Headteacher's update 56

I hope that you and your families are well and that your children have had a positive experience of testing (for all students) and the return to the classroom.

Thank You

All of us were inevitably somewhat nervous about staggering the reopening of school and administering over 1,000 COVID tests in the process. It is a challenge we’ve never face before. As ever, our fantastic students with the incredible support of their families have made the whole process enjoyable and successful. Our students have been calm and polite when attending school for their tests. Moreover, they have settled back into learning in the classroom exceptionally well:

• Our Year 11 students now understand how they will be assessed for their GCSEs and other qualifications in the weeks to come and have shown a real commitment to succeeding.
• Our Year 11s have also continued to engage in Period 6 lessons in very large numbers.
• All our students have worked with us, wearing face coverings when requested to do so and continuing to follow the other measures we have in place to make school safe.
• Students in Years 9, 10 and 11 who have now received their second tests in school were again polite and cooperative.
• All students have worn their uniform, been equipped and ready to learn – which is nothing short of phenomenal.

 

Home Testing Kits

As part of the next stage of asymptomatic COVID testing, we will begin issuing students with home testing kits in form time. This will happen after they have had their third test in school for their year group. For further information on home testing, please visit our home testing webpage here.

 

ATL

All parents/carers received the Attitude to Learning reports for their children a number of weeks ago know. As I have previously explained, it was difficult for teachers to make judgements about the Attitude to Learning of students when the majority of them were working at home. Now all our students have returned to the classrooms, they will have an opportunity to demonstrate an exceptional Attitude to Learning to their teachers. Teachers will be giving grades on Attitude to Learning again before Easter, and we are confident that, with continued hard work, our students will see their ATL scores improve!

 

Many thanks for your continued excellent support.
Take care,

Joe Birkbeck
Head of Westfield School