Dear Parents
COVID-19 – Letter from the Principal re Face Masks
The Government have recently updated their guidance to schools, about how face coverings should be used in schools to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. As you are aware from the start of this academic year, we encouraged students and staff to wear a mask. Indeed, having seen how sensibly students responded to this, we quickly made the wearing of a mask compulsory for everyone when they were moving around the school. This has taken some getting used to, but in the main everyone has made a determined effort to adhere to this request as the wearing of a mask has become an accepted necessity and part of our lives. However, it is now imperative that we go a stage further and further embed the use of face masks around school.
The latest Government guidance for schools, states that:
"Face coverings should be worn by adults and children aged 11 and above when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms or activity rooms, such as in corridors and communal
areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained."
Interpreting this guidance into simple, manageable rules that are understood and adhered to by all, has not been as easy as one might initially think. There are many aspects of school life that fall into a grey area and become a matter of interpretation. What is clear is that the issue will only be successfully addressed via a spirit of collective responsibility. Whilst staff will do all that they can to remind students of the rules, it will be essential for each individual to make a determined effort to follow the rules, recognising that they exist for their own and their friend’s benefit. If the rules are only adhered to when a member of staff is present to enforce them, COVID-19 will continue to spread and more students and staff will have to be sent home to isolate and students' learning will continue to be interrupted.
The following rules should now be adhered to by our school community:
- When moving around the school at any point in the day, inside or outside of the building. For example, when changing lessons or arriving and departing to and from school. Masks should be worn.
- When students are seated in a classroom. Masks can be removed, but students may choose to still wear a face mask if they wish to do so.
- Year 12 and 13 Silent Study Centres are classified as classrooms and the same rules as above will be maintained. Masks can be removed, but students may choose to still wear a face mask if they wish to do so.
- 6th Form Group Study and Canteen area, this is classified as a communal area. Masks should be wornother than when the student is seated and eating or drinking. The face mask should be reapplied as soon as they have finished having their refreshments and when moving around the Group Study area.
- School Canteen for Years 7 - 10, this is classified as a communal area. Masks should be wornother than when the student is seated and eating or drinking. The mask should be reapplied as soon as they have finished taking refreshment and when moving around the canteen.
- Inside the Year 11 Youth Centre, this is classified as a communal area. Masks should be wornother than when the student is seated and eating or drinking. The mask should be reapplied as soon as they have finished having their refreshments and when moving around the Youth Centre.
- Year 7 Studio at break and lunch, this is classified as a communal area. Masks should be wornother than when the student is seated and eating or drinking. The mask should be reapplied as soon as they have finished having their refreshments and when moving around the studio and whilst waiting outside the studio in the mornings.
- During break and lunch whilst on the playground. As the students are outside masks can be removed but the students should now prioritise remaining physically apart from one another. They can obviously also continue to wear a mask if they wish to do so.
Simply put, everyone should look for opportunities to wear a mask, only removing it when eating and drinking, when sat in a classroom or when at break or lunch whilst outside on the playground and physically separated from others.
There obviously remains grey areas, defining when someone has finished eating or drinking, measuring a meter or timing a minute are all judgements that each individual may interpret slightly differently. Please take this opportunity to discuss this further guidance with your child, colleagues at school will be doing so during tutor time and lessons. Collectively we will therefore stress that the desired outcome is to help keep each other safe, to stop the spread of the virus, to enable students to keep learning and to keep our school open. Respect for others, personal responsibility and resilience during difficult times have never been more essential.
Yours faithfully
Phil Grundy
Principal
