Dear Parents/ Carers

The last 24 hours have changed the picture considerably, regarding the national response to the Covid 19 crisis. You will have heard that from tomorrow afternoon, and until further notice, English schools will be closed to all year groups.

I have so much information to share with you, that I’m going to set it out under headings, to hopefully make it a bit clearer.

Year 11 and GCSEs

We have all been stunned by the announcement that there will be no GCSE exams this summer for our Year 11 students. As I said to Year 11 this morning, we have to remind ourselves that these utterly unprecedented measures are being taken to protect the health of the entire nation. Having said this, I am acutely aware that even this justification will do little to lessen the sense of utter anti-climax, disappointment and anxiety that our wonderful Year 11s are experiencing today.

The government have pledged that this year’s cohort of GCSE students will get their qualifications, and that they will not lose out in any way. More information about this will apparently be released tomorrow, and as soon as we know anything, it will be shared with you. My current understanding is that there are no plans to re-schedule the GCSE exams to a later time – they will not happen at all for the 2020 cohort. Believe me when I say that staff here are as devastated as many of you will be, and that we will do everything in our power to make sure our Year 11 students get the credit they deserve, and the college places they have applied for.

The changing role of schools

The Prime Minister and Education secretary have said that they want schools to remain partially open to support the nation’s key workers, and to look after their children. Guidance is due to be issued about the new definition of key worker, and we have sent out details of how key worker parents can register their children with us, for this ‘closure’ period via a separate Parentmail. So far, we know that NHS, Fire, Police, Armed Forces in deployment, Prison and Probation service workers, staff employed in the care profession, teachers and essential delivery drivers will be included on the list.

The Prime Minister is also making an exception for the very small number of children who have EHCPs and those currently working with social workers. Again, when clearer guidance has been issued, we will share it with you.

Free school meals

The government have announced that they will be providing vouchers to parents of children who receive free school meals, and that they intend to roll this out immediately. To guarantee that the new system has time to embed properly, we will be honouring our pledge to deliver free school meals, from Lakelands, to all who are eligible for them, until the Easter holidays begin (so for a full two weeks.) I’d like to repeat my gratitude to the staff at Lakeside Coaches who are so generously making it possible for us to do this.  

Laptops on loan

As part of our plan to make sure all of our children can access the work that their teachers are uploading for them, we have loaned a significant number of school laptops to students. If your son/daughter has received a laptop, please will you return the confirmation slip you will receive, so we can be assured that all Lakelands laptops have arrived safely home? I hope you won’t mind me saying this, but if any of your children tell you that they’ve been told that they can keep the laptop forever, they’re mistaken!

Please also make sure your children realise that the Lakelands laptops are operating through our own ICT portal which means that all the checks and filters that we have in school are operating on those laptops. Part of the security and safeguarding system we have to have, means that all websites that are accessed are logged, and the system is programmed to flag up and alert us to any inappropriate usage. I think it’s only fair to make this very clear – it applies to all users of the system, staff and students.

SMHW/ technical support/ SEND

A number of parents of children with SEN have asked whether work will be differentiated for their children. Staff who are uploading tasks will be doing their very best to make the tasks accessible to everyone, and specific guidance to support SEND students is being prepared by Miss Warren’s team.

If children experience technical issues with the Show My Homework app, Mrs Tinn, the admin team leader will probably be able to help, so please ring 01691 622543 or contact admin@lakelandsacademy.org.uk

Year 11 Prom and shirt signing

It is looking increasingly likely that the July Prom will have to be postponed, but it is our definite intention to reschedule this so that we can say a proper farewell to Year 11 in due course. I know this will be an additional disappointment, at an already difficult time, but as more and more venues cancel bookings for large gatherings, it seems sensible to announce this now.

As a very small compensation, and because tomorrow will – unbelievably – be the last day that the vast majority of Year 11 will be with us, we are going to allow them to do the traditional shirt signing at lunchtime. Year 11 have been told this, and advised to bring a ‘sacrificial’ shirt to school with them, so that they can change if necessary. I suspect that this flash of normality, though a couple of months earlier than we all expected, will be a tonic for us all.

I will write to you tomorrow, to share the updates that we have all been promised. I know that some of you have more specific concerns regarding school trips. We will be writing separately to you about these.

Once again, thank you for your ongoing support, in these most trying times.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Bellis

Headteacher