Headteacher's Newsletter - 6Th November 2020
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Headteacher's Newsletter - 6th November 2020 Dear Parent/Carer/Guardian, Democracy has never felt more important to the world this week. The presidential election in the US has highlighted the need for leadership and to ensure all voices are heard; indeed ‘count all votes’ has become a rallying cry for many over the last day or so. As a French teacher, I love explaining to students that the French word ‘voix’ means both ‘voice’ and ‘vote’, that the act of voting gives individuals a voice in who and how a country is led. It is timely that this week is also UK Parliament Week and students have been learning about what it means to live in a parliamentary democracy. In addition, our own Pioneer Parliament has given all of our community the chance to vote and express their voice in choosing our Trust charity for the year. This year, the theme is diversity and the shortlisted charities reflect this. If you haven’t already voted, I would love you to fulfil your democratic duty by completing the form! I am also very pleased that student voice is a key feature of our internal quality assurance activities that begin next week. Asking students about their learning, where they are making progress and where they can be supported always gives rich insights and helps us with our aim of continuous improvement. As the country has entered a second lockdown this week, schools remain open. We do ask that parents read our behaviour addendum which has been updated following government guidance and will be made available on our website. We would also like to ask all parents to wear masks if they need to enter school, but would encourage all parents to continue to remain outside of the school site wherever possible. Can we also remind families that they should not be in close contact with any other households at drop off or collection time. This will mean families not converging outside of the school grounds and all adults maintaining a two metre distance wherever possible. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this. Finally, we are pleased to have very good attendance at UCGS, but would remind all parents not to send their child to school if they have any covid-related symptoms. If you are unsure, please contact the school office and speak to the Attendance Officer. With all good wishes, M. Pritchard Headteacher Attendance Reminders Upton Court Grammar School has high expectations for every student from the moment they join our school. Children have the right to a high quality education and we provide this at Upton Court Grammar School. High attendance is necessary to ensure that your child benefits fully from the learning opportunities on offer and to ensure they leave school having developed positive lifelong habits and as well rounded individuals. Medical Appointments Appointments, where possible, should be made outside of school hours or in the holiday period. This includes routine dental appointments. If this is unavoidable, your child should still attend school before or after the appointment where possible. Any session missed that was deemed reasonable to attend will be marked as unauthorised leave. Absence Requests Absence requests will only be considered for exceptional circumstances and these are dealt with on an individual basis. Leave will not normally be considered for students whose attendance is below 95%. Students requiring a day off for religious observance must fill in an absence request form in advance, this must be a day that has been exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the student belongs. Retrospective requests for absences will not be authorised. What to do if your child cannot attend school: Absence must be reported on a daily basis. You must contact the school (before 8.00am) on the first day of absence. This can be done by emailing [email protected] or by logging in through your Insight account, specifying your child's name, class and the reason why they cannot attend. If they are ill, please give a clear explanation of their condition. For a prolonged absence due to illness, medical evidence will be requested. This can be in the form of a prescription, medical paperwork or an appointment card/letter. SCHOOL TERM DATES FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2020/21 Autumn 2020 Term 1 Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd September 2020 - INSET (School closed for students) Term starts on Thursday 3rd September 2020 (First day for students) Term ends on Friday 16th October 2020 October Holiday: Monday 19th October 2020 to Friday 30th October 2020 Term 2 Term starts on Monday 2nd November 2020 Term ends on Friday 18th December 2020 at 12.15pm Christmas Holiday: Monday 21st December 2020 to Friday 1st January 2021 Spring 2021 Term 3 Term starts on Monday 4th January 2021 Term ends on Friday 12th February 2021 February Holiday Monday 15th February 2021 to Friday 19th February 2021 Term 4 Monday 22nd February 2021 - Trust Development Day (School closed for students) Term starts on Tuesday 23rd February 2021 (First day for students) Term ends on Thursday 1st April 2021 at 12.15pm Spring Holiday: Friday 2nd April 2021 to Friday 16th April 2021 (Good Friday – 2nd April 2021; Easter Monday – 5th April 2021) Summer 2021 Term 5 Term starts on Monday 19th April 2021 Term ends on Friday 28th May 2021 May Holiday: Monday 31st May 2021 to Friday 4th June 2021 Term 6 Term starts on Monday 7th June 2021 Term ends on Friday 23rd July 2021 at 12.15pm Unity Culture Policy Addendum Update In light of the recent updates to the DfE guidance for schools on 22nd October and the New National Restriction Guidance from the Government on 5th November we have updated the school’s Culture Policy Addendum detailing the protective measures in place at school during the pandemic. All updates are highlighted in green. To access the Culture Policy Addendum please on our school website please click on the link below: http://www.uptoncourtgrammar.org.uk/Policies Uniform Following advice from the DfE and as part of the protective measures in place at school since the start of the academic year all spaces have been well ventilated by opening classroom doors and windows. As the weather becomes increasingly colder this will be balanced with a comfortable classroom temperature and we would like to also encourage students to wear more layers of clothing to school. On days when students are in their PE kit, students are permitted to wear their school blazer over the top of their PE kit when in the school building. During the colder weather, students are encouraged to wear a base layer of thermals, vest or t-shirt under their school uniform and PE kit. In addition, students are allowed to wear a black sweatshirt/jumper over their PE kit. Please note hoodies are not permitted anywhere on school premises. Update from Head of Year 11 Our Year 11 students have made an excellent start to the new term this week. All have returned highly motivated to do well, impressing their teachers with their focus and determination. In form time on Monday we reminded ourselves of the system of controls we have in place during the current pandemic. The system of controls protects each and every one of us and allows the school to remain open. On Tuesday we reflected on our revision over the half-term and planned what we need to work on over the coming fortnight before the Pre-Public Exams. On Thursday we learnt about the careers guidance the school is able to offer all Year 11 students. And this morning we made time to consider our well-being and reconnect with those around us. We will be running our Sixth Form Information Evening on Tuesday 17th November. Due to the protective measures in place at school this academic year, this event will be taking place virtually. Mr Pritchard and Ms Dhillon will lead a live Q&A session for parents from 5.00-6.00pm. To join the live Q&A session on the day, you will need to click on the following link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup- join/19%3ameeting_MTkzYTM0Y2UtZTg3NS00YmQ4LTkyOGUtNDcwYzk2ZDg1OTIy%40thread.v2/0?con text=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22414bbeda-b54e-4c2a-98ae- 5977da78ad02%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22c191c37f-ef96-41ef-9c20- a1db990949e2%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d Next week we will be speaking to all Year 11 students about what we expect during the Pre -Public Examinations which run from 23rd November to the 3rd December 2020. Once we have spoken to all students, an information letter will be sent home to parents. Finally, some of you have been in touch to ask for more information on what your child is currently studying. This week Mr Sullivan shares what Year 11 have been studying for Core PE and GCSE PE. Core PE & GCSE PE - Year 11 Core PE Following lockdown, The Youth Sport Trust reported that at least one-third of children have experienced an increase in mental health issues including stress, loneliness and worry during lockdown. More than one-third say they are more worried (38%), sadder (37%) or more stressed (34%). Also, the number of children meeting the Chief Medical Officer's guidelines (of taking part in sport or physical activity for an average of 60 minutes or more every day) has dropped from 47% to 19%. Whilst the government restrictions and individual sport’s National Governing Bodies guidelines proved challenging, the circumstances presented a real opportunity for change and one that has been long overdue.