Parents FAQs for the Senior School - Updated 23.2.21

When will School reopen?

The Government have confirmed schools in England should reopen for all pupils from Monday 8th March. We will, therefore, be opening our doors for all our girls to return on this date.

What time will School be open and what is the process for drop-off and collection?

Drop-off for the Senior School will be between 7.30am - 8.30am and collection will be at 3.45pm for Senior School pupils. ONLY parents of Year 6 pupils will be able to drive on-site for drop-off and collection; all other parents are asked to park off-site and allow their daughter to walk into School. Only one parent is allowed to drop off and collect their daughter from School and parents are asked not to gather at School gates and School entrances. This will be the process for the rest of the academic year, when it will be reviewed. 

On arrival, Senior School girls must go straight to their form rooms and avoid mixing with girls from other Year group ‘bubbles’.  Hand sanitiser is available at arrival points.

On leaving the School at 3.45pm, Senior School girls will be assigned an exit by year group, to avoid groups mixing. Year 6 will leave via Main Reception; 7W, Y10 and Y11 via the Pupil Foyer; 7P, Y8 and Y12/13 via the Late Supervision door; Y9 via Room 13’s side door.

Parents of girls in Years 7-13 can drive onto site after 4.30pm to collect your daughter from late supervision. 

Will Breakfast Club and Late Supervision be running?

Senior School girls can arrive in School between 7.30am and 8.30am and must go straight to their form rooms. 

Late Supervision will be running until 6.00pm. However, in order to ensure we can maintain distance between groups, we ask that all parents only use this facility if absolutely necessary and collect their daughters as soon as possible at the end of the School day. Year group ‘bubbles’ will be kept separate and girls will need to access a School PC or their own device to complete schoolwork.

How will you keep my daughter safe at School?

Parents are asked to adhere to the Government’s guidance on self-isolation if anyone in the household has symptoms and to ensure their daughter does not enter the School site during any period of self-isolation. Detailed Government guidance can be found here. Absences for any reason should be reported to School in the usual way.

Everyone now has access to a test if they display symptoms of coronavirus and are encouraged to get tested in this scenario.

All Senior School pupils will be offered three tests on-site, during the first 10 days. Senior pupils will then be provided with testing kits to administer at home and further guidance will be provided, along with the kits. 

In the Senior School, girls will be in bubbles of their Year Groups. This will allow for specialist teaching to take place, which is a key part of the secondary school experience.  

We have increased the number of sanitiser stations in the School. Girls will be asked to wash or sanitise their hands before and after each activity, before and after eating, as well as on arrival in School.

A one-way system is in place around the School in order to help maintain distance between the bubbles. Lunchtimes will be staggered. Groups will eat in their form rooms and have been assigned separate outdoor spaces.

Girls in all year groups will need to provide their own stationery, as they will not be able to share school resources. Students will be able to bring in their phones/tablets/devices to use in lessons as well. These should be kept secure and locked away when not in use.

Full School Assemblies will not take place for the rest of the academic year. Year group assemblies will take place during the term, as part of the School’s pastoral care and support programme for all students.

External visitors on site are restricted and by appointment only.

Our cleaning routines have been further revised and adjusted to ensure the areas the girls will be using are cleaned regularly and thoroughly, throughout the day.

Will my daughter need to wear a face mask?

Further to the change to the Government guidance, and the ongoing increased restrictions in place in Leicester, girls in Years 6 – 13 will need to provide and wear a face mask when moving around the School, such as in corridors and communal areas and in the classrooms. 

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face masks. If you believe your daughter falls into this category, please contact her Head of Year who will ensure this is communicated to relevant staff.

Will my daughter have PE lessons and swimming?

PE lessons will continue to only take place on-site. There will be no travel to other sports facilities, including to swimming lessons.

PE activities will be adapted to help ensure social distancing is maintained.

Will the Kitchen be open? 

The School Kitchen will fully reopen on Monday 8th March. 

What will my daughter need for School?

Pupils will need their usual School uniform and PE kit.

On days when girls have timetabled PE lessons, they should arrive wearing their PE kit and remain in it all day to avoid the need for changing. 

All pupils should bring a water bottle.

Those pupils not using the lunch service, may bring a packed lunch (nut free). We recommend the inclusion of an ice pack if the weather is hot.

Bags, stationery etc can be brought from home, but girls should aim to keep the equipment they bring in to School to a minimum and should not share any equipment or stationery with others.

Students will be able to bring in their phones/tablets/devices to use in lessons as well. These should be kept secure and locked away when not in use.

My daughter, or a member of our family, has health issues which means she will not be able to return to School. What provision will be put in place for her?

The Government have advised it is vital for all children to return to school to minimise as far as possible the longer-term impact of the pandemic on children’s education, wellbeing and wider development.

All girls are, therefore, expected to attend School from the 8th March. The ONLY exceptions to this are:

1. Those who are following public health advice to self-isolate due to a positive test result, or close contact with someone with a positive test result.
2. Children who are required to shield, or who remain under the care of a specialist health professional. In this case, we ask that parents arrange a conversation with Nurse Emma and their daughter’s Head of Year in the first instance to discuss what measures the School needs to put in place.

The remote curriculum: What is taught to pupils at home?

While pupils are unable to attend School, they are taught the same curriculum remotely as they would be taught in School, wherever possible and appropriate. 

In the Senior School, information for each lesson will be outlined on Show My Homework by 9.00am each day. Live Teams lessons will be visible on the student's Microsoft Teams calendar. 

How will my daughter access her remote learning?

• Students must log onto Show My Homework and Teams each day to find the details of each lesson.   

• Students should be prompt to Teams meeting and their microphones should be muted at the start of the lesson. The Teams chat should only be used for conversations relevant to the lesson taking place. When the lesson has finished, they must leave the lesson when asked to do so. 

• They are expected to follow the instructions of their teachers carefully and apply themselves fully in order to complete all of the work that has been set. 

• They must also take careful note of how the teacher wants the work submitted and ensure they follow that request. 

• If there is something they are not sure of, students should contact their teacher via the Show My Homework comment section, or email their teacher to seek clarification through their School e-mail account.   

 What are your expectations for my daughter’s engagement and the support that we as parents and carers should provide at home?

Parents should support their daughter in completing her work by:  

• Ensuring she has logged onto Show My Homework and Microsoft Teams each day. Parents can also log into Show My Homework and check the work that has been set.  

• Ensuring their daughter has a quiet place to work, free from distractions.  

• Allowing their daughter access to a device that connects to the internet to complete her work.  

• Contacting their daughter’s Head of Key Stage if their daughter is unable to join a lesson or if they have any concerns.  

Remote Education for Self-isolating Students

Where individual pupils need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in School, work will be set via Show My Homework.

What if I need to speak to my daughter’s teacher or Form Tutor?

All parents will be able to contact members of staff via e-mail. Please contact your daughter’s teacher, Form Tutor and/or Head of Year if you have any concerns.

If you wish to make an appointment to see your daughter’s teacher, Form Tutor or Head of Year, we ask that you do so at least 24 hours in advance. This will allow us to make sure the staff member is available, and to provide a socially-distanced meeting space for your discussion. We encourage all parents to arrange virtual meetings wherever possible.

What Pastoral support will you provide my daughter?

We understand this has been a strange and potentially worrying time for your daughter. We understand that returning to School may feel strange at first for your daughter and we will plan activities to make this as smooth as possible.

Additional pastoral sessions with Form Tutors have been put in place and Nurse Emma is also available to support with any issues.