Dear parents and carers
Testing is well underway with students who have consent and we are looking forward to welcoming all students back, full-time, on Monday 15th March. Year 11 and year 13 are still returning on Friday 12th March.
We want to assure you that, as has been the case throughout the coronavirus crisis, we will ensure the school is as safe as it possibly can be. Your child’s health, and the health of all our students and staff, is the most important factor always for us.
We will be operating under similar Covid guidance as the autumn term; students will remain in their year group bubbles in their designated zone. They will enter and exit the school site through the same allocated gates and they will follow the same timetable as the autumn term with separate breaks and lunches for each year group with an earlier finish each day for year 7 (Monday: 4pm, Tuesday-Thursday: 3pm, Friday: 1.05pm).
Ventilation and hand washing/sanitising are still key. Windows and doors in classrooms will remain open. Changing facilities are still limited so on the days that students have a PE lesson, they should attend wearing their PE kit.
The Department for Education has said the use of face coverings in schools is now recommended in more settings. The guidance states that face coverings must be worn by all students when moving around the school and strongly recommends that they are worn in the classroom – unless two-metre social distancing can be maintained. Your child should already have an appropriate face covering for other settings such as shops and we request that you send your child to school each day with a mask. We would ask that these face coverings are multiple-use, are as plain as possible and without any offensive or aggressive words or images on them. If you are unable to access one, please do contact the school directly so that we can provide the necessary support. If there is a medical reason where a student is unable to wear a mask, please email [email protected].
It is vitally important that students come to school with the equipment required to learn and be ready to learn. The minimum equipment that will be needed is a pencil case with a pen, pencil, ruler, calculator, pink and green highlighter and a pack of colouring pencils. Please ensure that your child has a warm coat with them every day given that windows in classrooms will be open.
We are transitioning to a new uniform supplier, A. Oakes remains our supplier until 1st June 2021. During the current lockdown, A.Oakes are opening both the Dudley and Oldbury stores for essential provisions on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. There is a call-ahead and pay-on-collection service at the Oldbury store available between 11am and 2pm. There is a pay-on-collection service (no call-ahead) at the Dudley store; phone calls to the Dudley office cannot be answered and this service is available between 11am and 2pm. We are aware of some difficulties obtaining uniform and if this is the case, please email [email protected] and we will assist you. Unless we hear from you, we expect to see students in full uniform on Monday.
Finally, if a student tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), please email [email protected]. It is imperative that we are made aware of any cases involving our students and their families so we can assist in close contacts and isolation.
Thank you for your continued support during these lockdowns, I sincerely hope that this is the last one. As you know, we have never closed and made sure that we have always been available to support our families. The staff at Forge have been incredibly dedicated in their commitment to the school and our community; I’m so proud of all they have done and I’m proud of our students and their families who have worked hard through trying times. We’ve stuck together and as we move forward, we will move together stronger and carry on supporting those who need us.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Lisa Mason
Principal
Ormiston Forge Academy