Skip to content ↓

A High Performing Specialist Academy for Technology & Applied Learning

3 November 2021

COVID 

We are continuing to monitor the situation very carefully regarding staff and student COVID-related illness and absence.  At the time of writing, we have 6 staff and over 100 students absent.  Official Surrey County Council figures (for whole communities not just schools) suggest that Surrey Heath and Camberley are the highest and third highest of all Surrey areas, respectively, in terms of rates of COVID infections. 

These figures have made us reconsider our immediate and longer-term plans to try to reach a balance on what we think is right for the health and safety of our staff, students and families whilst considering the situation in the wider community.  As you know, the College has remained within government guidance throughout the pandemic and this guidance has subtly changed recently in that it now asks Head Teachers/Principals to prepare for a range of additional protective measures within the national contingency framework and not to necessarily wait for instructions from Public Health Teams but to make decisions appropriate to their context and what is happening in their schools. 

With this in mind, I have decided that it is necessary to implement the following additional measures to try to minimise transmission within the College. 

With immediate effect and up until the end of this term: 

  • All assemblies will now be conducted remotely via Teams or held outside if weather permits 
  • All Parents’ Evenings will be conducted remotely via School Cloud
  • Only year group activities that are in year group bubbles or can retain social distancing will continue.  This means the Year 11 practice exams, the Year 11 achievement conference, single year group extra-curricular teams and clubs and production activities can continue
  • We are postponing (but hope to rearrange if possible/appropriate) the Celebration of Achievement evening, the Autumn Term music concert and the Carol Concert.

Once again, I would ask for parental and student support on this matter.  These decisions have not been taken lightly and are designed to protect staff and students from increased transmission of COVID and the likely subsequent illness and loss of education.  

Possible Further Measures – Face Coverings 

We do not yet consider it necessary to reintroduce the mandatory use of face coverings in College.  However, this step may be required in the near future and I would ask all parents to be prepared for this change to be made at short notice. 

It is our intention that, if required, face coverings will initially be reintroduced in communal areas with the further possibility that their use will also be required in classrooms from a later date. 

The same systems as last academic year will be used for those students that have any reason not to wear a face covering (parent to contact their Year Manager who will issue student with a wrist band to signify exemption; students will not be challenged). 

We continue to monitor guidance issued nationally and by the Local Authority and it remains possible that public health officials will recommend measures beyond those described here. 

Once again, I would ask for parental and student support on this matter. These decisions have not been taken lightly and are designed to protect staff and students from increased transmission of COVID and the likely subsequent illness and loss of education.

I would ask all students to continue to follow government guidance on when to self-isolate (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/) and our College procedures for regular home testing and hand hygiene.

As per our guidance on our website, students who are absent due to COVID-related reasons should access their work on OneNote as they did last year.  All staff are putting their lessons and related resources on there each day so that there is no requirement for either staff or students to be emailing each other about the work.  If your child hasn’t accessed the OneNote pages for their new classes yet, they need to do so first via Teams – this is the step that some students are missing out.  Our support videos can be found here: https://www.collingwoodcollege.com/page/?title=Remote+Learning&pid=794

Student Vaccinations

We are waiting to hear from the NHS regarding a new date for student vaccinations to be held on our site. Parents can now book these vaccinations at alternative sites via the national booking system.

Mr Tanner - Principal

Curriculum Information