Parents/Carers & Students

Qualifications update 27 March 2020: Update for students in Y11 and 13 and their families Mr Cole, Deputy Headteacher

On Monday we gave an update on how qualifications will be awarded in light of the cancellation of exams, with a link to the full information from the Department of Education. Here is a quick reminder of the main points, followed by a further update put out by the exams regulator Ofqual on 26 March.

Summary of what the Government announced about qualifications on Friday 20 March 2020:

Ofqual, and the exam boards are developing a process that will provide a ‘calculated grade’ to each student which reflects their performance as fairly as possible, and which can be consistently applied for all students. Exam boards will be asking teachers to submit their judgement about the grade that they believe each student would have received if exams had gone ahead. Teachers will be asked to take into account a range of evidence and data including performance on mock exams and non-exam assessment. Exam boards will then combine this information with other relevant data, including prior attainment, and use this information to produce a calculated grade for each student, which will be a best assessment of the work they have put in. The aim is to provide these ‘calculated grades’ to students before the end of July. Students will be able to appeal their grades if they don’t believe the right process has been followed. There will also be an option to sit exams early in the next academic year for any students who wish to – and students can also choose to sit exams next summer.

On Thursday 26 March Ofqual gave the following update:

We are rapidly working up plans to implement the arrangements the Secretary of State for Education has set out for exams this summer and, with exam boards and teaching bodies, are making considerable progress.

We expect to publish detailed information about the process and timetable which will apply this summer next week. We will outline by Easter the process we will follow to make sure grades are fair across schools and colleges, as well as our proposals for appeals. We will also say more as soon as possible about the arrangements for additional exams in the new academic year.

We want to reassure students waiting for news that we are doing everything we can to make sure they are not disadvantaged by these unprecedented circumstances.

We will continue to keep you updated with information as we receive it. We understand there is a lot of uncertainty about this situation and are very grateful for everybody heeding our request that school staff should not be contacted about grades.

Highfields Emergency Childcare

Thank you to all our families who have shown tremendous resilience and understanding throughout this time.

The small number of students who were in school this week were being well cared for and completing their remote learning package which is accessible to all students at home. We are hugely grateful to the staff who have volunteered to supervise them (senior leaders will always be amongst the volunteers).

Government advice is changing rapidly and the latest advice from Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is as follows: “You should only send your child to school on Monday if you have to, because your work is critical to our Covid-19 response. If you are able to keep your child at home, you should.”

If your child is mature and capable of staying home alone, please consider this to reduce the spread of infection. High quality learning can take place remotely and we are offering basic supervision only in school.

If you require emergency childcare as a last resort, please contact lleverton@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk by Friday each week with specific details regarding the days and times of the following week that emergency childcare is required.

Free School Meals

From Tuesday 24 March 2020, we are operating a collection system for Free School Meals children to collect a packed lunch. This is emergency care.

The times we will be in the following areas are: 11.30-12.00: Wheeldon Hall, Lumsdale site, Matlock 12.15-12.45: The park near Oker Avenue, Darley Dale 13.00-13.30: Hurst Farm Community Centre, Matlock

Students will simply need to report to their NEAREST collection point, give their name and collect their lunch.

Students should queue up 2metres / 6 feet away from one another whilst waiting. It is imperative they then return home to adhere to the latest government guidance on social distancing. Students should under no circumstances be arriving in groups.

Free School Meal Scam Email

The DfE have been informed that some parents/carers have received an email stating: ‘As schools will be closing, if you're entitled to free school meals, please send your bank details and we'll make sure you're supported’. This is a scam email, please do not respond and delete immediately.

‘We Are Highfields Fund’ 2020

The ‘We Are Highfields’ fund has been set up to support Highfields families affected by the Covid-19 outbreak to get food and connectivity. Anyone wishing to donate to this fund during this crisis can do so through their ParentPay account in the same way that payments for school trips are made.

The fund is open for staff as well as parents/carers to donate and since its launch on Wednesday we have received an amazing £1,000 to date! – thank you to everyone who has so generously donated during this challenging time.

Application forms for the WE ARE HIGHFIELDS FUND can be requested from the finance office (finance@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk) or downloaded from our website – see link below: http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/NewsPDFs/WeAreHighfieldsApplication.docx.

Please return completed forms to finance@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk. This is a hardship grant and is considered on a case by case basis. This grant scheme will be paid out until funds are exhausted. To be eligible you must be a parent/carer of a students at Highfields School and have savings of less than £1,000 per person or £2,000 for a family or couple (including rolling bank balance).

ParentPay Refunds

We are aware that many families will have paid for trips or activities that are no longer going ahead due to the Covid-19 outbreak. We are waiting on our insurance companies (who are inundated at the moment) regarding reimbursement of overseas trips and refunds from companies where we have purchased tickets, ie theatre bookings etc. Our finance department are working through how to refund the money back to parents/carers through ParentPay. Parents/carers will be notified when money has been refunded.

Student Reminders

Students should be regularly checking their school email account along with Show My Homework (SMHW) daily (Monday to Friday) for the latest updates and work to do at home.

Students must use their school email accounts to contact staff. Usernames and passwords for school email accounts are the same as student log-ins to school computers. Staff are unable to respond to emails from students’ personal accounts.

Free Microsoft Office for Students

Students at Highfields School can download Microsoft Office for free on up to 5 devices, for the duration of their time as a student at the school. Microsoft Office can be installed on compatible desktop computers, tablets, and mobile phones. http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/office.html

Morning assemblies

We posted the first of our morning assemblies on Monday 23 March asking parents/carers and students to view. We will try to improve them as times goes on, but we feel it is important to keep in touch with Highfields families during this time.

For help on curriculum students are asked to contact teachers and pastoral staff. If anyone wants a 'shout out' for somebody who is doing something excellent please let us know by email wearehighfields@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk and we will try to feature in future assemblies.

Sports Leaders UK Update

Following feedback from some Centres that have already been affected by COVID-19, we felt it may be beneficial to send some guidance to you to suggest some practical ways you can support your learners to achieve their Sports Leaders qualification this year. In addition SLQ/Sports Leaders will be providing a resources for learners to use if home learning is required due to closures (more information to follow).

As an Awarding Organisation, we offer all Centres the opportunity to apply Special Considerations to ensure learners can access assessment. Special Considerations include an ‘event outside of the Learner’s control which has had, or is reasonably likely to have had, a material effect on that Learner’s ability to take an assessment or demonstrate his or her level of attainment in an assessment.’ It is likely that measures to deal with the threat of COVID-19 may give rise to such an event.

September 2020 – Transport to school for year 6 parents/carers

Derbyshire County Council have asked that any year 6 parents/carers with students coming to Highfields in September with questions on school transport look at the following information for the new academic year: https://derbyshire.gov.uk/education/schools/your-child-at-school/travel/school-transport.aspx

The site provides information on the options available for travelling between school and home, including details on free bus travel, timetables and DCC plans and policies for school transport.

Top Tips of how to support your child with dyslexia and other SEN conditions…

First of all – you know your child better than anyone – you mustn’t put too much pressure on yourself and worry that you might be doing something wrong. You won’t be. Enjoy your time together!

To begin with...

Routine – establish a daily routine and create a timetable for the day. You and your child could make a visual timetable together using pictures

Create a learning space at home

If your child has an EHCP or a Pupil Passport then use these learning goals as your starting point

Quality and not quantity is the key. 30 minutes of targeted, quality work is better than slogging away for 2 hours

Remember that a little bit of reading, writing, spelling and maths every day will make a HUGE difference over time

It’s not all about reading and spelling!

Fresh air and exercise is vital for quality learning

Life skills – cooking, learning to use the washing machine, learning about finance (try the MoneySense website www.mymoneysense.com which has excellent targeted resources for children aged 5 to 8, 8 to 12 and 12 to 16), improve your typing skills

Playing board games

Art – model making, drawing, sewing, painting, collage, knitting…

Puzzles and quizzes

How do I make learning fun?

Make it multisensory – hands on, do, play, act, sing, discover, create pictures, diagrams, flow charts, mind maps, talk, discuss, share, teach a younger / older sibling, move, use sticky notes, take notes, experiment!

Bitesize Chunks – break each task down into small, bitesize chunks and do a bit at a time

Overlearning – revisiting each topic on a regular basis is the only way that the knowledge and understanding will transfer to your child’s long term memory

The science behind it…

Structured, multisensory, cumulative learning supports memory by activating different parts of the brain and promoting meaningful connections between concepts. It helps to develop neural pathways in the brain and it involves making clear links between the visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and tactile senses (VAKT).

Try and make sure that at least two (preferably three or four) senses should be engaged at the same time in any activity.

Let’s focus on spelling

A fantastic technique to help your child remember how to spell words:

Equipment: paper, pen, coloured pencils or felt tips

Environment: sit next to your child at a table. This technique combines hearing, seeing and doing methods (VAKT).

Don’t miss out any steps!

1. First, say the word. This is repeated by your child. 2. Next, write the word. Say each letter as you write it. Use the letter name, not the letter sounds. 3. Say the word aloud when you have finished writing it. 4. Now your child writes the word, saying each letter as s/he writes it. 5. Your child says the word aloud when s/he has finished writing it. 6. Next, your child takes a coloured pencil or felt tip and traces over the letters, again naming each letter as s/he writes it. 7. Your child says the word aloud when s/he has finished writing it. 8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 a few times until your child feels confident s/he can remember how to spell the word. 9. Take away the paper and ask your child to write the word. 10. It’s best to learn only 2 or 3 words per session in this way.

This spelling technique is called the Simultaneous Oral Spelling Technique (SOS) and is promoted by the British Dyslexia Association (BDA). For more helpful information go to training@bdadyslexia.org.uk

Have fun! Mrs Finney