Charlton School

4^th January 2021

Dear Parents and Carers,

Firstly, I hope you are all safe and well, and that you have managed to have had a good break, despite the restrictions in place.

You will have heard in the news over the last few days much debate over schools reopening.  As we stand today, it remains that only vulnerable children and children of critical worker parents will return to school tomorrow (5^th January).  These places should have been booked in advance as per the letters sent prior to, and during the school holidays. I will email the parents of these students separately.

Year 11 students will now be returning to school on Monday 11^th January, students in Year 7 to Year 10 will return to school on Monday 18^th January. Please note this change of date due to the cancellation of the PD day previously scheduled for this day.  There are no practical PE lessons allowed until week commencing 18^th January.  Until this date, when students have PE on their timetable they will be taken to a class to complete work set online.

Following Government guidance, the plan for home learning is that Year 11 students will have live online lessons from Tuesday 5^th January until Friday 8^th January, through Microsoft Teams, with supplementary work set on Doddle.

Students in Years 7 to 10 will have work set on Doddle and where possible, occasional live lessons up to and including Friday 8^th January, with the number of live lessons increasing during the week commencing Monday 11^th January.

All students should complete work, including accessing live lessons on Microsoft Teams, as per the order of their usual timetable. A link will be sent for Teams lessons via the calendar through the student’s school email address. Students should check this daily.  Where possible, invites via email to Teams lessons and work on Doddle will be set by the end of the previous day.  Please note if a teacher is unwell and unable to deliver on Teams, no link will be sent for that lesson.

Further support for remote learning, including accessing a student’s school email and Office 365 (for Microsoft Teams) please see this link on our website: http://www.charlton.uk.com/quick-links/students/study-zone Should you require assistance with passwords, please email helpme@charlton.uk.com

We have a small number of laptop devices available from the DfE, if borrowing a device would support home learning, please contact your child’s pastoral manager and we will distribute these where possible.

You may also be aware that schools have been asked to set up their own mass testing arrangements and to offer routine testing once a week to all staff, and testing of students on their return to school. Once the process and procedures are in place, students will be offered tests, which will require them to be tested twice over a three to five-day period.  Please note that no testing will be carried out with students unless we have obtained consent. Further details will follow. 

Serial testing will be available to all staff and students; this involves being tested daily, for 7 days. This is designed for when a close contact at the school has tested positive. Instead of the bubble having to be sent home and people having to isolate, they can instead come into school daily to be tested. If the tests are negative, they can remain in school; if positive, they are then sent home to have a full test.

This will not replace the need for 'space, face, hands' and all current rules will still apply, including the wearing of face masks, different start and finish times and staggered lunches and breaks. Please ensure you have taken responsibility for providing your child with a face mask, far too many students were attending school without these prior to the holiday.

In addition, the Government guidance remains that households need to isolate if there are symptoms within the household.  

You should self-isolate immediately and book a test if you have any of the three main coronavirus symptoms: 

• A temperature
• A new, continuous cough
• A change or loss in sense of taste or smell

Within Telford and Wrekin, if you have any of the symptoms below you can get a test as a precaution. Get a Coronavirus test if you have any of these 'precautionary' symptoms:

• Headaches
• Aches and pains
• Feeling very tired for no good reason
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Tummy ache in children

When booking, make sure you answer the question 'Why are you asking for a test?' with 'My local council or health protection team has asked me (or someone) I live with to get a test, even though I do not have symptoms.'

If your child develops symptoms of coronavirus and then has a positive test, please inform school at your earliest opportunity through the usual school contact details.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Yours faithfully,

Mr A McNaughton

Principal