Coronavirus updates

Update 9 July 2020

On Friday 10 July at 10am, the Prime Minister will be giving an address to all school leavers which will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube.Please tune in if you’re in Year 11 or a Year 11 parent.

Update 2 July 2020

Yesterday the government issued its guidance on the full re-opening of schools for full-time
education of all students from September. We have held this statement as our compass-bearing
during the current phase of re-opening:

To maximise the effectiveness of teaching and care for our students, whilst safeguarding the
health and well-being of everyone on site.

We relish the opportunity to welcome all our students back in September. Staff and parents have
been working hard together to support learning at home as best we can, and we very much
appreciate your efforts. We know we can support their learning so much better when they are back
in school full-time, and it will again be a legal requirement to attend school from September. Please
be reassured that we are working hard to make sure that we can do this whilst keeping everyone as
safe as we can by fully implementing the government’s latest guidance. We will be in touch nearer
the time with full details of revised arrangements.

Things may yet change, but right now we are looking forward to September with a great deal of
enthusiasm and confidence.

Update 17 June 2020

Letter from Head of Education 17 Jun 2020 – Head of Education Open letter to Parents

Update 12 June 2020

As from Monday 15 June, school will be reopening to Year 10 students in addition to vulnerable and key worker students. Year 10 will be grouped into three new pods and kept separate from the established vulnerable and key worker pod.

Their start and finish times, break and lunch will be at different times to Year 10.

As of Monday 15 June, key worker and vulnerable children will be based in the science corridor not in rooms upstairs as previously.  They will have their own allocated outside space and lunch will be ordered in the morning and delivered to their pod.  Please ask key worker and vulnerable children to register in the Assembly Hall at 8.50am where staff allocated to their pod will accompany them to their new working area.

Update 1 June 2020

Dear Parents

You will be aware that the Government issued guidance on Monday last week for Year 10.

Leaders of the Federation of Tiverton Schools are currently setting up our two primary schools to open to Reception and Year 1 from w/c 1^st June.

Leaders within Tiverton High School are using this week to digest the guidance and I will be discussing this with other secondary heads in the area. We will be drawing together detailed plans at the beginning of w/c 8^th June. All of these plans will be taking into consideration our social and safety concerns around social distancing, hand washing etc.

Please bear with us. We anticipate communicating these plans to parents by the end of Wednesday 10^th June.

Mrs Crook

Update 21 May 2020

Year 10 June 1st return to school survey should be completed here.

Update 19 May 2020

Half term provision – School closed Bank Holiday Monday for all students. Open for children of key workers from Tuesday 26th May to Friday 29th May.

From the 1st June we will be open for students of key workers and vulnerable students.

Update 14 May 2020

A letter to parents from Mrs Crook, Executive Head of the Federation of Tiverton Schools.

2020 05 14 Letter to parents THS

Update 11 May 2020

(Updated 2pm) The Prime Minister yesterday evening share his ‘roadmap’ of moving society out of lockdown.

He mentioned that some primary schools could be open after half term for reception, year 1 and 6, with a further mention of year 10 ‘seeing’ their teachers in July.

As you can imagine we will need to wait for more details to come from the national and local authorities before we can begin to see how this might work for our school.

Currently, schools will continue to offer places for vulnerable children and those of key workers but we understand that many other parents will want to know more about when their children will return to school. Schools across the country will also have heard this news for the first time on Sunday and over the course of the next week or two, we will be reviewing the detailed guidance government has said it will provide. We will then take any action required to open the school to the year groups identified in a safe way. When we are in a position to do so we will provide information on our website and in newsletters so that parents will know exactly when the school will be able to once again offer a place for their children.

In the meantime, it would be appreciated if parents could avoid contacting their school directly.

Update 14 April 2020

Letter to all of our students

Summer term is here – but it will not be the summer term you expected! The pandemic has changed the lives of all of us, and your education has been affected in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few weeks ago.

I want to do everything I can to make sure you maintain a level of education that will keep you prepared for the future days, weeks, terms, and years ahead of you, whenever normality resumes.

You’ll find that we’re using online tools as much as we can to provide you with learning resources, led by our teaching staff, that will enable you to maintain learning in line with the curriculum. I urge you to try your best to adapt to this new way of learning, and to seek support from us if you find it challenging or need additional guidance.

Not everyone in the world has the opportunity of an education, and everyone deserves to learn. The musician BB King once said, “The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” Don’t let the Coronavirus take it away from you – and we hope to see you back at school very soon.

Mrs Crook

Letter to all Year 11 students

Dear year 11,

I know that this a worrying time for you but please be assured that we are working with the Department for Education and the examination boards to make sure that you achieve recognition for the last 5 years of your education and in particular your work towards your GCSEs.

Year 7-10 students’ learning and preparations for exams and future years continues at home but we have to accept that Year 11 and 13 students across the country are in a unique position compared to other secondary school aged pupils, as you are about to embark on new college/apprenticeship/university places.

Whilst as a year group you are not going to sit your planned GCSE exams in May and June, you may decide in the future that you want the opportunity to do so. So we suggest that you continue to study, especially for English, maths and those subjects that you may be wishing to continue with in year 12.

Your teachers will continue to set you work which will support you to do this.

UPDATE: This video from Ofqual helps to explain where they are currently with the exam process. The Government has also published links to additional resources.

If you have any questions specific to a subject please email your class teacher or subject leader.

In the meantime stay safe and stay at home.

Kind regards

Mrs Crook

Keyworkers only – Reminder to use the web address below if you need to book a place for your child at school over Easter. Reminder this is for provision as a last resort only.
https://tiverton.devon.sch.uk/covid-19-school-attendance

Devon Schools COVID-19 page

The Devon Schools COVID-19 page has now been set up and provides key messages and information for schools and parents on the COVID-19 situation.

Key information available includes:

• school closures.
• what this means for schools and parents in Devon.
• should I send my child to school?
• DfE Coronavirus helpline.
• school resources and information on key workers and messages for parents.

Update for Tuesday 24th March:

Workbook collections – in light of the Government announcement last night, it is unclear if collecting workbooks is ‘essential’ in terms of travel or even if visiting the school constitutes exercise! If you do choose to come in to school, we urge you to respect social distancing, and wait outside while other parents collect books from inside the hall. If you do not feel it appropriate to collect your books at this time we respect this decision.

Update for Sunday 22nd March:

School workbooks are being made available in the school hall next week with access via the fire exit, so you do not need to sign in to collect them. Please respect ‘social distancing’ and ensure you follow the timings below so that the books are ready.

• Tuesday 24th is open to Y9 only
• Wednesday 25th is open to Y8 only
• Thursday 26th is open to Y7 and Y10
• Friday 27th is open to Y11

How do you explain Coronavirus to your children? See a guide here.

Update for Saturday 21st March:

We have important information for key workers who require essential school provision during next week.

Click here for details.

Update for Friday 20th March:

Information on the definition of key workers has been announced and is detailed below. If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your children will be prioritised for education provision. Click here for the key worker survey.

Health and social care

This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare

This includes childcare, support and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.

Key public services

This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

Local and national government

This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response, or delivering essential public services, such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.

Food and other necessary goods

This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).

Public safety and national security

This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.

Transport

This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

Utilities, communication and financial services

This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

If workers think they fall within the critical categories above, they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.

Update for Thursday 19th March

We are currently making preparations for school closure and are working with the DfE as more guidance and legislation is brought forward. We will keep this page up to date as we know more.

This is an unprecedented situation for all of us, so please be patient and we will keep you informed as best we can.