19 May 2021
Leaving Date for Year 11 Students
Students in Year 11 are currently completing their final assessments which will be used to inform their grades for this year. I would like to congratulate them for their hard work and focus during a very pressurised time.
We anticipate that these assessments will all be completed either at the end of this week or at the start of next week after which students will no longer need to attend College. We are monitoring the situation daily and we will inform you of the decision in due course; there is obviously little point in requiring students to attend all of their classes once all the assessments are finalised. However, I can confirm that the Year 11 timetable will still run, and staff will be in their classrooms should any student want or need to attend College to work after they are released from compulsory attendance.
Students will, however, still need to be available until Friday 18 June as further evidence may be required or portfolios still need to be signed off before the submission of grades.
After half term students will be provided with a remote progression package of post-16 subject resources, careers, mental health and wellbeing materials coupled with an invitation to attend the 6th Form induction day on Tuesday 6 July.
Year 11 Prom
We are waiting as long as we can before deciding on whether we can hold the Year 11 Prom this year with a real hope that we will be able to arrange something. As I am sure you will understand, it is very difficult to make financial and workload commitments at this present time when the future is so unclear and, as demonstrated this week with the concerns regarding the Indian variant of the virus, we do not know how things will develop over the next few months. We desperately want to arrange something to mark the end of this year for our Year 11, especially given what this year group have had to contend with, but we are still very cautious about arranging an indoor event of 250+ students with the potential consequences for students and staff.
I hope that the situation will be clearer once we see the impact of the most recent reopening of society and when we know more about the new variant. I will let you know our final decision as soon as possible but a reminder to students and parents to not make any financial decisions until we confirm that the Prom can go ahead.
Transition for Year 6 Students
Those parents who have younger children joining us in September will be keen to know what we are intending to do about transition arrangements this year. I have been liaising with Head Teacher colleagues at Tomlinscote, Kings International and our feeder schools, and we are trying to provide some consistent provision from all the secondary schools in Surrey Heath if at all possible.
The outline plan, at this stage, is that there will be a 1-day transition event on either Tuesday 29 June or Wednesday 30 June. The format for the day is something very difficult to decide on at the moment given the changing circumstances and the potential ramifications for staff and students here at Collingwood and at our feeder schools.
A final decision will be made in the very near future at which point all parents will be notified.
We do intend to provide a virtual presentation for Parents during that week and, again, final details will be confirmed soon.
Dates for your Diary
A reminder that we have our final early closure next week on Tuesday 25 May. Students will be set work to be completed at these times and they should obviously be working at home and not out in the community.
College Travel Plan and Walk to School Week
If you have not already had an opportunity to do so, I would like to encourage all parents and carers to read the letter I sent at the beginning of the week detailing some of the initiatives we have been working on to improve road safety around the site and promote active travel to College. Engagement from parents and carers with our plans in this area is very welcome.
Mr Tanner - Principal