Head's Blog: The return to school

Monday was a very special day, and it was super to see the smiles on both boys’ and parents’ faces at the morning drop off. The very clear emphasis on this first day back was on settling the boys back into school and giving them plenty of opportunity to catch up with their friends. There was the most wonderful atmosphere in the school and we were blessed with perfect early spring weather, which allowed for a day full of activities, fun and laughter in the school grounds.

As you’ll be aware, on our return some changes to our Covid restrictions were necessary in line with the latest Government guidelines, and the burden of these have fallen mainly on the Year 7 and 8 boys. We have been really impressed by how these boys have responded to both the wearing of face coverings in lessons, and to the twice weekly Covid testing routine, as these are very significant adjustments for the boys to adapt to, and they have taken them in their stride. Thank you also to the staff, who are teaching these same boys while wearing face coverings themselves, and facilitating the testing regime.  Over one hundred boys are being tested twice a week, and inserting this additional ‘event’ into the school week presents many challenges of a logistical nature for the staff. Thank you to Angela Gipson (the School Matron) and her team for the calm, reassuring and highly efficient manner in which they have conducted these tests.

With so much uncertainty and change at present, there are three items in the Week Ahead to which I would like to draw your attention:

• Normally the end of the Spring term would be at 12noon. The final day of term will be on Wednesday 24^th March and this will now be a full school day.
• We are planning residential trips for Years 5 to 8 in the w/b 28^th June 2021, and would be grateful if the parents of boys in these year groups could complete a very short questionnaire by Monday evening, relating to these trips.
• Parents of school age children are able to order asymptomatic home testing kits for themselves and their families.