Principal’s Statement – 5th January 2021

Dear Parents/Carers,

 

I hope this letter finds you and your families well.  Following Boris Johnson’s address yesterday evening I thought I would write to let you know the progress that has already been made.  Our testing centre has been physically set up and will now remain ready when the next directions are received.  The overriding message is that it is virtual business as usual.  We have always been ready to deliver meals, welfare check-ins, emotional support, vouchers and food parcels and safeguarding in this eventuality alongside the delivery of live remote content.  If you need support or guidance please do not hesitate to contact your son/daughter’s College team via reception@mascallsacademy.org.uk.

Today, our students have shown the strength of character again to make us proud in the way they have responded to live remote provision, showing great determination and resilience. Live provision is the biggest challenge and change for our staff and students from the previous lockdown where resources were available but the lesson itself was not entirely live. Where previously students struggled with the volume of content, live provision should now make the volume of work more manageable.  There have been minimal glitches so far, but if you do experience problems in Google Classroom, your first port of call will always be to email the class teacher, then College team and finally reception.  Of course, there is always our online portal to provide tips and guidance.  

Online provision is only as effective as the partnership with our parent and carer community, the provision of Chromebooks, with Year 8 and 9 to follow, students now have access to the best provision available.  All you have to do is ensure they ‘attend’, together we can ensure that the impact of academy closure is absolutely minimal and progress continues.

Today we have sent the first few food parcels out to families within our community and will be distributing the rest over the course of the next week.  This will remain in place until the academy returns.

Our Key Worker students also arrived today, and albeit fairly quiet (it is a bit strange!)  have been working hard and smiling, which is great to see.  We simply cannot wait to have everyone back as soon as we can.

 

Examinations January

You may be aware that it was confirmed that January exams will proceed as planned.  This refers only to formal public examinations, our mocks in Year 11 and 13 will not.  If you have an examination which has already been communicated to you, please attend as previously arranged, your class teachers will be in touch about the usual support you will receive in advance.

 

Examinations Summer

There is no official guidance regarding the fate of the summer examinations, it is unlikely to be exactly the same as last year.  However, what we do know is that any evidence of performance will come from the work your son/daughter completes in each lesson face to face or remotely, alongside professional judgements and tests, both internal and possibly external.  It is vital that as parents you ensure that your son/daughter is fully engaged in the online provision to make certain that we can accurately assess their potential from a range of evidence. Usually the rumours abound amongst students that there is no examination, this has yet to be confirmed.

Finally, thank you as usual.  Working together amid this challenge, as we have done before our wonderful students will be bound to succeed.  It is our community duty to support and protect our young people from the environment they find themselves in, we will work tirelessly as always to do just that no matter the furore outside the gates in the media, they are safe here. We have absolutely got this.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Mr W Monk

Principal