Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope you and your families are all well and managed to enjoy the half term. We have been able to enjoy some lovely spring weather which has been a welcome change given the current circumstance.
As you would have seen on Monday, the Prime Minister set out the next phase of the Government’s response to coronavirus (COVID-19), including where restrictions on attendance at education settings can be lifted. We will be opening the Academy from 8 March and attendance will be mandatory for all students, with secondary schools able to phase return over the week to allow students to be offered testing on their return. Asymptomatic testing is already available for our academy workforce. We have also been able to offer testing of Critical Worker and Vulnerable students, and we are now planning the most effective way to put this in place for all students across the week of the 8 March as they return. Mass testing remains voluntary but I would strongly urge all parents and carers to support us by providing consent as this will enable us to support the prevention of further COVID cases being transmitted. This will also supplement all other safety measures in place. To reassure you, we carry out a deep clean of the site regularly and this will continue along with all high traffic areas being frequently cleaned throughout the day.
As you would expect we will review this guidance and communicate our detailed plan and expectations to you, at the beginning of next week. In preparation for our return to school I would appreciate it if parents/carers can take the time this week to organise students and prepare them for our return.
Uniform and Standards
Smart uniform conveys a sense of pride in self, pride in learning and pride in the Academy and community that students are a member of. Students must wear full school uniform on their return to the Academy. Please check that their uniform still fits them correctly, it is common for children to have growth spurts throughout the year and if new uniform is needed please use our suppliers Uniformbase Ltd, 11 Railway Street, Chatham; Telephone number 01634 407217, or visit their website at www.uniformbase.co.uk or School Time, 23 Railway Street, Chatham; Telephone number 01634 831684 or visit their website at www.schooltime.co.uk
Please also ensure your child has black formal leather shoes that protect their feet fully – black plimsolls, walking boots, canvas shoes, trainers or slip-ons are not permitted. If your child needs new shoes as the previous pair are too small, you can measure your feet at home and here is some guidance about how you can do this and the sizes you may need to buy:
https://www.clarks.co.uk/measureandfit-at-home
https://www.apexfoot.com/shoe-sizing-chart/
Sanctions will be set for those students who fail to abide by the Academy’s Uniform Policy.
We appreciate the efforts made by parents and carers in supporting us with maintaining high expectations and standards.
In addition, for those families who are facing challenging financial circumstances, we have access to a Learner Support Fund and can contribute towards the purchase of uniform. Please apply in writing to Miss Lindsay, Vice Principal using the email address: info@stroodacademy.org
As the weather is warming up a reminder of school uniform:
- Black ankle socks for girls or plain black tights
- No outdoor coats or hoodies to be worn onsite or in the school building as these will be confiscated
- No trainers apart from PE days
- PE kits should be worn to school on the days when it is timetabled. We are now asking students to wear their blazers on top of their PE kit. This will enable students to carry masks and also maintain consistency in uniform. Please do not allow any hooded sweatshirts to be worn.
Well-being Day Friday 5th March
The purpose of this day is for students to engage in learning/life skills activities that are away from a computer.
No live learning tasks will be set on this day by subject teachers but a range of activities will be provided for students to participate in. More details will follow and the hub provision will still be available for critical workers and vulnerable students.
Thank you again for your ongoing patience, support and commitment to home learning for all of these months, you have all done an incredible job and we are very excited to welcome our students back to school.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs N Anwar
Principal
