Rossett News Update - 26 February 2021
Welcome to our first bulletin back after half term. I hope that you all had a restful holiday.
There have been two significant sets of government guidelines published this week: one outlining the phased return of schools, and the second set of papers explaining how GCSE and A Level grades will be awarded this year. In total, the guidance for the two areas has exceeded 300 pages of advice, expectations and next steps.
Our steps for re-opening the school started with activating our plans for the lateral flow testing of students from the 8th March. The return of the consent forms from parents so far has been excellent; please do access your emails this weekend and let us know your details and your preferences for testing, if you have yet to do so. Once we have collated your information, there will be further communication next week to confirm the dates for the physical return to face-to-face teaching for each year group. Please be reassured that all students will still have access to high-quality online learning until their year group returns to school.
Regarding the award of grades for GCSE and A Level students this summer, you will find a link below to a blog written by the DfE today that answers questions and summarises key information for parents and students. I hope that you find this both informative and useful. Staff in school are available via the usual email addresses, should you have further questions.
Thank you for your continued support.
Lateral Flow Testing
Following the Government announcement earlier this week, all Parents/Carers received an email yesterday with details of our plans for the commencement of Lateral Flow Testing for all students, prior to the reopening of school. The aim of this testing is to ensure that any members of the school community who may be asymptomatic carriers of the virus are identified and potential further transmission prevented.
Testing is voluntary but we strongly encourage our students to take part to ensure that the school environment can function as safely and effectively as possible, and in order to minimise any future disruption to learning.
We have had an excellent response and would like to thank those parents who have already given their consent. We would like to remind you that ALL Parent/Carers need to complete the form: we need to know the details on the form even if you do not intend to give your consent.
We will only be able to confirm our planned dates for phased reopening to students once we have received this information. Please complete the consent form by 3pm on Monday 1 March at the latest.
A comprehensive information pack with all of the details of the phased reopening of Rossett School will be sent out next week.
What you need to know about grades in 2021
Following the national news regarding the cancellation of the GCSE and A Level examinations, the Department for Education published guidance yesterday for schools outlining how grades will be generated this summer.
We would like to share with you a useful summary for students and parents, produced by the Department for Education, which answers a number of key questions that you may have at this point in time.
GCSE and A Level Results' Day 2021
For parents and students in our current Years 11 and 13, there are important dates for your diary. Please note these dates now, and be aware that our Results' Days for 2021 will occur earlier in the academic year than previously:
Year 13/A Level Results’ Day: 10 August 2021
Year 11/GCSE Results’ Day: 12 August 2021
Rapid Relief Team Donation
The school took delivery of 50 food parcels provided by the charity - Rapid Relief Team. The Harrogate and District Team Leader, Charles Hewines met with Mr Saunders to organise the handover and talk more about the aims of the charity. The organisation is providing free food parcels in the hope that schools can act as hubs to distribute food to those families in greatest need during the pandemic. The food boxes will be distributed to families of Rossett students who are experiencing financial hardship. If you feel you would benefit from a food parcel at this present time or during the next term, please contact Mr Saunders at psaunders@rossettschool.co.uk.
Ishigami School Pen-Pal Exchange, Japan
We were delighted this half-term to be able to continue our long-running partnership with Ishigami School, Japan. Although international travel restrictions prevented our physical biennial visit, twenty of our students across Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 responded personally to a variety of creative and individual, hand-written letters sent from students at Ishigami School. Students from both sides of the globe were able to write about and compare their experiences of life in the current context. Many sent letters that dealt with details of school life, family life, interests and hobbies. We were proud of the quality and the creativity shown by the students here at Rossett School in extending the ‘remote’ hand of friendship in a very traditional but old-fashioned manner, through the medium of hand-written letters!
Remote Chinese New Year Celebration Event: An Invitation
Each year Rossett School has the pleasure of welcoming teachers from the University of Leeds Business Confucius Institute who deliver Mandarin lessons to students in Year 7 and Year 8. Although these lessons haven’t been possible this year, we have continued to maintain our on-going engagement and participation with all things Mandarin. Students and their families at Rossett have been invited to attend an online talk about Chinese New Year traditions on Saturday 27 February. This is the day after Lantern Festival, which is when New Year celebrations officially end. The event is open to all and will involve presentations about Chinese New Year customs, calligraphy and cuisine. Full details and registration on Eventbrite. This could be a great way to entertain the family in a ‘lockdown-friendly’ way this weekend.
World Book Day, Thursday 4 March 2021
The £1 book tokens can be swapped for one of the organisations new and completely FREE World Book Day books available from participating booksellers and participating supermarkets or used to get £1 off any full price book or audiobook instead The World Book Day £1 books are a gift from booksellers, who fully fund the cost of the £1 book token redemptions.
Temporary change to bus route
Due to the current roadworks taking place at Bachelor Gardens in the Bilton area of Harrogate, the Trasdev buses are unable to collect/drop-off at this location. Students are asked to get on/off at The Knox Pub or Crab Lane Post Office.This affects students who travel on the 782H, 783H and 784H.
Artistic Talent
Year 11 student Alice Bristow usually focuses on people in her portrait drawings, but over the recent half-term break turned her hand to portraits of her friends and family's four-legged friends. We hope you agree these dog portraits are stunning examples of her work!
Well done to...
Mille Baxter in Year 7 who made and decorated a lovely first birthday cake for her nephew - I'm sure it tasted as good as it looks, Millie.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
We would like to remind you of the support groups, websites and text-based helplines that exist to help students combat feelings of anxiety that may result from worrying about future examinations or the current national coverage of the pandemic.
The Go-To – www.thegoto.org.uk – is a portal or ‘single point of information’ for the wide range of mental health support services available to help children and young people in the county address their social and emotional health needs.
https://www.kooth.com/ https://www.minded.org.uk/
Covid-19: Reporting
For those students who remain in school we would like to remind you of the reporting procedures and symptom checker before attending each day:
If your child has any of the symptoms described in the attached parental letter from Public Health England here, they must stay at home and arrangements need to be made to have a test. You must call the school absence line (01423 564 444) and leave a voicemail informing us about the situation and the reason your child is not in school.
We would remind you that you should only book a test if your child has any of these three coronavirus symptoms:
- A high temperature: any new high temperature where your child feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature);
- A new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours;
- A loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal.
If your child has been off school for a reason related to Covid-19, it is vital that you contact us before they return and give us the reason they are returning e.g. a negative test result.
- Public Health England has asked us to emphasise with our parents/carers that the NHS Track and Trace App is not applicable to students under the age of 16, and therefore should not be installed on the phones of students who are under 16. If any parent has to inform the school regarding a positive Covid case please email https://rossett.school/positive and complete the form.
Helen Woodcock
Headteacher
