16th July 2020

School Re-Opening September 2020

Dear Parent/Carer

Summer is nearly here and as we draw this strange and unique academic year to a close I wanted to write to you to update you on changes that are ahead for September including the arrangements for the start of our new year at Whitworth Park Academy. This is an extensive and detailed letter that is designed to capture latest Government advice and guidance as well as Whitworth Park routines and processes. I would encourage you to keep this letter safe so that you can refer to it and have our contact details along with information around the key pastoral personnel in school. The letter is available on the school website. The last day of term this year is Friday 17th July 2020. As a reminder, the school contact details are: Address: Whitworth Park Academy, Whitworth Lane, Spennymoor, Co Durham, DL16 7LN Telephone: 01388 824800 E-mail: office@whitworthpark.org.uk Website: www.whitworthpark.org.uk School Day: Due to the current situation re COVID-19, the school day will operate on a staggered start and finish time basis to ensure the safety of all students. Please see details later in this communication.

From the outset, let me reassure you that our first priority is always the health and safety of our students and our staff; this includes their mental health. We are eager to welcome our students back to school and on return they will continue to access a full curriculum. It is important to acknowledge that school will be operating differently and that new safety and protective measures will change our school operations. This is, importantly, to reduce the risks for students and staff.

The government guidance that we are working from directs us to: • Avoid contact between different groups of students • Encourage good hygiene practices to reduce the risk of transmission • Actively engage with the ‘track and trace’ programme

How will it work?

• The school day will operate through a staggered and finish time system (please see details later in this letter)

• Students be required to be in school full time from September • Students will be allocated a dedicated ‘Zone’ for their Year Group • Students will work in a reduced number of classrooms within their allocated zone • Students are not permitted to leave their zone without supervision • Students will have an allocated area of the school for both break and lunchtimes including the

use of an outside area

• Students will be expected to wear full school uniform including blazers and tie • Students will be able to access their normal method of school transport to get to and from school.

It is compulsory for students to wear a face covering on school transport • It is highly recommended that students bring hand sanitiser with them and wash their hands

frequently • Students are required to bring their own stationery (see required equipment later) • Students will have access to their own toilet facilities within their zone

I understand that this may sound quite overwhelming, but we take the health and safety of all involved extremely seriously whilst at the same time making our students feel happy to return to school in a safe and secure environment The following details may prove useful for you as a summary of key information for the year ahead:

Senior Leadership Team

Headteacher Deputy Headteacher for Teaching and Learning Assistant Headteacher for Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance Assistant Headteacher for Data, Examinations and Reporting Associate Assistant Headteacher for Safeguarding Associate Assistant Headteacher for Pastoral Care

Mr D Stone Miss A Aspland Mr K Potts Miss L Turnbull Mr E Hodgson Mr J Surtees

Key Pastoral Roles

From September the school will move across to year Groups rather than houses. The new Pastoral support structure is identified below. Head of Year 7 Head of Year 8 Head of Year 9 Head of Year 10 Head of Year 11

Mrs R Pearson Mrs E Ward Mr R Braithwaite Mr K Potts (Assistant Headteacher) Mr J Surtees (Associate Assistant Headteacher)

School Staggered Start and Finish times by Year Group

Year Group Start time (am) Finish time (pm)

7 8.30 2.30

8 8.45 2.20

9 8.40 2.15

10 8.35 2.25

11 8.30 2.30

• All lessons will start at 8.55am • Lessons will be approximately 55 minutes in length (some will vary depending

Start and end times as well as break-times) • There will be movement time built into the day for teachers to move between

zones • Break-time will be 10 minutes in length • Lunchtime will be 25 minutes in length

Start of new term (Sept 2020)

Students should arrive in school at the allocated arrival time where they will be guided by staff to their allocated ‘Zone’ (please see attached Student Learning zone map at the close of this letter). Students will not be able to mix with other students before school. Please encourage your child to walk to school with students in the same year group. Senior Staff will be present to greet your child from the buses or at the gates if they walk into school. Please see attached list at the close of this letter for Tutor Groups 2020-2021. Wednesday 2nd September Year 7 & 11 students only

From Thursday 3rd September All students (Years 7 -11)

School Holiday Dates

Holiday Details School Ends for Students

School Returns for Students

Autumn Half Term Friday 23rd October Monday 2nd November

Staff Training Day Thursday 26th November Monday 30th November

Christmas Holiday Friday 18th December Monday 4th January

Spring Half Term Friday 12th February Monday 22nd February

Easter Holiday Friday 26th March Monday 12th April

May Day Holiday Friday 30th April Tuesday 4th May

Summer Half Term Friday 28th May Monday 7th June

Summer Holiday Thursday 15th July TBC Key Dates September – December 2020 (*Proposed)

w/c 14th September: Year 6 Welcome to Whitworth Days* 24th September: Year 6 Open Evening, 6.00pm* 14th October: Year 11 Parent’s Evening, 3.00pm – 6.00pm 21st October: Year 10 Parent’s Evening, 3.00pm – 6.00pm 4th November: Year 7 – 11 Inspire Day 4th November: Year 7 Tutor’s Parent’s Evening, 3.00pm – 6.00pm w/c 23rd November Year 5 Days* 26th November: RE Collapsed Day* 27th November: School Closed to students 10th December: Year 11 Next Steps/Careers Event*

Year Group Entrance and Exit Doors

Due to changes implemented because of Coronavirus we have had to alter how students enter our School. From September the following entrances / exits must be used:

• Year 7: Whitworth Lane Entrance only, Main Student Entrance • Year 8: Whitworth Lane Entrance only, Central access door from the Yard

(formerly Poplar Base) • Year 9: Whitworth Lane Entrance only, Additional entrance door adjacent to

the Visitor Entrance door • Year 10: Whitworth Lane Entrance only, Main Hall Access doors • Year 11: St. Paul’s Entrance, DT Access door (unless arriving by school

transport) Staff will be highly visible to help students. If you are dropping your child off at school please ensure you take them to the correct entrance. They will not be allowed to enter their allocated area from any other

entrance due to the ‘Protective Bubble’ constraints for each group. This is for their own and everyone else’s safety. Upon arrival to the school site, students MUST proceed to their allocated zone and straight to their classroom. When students are dismissed they must not wait for any other students. They must board their bus or leave the site immediately.

Year Group Protective Zones

Each year group has been allocated its own zone. In each zone, the only students present will be those in the allocated year group. Students will not be allowed in another year group zone and they will not be moving through the zones to access other areas of the school. The allocated zones are as follows:

• Year 7: Ground floor Humanities/MFL/ICT • Year 8: First floor English/ICT and ex-Year 11 Base • Year 9: First floor LRC/Humanities/ICT (M106/M107) • Year 10: Ground floor Science classrooms and Willow Base rooms and First

floor ICT (M109/M110) • Year 11: Ground floor Technology/Maths and First floor ICT (A113/A114)

Tutor Group arrangements from September

Tutor groups are now finalised for September. New Year 7 students have been informed of their tutor and room at the new parents and students evening with all existing tutor groups continuing as they have been set this academic year. In some cases, due to staff changes, there may be amendments to who your son/daughter has as their tutor from September.

Uniform and standards including hairstyles and jewellery

I would like to thank you for your continued support of the school’s uniform policy. The appearance and smart dress of our students is a basic standard for the excellent ethos in our school. Our uniform consists of:

• School tie* • School blazer* • School long sleeved pullover* (optional) • School slipover* (optional) • Shirt / Blouse: Plain white dress shirt/blouse. Sport shirts are unacceptable. Shirts/blouses should be tucked into trousers/skirts, with the top button fastened. • Trouser or Skirt* A Whitworth Park School Trouser is now available and I would encourage the purchase of these from our website. However, this is not compulsory but if you purchase from outside our preferred supplier please ensure the trouser is Plain black trousers with a standard school tailored style and without splits, contrasting zips, belt buckles or other adornments. Skirts must be black. The following are unacceptable: Denims, cotton or canvas jeans, leggings, ski-pants or stretch fabrics. In addition, can I remind you that ‘skinnies’ or tight trousers/skirts are not permitted. • Footwear Plain black shoes must be worn. No trainer type shoe will be permitted. Footwear must be sensible and appropriate to school wear (this excludes high heels, trainers, hiking boots, flossies, canvas shoes, plimsolls or other leisure shoes with visible logos or any other inappropriate footwear). • Socks / Tights Plain socks or tights. Tights must be plain black only (no patterned tights permitted). Either tights or socks must be worn, but not both. Socks must be grey, black or white without patterns. School bag • A suitable bag is required and should be able to hold A4 size books/files.

Our PE Kit consist of: • School sports top* • School shorts* • School long socks* • School tracksuit bottoms* (optional) • School ¾ zip top* (optional)

*Skirts, ties, pullovers, blazers and PE kit are only available to order from school website. For a reminder of school policy on hair styles, make up and jewellery please visit our school website.

Attendance

The School’s target for attendance is to exceed 97%. Attendance continues to be a strength of the school and, despite the Coronavirus impact this year, is once again above the LA and National Average. It is certainly the case however that poor attendance does hold a child back at school and I therefore ask that you do all you can to promote the importance of high attendance. Please be aware that I am unable to authorise holidays during term time and therefore holidays during school weeks will be classified as unauthorised unless exceptional circumstances prevail. Students who reach the trigger of 10% unauthorised absences will be reviewed by school and the Educational Welfare Service. We have seen a significant reduction in Persistent Absence and I want this trend to continue. Punctuality to school is also important and monitored very closely. All students are expected on site for their allocated arrival time slot. Following lockdown the Government have issued clear guidance, stating that attendance to school is mandatory from the start of the new academic year. Non-attendance to school will only be accepted if there is clear clinical advice that complies with government legislation and advice on shielding. This advice can be found on the following page of the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#section-2-school-operations On return to school in September law enforcement procedures will return, empowering the local education authority and school to take legal action for absenteeism.

Behaviour We expect all students to follow the school’s behaviour policy. In instances where poor behaviour is displayed, normal school sanctions will apply. Students are not permitted to leave their allocated zone and are not allowed to move around school outside of their allotted area.

Lessons and Curriculum

All lessons will be taught within your child’s allocated ‘Zone’. Year 7 and Year 8 Curriculum Offer Both Year 7 and 8 will have a full and broad curriculum offer, including opportunities to cover curriculum content missed in English, Maths and Science. For Year 7, studies will begin, and for Year 8, studies will continue in History, Geography, RE, French, Music, Art/Technology and PSHE. Specific considerations have been made for Music and Core PE. The Music curriculum will cover theoretical aspects and the Core PE

curriculum will be modified to include sessions that cover physical well-being and light exercise. We have taken the decision to postpone Dance and Drama sessions and will keep this under review. Year 9 Curriculum Offer Due to the closure of schools in March 2020, we have taken the decision to complete the statutory Key Stage 3 content in all core and foundation subjects. This will ensure your son/daughter has all the necessary skills and knowledge required to make a smooth transition to Key Stage 4, which we envisage will be later in the academic year. I am keen to stress that there will be no changes to the options offer that we confirmed earlier this year when they do begin later in the academic year. Year 10 and Year 11 Curriculum Offer Our Key Stage 4 students will return in September to a full Curriculum offer in all subjects. Both examination year groups will receive opportunities to catch up on missed content and will have additional access to intervention and support sessions, as required. We will continue to keep you informed of any 2021 GCSE examination modifications, to ensure your son/daughter reaches their full potential at Whitworth Park Academy. Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you would like to discuss the Curriculum offer for your child from September 2020.

Equipment

All students are expected to attend School properly equipped. This is especially important as we deal with Coronavirus as sharing of equipment is not encouraged. This should include:

• A school bag suitable for carrying A4 files, etc • Pen (with a spare) • Pencil (along with a set of coloured pencils) • Pencil Sharpener • A ruler • An eraser • A calculator • School Planner

School Planner

All of our students are issued with a new Whitworth Park Academy planner which they should bring to school each day. In the planner, students should record any homework set and this forms a useful record of the student’s work over the year. The planner is a useful piece of equipment that helps students to keep up to date with deadlines as they move through the school. We ask that you go through the planner regularly with your child to check that they are recording homework clearly and that they are meeting any deadlines they have been set. This is particularly important for students following GCSE courses. It is also possible to use the planner to keep your child’s form tutor up to date with regard to any external appointments that your child may need to keep – visits to the doctor, dentist etc. If used well, the planner can be a key foundation stone for academic success at Whitworth Park.

Before School, Break and Lunchtime Arrangements

There will no catering facilities available before school. At break-times students will have access to an allocated outdoor area including some outside space. Students will remain within their Year Group during this time. They will not be permitted to mix with other students from other Year Groups. Food availability at break-time will be limited.

At lunchtime students will have access to an allocated area including some outside space. Students will remain with their Year Group during this time. They will not be permitted to mix with other students from different Year Groups. The school menu will be reduced. Students are able to bring pack lunches if this is parental preference. For lunchtime, students will be allocated a 25 minute period between 12.00pm - 1.30pm depending on their year group and rotation cycle. If a parent/carer wishes for their child to return home during the lunch period, permission must be provided from the Head of Year who will issue your child with a pass that must be carried and shown in order to leave the premises. Students will not be granted permission to leave the site unless they are being collected by a parent/carer.

School Meals / Hydration

It is important that we are aware of all students who are entitled to free school meals. Even if they are not claimed, the school still receives financial support and it ensures that students can receive the meals in the future, should they wish. If your child has previously been entitled, but this no longer applies, please inform school reception. A school meal-deal will cost £2.30. Parents of all students are encouraged to send their child to school with their own water bottle. Topping up of water bottles will not be possible during the day due to restrictions on hygiene processes. Water will be available for purchase at lunchtime along with a selection of other drinks. During the Autumn Term, the school has taken the decision to provide all students who purchase a lunchtime meal deal with a small bottle of water included in the purchase price.

Homework

All students will be issued with homework throughout the academic year, the frequency of homework setting for subject areas is highlighted in the schools homework plan for Key Stage 3 and 4. We feel that homework is a vital learning tool and expect that all students will complete homework set in a timely manner and to the best of their ability. All homework will focus on the following areas:

1. Retrieval practice 2. The consolidation of learning 3. The development and enhancement of learning through further reading and

wider research 4. The development of assessment and examination skills 5. Preparation for examinations and assessments through revision planning and

exam technique 6. Learning subject specific vocabulary

Virtual Learning

From September, we will be using a new Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This platform is much more comprehensive than class charts in terms of supporting teaching and learning as it allows for the submission and marking of work as well as many other aspects pertinent to your child's education. We are not asking children to use Firefly until September, however, we will share login information as well as providing some parent and student guidance so that you and your child can start to familiarise yourselves with the platform. We will still use Class-Charts for pastoral elements, but all homework, lesson information and resources will be accessed through Firefly from September. We are

keen to ensure that if we find ourselves in a similar situation in terms of home-learning that we can continue to provide your child with the best educational experience.

Hygiene and PPE

The Government is due to update guidance on the use of PPE in schools (including the use of Face Masks) over the Summer holidays. During the Coronavirus pandemic, the school has followed guidance on the issue very closely and will continue to do so. During w/c 24th August 2020 I will write to you with an update regarding any revised guidance in preparation for September. Students will be expected to clean their hands regularly, it is highly recommended that your child carries their own bottle of hand sanitiser. Hand sanitiser stations will be available for your child to use within their allocated zone and outside all dining / food servery areas. For further information and guidance you may find the link below useful: https://www.e-bug.eu

School-Comms

School-Comms is our online school payment system, which enables you to pay for school meals and other items such as trips. This is a highly secure payment site giving you and the school a history of all the payments made. Most of our parents have now signed up for this payment option but if you haven’t yet done so can I encourage you please to complete the simple process as it gives added security and prevents the need for your child to carry any cash.

For further details of how to get started using School-Comms contact our Main office.

School buses and other transport

School transport will be running as normal with the same pick up locations and times. Bus companies will ensure that social distancing measures are put in place. However, wherever possible students should travel to school using private transport. Following updated guidance from the government students will be expected to wear a face covering on school transport this can be a mask or if this is not available to you a scarf will suffice. Students must wear their face covering at all times. Students should carry a plastic bag with them to put their face covering in once the disembark school transport, this must be kept in their school bag during the school day. All school transport buses will embark and dis-embark via the School’s Main Entrance Bus passes are applied for and distributed through: Admissions, Appeals and Transport Entitlement Team County Hall Durham DH1 5UJ 0191 383 3000 Buses direct to Whitworth Park Academy are provided by Durham County Council. Durham County Council Transport Team will be in touch directly with passes and pick up information.

School Transport updates and information will be published on the School Website and Facebook page as soon as it becomes available. This academic year we will continue to offer an additional bus transport service for pupils to and from Whitworth Park Academy dedicated to students living in: Spennymoor, Tudhoe, Croxdale and Sunderland Bridge. The table below details times and locations of pick up and collection points. These times may vary slightly depending on student numbers.

Pickup Point Time (am) Ferryhill Station – Church Bus Stop 7.35 Broom Mini Market 7.38 Ferryhill Market Place – Stand E 7.40 Kirk Merrington – The Green 7.47 Durham Gate 8.00 Croxdale – Corner Shop Bus Stop 8.05 York Villas Bus Stop 8.10 Transport will leave the Academy site at 2.37pm

Use of the bus is an additional service which is provided by the Academy at a flat rate charge of £1 per day. However, if your child is eligible for free school meals or Pupil Premium funding then they will be able to travel on the bus free of charge. Passes for the bus must be purchased in advance from the Academy. Payment for bus transport will be made through School_Comms on a termly basis. Taxis: all school transport taxis will enter and leave via the Main Entrance Parental drop off and collection of students: To allow easier access for parents and carers of students with disabilities, other parents are encouraged to collect students away from the Main Entrance of the school. We would also ask you to be mindful of the signage and yellow road markings near to the school entrances and be considerate of our close neighbours when dropping off and parking to collect children from school. Where possible students are encouraged to walk to school, cycle or car share.

Pastoral Updates

Behaviour policy update In response to the COVID-19 situation, the school has developed Annex 2 to its Behaviour Policy. Please familiarise yourself with this by visiting the Policies and Procedures section of the school website. Energy drinks/Fizzy drinks Please remember that energy/fizzy drinks are not permitted on school premises. I am sure that most parents are aware of the extremely high caffeine content of some of these drinks but recent research has shown that emergency department visits linked to youth energy drink consumption in the USA doubled between 2007 and 2011 with the most frequently indicated symptoms being vomiting, nausea, feeling jittery or on edge, trouble sleeping, palpitations, dizziness, fainting, abdominal pain and headache. If students bring fizzy and/or energy drinks on to site they risk having them confiscated and not returned. Please support this drive to encourage children to live a healthier

lifestyle. For parents who are interested in further reading I would encourage you to visit the following web link: http://foodresearch.org.uk/energy-drinks/ E-Safety Lockdown has brought many changes to the world of education. During lockdown, we have fully embraced the use of digital technology to help and support our students while at home. The use of digital technology has brought a whole new range of considerations regarding electronic devices and how young people use them. At the forefront of this has been analysing how children access information and how we as their parents, teachers and guardians can work together to help children to stay safe while online. Below is a link that may be of some use during the summer break with advice from Child Line about staying safe online. In addition to this there has been information and useful web links about online safety published in the weekly parental bulletins. https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/staying-safe-online/ Mobile Telephones As more and more research is conducted in to the impact of mobile phones on children’s mental health it has become apparent that the continual use of mobile technology in school has the potential to do more harm than good, particularly as the explosion of social media continues. Therefore, we do not permit mobile phones/devices to be used during the school day. However, the school understands that, as parents, you may want or need to contact child as the walk to school or from school, especially as the nights draw in and winter arrives. Students will be allowed to have a mobile device with them but it should be turned off and kept out of sight, preferably in their school bag, until they leave the school site. If a student is caught with or using a mobile phone it will be confiscated and kept until the end of the week unless a parent arranges to collect it from the main office. Schools are increasingly wrestling with difficulties associated with mental health of our young people. Please be reminded that if you wish to contact your child during the school day, do so through our main reception telephone number. Please support this and explain to your child the reasoning behind it. For further information on this subject please visit this link: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/children/11486167/Are-smartphones-making-our-children-mentally-ill.html

Parental Appointments

Parents will need to make an appointment if they need to meet with individual members of staff as government guidance directs us to limit the number of visitors on the school premises. Wherever possible, appointments will take place via telephone in order to maintain safety of all.

Thank you for taking the time to familiarise yourself with the information in this letter. At this stage the alterations to the School Start and Finish times along with the ‘zoning’ of the year groups will run for the first term. As more information from the Government becomes available we will review the situation and I will write to you in due course.

If you have any questions or require any clarification on the points I have addressed please do not hesitate to contact the school and I look forward to being in contact with you again early in the new academic year. I hope you have an enjoyable and relaxing summer break and I look forward to seeing you during the 2020-2021 academic year. Yours sincerely

Mr D Stone Headteacher

Year 7 Entrance/Exit

Year 11 Entrance

/Exit

Year 8 Entrance/Exit

Year 10 Entrance/Exit

Year 9 Entrance/Exit

Student Learning Zones

September 2020

Tutor Groups 2020-2021 Y7 September 2020/2021

TG Tutor Name Room

7AGR – 7A Mr A Graham M003

7SJA – 7S Mr S Jackson M001

7LMC – 7L Mrs L McDermott M004

7KPI – 7K Miss K Pickering M002

7VPI – 7V Mrs V Pitchford 7Base

7SRO – 7F Mrs S Robson M005

Head of Year /

Location Mrs R Pearson ALP

Reception

Year 7 moving into Year 8 2020/2021

19/20 TG 19/20 Tutor 20/21 TG 20/21 Tutor 20/21 Tutor room

7 AGR Mr A Graham 8 KFO Ms K Foy A108

7 FFL Mrs F Fletcher 8 KBR

Mrs K Barrass-Brown (3 days)

Miss A Mason (2 days)

A107

7 LMC Mrs L McDermott 8 KMK Mrs K McKeough A105

7 VPI Mrs V Pitchford 8 DCO Mr D Cooper G101

7 KPI Miss K Pickering 8 MHO Mr M Hoban A110

Head of Year / Location EWA Mrs E Ward A109

Year 8 moving into Year 9 2020/2021

19/20 TG 19/20 Tutor 20/21 TG 20/21 Tutor 20/21 Tutor room

8 ACH Miss A Christophers 9 ACH Miss A Christophers M101

8 KTU Ms K Turnbull 9 KTU Ms K Turnbull M102

8 SLA Mrs S Lambton 9 SLA Mrs S Lambton M103

8 DMA Mrs D Maddison 9 DMA Mrs D Maddison M106

8 JCH Miss J Chapman 9 JCH Miss J Chapman M107

8 ASO Mrs A Stoica 9 ASO Mrs A Stoica M105

Head of Year / Location RBR Mr R Braithwaite LRC

Year 9 moving into Year 10 2020/2021

19/20 TG 19/20 Tutor 20/21 TG 20/21 Tutor 20/21 Tutor room

9 KHA Miss K Haines 10 KHA Miss K Haines A002

9 TLA Mrs T Lamont Miss A Halliburton 10 FFL

Mrs F Fletcher (Mrs J Vasey in as maternity cover)

A001

9 HBR Mrs H Brown 10 HBR

Mrs S Brooker (4 Days)

Miss A Halliburton (1 Day)

G005

9 RCE Mr R Cessford 10 RCE Mr R Cessford G001

9 KMC Miss K McVickers 10 KMC Miss K McVickers G002

9 JMC Mrs J McBride 10 JMC Mrs J McBride G003

Head of Year / Location KPO Mr K Potts Base area (Formerly Willow)

Year 10 moving into Year 11 2020/2021

19/20 TG 19/20 Tutor 20/21 TG 20/21 Tutor 20/21 Tutor room

10 KFO Ms K Foy

Allocation to tutor groups will be given on arrival on 2nd September 2020 and will be

dependent upon progress needs

A007

10 ATO Mrs A Todd A008

10 KBR Mrs K Barrass-Brown A009

10 KMK Mrs K McKeough T001

10 DCO Mr D Cooper T003

10 MHO Mr M Hoban T004

Head of Year / Location JSU Mr J Surtees Base area (Formerly Sycamore)