Dear Parents/Carers,

I would like to start this week by thanking all students, parents/carers and staff for their support with successfully getting back in to the school routine. I appreciate it has been an unusual week with the staggered start for the students to accommodate the LFD testing.

We are pleased with the way the students have conducted themselves with this. They have been very mature and I am extremely proud of them. For the students who are taking part, next week will involve test two and three for some, and test three for others. We will then be distributing home test kits for students to test at home, results will then need to be submitted to a Government website and the school. Further details regarding this will follow early next week.

Students have been reminded in year group assemblies, led by me this week, about the importance of remembering their A, B, C, D, E. Attendance, Behaviour, Classwork, Dress code and Expectations. These are areas that are part of daily routines.

This week has seen the Year 9 Options process start. Information has been sent to all Year 9 students and our website has been updated with the booklet, an introductory video from Mr Krista, our Federation Deputy Headteacher who has been leading on this, and also some fantastic subject videos from our subject staff and some of our students. Next week Year 9 parents/carers have the opportunity to have virtual meetings with subject staff to ask any individual questions they may have. This is on Tuesday, 16 March between 4pm and 7pm.

We continue to push the importance of hands, face, space. Respecting each other and looking after each other continues to be key during these times, so please do remind your children that even as daily routines begin to start to be more ‘normal’, we still need to be vigilant and aware of our hand and respiratory hygiene at all times.

Matthew Parr-Burman

Executive Headteacher and Head of Medina College