The return to school by the Year 11s has been long awaited by all, teachers, parents and learners alike. In some cases it may seem historic as unlike any other time in history, schools across the world were closed for such a long period of time, so when the day finally came it seemed to be such a relief for so many.

The first day started with introducing what has come to be the new norms of ‘social distancing’. Upon arrival, all Year 11 learners were guided to meet in the MPH where desks were arranged with 1 metre distancing in readiness for a briefing about procedures. We presented the operating protocols for using specific staircases for moving up and down the school buildings and to follow the directional arrows around the school. Also information about breaks and lunches and the expectations on time spent on campus.

Since the first day the new routines have worked well and it’s great to see learners following the procedures carefully and with the 1m distancing between desks, this has established a safe working environment. The Year 11 attendance figures are averaging 97% daily and the daily temperature checks and the health declaration suggest that we are feeling very pleased with the start that has been made.

With the new announcement, we now have structured plans in place to integrate the rest of the school back on to the campus. On Wednesday 15th July the Year 10s will join the Year 11s in school and will follow the same routines with a briefing for all learners during the first period in school. In the following days after this date, we will add each Year group into school, ensuring that the briefing is clear and that ‘social distancing’ is adhered to at all times.

Due to the limitations for the number of desks that can be placed into each classroom, there are some small changes to the timetable, especially room changes. Any major change will be communicated well in advance. We are predicting that some timetable changes will also be required for Term 3, we will confirm these before the start of term.

It will be important that all students complete a health declaration before the start of school and their temperature readings will be taken daily. As a reminder, if we find any learner with a temperature of 37.5 degrees or above then they will be isolated immediately and we will be communicating this concern to you as parents. It would be wise to check individual temperatures each morning before leaving for school each morning.

We are constantly guided by MoE procedures and we will continue to update you about how these procedures will impact the school environment as they are communicated to us. We will be arranging a number of drop in Zoom sessions for any Q and A before the start of school to ensure all information is shared and clear for parents.