Please find a letter outlining Track and Trace over the next 3 weeks here
Welcome back
We are so excited to see all our students on Tuesday 3rd November. We are continuing with our catch up curriculum and students have shown amazing resilience and hard work so far in recovering from the period of lost learning.
Lockdown
As you know the government have announced another national lock down which wills start on Thursday and run until December the 2nd. This means:
- You can not meet other people unless it is just you and one other person outside
- There is no more ‘rule of 6’ and you can not visit any other home or outside place with a group
- If people are not essential workers they should work at home
- Restaurants, Gyms, Cafes and non essential shops (like clothing shops) will close
- Children should continue to go to school unless unwell
Unlike the last lock down Schools will remain open. I know this worries a lot of you. A reminder of what we are doing to curb the spread of the virus in school:
- Creating bubbles of children so in the event of a case we have only a small number of children impacted
- Supporting people to isolate at home if unwell with work if needed.
- Being vigilant and sending any student home who displays symptoms
- Making staff and students wear masks in shared areas
- Making staff teach at a distance from the class
- Using our ventilation system and opening as many windows as we can
- Stopping all non essential activities such as clubs, trips and extra curricular sports. Study skills groups such as Home Learning help and some SEND support clubs will remain
- We will have no visitors on site at this time and until further notice
What can you do:
- If you or a member of your household is unwell with a continuous cough, fever or loss of taste or smell please isolate the household for 14 days or until a negative test of the symptomatic person
- Adhere to the lock down: make sure your children come straight home and do not leave unless with you
- Make sure your child has at least one mask with them when coming to school (we ask these are not the disposable kind which easily break and are terrible for the environment)
- Ensure you are prepared for a return to Heartlands at Home should your child need to isolate or we face a localised school closure. Access to an online device for home learning is helpful.
The DFE have also produced this guide for parents:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-in-the-autumn-term
From tomorrow, Wednesday 21 October 2020, face coverings in all areas (except classrooms) are compulsory for staff and students.
More information and a form to complete if your child is exempt can be found here
Please click here to view an up-to-date Track and Trace letter to parents and guardians from the Department for Education.
Please find a letter from Mrs Roberts with COVID-19 updates here
Government guidance on COVID-19 symptoms and what to do following testing can be found in the image below.
At Heartlands High School we know that students learn effectively if they regularly attend school. The guidance released by the DFE is clear, all students should be present, and schools are required to follow up any absences. We understand that due to COVID-19 some students may be feeling anxious at this time, and would urge those who do to speak to their tutor or head of house. We have planned staff training on how best to alleviate anxiety for students, so that they are supported back into school.
If a student shows symptoms of Covid 19 it is essential that they stay away from school until are tested, and communicate the outcome with school swiftly who will advise on next steps.
For students who are shielding or self isolating it should be noted that shielding advice for adults and children will pause on 1st August. If rates of the disease rises in the local area we will advise you if students need to shield.
Otherwise, we expect all students to have 100% attendance from September, so they do not lose anymore learning time.
Please see a letter to all parents and interested parties regarding September opening.
Reopening letter September 2020
Thank you
Mrs Roberts
Mrs Roberts communicated with all families today around the time frames for the HHS plans to be released to parents. The government announcement today that all year groups can return full time was great news but there were conditions and stipulations which will make the reopening in September something which will need to be carefully planned!
If families would like to read the guidance issued by the government they can CLICK HERE
All these short talks have been chosen as we think they’ll interest Heartlands students and all touch on the importance of character. All are free to watch! Let us know if you have watched any and what you think!
| Talk | Content | Link |
| Drew Dudley – Everyday Leadership | Amusing and practical tips for how we can seized every day to be a leader in some way | https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership |
| Arel Moodie – The Secret to Student Success | Arel Moodie uses his personal story of living in challenging circumstances about how we can achieve success | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY86_7G2qZQ |
| Angela Duckworth- The power of grit | Duckworth explains why resilience is the key to student success rather than intelligence | https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance |
| Adora Svitak – What adults can learn from kids | Child prodigy Adora Svitak on the importance of ‘childish’ thinking like optimism and creativity | https://www.ted.com/talks/adora_svitak_what_adults_can_learn_from_kids |
| Diana Nyad – Never, ever give up | Nyad swam from Cuba to America at the age of 60 | https://www.ted.com/talks/diana_nyad_never_ever_give_up#t-918954 |
| Ric Elias – 3 things I learned while my plane crashed | Elias had a front-row seat on a plane that crash-landed. What went through his mind as the plane went down? | https://www.ted.com/talks/ric_elias_3_things_i_learned_while_my_plane_crashed#t-271413 |
| Steve Jobs – Commencement Speech | Founder of Apple Steve Jobs gives some invaluable life advice to graduates of Harvard University | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc |
| Andy Puddicome – All it takes is 10 Mindful Minutes | Andy Puddicome on the importance of stillness and taking time of your day to be mindful | https://www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes#t-543237 |
| Clint Smith – How to raise a black son in America | A profound look at the racial divide in America and how to address it | https://www.ted.com/talks/clint_smith_how_to_raise_a_black_son_in_america?referrer=playlist-talks_to_help_you_understand_r#t-300495 |
At this time, when birthdays, school trips, exams, and end of year celebrations, have all been put on hold, with no definitive time-frame of when things might begin to open up again. Young people can begin to struggle. Many I have spoken with are worried about each other, about their relationships and their futures.
Heartlands High School works with Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity that helps pupils explore their emotions and feel better about themselves. As part of this Place2Be are running a telephone check-in service called place2talk. Place2Talk is a short phone-call that is designed to help young people find ways to cope, so their worries don’t get in the way of their friendships, their learning or how they feel about themselves.
How to make an appointment.
Students can self-refer for the Place2Talk check-in service by emailing their tutor. The school counsellor, Jenny Smith will then make contact with the young person’s parent/carer to obtain verbal consent and to agree a time for the phone-call to take place.
