27 March 2020

Dear Parents/Carers

I intend to continue to send you regular updates on College procedures and key issues. 

Easter Holiday provision for children of Key Workers and Vulnerable Students

We intend for our on-site provision to be open over the Easter holidays and we are awaiting further guidance from the DfE and the Local Authority as to whether this will be any different to the provision that we are currently running.  We will confirm arrangements as soon as the DfE provides clarity and guidance. I would like to acknowledge the fantastic response from staff in volunteering to run this provision during the holiday period.

Further update on 2020 exams - the latest news from Ofqual

‘We are rapidly working up plans to implement the arrangements the Secretary of State for Education has set out for exams this summer and, with exam boards and teaching bodies, are making considerable progress.

Students understandably want reassurance, and teachers urgently need to know what to do, and when. We expect to publish detailed information about the process and timetable which will apply this summer next week. This will include the steps we would like teachers to follow and more detailed guidance on how to consider the full range of evidence they will have available when submitting their assessment grades. We are talking to teaching representatives to make sure that what we are planning is manageable and appropriate, so that students, parents, carers and teachers can have confidence in the approach.

We will outline by Easter the process we will follow to make sure grades are fair across schools and colleges, as well as our proposals for appeals. We will also say more as soon as possible about the arrangements for additional exams in the new academic year.’

Work for students working at home

As you will know, teaching staff have emailed all students with work that they can be completing during this uncertain time. We also have a range of other online resources that we thought might be of use  and Mrs Wright e-mailed this information to you yesterday. However, I would like to point out that we do not expect you to be Home Schooling your children. This is a very difficult time for us all to manage. For now, we think it is important that you as parents focus on your own work, your family and your own health.

Our own Thank You to the NHS

If you have not viewed our own tribute to our fantastic NHS can I suggest that you do so via our website in the School News section, Facebook or Twitter? There have been over 10,000 ‘hits’. I would like to thank all those involved in putting this together. In the Collingwood community we have many parents, carers, ex-students, governors and ‘friends of Collingwood’ who have close connections with Frimley Park Hospital and other local NHS facilities and we really wanted to produce a short, genuine gesture of thanks to all these dedicated and committed workers. Out of the present very difficult circumstances there are a number of positives emerging and the acknowledgement of our gratitude and respect for our Key Workers is one that I think we all support.

Donation of goggles and disposable gloves to NHS 

 

The College is responding to the national appeal to donate goggles and disposable gloves normally used in science classes to the NHS due to a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses dealing with coronavirus. We have approximately 400 pairs of goggles and a similar number of disposable gloves. We are currently organising how these can be safely transported to the nearest NHS facility that needs them. We are pleased that we can make this small gesture to assist these fantastic front-line staff who are doing such great work.

 

Again, my thanks for your support.