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6th January 2021.... GCSE and A level Exams 2021
As you are aware, the Prime Minister has announced that it is now not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this year and the Secretary of State for Education will work with OFQUAL to put in place alternative arrangements. I am sure that this news will have come as a shock and students in Years 11 and 13 will be both anxious and frustrated about the uncertainty that lies ahead.
At the moment we do not know how grades are going to be awarded and we encourage students to try not to worry about this because it is out of our control. Instead students should focus on doing their best in every subject for the remaining months of their qualification; attend all remote lessons, engage in them fully and complete all work that is set. It is important to note that there will be assessments made which will enable them to attain grades for their GCSE’s and A levels. We are committed to completing trial exams as soon as possible, but we do not want students to be anxious about this and to feel they also need to maintain their revision schedule in the coming weeks. We will give as much notice as we can, about when the trial exams will take place, to enable students to return to their revision and review the knowledge they have been consolidating over the last few weeks as part of their revision.
As soon as further information regarding assessment has been confirmed by the Government and OFQUAL, we will be in touch. Until in then, all our Year 11’s and 13’s can do is work as hard as they can.
If you have any questions about the weeks ahead, please do not hesitate to contact the School.
Yours faithfully
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20th November 2020.... |
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13th November 2020.... |
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15th October 2020.... |
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13th October 2020.... |
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24th September 2020.... |
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26th August 2020.... |
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25th August 2020.... Please see important information from the School Caterers Sodexo regarding the return to school in September. |
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16th July 2020.... |
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13th July 2020.... Dear Student This will be my last sixth form briefing of this academic year. However, I have found this model a good way of sharing information so you will be seeing this briefing return in September. This is especially important as our usual assembly rota will be paused; certainly for the first part of the autumn Term. I am really looking forward to............... |
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6th July 2020.... My late father-in-law had an expression that he impressed upon his children and that has stuck with me over the past few years. He used to say that "trying was everything, trying was the only success". So I thought I would break that down a little:
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3rd July 2020.... |
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3rd July 2020.... |
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3rd July 2020.... Bridging the Gap - Letter to Parents for Year 10 and Year 12 |
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29th June 2020.... t was great to see Year 12 students in school again last week; to hear how they have been and to find out what they have been doing during lockdown. I hope students the sessions useful and that coming back into school represents the start of a return to more normal times. In particular a time when we can all communicate in person rather than online. It seems a long way off; Year 12 students................... |
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26th June 2020.... |
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15th June 2020.... Year 11-13 Sixth Form Briefing 11 Dear Student Whether you think it is right or wrong the country is starting to open up again. Personally I was delighted to hear the news that all year groups will be back full time from September. I know that some of you have got into healthy habits |
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14th June 2020.... Year 11-13 Sixth Form Briefing 10
My blood brother is an immigrant A beautiful immigrant My blood brother's Freddie Mercury A Nigerian mother of three He's made of bones, he's made of blood He's made of flesh, he's made of love He's made of you, he's made of me Unity |
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19th June 2020.... |
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12th June 2020.... |
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11th June 2020.... Y10 letter to Parents regarding the reopening of school on 15th June |
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8th June 2020.... AGSB - COVID 19 Risk Assessment Trafford Model Risk Assessment for the Re-Opening of Schools: |
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5th June 2020..... Please find attached the Head Master's Newsletter together with a letter sent to Parents regarding a review of our remote learning provision from Dr Thomas. |
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1st June 2020.... Dear Y12 Parents/Carers Please find below important information about your son returning to School during the Summer Term 2020. Please ensure that you read this letter carefully and please complete the survey by Wednesday 3rd June at 5pm. |
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1st June 2020.... Dear Y10 Parents/Carers
Please find below important information about your son returning to School from Monday 15th June. Please ensure that you read this letter carefully and please complete the survey by Wednesday 3rd June at 5pm.
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1st June 2020.... Dear Student I hope you all had a good half-term. I don't think the weather could have been any better and I hope you got some time outside either walking, cycling or just lazing. It is really strange to think that in normal circumstances the week after Summer Half-term is the one in which Year 11 and 13 would have started their main period of public examinations. I have been really impressed with the resilience of students in coping with the change enforced upon us all......... |
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27th May 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers
Below, you will see an outline plan for after half term. It does not have a huge amount of detail but is designed to give you an idea of what to expect. Please bear in mind that the situation is changing constantly.
Further to my correspondence sent to you on 21st May: ‘The Government are asking that all Primary schools should open for all children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. Secondary schools, sixth forms, and further education colleges will also begin some face to face support with Year 10 and Year 12 pupils.’
The latest directive from the Department of Education is: “For schools and colleges to supplement remote education with some face to face support for Year 10 and Year 12 groups from 15 June”.
Phase 1 will still begin on Wednesday 3rd June and will consist of individual Microsoft Teams meetings for those students from Year 10 and Year 12 who require extra support at this time. Students who fit into this category will be contacted by their Head of Year.
Phase 2 of the plan will involve School being open to all pupils in Year 10 and 12 (further explicit details to follow) from Monday 15th June. Please be aware that only 25% of each of the two year groups can be in School at any one time. This will support our online provision by allowing small groups of pupils to work with their class teachers.
Please be aware:
Yours faithfully G.A Wright
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22nd May 2020.... Newsletter to Parents - link |
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21st May 2020..... Letter from Trafford Council regard the reopening of schools - link |
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12th May 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers Prime Minister’s update: The statements by the Prime Minister on Sunday and Monday outlined the steps to when schools might be open. Although there will be further details from the government later this week, the impact is:
Yours faithfully G.A Wright |
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11th May 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers Feedback from the Remote Learning Survey to Parents/Carers and Students Thank you to all Parents/Carers and students who completed our Remote Learning survey. The huge number of constructive comments was very encouraging, and your feedback is important to us. We had over 800 responses from pupils and parents after the first four weeks of remote teaching. This has provided us with a solid evidence base to evolve our strategy. We are grateful for feedback as we seek to establish sustainable processes for the weeks ahead both for boys and staff. The key outcomes from the parental and student surveys were very positive about all aspects of our Remote learning strategy. It is clear from the comments that both pupils and parents are very appreciative of the hard work and dedication of the teaching staff, especially at short notice when school closure was announced. They especially appreciate the thought and planning that has gone into developing work that can be completed independently. Some key themes:
In the light of all three surveys responses we have:
The updated Home studies during school closure: Guidance for students in Years 7 to 10 can be found here. May I remind all parents and students of this advice from Mr Hall (Deputy Headmaster) and his Head of Year team:
Yours faithfully G.A Wright |
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11th May 2020.... I was delighted to receive some feedback from one of our Sixth Formers who has started the Screenwriting MOOC I recommended last week. If any of you have feedback on any of the resources I suggest do let me know and if that student writes a script and wins an Oscar I do expect a hat tip......... Mr T Murray |
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7th May 2020.... |
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27th April 2020.... What gorgeous weather out there. I think that when you start talking about the weather it is time to stop. So next week I hope to be able to pass over the controls to your new Headboy, that is if he is happy to complete the Sway. But one thing I know is that he needs help with his taste in music. So please look at the music recommendation section below, and after you have voted for the Headmaster's choice, then submit your own....... Mr T Murray |
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24th April 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers As we approach the end of the fifth week of the lockdown and the end of the third week of School closure. I would like to pay a huge thank you to all staff, parents, students, and governors for your continuing support. Throughout the closure I will be writing to you with updates at the end of each week. I know that for students and staff, there are huge challenges in adapting to remote learning. We do know that the vast majority of students are accessing their work via Show my Homework and working hard to establish routines. As a School, however, we are always looking at ways to improve. To that end, we will be sending out a Remote Learning Survey on Office 365 to staff, parents and students on Friday 1st May to assess what is working well and what areas may be improved. Updates: Careers: Dr Harris Duvnjak, an Old Boy of the school, delivered an excellent and in-depth seminar on applying to Medical school last Wednesday, 22nd April. 31 of our Year 12 students participated in the online Zoom conference which included a very informative question and answer session. Remote Peer Mentoring: House Competition: The theme for this competition is about:
Being optimistic in times of adversity English Shakespeare Competition: 2nd place goes to Adham S in Year 11 and joint 1st place goes to Gautham R and Jacob R, both in Year 9. Well done to all who applied and thank you to Ms Hildage and Ms Mahony for organising. The production of PPE to support the NHS: A correction from my last letter: I will be writing early next week (week beginning 27th April) to Parents/Carers of Year 11 and Year 13 students with an update on GCSE and A Level grades for the Summer 2020. I hope everyone stays safe and looks after each other. Thank you again for all of your patience and support.
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20th April 2020.... Mr T Murray |
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13th April 2020.... Change can be forced upon us or chosen. In this case I have been forced to consider how I communicate with Sixth Formers now that I can no longer nag you in the common room or inspire you during weekly assemblies. But change brings opportunity to learn new skills so here I am trying Sway on Office 365 for the first time. This newsletter is produced for students who are currently studying in our Sixth Form or who are in Year 11 and are preparing to start their A-Level studies this September. Mr T Murray |
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13th April 2020.... Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Making the most of Remote Learning – Guidance for Parents and Pupils Specific guidance about what you can expect from school with regards to remote learning can be found on the Homepage of the school website ‘Home studies guidance for Years 7-10 / 11-13’. This document offers suggestions for how Pupils and Parents can make the most of the learning opportunities on offer whilst school is closed. Remote learning accepts that teachers and pupils will need to adapt to a different way of working together and develop new methods to provide important dissemination of knowledge, discussion and timely feedback. This plan also includes provision to ensure that the important pastoral care that takes place between pupils, tutors and Heads of Year is continued. While the physical classroom cannot be replicated, teachers are working hard to ensure that they can design and deliver good learning opportunities to pupils. The process that is being followed aims to ensure that pupils can still have authentic learning opportunities, have engaging activities, receive feedback and encouragement, and be given a structure to work around that also enables the flexibility that will be required during this challenging period. Guidelines for Parents School will communicate with home via the use of email, phone, ParentComms as appropriate and in the normal way. Please set expectations for your son (s) for remote learning, including establishing a space or location where your children will work, and encouraging them to be dressed appropriately for a day of school. A suggested schedule is below. Pupils may find the transition to remote learning and the new-found independence required very challenging. Please check in with them regularly to ensure that they are coping. If possible, monitor the screen time/ social media use of your child. Remind them of the need to be polite and respectful in their use of this new way of working. A buzzing or vibrating phone is most often a big distraction (unless a lesson requires a specific app). We recommend boys leave their phone in a different room for the duration of any lesson; keeping up with the demands of remote learning will require focus and resilience so keeping phones out of reach will replicate the conditions of a classroom setting. We also advise against listening to music whilst doing any school work, as most evidence points to it having a negative effect on concentration and learning for all but some creative tasks. Guidelines for Pupils Ensure that you get out of bed, wash, dress, eat breakfast at a regular time (and agree when is the latest this will be). Remember that this is not a holiday and you are still at school. A suggested schedule is below. Establish a daily routine for engaging in the learning opportunities e.g. a 9 am start. Identify a comfortable working space where you can work effectively and successfully. Communications with school that involve video links should not take place from your bedroom. Ensure that you are appropriately dressed for lessons (does not have to be uniform). Regularly monitor Show My Homework/email for any feedback or tasks that have been set (at least three times daily). Complete all work and assignments to the best of your ability. Do your best to meet deadlines set by staff. Be proactive and communicate any issues with deadlines to your teacher, as you would in School. Ask questions when you need to. Remember your teacher may not be able to respond immediately. Respectful communication with all members of your community is vital. Remember online etiquette. It is vital that you are kind to each other and interact with your peers and teachers on-line with the same respect and courtesy that you should in lessons. We are here to support you throughout a period of remote learning. Your Tutor remains your primary point of contact for any pastoral issues, you should email your Tutor, Head of Year or any teacher if you have any issues or concerns that you need to discuss. Report welfare or safeguarding concerns to Mr Hall, your Head of Year or your form Tutor. Guidelines for Pupils and Parents to Create a Good Daily Routine Pupils should endeavour to study the subjects that are on their usual school timetable each day though the timing of the study may be different. Students have their timetable. Thus, if a student has five 60- minute lessons in a normal school day they should design their routine that covers these subjects. This ensures that Pupils still have a broad and varied curriculum. Pupils should spend time each morning designing their day, familiarising themselves with the study to be completed and consider what will be the outcomes for a successful day of remote learning. In everybody’s timetable is the provision for Sport/PE. Our PE department will be providing suggested exercise and training programmes. We will also continue to provide on-line PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) and Careers education. The Home Studies Guidance document details the variety of activities that pupils will be expected to complete. Link In addition to this, Pupils also have an excellent opportunity to research areas of interest, read a book, watch documentaries of interest, learn to code, etc. Pupils should also take breaks between their lesson to move around, drink water to hydrate, just as they do at school and should engage in regular exercise. They need to stay focused when working by finding a quiet place without the distraction of music, social media and television. The social perspective of being in school each day with friends cannot be underestimated and Pupils should try and schedule catch-ups with their friends where they can, even if this is in a virtual way. A possible day might look as follows:
What e-safety advice can I give my son? Your son is likely to be communicating with his friends through apps such as WhatsApp, Facetime, or other messaging apps. While we are away from School, it is important that the boys keep in touch and socialise but they must be careful to keep these conversations positive for everyone. We do suggest you monitor your son’s social media use. We would like to suggest you talk to your son if they are using WhatsApp or another group messaging app: 1 Make sure that you have set the privacy settings so that only your contacts can see your status. How can my son get involved in physical activity? In line with the recommendations from the World Health Organisation, the AGSB Physical Education Department believe that all boys should accumulate at least 45 minutes of moderate-to vigorous physical activity daily. This activity can include general play, games, sport, recreation or planned exercise. With this in mind the PE department will be posting (on twitter @AGSB sport and Instagram @AGSB SPORT) age-appropriate activities that will be suitable for inside and outside the house. The aim will be to give all boys accessible, varied and enjoyable exercise options. Department members will also be available, via email and other school systems, to answer any questions or give advice around exercise, athletic development, nutrition and wellbeing. IT Support During School Building Closure In order for IT support to continue to function effectively the following communications channels need to be observed: If a student forgets their school password. Please ask their parent or guardian to email spiceworks@agsb.co.uk from their parent portal email address. Parents with a general IT enquiry should email spiceworks@agsb.co.uk Please be aware that there is likely to be a greater volume of support required by Pupils, teachers and parents and the IT support team will respond as quickly as possible but this will in, most cases, not be immediate. How do I communicate with the School? Please use email as your primary source of communicating with school. If your son is unable to attend lessons please contact the AGSB Attendance Officer: Mrs Jolly agsbadmin@agsb.co.uk .
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10th April 2020.... Pastoral CareIf any of our parents, carers or students would like any support or advice during the closure please do not hesitate to contact one of the following:
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6th April 2020.... Please read our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy during Covid-19 Kind regards Mr G.A. Wright |
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3rd April 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers/Students Please find the latest guidance from Ofqual on GCSE and A level results for Summer 2020. ‘Please don’t ask your teachers, or anyone else at your school or college, to tell you the grades they will be sending to the exam boards or where they have placed you in the order of students; they will not be allowed to share this with you.’ We will be sending out more information on this in the near future. Kind regards, Mr G. A. Wright
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25th March 2020.... Dear Parent/Carers, Thank you, thank you, thank you! We have been able to adhere to the Government’s advice about social distancing, because students were only sent into school when it was necessary. We appreciate your support this. We have been able to provide safe care and support for the most vulnerable pupils and the children of the critical frontline workers during their heroic efforts in the national fight against Coronavirus. We are investigating the requirement for emergency childcare over the Easter Holidays. If BOTH parents are Key workers and are CRITICAL to the COVID-19 response (or ONE in a single parent family) we are hoping to support you as best we can. *N.B. Easter holiday provision will only be for families directly impacted and affected by the COVID-19 national response. It will not be for ‘Vulnerable’ children (FSM, PP, LAC, EHC’s) – This support will restart on the 14th April. Please consider carefully if you can safely keep your child(ren) at home so that we are only bringing the fewest number of people together in the school. If you are unsure if this applies to you please e-mail msoulsby@agsb.co.uk. The childcare provision is between 9:30 and 3pm weekdays. Unfortunately, we cannot cater for pupils onsite. We are hoping to also provide childcare on Good Friday and Easter Monday. If we can support you and your child(ren) during the Easter Holiday, please complete this FORM before 9:00am on Friday 27th March. Please only complete this form if you do require childcare support. I can only imagine the sacrifices some of you, particularly the frontline NHS workers, are making at the moment, so if the support we are providing is not practical for your circumstances, please contact msoulsby@agsb.co.uk with any feedback. Yours faithfully,
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Dear Parents/Carers On Friday, there was a further statement from Ofqual (the examinations’ regulator) about how grades will be awarded this summer. In summary, it says that grades will be awarded based on a process that takes into account:
As usual, the examination board, not the School, will award the final grade and there will be an appeal’s process as there is currently for public examinations. The intention is for the grade to be awarded by the end of July. There is no detail yet on when we need to submit our grades to the examination boards, nor is there at present any specific guidance on the processes we will need to follow to produce these grades. Ofqual and the examination boards, will be providing us with this guidance in the days ahead. It will be obligatory for us to follow the guidance once it has been published. We will inform you as soon as we have anything to update. The following link will take you through to the guidance that has been published in relation to this issue: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-cancellation-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2020/coronavirus-covid-19-cancellation-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2020 We understand that this is a time of uncertainty for our Year 11 and Year 13 students who have worked hard to prepare for exams that have now been suspended. I would like to highlight that teachers will not be able to respond to individual emails at this time on the subject of predicted grades. We will update all parents and students when we are given more guidance on how this process will take place. Kind regards,
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20th March 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers Late last night the Government released a comprehensive and definitive list of what they describe as ‘Key and Critical workers’. Please click this LINK for more details. I would ask that you read this very carefully and consider how this information applies to you and your family. If you are unsure whether you are ‘critical’ to the effectiveness of your industry, the government have asked you to have this dialogue with your employer. The “government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend”. …“the fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society”. If you unable to safely keep your child at home, we would ask that you please complete this FORM asap. Yours faithfully Mr Soulsby |
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19th March 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers Subject: Provision for Key Workers & Vulnerable Students On Wednesday the 18th March 2020, the government made the difficult but understandable decision to close school for the ‘vast majority of pupils’ after Friday 20th March. This closure is essential to ensure that effective social distancing is implemented. The exception to these school closures is to offer provision for children of ‘Key workers’ and ‘Vulnerable’ students. We are awaiting a definitive list from the Government or the DfE as to exactly what constitutes a ‘Key worker’ or Vulnerable child’. Initial indications suggest key workers include:
Vulnerable pupils are likely to include:
It is important to note that, in order to comply with the government’s objective of minimising the number of pupils in schools to limit the spread of infection, this service cannot be extended to the sons of non-key workers or to non-vulnerable pupils. We therefore must insist that you do not register for this service unless you fulfil the stated criteria. We expect the government to publish more precise details of those who are considered key workers later today and will update you as soon as this happens. We are also exploring the possibility of providing this supervision for the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils over the Easter holidays, if there is sufficient demand. If you believe that you qualify as a key worker or if your son qualifies by virtue of being a ‘vulnerable pupil’ and you wish to use this service, please complete this form as soon as possible, and no later than 10:00am on Friday 20th March. Yours faithfully |
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19th March 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers Subject: Re School Closures You will already be aware that yesterday the Prime Minister has announced the following information, which has profound implications for all members of our community:
However, we would like to make the following quick points on these specific announcements:
What will happen from Monday 23rd March? The Secretary of State for Education stated that schools will be shut and they will remain shut until further notice for all children except to those of key workers and where children are most vulnerable. More details about this will follow. What is happening with the GCSE and A-Level exams? The Secretary of State for Education has said: ‘We can confirm that we will not go ahead with assessments or exams, and that we will not be publishing performance tables for this academic year’. Exams are therefore not going to take place during this exam season. It is possible that they will take place at a later date, or more likely that they will not take place at all. I am very sorry for our Y11 and Y13 boys who have worked so hard for their exams. These are unprecedented times. We will now be working closely with the Department for Education to work through the detail regarding how final grades will be awarded. We will certainly be taking the government's words to task to 'ensure that children get the qualifications they both need and deserve'. You will understand that we all need to digest this extraordinary situation, and further communication will follow over the coming hours and days. We would be grateful for your initial patience. On behalf of the entire AGSB community like to say how hugely grateful we have been to date with your understanding and support. Yours faithfully |
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18th March 2020.... Dear Parent/Carers Subject: Preparations We, at AGSB, are now ensuring that our community is better protected and able to deal with whatever this escalating situation throws at us. We seek to work together – staff, boys and their families. As circumstances may change quickly, we will try to keep you updated as regularly as possible via SchoolComms but if you use Twitter you may also wish to follow the Head Master’s Twitter account for any information that reaches us outside of school hours. We already have a number of staff and boys who are self-isolating for 14 days - we will do all we can to keep learning going. Please refer to the above link for academic advice for those boys who are self-isolating. We continue to follow DfE and Public Health England advice, but we are planning ahead responsibly as a school and as an employer. Should a member of staff or one of the boys be tested positive, Public Health England would come into School to carry out a risk assessment as a matter of urgency. Please put the health of your son first – keep them at home if they have a new, persistent cough or temperature. The government guidelines from 16th March are:
We sent out a letter yesterday regarding: Asthma, Diabetes and Serious Medical conditions. please see correspondence below dated 17th March 2020. The UK government’s guidance to school leaders is that we should keep schools open as normal unless instructed to close by Public Health England. However, the UK government has also issued instructions in relation to self-isolation that is significantly reducing the teaching and support staff available in schools. Consequently, due to staff absence, from Thursday 19th March, we are going to have to reduce the number of year groups in the school at any one time. Initially this will involve Year 12 students being required to work from home from Thursday 19th March until the beginning of the Summer Term – Tuesday 14th April 2020. Mr Murray (Head of 6th Form) will be contacting all Year 12 students with further instructions. Communication plans for a partial or full School closure will be via SchoolComms and will be also posted on the School website. Regarding plans for School closure and teaching students remotely please refer to the above links. In the event of a closure, a daily communication will be sent to all parents. As I stated on 12th March, the concern about public examinations is understandable. Ofqual (the regulatory body for the examination boards) are being somewhat vague but have publicly stated that they are working with the boards to have contingency measures in place. We will keep you informed but, in the meantime, you may like to see what they have written by following this link. We proceed with caution, but without panic. We will keep you fully updated on all further developments. Thank you for your continued support. Yours faithfully |
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17th March 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers, Re. Asthma, Diabetes and Serious Medical conditions We have been monitoring the impact and advice surrounding COVID-19 very carefully. One of our increasing concerns has been the welfare of pupils and staff with underlying health conditions. Some staff and pupils have already taken the difficult decision to self-isolate as a precautionary measure. However, following the updated government guidance (5pm Monday 16th March) we are contacting all the parents/carers of pupils who are on our medical records as having Asthma, Diabetes or other Serious Health conditions. Deciding if, when and how to self-isolate is a difficult decision for everyone, but the added concern around pre-existing and underlying heath conditions makes this decision even more important. Social distancing for vulnerable groups has been outlined by the government. More information and guidance can be found here; While we are not insisting that pupils with medical conditions do not attend school, it would appear the government guidance is leading to that conclusion. As a school we completely respect the decision of any family to self-isolate their son(s) as a precautionary measure to manage the potential exposure of anyone with a medical condition which may be exasperated by this virus. We will soon be able to share with you a document outlining suggested work that pupils can complete while absent from school self-isolating. Stay safe. Kind regards, |
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16th March 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers Subject: Coronavirus: Three degrees of separation. As you will know, there have been significant developments over the weekend. We understand that the Government will be reviewing a decision regarding school closure this week and they will inform us of the decision. In the meantime, AGSB remains open as usual. We are, however, now moving to a ‘core business only’ policy. Lessons and internal activities and clubs will continue, but are we cancelling or postponing nonessential events which might precipitate the spread of any illness. That includes sports fixtures, music events, school trips, outreach events, Sports Awards, dinners etc. Coronavirus: Three degrees of separation. Protocol for pupils, staff and visitors to the school site Further to the communication update regarding the Coronavirus that was sent on Friday 13th March, I am writing to let you know the protocol that we have adopted for deciding who should be allowed onto the school site, in relation to individuals’ proximity to Coronavirus infection. I hope you will find this advice helpful if you are questioning whether your son (s) should come into school, and also that it will reassure you that we are continuing taking sensible steps to maintain the good health of the whole School community. The protocol that we are using is as follows: Confirmed case: If a student is a confirmed case the School should be alerted as soon as possible. Confirmed cases should not come onto the School site until they are tested clear. Suspected symptoms: Should a student present with the symptoms associated with Covid-19 (persistent cough, temperature above 37.8 or shortness of breath) they should self-isolate for 7 days. The school should be informed on the first day of the self-isolation. Should their symptoms persist beyond the 7 days they should continue to self-isolate. One degree of Separation: Anyone who has been in close contact with someone who is a confirmed case should alert the school and not attend School for 7 days symptom-free, or until such time that the person has official clearance. Two degrees of Separation: If a pupil or member of staff has been in close contact with someone who has been in close contact with someone who is a confirmed case, then they should alert School and not attend the school site for 7 days symptom-free, or until such time that the person you met is cleared. Three degrees of Separation: Anyone who has not been in close contact with anyone who is a confirmed case, or anyone who has been in close contact with such a person, may attend School. This “three degrees of separation” protocol is also shown as a diagram below. Government advice to schools and the wider public may well change in the coming days, and we will follow and circulate their guidance to you. Meanwhile, the normal advice applies: pupils who are unwell should stay at home. This is, as you will all appreciate, a most challenging time. We are seeking to walk the very difficult line between respecting government advice and safeguarding our own community. We believe that the steps we are now taking are right in the circumstances, because the science advice is that children are a low-risk group and that society is best served by schools remaining open at present. We are, as ever, grateful for your ongoing support and understanding. Yours faithfully |
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13th March 2020.... Dear Parents/Carers The Government have escalated their Coronavirus Action Plan. The key points are:
Key messages: If you have symptoms of coronavirus infection (COVID-19), however mild, stay at home and do not leave your house for 7 days from when your symptoms started. This action will help protect others in your community whilst you are infectious. Plan ahead and ask others for help to ensure that you can successfully stay at home. Ask your employer, friends and family to help you to get the things you need to stay at home. Stay at least 2 metres (about 3 steps) away from other people in your home whenever possible. Sleep alone, if that is possible. Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, each time using soap and water. Stay away from vulnerable individuals such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions as much as possible. You do not need to call NHS111 to go into self-isolation. If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after 7 days contact NHS111 online. If you have no internet access, you should call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999. For further advice on this please click on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-athome-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection Please be aware that there are vulnerable individuals in our immediate school community. There are also families with vulnerable members. Please do ensure that you act in accordance with the above guidelines. We will continue to update you as and when we receive further information. Thank you for your continued support. Yours faithfully |
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12th March 2020..... Dear Parents/Carers Following recent communications from Mr Soulsby (Assistant Head) relating to the School’s approach to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and although we have not had notification of any pupil, member of staff or parent / carer who has caught the virus, I would like to provide an update on the current position at AGSB. In the light of government advice regarding public gatherings, we have no plans to cancel any school events for the time being. However, as you will expect, this situation may change in the light of local developments or national guidance. TRIPS Looking further ahead in the School calendar, a number of students are due to travel to Barcelona as part of the Spanish exchange. Again, we will be in regular communication with parents whose children are involved in these activities to provide an update on our necessary next steps. As far as domestic trips are concerned, these will continue as planned unless we are informed by the organisers that they have been cancelled. EXAMS SPORT PREVENTITIVE MEASURES EASTER TRAVEL For parents of pupils in Public Examination years (Year 11 and Year 13) it is important to think in terms of avoiding possible disruption to your son (s) examination preparation in the event that your child has to self-isolate upon return or is caught abroad due to unforeseen travel restrictions or flight cancellations. We would therefore particularly advise against travel into Category 1 and Category 2 areas for these pupils and their families. As part of our strategy to monitor pupils who may be at risk of acquiring the virus, I ask that all parents / carers notify the School of any travel arrangements which they have to visit countries outside of the UK until the end of the Easter holiday. If you have any travel plans outside the UK during the holidays, please complete this brief survey: We will also be asking all staff to complete a similar survey if they plan on travelling outside the UK. MEDICAL INFORMATION In the event of a school closure, work will be set for students via the Show my Homework app. Please do ensure that you are logged on to Show my Homework. The current situation is fast evolving, and things may well change, but we feel prepared for a range of eventualities. Our primary concern is to ensure the welfare of all members of the AGSB community, and I hope that you will see the information provided above as representing an appropriate response to the outbreak as it currently appears. If you do have any concerns, please contact the School in the normal manner. Yours faithfully |
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Marlborough Rd, Bowdon, Altrincham Cheshire WA14 2RS
Telephone: 0161 928 0858
Email: agsbadmin@agsb.co.uk
