Dear all,

We've seen it all this week - sunny warm weather on Monday turned into snow yesterday! There's been a lot going on, but I first want to highlight some important changes regarding self-isolation.

From today, the country moves into a new phase, under the government's Living with COVID plan (click here for full details). The general principle is that we are now transitioning away from treating COVID uniquely, and instead treating it like other respiratory illnesses (like the flu). 

As a result, the guidance for when students should self-isolate has also changed. The advice is now:

"Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend."

We will of course continue to closely monitor the situation in school, and should we notice a significant deterioration, we will consult with our local Health Protection Team about temporarily reintroducing some measures to limit the spread. For now, however, I am hopeful that this will be another step towards normality. If you have any questions or are unsure whether your child should come into school, further information on when to self-isolate can be found here. 

I also want to quickly update you on buses. I have been in discussion with Stagecoach regarding after schools buses, which have been quite late on a number of occasions. They are aware and are doing their best to resolve the situation. In the meantime, I do understand how frustrating it can be for students (and as I'm often out on duty after school, I share their frustration!). However, we must all be patient. In particular, we ask that students use the bus stop immediately outside school, rather than walking round to the stop by Harwood / the Pike and Musket to try and jump the queue. 

Meanwhile, we've had a busy week in school:

Particular well done to Year 11, who received their final set of mock results this week. Overall, there was a significant improvement from November, but what was really encouraging was how students have reacted, immediately using their results as the basis for identifying what to focus on over the next few weeks. That attitude will pay real dividends this summer. 

The Sixth Form have had a busy week, with talks from Cambridge university students on applying to top universities. Year 12 have also all learned how to perform CPR - a hugely important skill, and it was great to see the enthusiasm with which they got stuck in! 

As we near the end of term, we will be launching into another round of celebration assemblies, and I'm hugely looking forward to awarding progress certificates and academy colours to students - always the highlight of my term. I will share the winners next week. 

Finally, please can I remind parents of our planned INSET day on Friday 8th April, which means students will finish on Thursday 7th April next week.

Best wishes,

Mr Farmbrough

Headteacher