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.

Information from the Headteacher

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

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.

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:

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.