Dear Parents and Carers,
Parent Update Friday 8th January, 2021
Now that the dust is partially settling on what has been a very challenging first week of term both in schools and for our lives generally, I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a ‘Happy New Year’ and wish everyone good health and safe-keeping during this third lockdown period. The end of the autumn term seems so long ago now, but I would like thank everyone who
contributed to the fund raising on Come As You like Day – the school raised £812 for food bank and homeless charities.
Changes to Location for VS/KW from 11.1.21
As we adjust our provision for the students and student numbers we have coming into school, there are some changes to the year bubble locations. Please ensure your child is aware of where they should go on arriving in school and where they will be based from next week.
Year Group Waiting Area at the Start of School
Social Area Break & Lunch
Study Rooms
Year 7 Year 7 Canopy Year 7
Canopy/Canteen
L1, L2 Year 8 Year 8 Canopy Year 8 Canopy/Boys’
Gym
Hub, Holst (M20) Year 9 / Year 10 Jubilee Gardens Jubilee Gardens
Canopy/ USH
Quiet Room/ Library
Exams Announcement
As you will have seen in the news this week, GCSE, AS and A Level exams have been
cancelled. Schools can continue with vocational and technical exams in January, but it is still not clear what the future is for vocational exams after January. We have written separately to all parents and students of Year 11, 12 and 13 who were due to take an exam in January regarding their
decision to continue to sit these exams.
How will GCSE, A Level and BTEC grades be awarded?
In short, we do not know. The specific method of awarding grades has not been determined yet. Gavin Williamson said:
"There will be some form of teacher assessment grades with training and support provided to schools to ensure these are awarded fairly and consistently across the country".
There will not be an algorithm to determine grades, but we do not know how they will be determined yet.
Ofqual, who regulate qualifications, examinations and assessments, have said:
"There are a wide range of qualifications from A Levels to GCSEs to many different types of vocational qualifications. The solution will not be the same for all".
Ofqual will be working with the Department for Education to consider how alternative arrangements will work for different students in different qualifications.
Will we be conducting further assessments and mock exams?
As things stand, we fully intend to complete another Mock exam programme for Year 11. We always have a second Mock week for English, Maths and Science in Year 11. It provides students with another opportunity to demonstrate their skills and understanding in a formal exam setting.
When we have further information from the Government about how the grades will be determined, this will inform the nature of a further formal assessment week. For example, we will look at the timing of the mock examinations and the subjects that we will formally assess.
We also fully intend to do a Year 13 Mock examination session. We will look at the timing and structure of the exam period when we have further information from the DfE and Ofqual. Predicted Grades
On the upcoming Year 11 and 13 Curriculum Monitoring reports, will be predicted grades. A
Predicted grade is the grade that the teacher believes that students will achieve in the final exams, if they continue at their current rate of progress. The Year 11 predicted grades were completed in the last week of term. These are not the same as Teacher Assessment Grades.
As explained above, we do not know the methodology or process for determining Teacher
Assessment Grades for GCSE, A Level or Vocational qualifications. Therefore, we do not know at this time what the Teacher Assessment Grade is, or how it will be awarded.
Mass Testing Update
There have been a number of logistical hurdles around trying to operationalise the wealth of guidance documents and kit requirements that have accompanied this now mandatory directive. I would like to thank all the volunteers who has offered to support with the implementation of the testing and I am very pleased that we have had a really great response to the requests for consent from parents and that will be really helpful as we roll the testing out to cohorts for their return. With the testing workforce now being trained; the kit being delivered, borrowed, ordered or improvised, we hope to have our first test run today.
Test Centre Venue:
The Sports Hall will house our testing and we will be looking to test students and staff on site from Monday.
Further details of the wider testing programme and serial testing arrangements will be communicated as we roll forward the implementation.
Reporting and Recording During School Closure
For parents’ awareness, the reporting and assessment cycle for students remains largely unchanged, despite the switch to remote learning.
Year 12 and Year 13 reports will be completed by staff at the start of next week, and will be sent out the following week. This will give up to date information on current and predicted grades, key improvement targets and Attitude to learning in remote lessons and independent learning outside of those lessons.
There will be Year 10 reports sent out towards the end of term with all other Year groups receiving their second out of three reports in Term 4.
Increasing data allowances on mobile devices to support disadvantaged children
In order to support students with their home learning, the Department for Education has offered to temporarily increase mobile data allowances for children and young people for whom the following apply:
Do not have access to a fixed broadband connection
Cannot afford the additional data needed to access educational resources or social care services
Have access to a mobile device that uses a participating network (see list below) Are facing disruption to their face-to-face education, or have been advised not to attend school
Currently, the following networks are signed up but it is anticipated that others will come on board later: Three Smarty Virgin Mobile EE Tesco Mobile Sky Mobile
If you would like us to request extra mobile data, you will need to provide the following details: The account holder’s name for your child’s mobile phone
Your child’s mobile number (a number beginning with ‘07’) Your mobile network
Whether you pay monthly or on a pay as you go basis for your child’s phone For information, the gov.uk privacy statement can be read on the following link: https://get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk/increasing-mobile-data/privacy-notice
There will be a separate communication where parents can securely submit the required information to the school.
In addition, the BBC are running a campaign called ‘Make a Difference’ which is focusing on finding laptops for schools for home learning during the lockdown period. There is promised lots of media coverage on local radio stations and on television about how to help schools find more laptops. Businesses are going to be asked to provide cash donations or devices.
This campaign is launching today. Chosen Hill School is registered for this campaign. Year 8 Options
All parents of Year 8 students have received a letter this week outlining that the current cohort of Year 8 students will not be making their Options selection this year. Their Options process will be moved back to Year 9. Further details about curriculum arrangements for Year 9 will come out to parents in due course.
Admissions Consultation 2022
For your information, the school is hosting an online Q&A session regarding the proposed changes to the school’s Admissions policy from September 2022 on 11th January, 2021 at 5.30. Details of the
Admissions consultation can be found on the school website. Duke of Edinburgh Award Programme
The following scheduled activities have had to be postponed owing to the Lockdown. Provisionally we are looking to re-schedule these for May and June time. Letters have been sent to the parents of the students concerned.
16/1/21 Bronze DofE First Aid Course
27/2/21 Bronze Expedition Skills Training Day 26 – 28/3/21 Bronze Actual Expedition Weekend We hope the other scheduled activities may yet be possible.
Parents will aware that changes can happen at a national level for education very rapidly and unpredictably. We will aim to keep parents informed about any developments as soon as we receive further detailed guidance from the Department for Education.
I wish you a safe and enjoyable lockdown week-end. Yours sincerely,
Mrs K. Harrison Headteacher
