’ information, this does include any student or adult who is instructed to have a flu jab. I would like to reassure parents/carers that where students are in this group and not attending this will not be counted as an unauthorised absence.

Clearly, the most important thing at the moment is the health of our students and staff so thank you for your ongoing support during this very difficult time

16th March 2020

Following on from the Prime Minister’s briefing today, anyone in a household of someone suffering the symptoms of persistent cough or raised temperature must self-isolate for 14 days. I am aware that this may rapidly create shortages of teachers at school and I will ensure that parents and carers are kept informed by regular updates. Those students who have already started to self-isolate must now extend their periods of isolation to the full 14 days.

Heads of Year will be giving assemblies this week to explain to students what will happen if Public Health England instructs the school to close. The slides from the assemblies can be viewed here.

13th March 2020

The Year 10 and Year 8 Parent Consultation Evenings (19th and 24th March respectively) have been cancelled. When the extent of the impact of the pandemic becomes clearer, we will be able to decide whether to reschedule these events or replace them with another form of reporting to parents.

As an added precaution in the light of the current Coronavirus situation, from Monday 16th March 2020, we have taken the decision to stop using the fingerprint recognition scanners in the catering outlets and the catering cash loading machine.

This means that the only method of loading money onto your child’s catering account will be online through your Child’s Scopay account. Should you have difficulties accessing your child’s account, please contact the school on 01727 854726 and ask to speak to the Finance Office.

Students purchasing food will give their name to the catering staff and their identification will be verified via the photos held on the catering system.

12th March 2020

As of today, Thursday 12 March 2020, I can confirm that Beaumont does not have a confirmed case of the Coronavirus within its community of students and staff.

Currently we have been given no indication that we will close as a result of the outbreak of Coronavirus but I wanted to make you aware of the contingency plans we have put in place in case we are forced to do so.

We have heard from the Department for Education and Public Health England who have advised that no school should close in response to a suspected (or confirmed) COVID-19 case unless advised to do so by Public Health England. They have provided a Coronavirus helpline for staff, parents and young people as follows:

Phone: 0800 046 8687

Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk

Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)

More information can also be found on the following link.

I would like to draw your attention Section 3 of the above link on preventing the spread of infection as follows:

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus.

There are general principles anyone can follow to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:

washing your hands often – with soap and water, or use alcohol sanitiser if handwashing facilities are not available. This is particularly important after taking public transport
covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in a bin. See Catch it, Bin it, Kill it
people who feel unwell should stay at home and should not attend work or any education or childcare setting
pupils, students, staff and visitors should wash their hands:
- before leaving home
- on arrival at school
- after using the toilet
- after breaks and sporting activities
- before food preparation
- before eating any food, including snacks
- before leaving school
use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available
avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
avoid close contact with people who are unwell
clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
if you are worried about your symptoms or those of a child or colleague, please call NHS 111. Do not go directly to your GP or other healthcare environment
see further information on the Public Health England Blog and the NHS UK website.

Thank you again for your continued support and please be assured if the situation changes, we will communicate with parents as soon as possible. I appreciate that the uncertainty of the current situation is far from ideal, especially for students with public exams in the near future. Please rest assured that we are following ongoing advice from Public Health England and that we will not take any decisions about closure lightly. If it becomes essential to close the school, the education of our students will remain paramount and we will make it our priority to enable them to continue learning remotely with the minimum of disruption to their studies in the ways outlined below.

Distance Learning for Students

Students can access a Distance Learning Portal, created by the school, here. In the event of the complete or partial closure of the school, resources will be made available on this platform.

In the event of the school closing as a result of the current coronavirus pandemic, the following contingency plans will be put in place.

We will use Google Classroom as the main way to set work and contact students. Every day, students’ work will be set on their Classrooms for the lessons on their normal timetable. If a teacher is unwell, then work will not be set in the short term but the Head of Department, or another teacher, will aim to set work for the class as soon as is possible. Google Classroom can also be used to contact teachers during normal school hours if help or support is needed to complete the work set. Teachers will respond to student communication as soon as they are able to.

Students will be expected to complete the work as directed by their teacher. Some work will be submitted to the teacher via the Classroom and other work will be checked by the teacher on the students’ return to school. If you are concerned that your son/ daughter will not be able to access Google Classroom at home, please contact the school as soon as possible.

There are a wide range of other resources to help support learning and to help students extend their learning.

SENECA (https://www.senecalearning.com/)
Students can use this website to revise and review GCSE and A Level content. There is also some content for KS3. Students can sign up for free and revise specific content for the specifications we follow.
SENECA has also developed a range of podcasts for GCSE and A Level revision and they can be found here.

Your Favourite Teacher (https://yourfavouriteteacher.com/)
We are very grateful that this local company has provided all of our students with a log in to access their excellent learning resources. The site is primarily aimed at GCSE courses, particularly English and Maths.

Hegarty Maths (https://hegartymaths.com/)
All students have a login for this resource and can review and revise a very large range of Maths content.

Educake Science (https://www.educake.co.uk/)
KS3 and KS4 students may be set review quizzes on the Educake online platform. Students can also view Study Guide slides for each topic. If students have lost their passwords, they should contact their Science teachers via their Google Classrooms.
Online textbooks and other study materials can also be found by logging onto Kerboodle: https://www.kerboodle.com/users/login

GCSE Bitesize (https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize)
This is a general website which helps to support learning in a wide range of subjects.

Information about the 11-18 curricula of each subject (including links to useful websites) can be found on the Curriculum Subjects pages of this website here.