Rossett News Update - 7 January 2022
Welcome back and a Happy New Year to all parents and students from all the staff at Rossett School.
I hope that you all had a peaceful and restful festive holiday. Most of the Rossett community seem to have enjoyed ‘scaled back’ celebrations in December with family, friends and loved ones.
We are now looking forward to our students continuing their steady progress in all subjects and access to an increasing number of extra-curricular clubs this term.
This week, although only four days in length has seen a programme of student testing that resulted in the identification of very few positive lateral flow tests. The fact that there were any at all, after the dedicated approach of parents and students testing at home at the weekend, means that your co-operation in continuing the testing programme of ‘lateral flow tests every Wednesday and Sunday night’ is absolutely vital. Our aim is to keep all students, staff and families safe and to keep the school open for everyone: we can only do this with your help.
Face- coverings
The wearing of face-coverings at school in all areas, including classrooms is something that we have been asked to implement as part of planned advice to all secondary schools nationally. Our students have generally fulfilled our expectations this week and have been respectful of others. Any student who has a good reason, (i.e. medical) to be exempt from this national expectation, has been asked this week to make contact with their respective year team to get an exemption card. Staff have given out temporary masks this week where students have had emergencies and needed replacements.
Our expectation for next week is that all students will have a face-covering and a ‘spare’ to allow them to play their part in keeping everyone safe and the school, open. Thank you, in anticipation for your support with this.
The wearing of face-coverings on school or public transport is governed not by the school, but by national guidelines that insist the face-coverings are worn to and from school. Bus drivers report that a small minority of students are failing to comply with this reasonable request in the mornings.
Uniform
Finally, Mr Royles and the pastoral teams would like to thank parents for their support last term in ensuring that uniform standards were maintained. This term we have noticed that students are not all wearing school shoes as standard. Our policy is clear; trainers are for sport. Our website clearly shows what is expected in terms of footwear and contact will be made with home where either this or other uniform infringements are taking place on a regular basis. Please ensure that you complete a uniform check with your child this weekend to pre-empt any conversations around non-compliance. As usual, the year teams will support families and students where hardship or individual circumstances are a factor; please contact your relevant Director of Learning or the Student Support Officer for Years 7 - 11.
I would be grateful if you could reinforce these key messages with your child over the weekend, and subsequently.
Many thanks otherwise for your support over the first week of term; we had a busy and productive Year 11 Parents’ Evening last night and are currently preparing for external BTEC and internal Year 13 mock examinations in the next two weeks.
Year 9 Options Process
Our Year 9 students will be choosing their option subjects over the next few weeks. Key information about the process will be e-mailed to both students and parents on Monday 17th January, with students also receiving a remote assembly about the process during form time on that day. This information will replace the face-to-face ‘options evening’ scheduled for Thursday 20th January, in light of current national guidance. Parents will still have an opportunity to discuss option choices with their child’s teachers at the Year 9 Parents' Evening on Thursday 27th January. A timeline of the key options events can be found below:
- Monday 17th January – Form Time – Assembly with Mr Stone for Year 9 students
- Monday 17th January – 9:00am – e-mail with link to Options Booklet, website and example Options form to students
- Monday 17th January – 9:00am - e-mail to parents, which explains options process and provides the relevant links
- Monday 17th January – Thursday 27th January – KS4 style lesson delivered in one lesson per subject at KS3
- Monday 17th January – Thursday 27th January – Individual meeting with member of Senior Leadership Team to give support and guidance around options subjects
- Thursday 27th January – Year 9 Parents' Evening – opportunity for parents and students to discuss options with their teachers
- Friday 28th January – official options form e-mailed to students at 9.00am
- Wednesday 16th February – 9.00am – deadline for return of option choices from students
- Follow up e-mail sent to parents/students to confirm final options by 8th April
Student Data Collection Sheets
It is important that we have up to date information for students and parents to ensure we can contact you with any important information such as emergency school closure due to the weather, COVID-19 updates, remote education information etc. Today we are posting out Data Collection Sheets with the information held on our school system and ask that parents/carers check, amend if appropriate and return the signed copy (even if there are no amendments) to your child’s Form Tutor as soon as possible.
LRC News
I would like to wish you a very happy new year and all the best for a hopefully better 2022 for everyone.
Since joining in November and the LRC re-opening after lockdown, the time has certainly flown and I have enjoyed every minute of being part of such an exciting reading community. The LRC is very busy every breaktime, lunchtime and after school also. We normally have a queue out the door most days. Hundreds of books have been borrowed and returned in the past few weeks and it is very encouraging to see such a wide variety of books and genres being enjoyed.
There is also a huge amount of “book talk” going on between students who are rightly keen to recommend their favourite authors and books with each other and me! My reading pile has got even larger!
With the support of the wonderful English department, we have also welcomed in every English class (and their teachers!) from Year 7 and 8 to a “Welcome and Introduction to the LRC/Library” and also some English groups in Year 11. These Year 7 and 8 groups will visit every couple of weeks with their teachers to swap and renew books. All groups were attentive, polite and a pleasure to work with.
Since starting a few parents have emailed asking for advice with encouraging reluctant readers. My general advice would be to keep suggesting and offering different reading material, genres, styles and authors and don’t give up!. There is a book for everyone and with the LRC having nearly 9000 books in stock then we are well placed to help support your child develop a reading habit. If your child sees or knows you read then that helps too as does informal book talk, visiting book shops/libraries and making books and reading a normal part of family life. If you ask your child to tidy their bedroom and find them lost in a book instead then quietly leave them to it and we might just be winning! Above everything avoid making it a chore or a source of tension and just keep encouraging. I am sure that by working together we can create a Rossett Reading for pleasure culture to be rightly proud of.
In the meantime please do keep in touch and If I can help with a specific question then don’t hesitate to email.
Mr Asker sasker@rossettschool.co.uk
Covid Vaccination - Walk-in Clinic for Young People
This weekend the Harrogate Vaccination Site at the Great Yorkshire Showground are running a walk-in clinic for young people aged over 12 on Saturday 8 January (9.00am-4.30pm) and Sunday 9 January (9.00am-12.30pm).
Please note that it should be 12 weeks since you child's last vaccination.
Rossett Adult Learning
Rossett Adult Learning provides part-time day and evening learning for pleasure classes to suit all tastes and interests, to the local community.
The new Spring 2022 Programme with over 150 interesting and engaging courses is live for enrolment. To download the full programme please click here.
Continuation of Lateral Flow Testing for students and staff
Further testing kits have been issued to students today. We ask that our parents and students support our safer school initiative by testing on Sunday and Wednesday evenings and report the results – whether positive, negative or void – to NHS Test and Trace via the self-report option at https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result and also inform the school at: https://rossett.school/studentcovidreport.
Please note that this asymptomatic testing programme does not currently replace current guidance for those who develop the three Covid-19 symptoms, even if mild, which is to arrange a PCR test as soon as possible. If your child develops a high temperature, a new continuous cough or loses their sense of smell or taste or it changes they should self-isolate until they receive the results of their PCR test.
From Tuesday 11 January, under the new guidance, anyone in England who receives a positive lateral flow device (LFD) test result should report their result on gov.uk and must self-isolate immediately, but will not need to take a follow-up PCR test.
After reporting a positive LFD test result, they will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace so that their contacts can be traced.
Anyone who tests positive will be able to leave self-isolation seven days after the date of their initial positive test if they receive two negative lateral flow test results, 24 hours apart, on days six and seven or any subsequent consecutive days.
As you will now be aware students no longer need to self isolate if someone in their household has symptoms or has tested positive for Covid-19 if any of the following apply:
- students are under 18 years 6 months old
- students are fully vaccinated
- students are taking part or have taken part in a Covid-19 vaccine trial
- students are not able to be vaccinated for medical reasons
In such cases, even if they do not have symptoms, students should still:
- get a PCR test
- follow advice on how to avoid catching and spreading Covid-19
- consider limiting contact with people who are at higher risk from Covid-19
If you have any questions please email Mr Royles droyles@rossettschool.co.uk.
PE Fixtures...
What's happening this term...
Thursday 13 January
- Year 9 Meningitis and DTP vaccinations plus catch-up for Year 10/11;
Monday 24 January
- Year 12 and Year 13 Mock examinations commence.
Friday 18 February
- School closes for Half Term break.
H Woodcock
Headteacher
