Latest guidance – 4th November 2020

Dear Parents and carers,

Apologies for the short notice, but the Government have this afternoon published some significant changes to the arrangements by which students are allowed to continue to attend school during the lockdown period (initially 5th November – 2nd December 2020). These take the form of a number of additional restrictions. Although the short notice is challenging, we welcome these measures as increased safety precautions for the benefit of all those in the Wollaston School Community. Please do share with your son / daughter this information and discuss with them the importance of compliance with these new restrictions.

  • All students and adults (apart from those who are medically exempt) must wear face coverings on school buses and transport.
  • All students, staff and visitors (apart from those who are medically exempt) must wear face coverings in corridors, the canteen, communal areas, queues and when moving between lessons and around their bubbles.  This covers any times when social distancing cannot be maintained, including on arrival at school and when leaving the school site at the end of the day (even if these routes are outdoors).

Essentially this means that face coverings can only ever be removed when in lessons, when eating or drinking or at break and lunchtime when in large outdoor areas in which students are well spaced out.

 

Exemptions

Some individuals are exempt from wearing a face covering. The full guidance for exemption can be found HERE

With reference to our school, this broadly covers:

  • people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a medical, physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability.
  • where putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause severe distress.

If your son or daughter is exempt, please contact Jade Fitzhugh fitzhughj@wollaston-school.net before school begins tomorrow with the following information:

Name of Student:

Tutor Group:

Reason for Exemption Request:

We will collate a list of exempt students to ensure they are not challenged unnecessarily and will also be issuing exemption badges and lanyards as soon as possible, which will be useful in ensuring that access to transport and school are not impeded.   We also recommend that parents of students who are exempt and who use school buses provide a handwritten note for tomorrow detailing the exemption. There is a template HERE for those who would are able to print a version.

 

Compliance

 At School:  Students, staff and visitors will not be permitted to access the school site if not complying with the arrangements above. If a student arrives at school without a face covering, we will not allow them into the main part of the school and will contact home and ask for a face covering to be brought into school. They will then be permitted to attend as usual.

If a student refuses to follow the rules on face coverings, we will treat this as a serious disciplinary issue as there is a threat to the safety and welfare of others at the school.

On School Transport: Students who do not have a face covering (without an exemption pass) will not be permitted to board the school bus. Students who remove a face covering during a journey or refuse to wear one will face a ban from school transport.

 

Further Help

There is guidance HERE on how to make a face covering if your son or daughter does not already have one.

If you would like any further information or clarification on any of the above, please do contact me via email on headteacher@wollaston-school.net  For immediate advice, please contact the relevant year team for your son and daughter.

 

Apologies again for the short notice – we are back into the cycle of events moving quickly and national guidance being released in very short order. Despite this, I do welcome the changes which have been brought in to allow schools across the country to remain open. In particular, parents will be aware that we have been pushing for this change to school transport arrangements. As ever, I know that students, staff and visitors will ensure that  we comply fully with these measures to protect ourselves, each other and our families and loved ones.

Thank you as always for your unwavering support and I hope that you all remain safe and well in these difficult times.

Your sincerely

Mr James Birkett