Y10 Booster Classes

17th November 2020Nicola Ashton

Dear Parents/Carers of Year 10 Learners

We are committed, in these very difficult times, to ensuring that any impact of the disruption to courses of study is kept to a minimum.  To this end, we will be starting to introduce a range of Booster Classes in some subjects over the coming weeks to help learners who are behind where they need to be in terms of their knowledge, classwork and coursework assignments. 

These classes will be aimed at learners who are identified by their teachers as lacking key knowledge that is essential for success in exams.  Booster Classes will be compulsory for identified learners to attend and will take place afterschool from 3.00-3.45pm. They will run on a fortnightly timetable.   The timetable is outlined below: 

Monday  Tuesday  Wednesday  Thursday  Friday 
Week A  Business Studies (211)  Health and Social Care (220)  BTEC Sport (220) Hospitality and Catering (GO3) Creative I Media  (220)
Week B  History (213)  Geography (Main Hall) 

Learners will be informed by their subject teachers if they are required to attend a Booster Class.  It is essential that those learners attend every session that they are asked to attend and failure to attend will result in lunch passes being revoked or lunchtime detentions for the next day.  Learners will also be required to catch up on the work they miss in their own time.  

Once again I thank you for your support in ensuring that your child attends whichever classes are assigned to them and I hope that we can work together to ensure learners get caught up on any lost learning during what has been a very difficult time. 

Mr A Warkman 

Assistant Principal

Changes to the timings of the School Day for the Lockdown Period

13th November 2020Nicola Ashton

As from Monday 16th November 2020, we will be reducing the lunchtime by 10 minutes and the staggered exit of learners will start from 2.30pm.  This will be reviewed following Government advice at the end of the National Lockdown.  If you need your child to be supervised  until 2.50pm, please contact your Year Manager.

Changes to Lunchtime Arrangements

3rd November 2020Nicola Ashton

Dear Parent/Carer,

Changes to Lunchtime Arrangements from Thursday 5th November

As you will be aware, from Thursday the Government will be introducing a National lockdown.  Our priority is to keep learners and staff safe as possible.  Therefore, due to the National lockdown, we cannot continue with our previous plans.  We intended to half the year group bubbles to ensure we kept as many learners in school as possible.  We now cannot allow KS4 learners (Y10 and Y11) to visit Houghton at lunchtime.  As a result, we have had to revise our lunch time plans in order to reduce the risk of whole year groups being sent home.

Therefore, the following measures will be in place from Thursday this week:

KS3 Learners (Y7, Y8, Y9) will remain in their Coaching rooms for lunchtime.  In doing so, we significantly reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19 to the rest of the year group.  Learners can order water, sausage rolls or pop chips during their Coaching session to be delivered at break time.  Learners can also pre-order food for lunchtime (including hot food) using the Fusion Mobile Food App.  This will be delivered at lunchtime.  We can only accept orders via the app.

Y10 Learners will remain in School and use the canteen and outside pod area and can access hot and cold food from the canteen serving hatch.  Learners do not have to pre-order food but must have enough money to pay for food on their Parent Pay Account.

Y10 can also order water, sausage rolls or pop chips during their Coaching session for break time.

Y11 Learners will remain in School and use the hall and back yard.  Y11 Learners can access hot and cold food in the hall and from the serving hatch situated in the back playground.  Learners do not have to pre-order food but must have enough money to pay for food on their Parent Pay Account.

Y11 can also order water, sausage rolls or pop chips during their Coaching session for break time.

I understand this situation is not ideal, but in order to keep everyone as safe as possible, this is the best solution in what are very difficult circumstances for everyone. 

Thank you for your support and if you have any issues or queries, please contact your child’s Year Manager in the first instance.

Consultation on Allowing Y10 Learners to Access Houghton Town Centre for Lunch

19th October 2020Nicola Ashton

Dear Y10 Parent/Carer

To support us with minimising the amount of KS3 learners being sent home due to mixing at lunchtimes, we are proposing to allow certain Y10 learners to leave the 

School site at lunchtime.  In doing so, we can increase the available space for other year groups, effectively halving the existing bubbles in Y7, Y8 and Y9.

Only learners who have a good Class Charts record and whom Mrs Brown as well as the SLT agree to, will be given this privilege.  Learners will still have the option of remaining in School during lunchtime if they wish to do so.

The Y10 lunchtime would be different from Y11 to avoid the mixing of these two bubbles.

Learners will need to abide by the rules and regulations concerning the wearing of face coverings in shops and their conduct will be monitored by staff and Covid officials from Sunderland Council.  If, for any reason, we are not happy with the response from the community, we may need to withdraw this solution.

If the majority of parents/carers are happy with this arrangement, we hope to implement this after half term.

Please complete this short survey by following the link below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdBw0ZVsQGcVHR7M63JPbOieI4ikciwr4OBrl_Tr3eKyh3QNg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0&gxids=7628

Remote Learning

10th September 2020Nicola Ashton
Commencing Monday 14th September, if your child is off due to the latest  government guidelines on self isolating there will be work uploaded via class charts for all their subjects.  This work will be available online, on class charts, with the heading ‘Remote Learning Work’ every Monday morning.  Subject teachers can be contacted via email or the class charts messenger if any support is required (we will aim to respond within 24 hours)
If a learner requires paper copies please email info@kepier.com

Face Masks

4th September 2020Nicola Ashton

We have been glad to welcome all of our learners back to Kepier this week and have been pleased to see them happy and ready to learn.  Unfortunately, our local community has experienced some cases of the Coronavirus.   To lower the risk of transmission and keep our learners and staff as safe as possible we now ask that ALL staff and learners wear face masks in communal areas, inside the building as of Monday 7th September.  Please send your child to school with a face mask on Monday morning.

Information re: Kepier Opening to all Learners in September 2020

27th August 2020Nicola Ashton

Dear Parent/Carer

I hope that you and your family are well and continue to keep safe during these difficult and unprecedented times. I know that all the staff are looking forward to welcoming the learners back to school in September.

As you may be aware, the Government published guidance on 2nd July stating all learners will return to school in September, full time. The information in this letter outlines how Kepier intends for this to happen encompassing the following principles.

  1. The safety of all learners and staff is our priority.
  2. We will implement all of the system controls specified in the DfE guidance and will actively consider all other aspects of the guidance.
  3. We will continue to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, expertly delivered by well trained and qualified specialist teachers.
  4. All subjects will continue to be taught to all year groups. Some subject level adaptations may be required, to ensure adherence with safety guidelines.

It is important to note that the plans outlined below are subject to change, should the Government change their guidelines before September. If this should happen, we will communicate any changes with you as soon as possible.

Year Group Arrangements

  • The Government recommends that schools reduce the contact between staff and learners; to facilitate this learners will be placed in ‘year group bubbles’.
  • Learners are expected to keep their distance from learners in other year groups and outside their family home.
  • Learners’ coaching groups in years 8 and 9 will be regrouped to facilitate reduced movement.
  • Learners will be taught in zoned areas for the majority of their subjects. For some subjects, including PE, ICT and KS4 options, learners will be guided to specialist teaching spaces.
  • All learners will be advised of the safety measures in place on their first day in school. 
  • To ensure learners are taught by subject specialist teachers, staff will teach in multiple classrooms. In line with guidance, staff are required to keep their distance from learners and other staff as much as possible.
  • Learners will be provided with all equipment they require except a scientific calculator which we are unable to supply.
  • Where movement is required, senior leaders and pastoral staff will oversee this.

Access to the Site including Transport Arrangements

  • Learners are encouraged where possible not to use public transport; they should consider walking or cycling (the bike shed will be relocated to the front of the school site).
  • If learners use public transport they must adhere to the Government guidelines on wearing face coverings.
  • Learners should not walk to and from school with learners from other year groups unless they reside in the same household.
  • If learners from the same household or year group bubble meet on the way to or from school, they need to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
  • Learners who are travelling by car should be dropped off at the main gates. 
  • Learners who travel by a local authority taxi or have a medical condition requiring them to be dropped closer to the school entrance are allowed to do so but need to have prior permission from Mr Van-Lindon, Senior Leader – Pastoral.
  • Learners should follow the guidance on social distancing when entering the site. 
  • Signage will be displayed around the site directing learners of their entry points.
  • Learners will be able to pick up a grab and go breakfast on the way to their zone, water can be purchased.  
  • Learners will be dismissed from the building by members of the leadership team from 2.50pm.

Below is a table for when learners should arrive on site and where to go:

Wednesday 2/9/20 Thursday 3/9/20 Friday 4/9/20 W/C 7/9/20 onward
Y7 8.30 – Main Entrance 8.10 – Main Entrance 8.10 – Main Entrance 8.10 – Main Entrance
Y8
9.30 – Main Entrance 8.15 – Community Sports Gate 8.15 – Community Sports Gate
Y9 11.00 – Main Entrance 8.15 – Canteen Side Gate (at front of School) 8.15 – Canteen Side Gate
Y10
9.30 – Main Entrance 8.25 – Main Entrance
Y11 11.00 – Main Entrance 8.25 – Community Sports Gate

Moving Around School

  • Learners must enter the school building via their designated entry points. They must wait outside in their designated area until they are instructed to enter the building.
  • Learners may be held outside for a period of time and will need to be clothed appropriately for the weather conditions. 
  • Movement around the school will be limited. 
  • Learners should follow staff instructions and only leave the classroom when directed. 
  • Learners should follow social distancing guidelines at all times.

Break and Lunch Arrangements

  • Learners will remain in their designated classrooms at break time.
  • Learners can pre-order their lunch. In the initial weeks we will only be able to offer a cold menu. Learners can bring a packed lunch.
  • Learners are encouraged to bring healthy snacks, including a full water bottle. Fizzy drinks are not permitted on site and will be disposed of.  
  • Kepier will operate the split lunchtime outlined below:
    • Years 7, 11 and 9H will have their lunch between 11.40am and 12.20pm;
    • Year 11 will be allowed to leave the site if we have received prior permission from a parent or carer. Learners who demonstrate poor behaviour either in school or in the community will not be able to go out for their lunch.
    • Years 8, 10 and 9K will have their lunch from 12.30 -1.10pm. 
  • At lunchtime, learners must remain within a specific area for their year group bubble. All learners will have access to internal and external areas during this time.
  • In the event of adverse weather conditions, all learners will be directed to stay indoors.
  • Payment for pre-ordered lunches will be processed by the catering team. Parents and carers should ensure appropriate funds are available on ParentPay.
  • The allowance for learners who are eligible for Free School Meals will be credited automatically

Uniform

  • All learners will be expected to wear full school uniform. On days when they have Core PE they must wear their PE kit.
  • PE staff will ensure contact is made to remind learners that they have PE – message through Class Charts. 
  • Learners who follow the Football Academy programme should attend school in their full school uniform. They will be able to change into their training kit as part of the timetabled session. All FA learners will be expected to bring their own full drinks bottle with them.

Behaviour

  • Kepier continues to have high expectations of all learners at all times.
  • Behaviour which puts others at risk will not be tolerated. Amendments to the behaviour policy have been implemented and are available to view via the Class Charts Announcement.
  • Mobile phones need to be turned off once learners enter the site.
  • Kepier’s expectations on jewellery, makeup, headphones, chewing gum, etc. remain unchanged.

Attendance

  • Government guidance states that school attendance will be mandatory from September.
  • If your child is absent for any reason, please contact Kepier before 8.30am on the first day of their absence. We will require a reason for their absence.
  • We will follow normal procedures regarding non-attendance. 

Hygiene

  • Hand sanitising will be available for learners on entry to the building. There are additional hand sanitizer stations around the building.
  • We will promote the cleaning of hands regularly in the school environment.
  • We will be insisting that all staff and learners ensure that when sneezing and coughing they have tissues and dispose of them appropriately (‘catch it, bin it, kill it’) and avoid touching their mouth, nose and eyes with hands. 
  • Classrooms, toilets, corridors door handles and handrails alongside other high touch surfaces will be cleaned regularly. 
  • Toilets will be available for all learners to access with additional cleaning throughout  the school day. 

Displaying symptoms and First Aid

  • Kepier will continue to offer First Aid, although, wherever possible, social distancing will be maintained.
  • If a parent thinks that their child has symptoms of coronavirus, they MUST NOT attend school. Parents can ring 119 to request a test kit for their child.
  • If a learner in school thinks that they are experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus, they must immediately tell a member of staff.
  • A learner with symptoms of the virus will be immediately isolated by a member of staff wearing appropriate PPE.
  • The parents / carers of a learner who has symptoms of coronavirus will be contacted and they must IMMEDIATELY attend the school to remove their child from the school premises.
  • Learners will be allowed to attend school again after either:
    • 14 days isolation or 
    • a negative test is shown.
  • Any siblings of a learner who is experiencing symptoms of coronavirus will be sent home with their sibling and be subject to Government guidance on self isolation.
  • If there is a positive test within a bubble, Kepier will follow the advice of Public Health England at that time.
  • There is a bespoke learning package available online for learners who are self isolating. This must be followed as soon as they are identified as being off school for this reason adhering to the following: 
    • be contactable during required times (taking into account that learners may not always be in front of a device the entire time);
    • complete work to the deadline set by teachers;
    • seek help if they need it, from teachers or teaching assistants;
    • alert teachers if they’re not able to complete work via Class Charts or Email;
    • use proper online conduct, such as using appropriate language in messages.
  • If you are self isolating, you should ensure that the Government guidelines are followed. 

I appreciate there is a lot of information outlined above and I hope it answers any queries you may have. If you have any further queries, please contact info@kepier.com 

Kepier, and the Coalfields Community has always been unique in its strength and unity. However in recent times this has been even more evident.

The staff has very much appreciated your kind messages, emails and thoughtful comments throughout these difficult times.

I would like to end by taking this opportunity once again to thank you for your continued support and look forward to welcoming the learners back to school in September.

Mrs N. Ashton 

Principal

 

GCSE Exam Appeals Process Summer 2020

26th August 2020Nicola Ashton

GENERAL INFORMATION

Learners were awarded Centre Assessed Grades (CAG) in GCSEs the Summer of 2020 due to the cancellation of exams. 

If you have concerns about your Centre Assessed Grades you should firstly speak to the School and we will look into the grounds for an appeal to the exam boards on your behalf. Please telephone: 0191 512 8960 and provide your name and telephone number.  You can also email: exams@kepier.com

There will be an opportunity for any learner to take the full suite of GCSE exams in the autumn.  These exams will take place from Monday, 2 November 2020 to Monday, 23 November 2020.

The current Appeals Process is outlined by Ofqual here: 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/911286/6671_Student_guide_to_post-16_qualifications_results_-_summer_2020.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/910603/6672_-_What_to_do_if_you_have_concerns_or_questions_about_your_grades.pdf

The criteria for the grounds to appeal may change and if this is the case, we will inform you as soon as any updates are available.

INFORMATION FOR LEARNERS

The APPEALS Process

  • Initial contact should be made with the school via exams@kepier.com
  • Your concern will be passed to the Assistant Principal with oversight for exams.  Contact will be made |(within 2 working days) with you to discuss your concerns. 
  • The Assistant Principal will look into the grounds for appeal taking into account the following appeal criteria laid out by Ofqual: 
    • The school will check to establish if a mistake has been made when data was submitted to the exam board and an appeal will be made on your behalf.
    • The school will appeal to the exam board on your behalf if it believes that the exam board made a mistake when communicating your grade.
    • The exam board appeals process cannot be used to challenge your Centre Assessed Grade of Rank Order position. You must follow the School’s complaints process here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/18RfwU9CUrD-dd68alqGBC4HSiSunB8ly/view 
    • You cannot appeal because your mock result was higher than your grade.  
  • In the first instance the Assistant Principal with oversight for exams will make an assessment of any grounds to appeal and will check the clerical processes.  If the Assistant Principal (Exams)  is confident that no error has been made a decision will be made that there are no grounds for appeal. 
  • If the learner still wishes to make an appeal they can ask for this decision to be reviewed.  In this case the review will be passed to the Principal . The Principal will make the final decision on whether to support an appeal.  The Principal’s decision is final.
  • Those learners who would like to improve their grade can enter the Autumn Series of exams. 
  • Ofqual will have accessible information about the procedure for learners and families to follow and set up a helpline where appeals can be discussed.

AUTUMN EXAMS

  • Will take place Monday, 2 November 2020 – Monday, 23 November 2020.
  • Exam dates and times for each subject are to be confirmed.
  • If you wish to be entered for an exam in the Autumn series, please contact the School by  25th September for English and/or  Maths and 10th September 2020 for all other subjects.
  • All results will be based on performance in exams alone and not on any Non-Exam Assessment (NEA). The exception to this will be Art & Design/Graphics.
  • Normal arrangements for reviews of marking and appeals will be used. 
  • Learners can only be entered for these exams if they would have taken them in summer 2020. 

NOTE: FOR SUMMER 2020 EXAM SERIES ONLY, THESE ARRANGEMENTS SUPERSEDE KEPIER’S POLICY FOR ‘POST-RESULTS SERVICES, APPEALS, ENQUIRIES ABOUT RESULTS’.

Arrangements for Results Day – Thursday 20th August 2020

17th August 2020Nicola Ashton

We would like to invite you to receive your exam results on Thursday 20th August.  Please attend at the time stated in the table below.  Results will be issued outside, in the area next to The Pod.  In the event of bad weather, results will be issued in the canteen, and you will enter the canteen via the side entrance, near The Pod.  It is important that you attend at your allocated coaching group time to ensure that we can facilitate issuing results as safely as possible.  Please follow the social distancing measure that will be in place.

Coaching Group No. of Learners Time Slot
11.1 18 9am
11.3 20 9.15
11.4 18 9.30
11.5 20 9.45
11.6 17 10.00
11.7 19 10.15
11.8 15 10.30
11.9 18 10.45
11.11 19 11.00
SEMH 5 By appointment with Mrs Read or Mr Lawson 

If you cannot attend at your given time, results will be emailed to your school email address.  Please ensure that you save any documents from the email, so that you do not lose access to them when your email account is deactivated at the end of August.  If you do not have access to your school email account, can you please contact the school in advance, either by telephone to 0191 5128960, or by email to exams@kepier.com;  we will then contact ICT Support, on your behalf.

Information on Kepier Opening to all Learners in September 2020

16th July 2020Nicola Ashton

Dear Parent/Carer

I hope that you and your family are well and continue to keep safe during these difficult and unprecedented times. I know that all the staff are looking forward to welcoming the learners back to school in September.

As you may be aware, the Government published guidance on 2nd July stating all learners will return to school in September, full time. The information in this letter outlines how Kepier intends for this to happen encomposining the following principles.

  1. The safety of all learners and staff is our priority.
  2. We will implement all of the system controls specified in the DfE guidance and will actively consider all other aspects of the guidance.
  3. We will continue to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, expertly delivered by well trained and qualified specialist teachers.
  4. All subjects will continue to be taught to all year groups. Some subject level adaptations may be required, to ensure adherence with safety guidelines.

It is important to note that the plans outlined below are subject to change, should the Government change their guidelines before September. If this should happen, we will communicate any changes with you as soon as possible.

Year Group Arrangements

  • The Government recommends that schools reduce the contact between staff and learners; to facilitate this learners will be placed in ‘year group bubbles’.
  • Learners are expected to keep their distance from learners in other year groups and outside their family home.
  • Learners’ coaching groups in years 8 and 9 will be regrouped to facilitate reduced movement.
  • Learners will be taught in zoned areas for the majority of their subjects. For some subjects, including PE, ICT and KS4 options, learners will be guided to specialist teaching spaces.
  • All learners will be advised of the safety measures in place on their first day in school. 
  • To ensure learners are taught by subject specialist teachers, staff will teach in multiple classrooms. In line with guidance, staff are required to keep their distance from learners and other staff as much as possible.
  • Learners will be provided with all equipment they require except a scientific calculator which we are unable to supply.
  • Where movement is required, senior leaders and pastoral staff will oversee this.

Access to the Site including Transport Arrangements

  • Learners are encouraged where possible not to use public transport; they should consider walking or cycling (the bike shed will be relocated to the front of the school site).
  • If learners use public transport they must adhere to the Government guidelines on wearing face coverings.
  • Learners should not walk to and from school with learners from other year groups unless they reside in the same household.
  • If learners from the same household or year group bubble meet on the way to or from school, they need to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
  • Learners who are travelling by car should be dropped off at the main gates. 
  • Learners who travel by a local authority taxi or have a medical condition requiring them to be dropped closer to the school entrance are allowed to do so but need to have prior permission from Mr Van-Lindon, Senior Leader – Pastoral.
  • Learners should follow the guidance on social distancing when entering the site. 
  • Signage will be displayed around the site directing learners of their entry points.
  • Learners will be able to pick up a grab and go breakfast on the way to their zone, water can be purchased.  
  • Learners will be dismissed from the building by members of the leadership team from 2.50pm.

Below is a table for when learners should arrive on site and where to go:

Tuesday 1/9/20 Wednesday 2/9/20 Thursday 3/9/20 Friday 4/9/20 W/C 7/9/20 onwards
Y7
INSET DAY
 8.30 – Main Entrance 8.10 – Main Entrance 8.10 – Main Entrance 8.10 – Main Entrance
Y8
9.30 – Main Entrance 8.15 – Community Sports Gate 8.15 – Community Sports Gate
Y9 11.00 – Main Entrance 8.15 – Canteen Side Gate (at front of School) 8.15 – Canteen Side Gate (at front of School)
Y10
9.30 – Main Entrance 8.25 – Main Entrance
Y11 11.00 – Main Entrance 8.25 – Community Sports Gate

Moving Around School

  • Learners must enter the school building via their designated entry points. They must wait outside in their designated area until they are instructed to enter the building.
  • Learners may be held outside for a period of time and will need to be clothed appropriately for the weather conditions. 
  • Movement around the school will be limited. 
  • Learners should follow staff instructions and only leave the classroom when directed. 
  • Learners should follow social distancing guidelines at all times.

Break and Lunch Arrangements

  • Learners will remain in their designated classrooms at break time.
  • Learners can pre-order their lunch. In the initial weeks we will only be able to offer a cold menu. Learners can bring a packed lunch.
  • Learners are encouraged to bring healthy snacks, including a full water bottle. Fizzy drinks are not permitted on site and will be disposed of.  
  • Kepier will operate the split lunchtime outlined below:
    • Years 7, 11 and 9H will have their lunch between 11.40am and 12.20pm;
    • Year 11 will be allowed to leave the site if we have received prior permission from a parent or carer. Learners who demonstrate poor behaviour either in school or in the community will not be able to go out for their lunch.
    • Years 8, 10 and 9K will have their lunch from 12.30 -1.10pm. 
  • At lunchtime, learners must remain within a specific area for their year group bubble. All learners will have access to internal and external areas during this time.
  • In the event of adverse weather conditions, all learners will be directed to stay indoors.
  • Payment for pre-ordered lunches will be processed by the catering team. Parents and carers should ensure appropriate funds are available on ParentPay.
  • The allowance for learners who are eligible for Free School Meals will be credited automatically

Uniform

  • All learners will be expected to wear full school uniform. On days when they have Core PE they must wear their PE kit.
  • PE staff will ensure contact is made to remind learners that they have PE – message through Class Charts. 
  • Learners who follow the Football Academy programme should attend school in their full school uniform. They will be able to change into their training kit as part of the timetabled session. All FA learners will be expected to bring their own full drinks bottle with them.

Behaviour

  • Kepier continues to have high expectations of all learners at all times.
  • Behaviour which puts others at risk will not be tolerated. Amendments to the behaviour policy have been implemented and are available to view via the Class Charts Announcement.
  • Mobile phones need to be turned off once learners enter the site.
  • Kepier’s expectations on jewellery, makeup, headphones, chewing gum, etc. remain unchanged.

Attendance

  • Government guidance states that school attendance will be mandatory from September.
  • If your child is absent for any reason, please contact Kepier before 8.30am on the first day of their absence. We will require a reason for their absence.
  • We will follow normal procedures regarding non-attendance. 

Hygiene

  • Hand sanitising will be available for learners on entry to the building. There are additional hand sanitizer stations around the building.
  • We will promote the cleaning of hands regularly in the school environment.
  • We will be insisting that all staff and learners ensure that when sneezing and coughing they have tissues and dispose of them appropriately (‘catch it, bin it, kill it’) and avoid touching their mouth, nose and eyes with hands. 
  • Classrooms, toilets, corridors door handles and handrails alongside other high touch surfaces will be cleaned regularly. 
  • Toilets will be available for all learners to access with additional cleaning throughout  the school day. 

Displaying symptoms and First Aid

  • Kepier will continue to offer First Aid, although, wherever possible, social distancing will be maintained.
  • If a parent thinks that their child has symptoms of coronavirus, they MUST NOT attend school. Parents can ring 119 to request a test kit for their child.
  • If a learner in school thinks that they are experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus, they must immediately tell a member of staff.
  • A learner with symptoms of the virus will be immediately isolated by a member of staff wearing appropriate PPE.
  • The parents / carers of a learner who has symptoms of coronavirus will be contacted and they must IMMEDIATELY attend the school to remove their child from the school premises.
  • Learners will be allowed to attend school again after either:
    • 14 days isolation or 
    • a negative test is shown.
  • Any siblings of a learner who is experiencing symptoms of coronavirus will be sent home with their sibling and be subject to Government guidance on self isolation.
  • If there is a positive test within a bubble, Kepier will follow the advice of Public Health England at that time.
  • There is a bespoke learning package available online for learners who are self isolating. This must be followed as soon as they are identified as being off school for this reason adhering to the following: 
    • be contactable during required times (taking into account that learners may not always be in front of a device the entire time);
    • complete work to the deadline set by teachers;
    • seek help if they need it, from teachers or teaching assistants;
    • alert teachers if they’re not able to complete work via Class Charts or Email;
    • use proper online conduct, such as using appropriate language in messages.
  • If you are self isolating, you should ensure that the Government guidelines are followed. 

I appreciate there is a lot of information outlined above and I hope it answers any queries you may have. If you have any further queries, please contact info@kepier.com 

Kepier, and the Coalfields Community has always been unique in its strength and unity. However in recent times this has been even more evident.

The staff has very much appreciated your kind messages, emails and thoughtful comments throughout these difficult times.

I would like to end by taking this opportunity once again to thank you for your continued support and look forward to welcoming the learners back to school in September.

Mrs N. Ashton 

Principal

 

Y10 Face to Face Sessions w/c Monday 22nd June

21st June 2020Nicola Ashton

The safety and wellbeing of our school Community is our main priority.  We have taken measures to ensure all Government guidelines have been followed. 

 

General expectations and learner conduct
  • Our staff have the highest possible expectations of our learners. When they return, we want them to feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible, whilst acknowledging this is not “normal”. We are very confident that as a community, everyone will pull together to ensure we all take responsibility for ourselves and each other. If this happens, we are confident the environment at school will be productive, positive and most importantly, safe.
  • A safety briefing will be given to all learners on their first time in the building. 
Curriculum offer 
  • Until the end of term, Kepier will offer some face to face teaching for year 10 learners. 
  • The table below outlines your child’s start and finish time each week:
W/B 22.06.20 W/B 29.06.20 W/B 06.06.20 W/B 13.07.20
Start 8.30am 8.50am  8.50am 8.50am 
Finish 12.30pm 11.50am  12.30pm 11.50am 
Social distancing
  • Learners will be expected to maintain a 2m social distance at all times. 
  • Signage has been installed both inside and outside of the building.
  • Class sizes have been reduced to a maximum of 9 learners.
  • No more than 25% of Year 10 will be on site at any one time.
Hand washing / sanitation
  • All Learners and staff will wash their hands or use hand sanitiser on entering the school.  
  • Additional Hand Sanitizer units have been installed around the building.
  • Learners will be reminded to use Hand Sanitizer throughout their time in the building.
Doors / handles
  • Where possible doors will be propped open in order to prevent handles being touched. 
Uniform
  • Learners are expected to wear their PE Uniform whilst on the premises. This is to ensure washing of clothes is as easy as possible for families. 
  • These should be cleaned before wearing to school the following session.
Equipment
  • Kepier will provide all equipment which is required for their sessions in school until the end of term apart from the scientific calculator.
Break and Lunch
  • Learners will be able to preorder from a limited menu.
  • Refreshments at break will be eaten in the classroom they are based in.
  • A packed lunch is available for collection when leaving the building.
  • Please ensure learners’ Parent Pay accounts are in credit.
Toilets
  • Toilets will be cleaned regularly during the day.
  • Learners will be able to use the toilets throughout the session to avoid any groups gathering.

 
Learners  displaying  symptoms of COVID-19
  • Any learner or member of their household displaying symptoms of COVID-19 should follow government guidelines on self-isolating.
  • Any learner displaying symptoms of COVID-19 should request a test by visiting the NHS website.
  • Learners who start to display symptoms of COVID-19 should report this immediately to their teacher. Learners will be placed in a designated COVID-19 First Aid room and parents / carers contacted to collect immediately. 
Transport
  • Learners should make their own way to the school site. Any Parent transporting their child in a car, can access the school site, but should leave immediately after dropping off. 
  • Learners who are travelling on public transport should check the transport provider’s timetable and follow government guideline for use of public transport. 
  • Please do not arrange to give lifts to children outside of your household.
Access to school buildings
  • There is no access for Parents / Carers whilst the Learners are in school. If you need to discuss anything urgently with a member of staff, please telephone the main school office on 0191 5128960, and they will do their best to assist you.
Leaving school
  • Learners will leave school at their identified time – at the end of each morning session. We will ask that strict social distancing rules are applied. Learners should not congregate or wait for their friends.
School closure
  • In the event that the school needs to be closed, Parents and Carers will be informed as soon as possible. Learner safety is our main priority.

 

 

Key Stage 3 update, June 2020

17th June 2020Nicola Ashton

Dear Parent / Carer, 

I hope you and your family continue to keep safe and well during these very difficult times. On Monday June 15th, the government amended its advice to secondary schools to include ‘face to face’ meetings for all learners to supplement their remote learning. 

Kepier will be holding the following consultation sessions:

Year Group  Session information 
7 Tuesday 14th July 2020 between 1pm and 3pm 

Wednesday 15th July 2020 between 9.30am and 4.30pm 

Thursday 16th July 2020 between 1pm and 3pm 
8 Tuesday 7th July 2020 between 1pm and 3pm 

Wednesday 8th July 2020 between 9.30am and 4.30pm 

Thursday 9th July 2020 between 1pm and 3pm 
9 Tuesday 23rd June 2020 between 1pm and 3pm 

Wednesday 24th June 2020 between 9.30am and 4.30pm 

Thursday 25th June 2020 between 1pm and 3pm 

You will receive a text message with a link to an online form, please complete this form expressing which session you are able to attend. Kepier will confirm a 20 minute appointment. During these sessions your child’s Coach will share feedback from all of your child’s teachers regarding the home learning which has taken place and offer further support as needed.

Best wishes

Nicola Ashton

Principal

Y10 Support

17th June 2020Nicola Ashton

Year 10 Parent Consultations have taken place over the last few days and I would like to thank all parents and learners who have attended. It has been great to see so many families and I know staff, learners and parents have really appreciated the contact.

The Government guidelines have been amended this week and we are pleased to confirm we can now offer some face to face contact with all year groups, as long as we ensure there are limited learners on site at any particular time.

We are now able to offer some face to face teaching and support to Y10  learners until the end of the academic year, to supplement the remote learning we will continue to provide.

From w/c 22nd June, we will be offering learners one session per week of face to face academic support, covering all subjects they study with subject specialists.  Further details on when your child is to attend School will be sent via text before the end of Thursday 18th June.  All activities will follow the Government safety guidelines and each group will be a maximum of nine learners. Learners will be placed in a specific group and due to timetabling complexities, we cannot accommodate any movement.

Equipment will be provided and learners will need to attend wearing their school PE Kit.  If there are any concerns regarding PE kit, please contact info@kepier.com or Mrs Parker : (07513819429).

A limited food menu will be available on the day and therefore please ensure your Parentpay account has sufficient funds.

The offer, as outlined above, will be for all Y10 learners and if you do not wish your child to participate in the face to face sessions, please let us know by replying to the text sent.