This week we have taken time to ensure our pupils in Year 10 are ready to return to the classroom and understand that differences we have had to make around the school to accommodate smaller groups and ensure everyone’s safety. These include our new external sinks to support good hand hygiene, one way systems, new signage and rearranged classrooms!

We were pleased to be able to meet with so many Year 10 pupils face to face and to call others over the telephone. These conversations, which often included a parent too, provided us all with opportunities to catch up and reflect on what is going well and what is not going quite so well. We were able to offer reassurance and provide direction as well as respond to any questions. It is important that all of our pupils now look forward and begin to build on what they know and understand.

While the vast majority of pupils have made their best endeavours to stay connected with us through Show My Homework and their live lessons in MS Teams and have made good progress, we recognise there will inevitably be some gaps and we will be using the outcomes of our conversations and the online assessments our pupils have recently completed to inform our planning.

From Monday 22 June 2020, pupils in Year 10 will have the opportunity to return to school one day a week and we will be providing face to face teaching in English, Maths and Science. The day will also include a wellbeing session and a live lesson in one of their option subjects in MS Teams. These lessons will be taught by subject specialists and will be planned to supplement their remote learning which the government currently sees as the main form of education delivery. Over the other 4 days in each week, pupils in Year 10 should continue to engage in their MS Teams lessons and complete the tasks assigned to them by the class teachers. See New Timetables...

We are looking forward to welcoming our pupils back to school and we ask everyone to observe the social distancing measures we have put in place.

Parent: ‘Deer Park School have provided opportunities which has kept our daughter fully engaged in her learning. When speaking to other parents with children at other schools, Deer Park is ahead with online learning opportunities and the number of days being offered for face to face learning. I recognise the importance of social interactions and have been really impressed how the children are supporting each other during lockdown. I have valued the newsletters, learning bundles, interim reports and most of all feel all your teachers have been amazing throughout lockdown.’