Headteachers Letter – 14th January 2022

Dear Parents and carers,

We have made an excellent start to 2022 at Wollaston School and are enjoying being back in what (despite face coverings) feels like a far more normal pattern of education. A small number of students have had public examinations this week, and we wish them every success with the outcomes, which will contribute towards formal qualifications.

 

Vaccinations: Coronavirus and Influenza

 We have heard from the SAIS (School Aged immunisation Service) that they will be on site at Wollaston School on the 27th January and depending on numbers also on 31st January, to deliver both Coronavirus vaccines and influenza vaccines for those students who have parental consent for these immunisations.

Links to the letters and consent forms from the NHS vaccination team, for each vaccination can be found below.  For the covid vaccinations, this is for children aged 12-15 only and can be either a first or second dose.  A reminder that as a school, we provide the venue for this service and facilitate distribution of consent forms. We are unable to give medical or health advice, and of course, as with all vaccinations programmes, we will ensure that only students with parental consent are allocated a time slot with the vaccination team.

• Covid-19 Vaccination Consent Form
• Flu Vaccination Consent Form

 

Changes to Isolation Periods

 You are likely to be aware through the media, that the isolation period will be cut to 5 full days (release on Day 6)  from Monday, but only if an individual receives a negative lateral flow test on the mornings of both Day 5 and Day 6.  We have distributed another tranche of lateral flow tests this week, so affected students and staff will have access to tests.  Please note that isolation must not cease if lateral flow tests continue to be positive.  Full details can be found HERE

A reminder also that positive lateral flow tests no longer need to be confirmed by a PCR test.

 

Year 7 Parents Evening

It was wonderful for subject staff to meet with parents of our 2021 Year 7 cohort. In general terms, we are delighted with how they have settled into life at Wollaston and are thriving in all aspects of their academic and personal education with us. We have also received positive feedback regarding the online platform for Parents Evenings, which seems to ensure that appointments run to time and is relatively user friendly!

For any follow up concerns, questions or feedback, please contact the head of Year 7, Mr Atherton AthertonH@wollaston-school.net

 

Student Achievements

Many congratulations to Alistair  in year 7 who has once again been selected for the Northamptonshire County Cricket Club Under 12s squad for the forthcoming season.

This will be Alistair’s 5^th season of county cricket as he was originally selected for the under 10s squad at the age of 8 and has managed to get in every year since, representing his actual age group for the last 3 seasons.

We look forward to hearing of Alistair’s continued achievements in the forthcoming season.

 

We are always keen to celebrate student achievements both inside and outside of school, and if you have any achievements you would like to make us aware of, please contact FitzhughJ@wollaston-school.net and we would be delighted to share the news!

 

Behaviour Policy Amendment

We have added aerosol sprays as a prohibited item in our school behaviour policy. This is because they can trigger asthma attacks when sprayed indoors and we have unfortunately had a couple of incidents in which aerosols have caused an issue for an asthma sufferer. We thank parents, students and staff for their support and encourage  roll on deodorants for use in school.

 

Parent Webinar: County Lines

A number of different agencies, including the police and Banardos are running a  parent workshop on the threat of County Lines and how you can support your child in avoiding being vulnerable to exploitation.  This will be delivered by experts in the field and seeks to provide both general information and practical advice. As we are all likely to be aware the exploitation of children by gangs is both a local and national concern and a part of our PSHE curriculum.

We are aware that it can be difficult for parents to gain accurate information on this topic and this webinar is welcomed in ensuring that parents have access to appropriate information and expertise. A leaflet containing further details can be found HERE and parents can register to join the webinar HERE

Parking Around the School Site

The cold weather seems to have brought about an increase in traffic and congestion as understandably, it can be more difficult for students to walk home. Please can we request that family members who are collecting students park with consideration for our neighbours and local residents. We would appreciate particular care with avoiding blocking in drives or double parking, which can make access difficult to narrow roads.

Please do note, our site is much quieter after 3.15 pm and parents can drive in and drive out with relative ease. Students are also able to wait inside, in the warm at the end of school. Our canteen is open, as is the library and Hall Foyer.

 

I hope that you enjoy a relaxing and healthy weekend and we look forward to continuing with an inspiring education on Monday!

 

Mr James Birkett

Headteacher