Pupils and staff at Deer Park have now settled into our new routines and we are all learning to live with uncertainty. We have been very impressed by our pupils, their positive attitudes to learning and readiness to adapt to change. They are coping well within their year group ‘bubbles’ and with our staggered breaks and lunch times. In spite of these differences, it is abundantly evident that they are pleased to be back in school.

It has been a privilege to drop into our home bases and listen to the learning that is taking place. I am extremely grateful to our teachers for their innovative planning and resourcefulness. We are all learning alongside each other in truly unprecedented circumstances.

Chiquita Henson, Headteacher

Since 3 September 2020, our pupils’ attendance has consistently been above the county and national averages. The government guidance is unequivocal: attendance at school is mandatory.

However, we appreciate that some members of our school community may need to self-isolate for up to 14 days because they have had symptoms of coronavirus or a positive test result themselves or because they are a close contact of someone who has a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19). Similarly, should we have a confirmed case of COVID-19 within our school, we are aware that we may be instructed to send a small group of pupils home or close an entire year group. Furthermore, should Cirencester become subject to national intervention we may be required to introduce a rota model or total lockdown.

Therefore, as a school and in line with government guidance, we are preparing for every eventuality and we remain determined to maintain the rhythm and momentum of learning. We are a resilient and creative organisation and, whatever the circumstances, we expect all of our pupils to continue to engage in their learning and stay connected with us. We will continue to challenge them to achieve more!

Our staff and pupils responded positively to the remote learning provision we made from March to July 2020 and we saw high levels of engagement. Our teachers adapted to teaching in MS Teams, totalling over 2,900 live lessons in this period, and we plan to build on these strong foundations, continue to support their training and develop the use of this resource alongside Show My Homework.

Our remote learning plan is summarised below:

Remote learning support for individual pupils who are self-isolating 

Remote learning support for small groups of pupils who are self-isolating 

Remote learning support for pupils in the event of a partial closure or rota model  

Remote learning support for pupils in the event of a local or national lockdown

Provision for vulnerable children and young people and children of critical workers 

In line with the government expectations for remote education, we will continue to

• use a curriculum sequence that allows access to high-quality online and offline resources and teaching videos, and that is linked to our school’s curriculum expectations;
• give access to high quality remote education resources;
• select the online tools that will be consistently used across the school in order to allow interaction, assessment and feedback, and make sure staff are trained in their use;
• provide printed resources, such as textbooks and workbooks, for pupils who do not have suitable online access;
• recognise that younger pupils and some pupils with SEND may not be able to access remote education without adult support, and so we will work with families to deliver our broad and ambitious curriculum.

Our remote learning plan explains how we will continue to teach our pupils and support their learning and progress whatever happens. It sets out the provision we will make for those learning at home as a result of the pandemic. However, our remote learning plan is not intended to provide an alternative to school attendance. We have a separate policy and procedure for pupils who cannot attend school for other long-term medical reasons.