Parent/Carer Notices

IMPORTANT: Student and staff face masks in school

In light of guidance published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 21 August 2020, the Department for Education (DfE) changed its advice to schools on face covering. We have been reviewing our position on face masks daily and now feel, given the rise in number of cases nationally, that we need to increase the use of face masks in order to further reduce the risk of infection.

From Monday 14 September 2020, all staff and students must wear a face mask in the following locations: • Entering the school building • When moving around school on corridors / colonnades / stairways

Students must remove their face mask in classrooms (unless they have medical reason not to do so) because:  They can have a negative impact on learning and teaching  Students are in their respective year ‘bubble’  Classroom procedures have been altered to reduce the risk of transmission

Students and staff are permitted to remove their face mask:  In the dining room on both sites and areas designated for eating and drinking; the face mask must be replaced before leaving these areas  When outside the building  When taking part in PE lessons or any other physical activity

It is important to be mindful that some students and staff might not be able to wear a face covering or mask and the reasons may not be visible to others. We must all be respectful of these students and staff. With reference to the Department of Health and Social Care, this includes:

1. Those who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability.

2. Those who would be severely distressed by putting on, wearing or removing a face covering or mask.

3. To avoid harm or injury or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others – including if it would negatively impact on your ability to exercise or participate in a strenuous activity

Where students are exempt from wearing a facemask Laura Leverton should be contacted by parents/ carers and we will provide an exemption lanyard (lleverton@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk).

Face coverings and masks are used to help to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID19), alongside social distancing, rigorous hand hygiene and covering coughs and sneezes.

The school is not in a position to supply the volume of face masks required and so they should be supplied by home.

Disposable face masks should only be worn once and hands should be washed / sanitised before and after touching the mask. Used disposable masks must be taken home and replaced with clean ones on a daily basis. They should not be disposed of on the school

site as this could spread infection. Reusable face masks should be stored in a plastic bag and changed daily.

It is also important to emphasise that students and staff must not become complacent because they are wearing a face mask and should continue to fully adhere to the other safeguarding measures of social distancing and washing or sanitising their hands on a regular basis.

Thank you for your continued support in keeping our students safe and protecting the most vulnerable in our community. We are very proud of the way that staff and students have adapted to safety measures in the school and we have every reason to expect that this will continue.

Face masks on school transport

The school transport team has received a number of reports from operators and parents/carers that an increasing number of students are not wearing a face covering during the journey to and from school.

Please speak to your child if they use the school bus service to ensure they are adhering to the latest guidelines.

Many thanks for your support.

Student illness, testing and self-isolation

We are aware that many students returning to school will get everyday illnesses on their return to school after not mixing for so long. The advice on what to do next is tricky so we have tried to make it as clear as possible for you.

Public Health England (PHE) has asked us to inform families, to help PHE ensure that they are able to identify those with coronavirus while avoiding a huge increase in demand for tests from people without coronavirus symptoms.

Students (and staff) should only be tested if they develop one or more of the main coronavirus symptoms, which are:  a high temperature where your temperature is above 37.8C  a new, continuous cough. The guidance says that ‘a new continuous cough is where you cough a lot for more than an hour, or have three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours'  the loss or change of their sense of taste or smell

Note that you do not need all of these symptoms, you just need one of them. To get a test you need to ring 119. You should be aware that once you have asked for a test, the whole household needs to isolate until a negative result is given. Please update school of any test results as quickly as possible.

Public Health have advised:

As schools and colleges across England return, students may feel unwell for example with a sore throat, aches and pains, a stomach upset, a runny nose, tiredness or a headache. If students have

these symptoms (without the temperature, continuous cough or loss of smell symptom), then they don’t need to have a test.

The decision as to whether or not they come to school or stay at home should be taken as you would do in normal times (they are not required to stay off school).

Where a child has a sickness bug, as always, they must be kept off school for 48 hours.

PE messages

Students should wear tracksuit bottoms or leggings on the days in which they have both PE and science, as they need to have their legs covered in science lessons for healthy and safety reasons.

If your son or daughter needs to be excused from PE, please email Mr Shirtcliffe stating the reason they are to be excused. Please do not send your child in with a written note. Email: cshirtcliffe@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk

Year 7 nasal flu vaccinations in school

Public Health England have decided that from September 2020 Year 7 (only) students will be offered the nasal flu vaccination in school. This is part of a nationwide effort to vaccinate more people against the flu than ever before. The immunisation team are planning on coming into school on 4 November to give these vaccinations and will be adhering to the latest guidance on Covid-19.

For the past year the NHS have used an e-consent system which they are continuing to use. All Y7 parents/carers are required to complete an e-consent form to enable students to have this vaccination. Please visit https://www.derbyshireandcityimms.co.uk/Forms/Flu to complete the consent form. The option to consent or decline the vaccination is at the end of the questionnaire so please complete even if you do not want your child to have the vaccination. The unique school code for Highfields School is DD112950

For more information about the vaccination please visit the NHS website: http://www.derbyshireschoolnurses.org.uk/parents/immunisations

It is unlikely that the immunisation team will be able to run ‘catch up’ clinics this year so please make sure you complete a consent form before the date the vaccinations are due to take place in school. If you experience any problems please call the School Age Immunisation Team:

Repton: 01283 707178 Clay Cross: 01246 252953 Email DCHST.immunisationteam@nhs.net

Open evenings for September 2021

As open evenings are not possible at this time, we have been making short videos for students who are thinking of applying to Y7 or Y12 for September 2021. We will send these out soon / upload on our website and we hope that you will consider sharing these videos and recommending Highfields School to others.

Important message for parents/carers of Y11 historians

The Ofqual guidance for the format of the 2021 history GCSE exam has changed. Students will now be asked to sit THREE rather than FOUR units as in a 'normal' year.

We are keen to involve both students and parents/carers in the decision-making process regarding which unit will not be examined. An online survey will be sent out next week and we ask that parents/carers and students read the guidance that will be issued with the survey and submit your preferred option. It is vitally important that students think carefully about this choice.

If you have any queries or the guidance on the survey leaves you with questions, please feel free to get in touch with me at pcopeland@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk.

Headteacher’s vlog

Mr Marsh, as promised, has recorded another video diary which he called ‘even less interesting than the last’ – please click on the link below to view Mr Marsh’s week 2 video diary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdyXFS38Qis&feature=youtu.be

If you wish to share something positive about your child, thank a member of staff or perhaps give a birthday shout out you can email us by Thursday each week at wearehighfields@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk and Mr Marsh will try to feature a couple on his next ‘vlog’.

b_line cards

b_line is Derbyshire County Council’s cut-price travel discount and library card for young people aged 11 up to 19 who live in Derbyshire. b_line cards are free unless a replacement is needed for a lost or damaged card (replacement cards are £5).

There are two types of b_line card:  an orange b_line1 card for 11 year-olds (in secondary school) up to their 16th birthday  a purple b_line2 card for 16-year-olds up to 19 th birthday

b_line cards are no longer issued automatically. If students want a card (or a replacement card) they must apply online through Derbyshire County Council’s website https://bline.derbyshire.gov.uk/home.faces

Your contact details

Please ensure you notify the relevant year manager if any contact details have changed for your child (ie change of address, telephone, email or medical details) to ensure our records are up to date in case of emergency.

Mental Health support