SJP6941

From the Headmaster…

Posted: 22nd February 2021

Dear Parents

At the end of what must be the most intense and challenging half terms any of us can remember, I wanted to express my abject appreciation for the staff who have produced an online offering which has been matchless. The energy, commitment, engagement and patience shown by them all have been truly professional and heart-warming to see and hear about.

In addition to members of the leadership team being in regular contact with all the staff, Sam Selby, a Bellevue Education Director, observed a wide range of our lessons last week and fed back to the leadership team with her observations which concluded that Holmwood teachers are working their socks off!  She enjoyed the level of challenge she saw, as well as the range of open-ended tasks for the children.  The differentiation achieved by using break out rooms and small groups was also a feature.

Thank you to those parents who completed the Online Learning Parent Survey in which there was a shining endorsement of the provision we have put in place. Nearly 94% of parents rated the school’s online learning provision as strong or very strong. 95% of parents felt the provision equalled or exceeded the provision in place during last year’s lockdown, and nearly 92% felt the balance of live and pre-recorded learning was correct.  The extremely positive feedback on the provision has been a huge boost for morale as we go into the well-deserved half-term holiday break.

We also recognize the role you, as parents, have played, especially with the younger children. I am delighted to hear from parents of older children that their independence is markedly piqued and their sense of ownership is a hallmark of their learning.

We expect that the planned reopening on 8 March will enable the school to operate in a similar fashion to the autumn term 2020, and expect to be running the same curriculum and range of care and clubs. The publication of full re-opening guidance is expected to be published by the Government on 22 February and following this we will advise the school community of any adjustments to our operation in light of the full document.  In order to allow the school to transition from online to face to face learning, we will be suspending learning for one working day before re-opening, in order to enable staff to prepare the school for your children to return in the safest environment possible.  We will confirm the date of this in due course.

I very much hope you all have a good half-term break. Everyone is exhausted; the pupils, the staff and, no doubt, yourselves. Take a break. Enjoy some family time away from screens and enjoy each other.

With best wishes

Alexander Mitchell
Headmaster

Categories: Headmaster's Blog News


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