Dear Parents and Carers,

Throughout this academic year we have spent time reviewing our operations in order to facilitate education in a Covid compliant manner. It has been a balance between ensuring that the transmission risk of Covid remains as low as possible whilst provided as broad a curriculum as we can. During this time some things have suffered – for example access to specialist rooms has been minimised. From Monday 7^th June 2021 we will implement some important changes that I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of.

The main aims of these changes are:

1. To ensure that students access and benefit from the specialist teaching areas across the school. 
2. To enable staff to deliver their subject from their designated subject classrooms. 
3. To maintain a Covid secure environment through cleaning regimes and year group bubbles.

After half-term students will have lessons in a wider range of rooms than before. This will see year groups having more movement around the site. Students will remain in year bubbles for all lessons, tutor group, break and lunch times. We will keep the year group arrival areas and maintain the staggered finish to the end of the school day. 

In order to facilitate these changes, the following measure will be in place.

1. A one-way system around school including the use of external doors and areas as much as possible. 
2. The continued sanitation of desks and hands at the beginning of each lesson (on entry to the classroom)
3. Ventilation of classrooms both during and between lessons.

Junior School students will remain in the Junior School area for all their lessons.

PE kit should still be worn on PE days.

On Monday 7^th June the school day will start with an extended tutor time when these arrangements will be explained to students. They will receive a copy of their updated timetable and the one-way system will be explained to them.  We are confident that these changes to operations will enhance the student experience in school including the education that they are receiving. 

End of the school day timings

Half Term will see year 11 and year 13 no longer accessing lessons on site. In light of this and the above changes it is an opportunity to slightly change the staggered end of the day. From 7^th June the departure times will be:

 

Year Group	Departure Time
Junior School	2:45pm
Year 7	2:55pm
Year 8 and 9	3:00pm
Year 10 and 12	3:05pm
Buses will continue to leave at the current time of approx. 3:10pm

Covid Testing

Many thanks for your continued support of the at home lateral flow testing of students. This, in part, is to identify people who maybe carrying the Covid-19 virus but are asymptomatic. Please be aware that if you do develop symptoms then your household self-isolate and seek a PCR test. You should not rely on a lateral flow test if you are symptomatic.

The symptoms remain as:

1. A change, or loss, to smell or taste.
2. A high temperature.
3. A new, continuous cough.

If your child tests positive during the half-term break, then please inform school so that we can carry out any contact tracing that might be needed. This can be done by emailing covid@minster.notts.sch.uk

May I take this opportunity to wish you a restful Bank Holiday weekend and half-term break.

Ben Chaloner - Head Teacher