19th March 2021
Dear Parents:
Today is the 19th March 2021. Exactly one year ago today I sent out an email to parents announcing how we were going to be closing the school due to the announcement the night before of the first national lockdown. At the time, I said: "We are so proud of how well our students have dealt with the changing situation in such an unprecedented way. Your support for us as we deal with this has been very welcome. The LSU school values have shone through in so many ways this week, and it just goes to show how resilient and supportive the St Anne's community is." It is amazing to see how much those words have continued to ring true over the following 12 months. We are so proud of how the whole school have rallied together throughout this last year: students, parents, teachers and support staff. As head, I am so proud to represent this learning community.
On Tuesday, the nation will mark the first anniversary of the start of the first lockdown. At midday, we will join many communities in holding a minute's silence to reflect on the past year. If you would like to, many are going to put lights on their doorsteps at 8pm that evening.
Next Thursday is a big celebration day for the school because it is the Feast of the Annunciation. At the moment of Christ's conception, the unique bond between heaven and earth was created through the union of Mary and Jesus. This union is the union referred to in LSU - La Sainte Union. We pray today for the sisters and all members of the LSU family, including ourselves. We give thanks for the foundation of the school and we ask God's blessing especially on all mothers in our school community.
LFD Home Testing
Thank you to the whole school community for the way you have embraced LFD Home Testing. At the time of writing, you have told us of over 960LFD tests taken at home over the last week, all of which have been negative. This is a great start. If you have yet to begin the process, please do start conducting twice weekly testing and letting us know the result via our website. Ramadan begins in April, and we say a heartfelt Ramadan Mubarak to our families who are observing this important season. LFD home testing will still be available during this time. We have had the following advice from the DfE which some families may find helpful: "The British Islamic Medical Association’s view is that taking polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or lateral flow device (LFD) tests during Ramadan does not invalidate the fast. People may feel more comfortable doing the tests when they are not fasting. In this case, with the move to home-testing, tests can be carried out at any time."
An Inspector calls
Last week, I was contacted by Ofsted to ask whether they could trial parts of the inspection process in the school to help them better understand what is possible, and what isn't, given the current circumstances. I invited in a small team, as I think it is helpful for them to see how schools are operating at the moment. It is not an inspection of the school, and they are not collecting evidence to see how we are doing. They will be operating within our COVID risk assessment just like any member of staff. They are taking an LFD test before coming onsite. It does not involve parents directly, but I am letting parents know in case your daughter or son comes back and says they have been spoken to by an Ofsted inspector and you wondered why!
Changes to Report Dates
In a normal year the Y11 and Y13 exams would be marked externally. This year our staff will be marking them instead. This creates a lot of work for staff around May. In order to ensure that they have adequate time to do this we are moving some of the dates when reports will be published to parents. Please see the table below which outlines any changes to what has been previously published;
|
Year |
Current date to parents |
New date to parents |
|
7 |
Thursday 15th July |
Thursday 15th July |
|
8 |
Wednesday 19th May |
Thursday 15th July |
|
9 |
Thursday 24th June |
Wednesday 21st July |
|
10 |
Monday 10th May |
Monday 19th July |
|
11 |
Thursday 1st April |
Thursday 1st April |
|
12 |
Thursday 17th June |
Thursday 17th June |
|
13 |
Final report already issued |
N/A |
In addition to this Year 10 Parents Evening has been moved from Tuesday 25th May to Tuesday 15th June.
Qualifications 2021 – Y11 & Y13
On Monday 15th March Mr Rouse and Mr Tucker hosted a webinar for parents of Y11 and Y13 students. This was to give an update to way that qualifications are to be awarded in 2021 in light of the cancellation of the examination season, which was announced in January 2021. If you were unable to attend this event you can access the slides used on our website https://www.st-annes.uk.com/web/qualifications_2021/549507 or you can re-watch the webinar by accessing this link.
Electric Scooters
We have started to have one or two pupils turn up to school on electric scooters. Although we applaud attempts to be environmentally friendly, we need to remind parents that it is actually illegal to ride these in public, and they are not allowed on the school site. There is a risk of a fine for their use. See this recent BBC News article for more details.
Ofqual consultation on the autumn exam series 2021 for schools and colleges
Ofqual is seeking views on how an autumn exam series for GCSEs, AS and A levels should run this year, in a consultation published on Wednesday 17 March.
They are keen to hear from students, teachers, exam boards and the wider education sector on their proposals, which include:
The consultation follows the cancellation of GCSEs, AS and A level exams this summer because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. When the government set out its policy on how grades would be awarded it also confirmed it wanted students to have the opportunity to take exams in the autumn.
The consultation will be open until Friday 9 April 2021
Take #TheFirstStep towards getting debt help
Next week (22-28 March) is Debt Awareness Week. Dealing with debt can be confusing and scary for many. There are hundreds of reasons why people put off getting debt advice – some fear they’ll be judged, others bury their head in the sand and hope things will improve, and many simply aren’t aware that free, impartial debt advice is available.
StepChange Debt Charity estimates that the average person waits 12 months between realising they’re in financial trouble and getting debt advice for the first time, during which their situation can get even worse.
If you are dealing with debt, help is available from national organisations including Step Change website, and local debt advice services .
Opportunities for Young People - 15 to 25 from the Golden Grove or Northam Area
Are you aged 15-25 years old and do you live in Northam or Golden Grove? If so, we invite you to join The Agency, an arts-based social impact programme, and get the training and skills you need to turn your passion into a project for your community. It could be a boxing club, a music event or an arts therapy group for positive mental health – anything you think will change lives for the better. The Agency starts on Saturday 8 May and runs on Saturdays 11am-5pm and Tuesday evenings 5:30-7:30pm in Northam and Golden Grove. Cycle 1 of the programme lasts for 12 weeks and three projects will win £2,000 and a further 16-weeks of training and support while you get them off the ground. Previous agents from London, Manchester, Belfast and Cardiff have launched successful careers following on from the programme. The Agency gives you a chance to find your talent and change your life. Check out the attached flyer or visit their website and fill in the contact form and they will be in touch: www.energiseme.org/theagency . The closing date is 14 April and you can apply on your own or in a group.
"Nobody goes hungry": Food hampers from the Parish of Chandlers Ford
The Parish of Chandler’s Ford and Chandler’s Ford Help are making sure that Nobody Goes Hungry
during the school holidays. They will be providing Family Food Hampers for anyone who needs them during the Easter fortnight. See the attached flyer for more information.
God Bless
James Rouse
Headteacher