Parent Bulletin: 08.01.2021
8th January 2021
This week's parent bulletin is available here
Dear Parents and Carers
Considering that on Monday we thought we would be returning to school and that Year 11 were sitting exams this summer, it’s been quite a week... On site, an astonishingly professional centre for Covid Lateral Flow Testing has been set up, Critical Worker School Established, support for vulnerable learners at home put in place, remote lessons created to replace the usual timetable and IT support made available to families as required. I’m hugely grateful to the teaching and support staff at CamVC for a phenomenal team effort to get things running so well at such short notice. Please bear with us as we continue to iron out any glitches over the next week.
Remote Learning We have put in place a timetable based on what we learned had worked best for pupils and staff during last year’s closure and during subsequent year-group closures last term. We’re keeping this under review and on Thursday next week, we will survey pupils and parents to seek your views as to the quality, quantity and level of work being provided for the students.
Critical Worker School For those attending:
- Pupils should attend from 9.00 to 3.00pm, in full school uniform.
- Next week, no pupils will be leaving early.
- Pupils should bring PE trainers with them in a plastic bag every day.
Year 11 We expect it will be some time before we hear what assessment process will replace the GCSE exams. In the meantime, we still have to send projected grades to Post 16 providers in January and these are based on the grades we would realistically have expected pupils to have achieved, based on the evidence we had gathered up to the end of December, including the mock exams. These are not necessarily the grades that students will receive in the summer: as in any normal year, projected grades can change according to how pupils progress during the latter part of the course. It is therefore essential that pupils continue to work hard because any further evidence we can gather this term is likely to have a bearing on the final judgements we will be called upon to make at the end of their courses.
Year 10 A number of parents have contacted us with concerns about the impact of the current school closure on their children’s potential achievements in the public examinations of 2022. We cannot know this for certain, but whatever form of Key Stage 4 assessment is used, our current Year 10 students are well-placed compared to many in the country. Our remote work last summer was of a high standard and all the year group had an iPad – unlike most of the country. They were able to start their option subjects a term early, which staff reported as beneficial. Year 10 were in school and working well for most of last term, and will be taught remotely very well for the next lockdown. Provided that students work hard, complete and hand in all assignments this term, they will not be disadvantaged in any nationally-graded round of qualifications in 2022.
Year 9 We may have to spread the appointments for Year 9 Parent Consultation over two days, and will be in contact about this with you shortly.
Pupil Wellbeing Mr Yeates has placed an excellent set of resources on the website: these are aimed at both pupils and parents: please take a look on Well-Being - Cambourne Village College (cambournevc.org)
Pupil Safety Please see the resources later in the bulletin from the Police, on general issues of safety affecting young people during lockdown, and on the importance of safe use of the internet.
Wishing you all a very good weekend – we should see the sun tomorrow! – and take good care of yourselves,
Claire Coates
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