[This email was sent out to all parents and carers.]
Thank you for your continued support this week. There are a number of things I would like to update you about, in addition to the information on attendance I sent out by email yesterday.
Twice-weekly Zoom registration. This now takes place with form tutors rather than heads of bubble. It is an opportunity for students to be involved in character education lessons and the popular Quiz of the Week, and a chance for them to meet up online with other members of their class.
Narrated lessons. This feature allows students to access lessons at a time that suits them and is particularly useful for those who are sharing a laptop or a quiet workspace.
Live tutorials with subject teachers. This week we have started a series of live subject-support tutorials with years 10 and 11 in maths, English and science. Next week we will be extending it to years 7, 8 and 9. Students will be notified via Class Charts of days and times, and I will also send this information out to parents by year bubble.
I hope that this addition to our provision will support students who are stuck on a piece of work or require further explanation. It also creates another opportunity to meet classmates online.
I am pleased to say that 95% of students have accessed Class Charts this week. We upload each lesson before the day that the lesson itself is timetabled to take place. This is because students need to download PowerPoints and resources. If your child is struggling with this, please contact the school office or let the pastoral support team know when they make their weekly call. If technology is a problem, we have a small number of laptops in school that we can re-purpose for students to use.
Our focus will shift next week to monitoring the work that students are submitting. We expect students to upload work to Class Charts. It might be a Word document or a photograph of what they have done, for example. If your child is not submitting work, the pastoral team will contact you to let you know.
This week staff have been involved in training in using Microsoft Forms. You will start to see quizzes, developed using this software, on Class Charts for students to complete. These quizzes will help us to assess how much progress students are making.
If you feel that your child is struggling with their wellbeing, please contact us or mention it during the weekly call from our pastoral team. Even though there is a national lockdown, we are still able to access mental health services, albeit remotely, to provide support for your child, if needed.
This morning I sent out Tesco vouchers for the last two weeks. The national Edenred scheme will start from Monday [18 January]. This is the scheme we used in April. It allows you to choose your preferred supermarket. If you think you now qualify for free school meals, please visit wirral.gov.uk and enter ‘free school meals’ into the search bar.
We will start testing for Covid on Monday [18 January]. There has been a slight delay this week because the testing booths have been delayed. Once these are in the building I will send out an online consent form. Please complete this form for your child, even if they are not currently in school. When they return to school we will be testing students to minimise the risk of the virus spreading
Finally, I would just like to emphasise how important it is that you get in touch with us if you need any support with your child, their learning or their wellbeing.
Stay safe.
Liz Williams
Acting Headteacher
