Headlines By James Saunders 6th November 2020
Welcome back everybody. I hope you all managed to spend time in the company of others over the half term break ahead of the further restrictions. And so we are faced with a feeling of deja-vu. Another lockdown. The same, but different. It seems that however hard we try to retain some semblance of normality we keep turning a corner to be faced with a new challenge. I am sure you will all be feeling anxious about the current state of affairs as you cast your mind back to how things were back in the summer. However, after spending some time grounding myself I have realised that we will not be repeating the summer term lockdown and business is, from what I can tell, pretty much as it was before half-term for schools. However, this always comes with a caveat, as I am sure there will be a few u-turns as the weeks progress and that we will inevitably have to modify our approach. I have a hunch that we are not far from a blended approach that will require the use of a rota alternating between two weeks on and two weeks off for half the school - we will see what the DfE do over the coming weeks. In the meantime we will be completing the planning for this so that should it happen, we are fully prepared. As things stand now, education continues face-toface. You may have some reservations or anxiety about this which I am sure won’t be helped by the media - my only advice is to not believe what you read or hear until it actually happens. I had a chat with a friend the other day about the fact that there is pressure to close schools. I asked him if he thought they should close before half term. I think you will agree that there was little appetite for it then - nothing like there is now. And yet prior to half term pubs, restaurants, gyms and shops etc were all open. Now I know cases have been rising but I am hoping that as a result of the measures that have been put in place we are able to keep our schools safely open because of the changes elsewhere. So what is the rationale for schools remaining open when other aspects of life/work are shutting down? There is clear evidence at a national level that schools
do contribute to the spread of Covid-19, as does going to the pub, to the shops, meetings with friends, travel to work on public transport, etc. All these things lead to increased contacts and so increase the likelihood of the virus spreading. Data indicates that secondary aged children have been seeing an increase in positive cases since schools reopened. Does this mean schools are to blame? Most definitely not. The situation is far too complex to pin down to one single measure or element as being responsible for the change - contrary to the stance taken by most media outlets and commentators. As long as we understand that we are part of a multidimensional problem that’s solution is, by definition, multivariate, then we will understand that there is no single solution - it's a case of many things in combination. Unfortunately, it is the case that closing schools will not suddenly solve the problem. I do however agree that it will help to reduce the R number more quickly but I am not PM and nor would I want that job right now. The view of public health advisors (and the government) is that the huge benefits schools provide means that schools are the last things that should be closed. All other methods to bring the R rate down should be tried first. The aim is always to bring the R rate below 1 as this means that case numbers will decrease. In a meeting with the Essex Public Health team just after we went to Tier 2 before half term, their view was that: 1. Working from home probably will reduce R by at least 0.2 2. Stopping household mixing will probably reduce R by at least 0.15 3. Things have now gone further with the closure of pubs, shops and entertainment and each of these will also have an impact on the R rate. Overall, these should compensate for schools remaining open. As a parent, I was dreading another lockdown and school closure. I am very relieved that schools are remaining open as I know just how much my own children and their friends need to be in school both for their education and to support their mental health - my son is still recovering from the damage of the first lockdown.
Headlines contd... How can we work as safely as possible in school? As you know, to date we have had no cases in school. That does not mean we should be complacent. Please continue to be vigilant about: Staying at home if you (or anyone in your household) has symptoms and ensuring you get a test asap.
Supporting as much as possible the maintenance of a 2m distance from learners/staff on corridors and whilst working around the site - wearing a mask where 2m is not possible in communal spaces
Supporting the wearing of face-masks in communal spaces at all times - this is now mandatory in the guidance released this week
Supporting the use of hand-sanitiser regularly and always after moving around the school, and when putting on/taking off a face-mask as well as regular hand washing.
Ventilation Ventilation is really important. The advice from the government for these colder months is that we should still have as much ventilation as possible. This means that: Window(s) should be opened just enough to provide constant background ventilation, and all windows should be opened more fully between lessons and during breaks to purge the air in the space. Whilst the guidance hasn’t changed, there is more evidence pointing towards the importance of ventilation in preventing the spread of the virus. The article below is an interesting read. https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-10-28/a-room-a-bar-and-a-class-how-the-coronavirus-is-spreadthrough-the-air.html As before half term, we need to continue to ensure there is ventilation in all classrooms. All windows should be open and preferably external doors too - if possible. Learners and teachers may wear their coats if the classroom becomes too cold and the heating should be kept on. We recommend layering up underneath the uniform. As an additional measure we will fully open windows and any external doors (where possible) in classrooms at lesson changeover, break and over lunchtime. This would mean any virus particles in the air would be fully cleared from the room between learning sessions. Visitors on site
We will now be restricting visitors on site and ask that only those with pre-arranged appointments enter the site. If parents have any concerns they should phone the school in the first instance rather than arrive without an appointment. Physical meetings will now take place only where absolutely necessary. As was the situation last half term, we will monitor things on a daily basis and will make further changes to school procedures if required. We had a really great first half of the term and have navigated the challenges much more successfully than many other schools. I am sure that we will be challenged further in the weeks ahead but I am confident that as a community you will all be brilliant in rallying together. Your support is highly appreciated. Have a safe weekend James Saunders
Reminder to families: Please could you ensure that your child has everything they need for their day in school (ipads, lunch, water bottles etc). Visitors to the school site and reception are restricted due to lockdown. We have seen an increase in the number of parents dropping off forgotten items. Thank you for your support in keeping our community safe and following the Government guidelines. Alternative Tie Day Thursday 12th November We are fund raising to support a parent in our school community who requires urgent treatment in the USA for a Thoracic Sarcoma. Our Lead Learners are launching this event through LS5 this coming week.
You can wear an alternative tie and donate £1.00
You can choose to wear no tie for the day and donate £1.00
You could do neither and donate if you wish!
Learners will be asked to bring £1.00 cash in on the day, this is not available through Parentpay. House points will be awarded to every learner who takes part and there will be prizes for the best “alternative tie”. The House that raises the most money will result in every learner in the House receiving extra House points!
Dates for the diary Thursday 12th November
Alternative Tie Day fundraiser
Friday 13th November
Non learner day, staff only in school
Tuesday 17th November
Mop up school photos
Friday 11th December
Christmas Jumper Day for Save the children
Thursday 17th December
C11 Mock results day
Friday 18th December
Last day of Autumn Term
Monday 21st December to Monday 4th January 2021
Christmas break
Monday 4th January
School Closed NLD
Tuesday 5th January
School closed to learners—Virtual Learning Reviews to take place with families. Appointment times to follow. Please check your email over the next few weeks
Remember to bring a coat to school!
With COVID precautions, doors and windows will be open and the building much colder! To report an absence : Call: 01376 - 561 231 - option 1 Email: attendance@honywoodschool.com
Parents’ Time Members of the Leadership Team will be available to see parents without appointment:
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Monday
7:15am—8:00am
Wednesday
3.00pm—3.45pm
Friday
7.15am—8.00am Tours for prospective parents are on request.