26th Mar, 2021
Update - 26 March, 2021
Pupils returning to school
We are delighted at having been able to welcome back to school Years 11 - 13 over the past 2 weeks and Year 10 who joined them this week. We look forward to seeing all pupils back in school on 12 April (after the Easter holiday).
As a welcome back "celebration" yesterday, all pupils/ students were able to enjoy a complimentary lunch provided in the school dining hall.
Morning arrangements
We would like to remind pupils of the arrangements for the start of the day and break times.
08.30 - 08.45 arrival of pupils on site (facilitates a staggered start)
08.45 - 09.10 Registration (pupils go to their lesson 1 classroom at 08.45)
09.10 - 10.10 lesson 1
Break and lunch time will be staggered in the following way from 12 April 2021.
Session 1 - Y7 and Y11
Session 2 - Y9 and Y12
Session 3 - Y8, Y10 and Y13
Teachers will be on duty in a formal supervisory capacity from 8.30am.
Members of staff will be present on the school site from 8.00am each morning.
If pupils in Years 7 - 11 arrive in school in the morning before 8.30am, they must not then leave the site for any reason (for example to go into Cowbridge town centre). Should any pupil disregard this instruction, please be aware that they will not be under any form of staff supervision and the school cannot take responsibility for them during this time. Secondly, the pupil concerned may be subject to disciplinary processes in school.
If pupils do have reason to be in Cowbridge before or after school, we would encourage them to be mindful of other members of the local community, behave in a considerate manner and to try to maintain appropriate social distancing when coming into contact with other people. We will be reminding all pupils regarding these expectations.
Pupils are expected to arrive at school in good time for registration and the first lesson which begins at 8.45am. This means that pupils should arrive in school at least 10 minutes before this time to enable them to make their way to their classrooms for the start of lessons.
Face coverings
All pupils will need to wear face coverings in all classrooms and all indoor areas, except when they are sat down in the dining hall consuming food or drink.
School uniform
In last week's Parentmail update we reminded all parents/ carers regarding expectations in relation to school uniform. Please see below for a reminder:
"We understand that many families have faced different circumstances and challenges over the last few months. Pupils and students have been out of their normal routine. They may also have physically grown since they were last in school.
We are anxious to avoid any conflict with pupils or parents regarding school uniform. The return of pupils to school should be a positive experience for all concerned. Therefore, we would encourage you to contact us as soon as possible if your child is likely to have difficulty in complying with the School's uniform requirements. For example, we might be able to help in cases of financial hardship which has resulted in problems in obtaining items of school uniform.
We would be very grateful for your full cooperation on this matter. Any outstanding issues related to school uniform should be addressed by the return of all pupils to school on 12 April 2021.
Please see below for further details.
Since Years 11, 12 and 13 have returned to school this week, it is noticeable that a number of our young people are wearing leggings which are similar to sporting attire. These are often overly tight and, in some cases, virtually see through. Therefore, they must not be worn.
Trousers should be "tailored" in nature and not overly tight. Leggings are not to be worn.
Skirts if worn must be no more than 5cm above the knee.
Jeans in any colour are not part of the school uniform.
Hooded tops are not to be worn.
The school jumper and an appropriate top coat should be worn.
Footwear must be black and plain with no coloured logos".
Thank you in anticipation of your support on this matter.
Centre Determined Grades (CDGs)
Detailed information was sent to relevant parents/ carers 2 weeks ago. Last week a detailed timeline of activities was sent to all parents/ carers. Since then, subject teachers have been in the process of completing their teaching, learning and assessment plans which outline the approach to CDG assessments in each area. Relevant details will continue to be shared with students in each subject.
Please note that the CDG process is not the same as a traditional exam season. Students will sit a number of assessments in class in most subject areas. Teachers will be able to guide students through the process step by step. This will enable a "portfolio" of evidence to be brought together for each student in each subject. A "best fit" grade judgement is then applied by teachers based on the evidence available.
We would encourage all students to talk to their teachers and listen carefully to their advice during the CDG process. Students will be assessed on their knowledge, skills and understanding. In many cases assessment tasks have been broken down into smaller units or tasks and students have been or will be given clear guidance on the content. Content has been reduced where possible to take into account the time away from school experienced by students. Teachers will also continue to provide key information in lessons and if appropriate on Google Classroom. It is also important that students fully engage in their learning over this period, as assessment activities will be incorporated into the overall teaching and learning plan for each subject. Teachers have had very little time to put plans in place for these assessments and are sharing information with students as soon as they are able to. We continue to receive updated information almost on a daily basis from Qualifications Wales and the WJEC.
Please be assured that we always have our students’ welfare at the centre of what we do and will support them so that they are able to achieve their very best. We hope all students in examination years will take time over Easter to relax but that they also use the time to consider and act on the advice offered by teachers to prepare for the weeks ahead. Please emphasise to your child to ask us if they need any help, support or guidance. We will do all we can to help.
We wish all families an enjoyable and relaxing Easter holiday.