monday, 16th

Monday, 16th August 2021 Dear Parent / Carer, We are delighted to announce that we are fully reopening St. John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School in September. I speak for all of our staff when I say we are looking forward to welcoming back every one of our students and greeting all the students new to the school. Having reviewed the DfE guidance, we have produced a plan that we are sharing with you in this letter. It is underpinned by a rigorous risk assessment which will be available on our school website by 25th August. It is our intention to open the school from Wednesday 1st September with a phased return of year groups to enable us to conduct lateral flow tests as required by the government. We are committed to maintaining our broad and balanced curriculum for all our students. Students will be taught in their classes and will move around the buildings to their lessons. We also have a new cleaning team. They will have completed a thorough deep clean across all school buildings prior to staff and students returning. It is extremely important that you read this document carefully so that you and your child are well prepared for the September return. In addition to this, we would like to emphasise the following actions that we require you to take to ensure a safe and successful return to school:

Up to date contact details must be provided for all pupils attending SJF. If you have any concerns that your details may not be up to date you should email [email protected] with the revised details. You must be very clear on the name and year group of the child whose contact details you are updating.

School uniform requirements return to our formal uniform.

From Monday 6th September, school gates (Scotteswood Avenue) on Maidstone Road site will open at 7.45am. Ordnance Street (Perry Street) gates will open at 8am.

mailto:[email protected]

Key Principles

The safety and wellbeing of all our school community continues to be paramount in all our planning.

Student learning and progress will be of the highest standard and all students are expected to work to the best of their ability in EVERY lesson.

Getting back to clear routines as quickly and as safely as possible.

All students are expected to be in full school uniform, attend every day and arrive on time.

Excellent communication.

Expectation that students get back to school and back to hard work.

Students will receive a broad and balanced curriculum.

Behaviour must be of the highest order. If any student behaves in a way that puts others at risk, or disrupts the learning of others, we reserve the right to remove them from the school site.

The school risk assessment will be kept under review and amended periodically.

There will be no provision for food or drink to be purchased at breaktime.

Breakfast will be available in the Ordnance Street site canteen from 8am and in the Maidstone Road site canteen from 7.45am.

Items will be available to purchase at breakfast time that can be eaten later at break.

All activities will take place as normal, including after school activities and

clubs. Please see our website for full details of how to sign up.

If students are staying on site for homework, extra help or any club or

activity, they must be with a member of staff who will escort them off site

through the main reception on each site.

The arrangements for the first week back are as follows: Each student must book an individual test time for their lateral flow test through the booking system on our website www.stjohnfisher.school (slots will be available to book on the school website from 23 August). Students do not need to wear uniform to attend their first lateral flow test. Year 7

Monday 30th August

Bank Holiday – School Closed

Tuesday 31st August

School Holidays – School closed to students

Wednesday 1st September

AM - Not required in school, Staff meeting PM - not required in school as lateral flow testing being carried out for other year groups

Thursday 2nd September

Pre-booked Lateral Flow Tests will take place on the Ordnance Street site. Students will enter through the main gate and be directed by staff to the testing area. Students will exit through the main reception. Parents will not be allowed into the test centre but may wish to wait at the main gate. Any student testing positive will be contacted individually by the school to discuss self-isolation and next steps. Students will also collect their timetables so that they are fully organised for their return to school on Friday 3rd September.

Friday 3rd September

Students to arrive at lower site via Scotteswood Avenue entrance between 9.30am and 10am. Students are to wear their full school uniform. They will be following a special plan of activities for this day and so do not need their PE kit. They will need money or a packed lunch. Students will be dismissed at 2.30pm and will leave through the same gates.

http://www.stjohnfisher.school/

Year 8

Monday 30th August


Tuesday 31st August



AM - Not required in school, Staff meeting PM - Pre-booked Lateral Flow Tests will take place on the Ordnance Street site. Students will enter through the main gate and be directed by staff to the testing area. Students will exit through the main reception. Parents will not be allowed into the test centre but may wish to wait at the main gate. Any student testing positive will be contacted individually by the school to discuss self-isolation and next steps. Students will also collect their timetables so that they are fully organised for their return to school on Monday 6th September.


All students will be taking part in a specially planned team building day which is taking place at Chatham Royal Dockyard. All students will be in full school uniform. All details have been sent out in a separate letter. Please contact [email protected] if you have any queries.


Students are not required in school but must use this time to ensure that they have all their books, equipment and full correct uniform for their start on Monday 6th September. Students must report to the playground on Ordnance Street site by 8.30am on Monday 6th September where they will be placed into full line up for uniform inspection.


Year 9

Monday 30th August


Tuesday 31st August



AM - Not required in school, Staff meeting PM - Not required in school as other year group are being tested.


Students are not required in school but must use this time to ensure that they have all their books, equipment and full correct uniform for their start on Monday 6th September. Students must report to the playground on Ordnance Street site by 8.30am on Monday where they will be placed into full line up for uniform inspection.


Pre-booked Lateral Flow Tests will take place on the Ordnance Street site. Students will enter through the main gate and be directed by staff to the testing area. Students will exit through the main reception. Parents will not be allowed into the test centre but may wish to wait at the main gate. Any student testing positive will be contacted individually by the school to discuss self-isolation and next steps. Students will also collect their timetables so that they are fully organised for their return to school on Monday 6th September.

Year 10

Monday 30th August


Tuesday 31st August



AM - Not required in school, Staff meeting PM not required in school as other year groups being tested





Year 11

Monday 30th August


Tuesday 31st August



AM - Not required in school, Staff meeting PM not required in school as other year groups being tested





Year 12

Monday 30th August


Tuesday 31st August



AM - Not required in school, Staff meeting PM - not required in school as lateral flow testing being carried out for other year groups


Pre-booked Lateral Flow Tests will take place on the Ordnance Street site. Students will enter through the main gate and be directed by staff to the testing area. Students will exit through the main reception. Parents will not be allowed into the test centre but may wish to wait at the main gate. Any student testing positive will be contacted individually by the school to discuss self-isolation and next steps. Students will also collect their timetables so that they are fully organised for their return to school on Friday 3rd September.


Students to arrive at lower site via Scotteswood Avenue entrance between 10:15am and 10:30am. Students are to be dressed in business attire as per the guidance given. They will be following a special plan of activities for this day and so do not need their PE kit. They will need money or a packed lunch. Students will be dismissed at 1.30pm and will leave through the same gates.

Year 13

Monday 30th August


Tuesday 31st August



Not required in school, Staff meeting


Students are not required in school but must use this time to ensure that they have all their books, equipment and business dress for their start on Monday 6th September.



Part of

Day/Activity/Issue

Students

Uniform Full school uniform available from School Time: https://schooltime.co.uk/

School trousers/skirt

School shirts (shirt and tie only option for Years 7+8)

School shoes

School blazer and tie

School Jumper is optional

Coat as per normal school policy if desired.

NO hoodies or sweatshirts in place of coats or school jumpers may be worn on site

Appropriately sized bag

https://schooltime.co.uk/

No jewellery can be worn apart from a small wrist watch.

Uniform will be checked daily at the gate by Pastoral Care Leader (PCL) / Head of Year (HOY)

Any uniform issues given a replacement or if none available a 1 day dated uniform pass by PCL and parents contacted by PCL.

Continued non compliance for uniform parents contacted by PCL and students sent home at the gate.

If contact unable to be made parked in IEU/PCL Lower until contact to home is made.

Late students will be dealt with in the same manner by the PCL at the point of entry to the school.

For 6th Formers:

Professional dress

Clothes choice underpinned by the phrase

“If you are questioning it, it is not right”

PE kit All students must wear the full PE kits. Year 7 students may wear their PE kit to school on the days that they have PE

due to a lack of changing facilities on Maidstone Road site. ALL other year groups must come to school in full school

uniform and change to PE kit as directed by PE staff.

Illness on arrival or

during school day.

Children must not come to school if they are ill.

Parents must contact the absence line by dialling the main school number and following the appropriate prompts.

If the symptoms are Covid-19 related, we expect parents to book a test using the online portal and for the child and

household to self-isolate until the test results are received. Once test results are received, the school expects to be

informed immediately (and before your child returns to school) using the same procedure detailed above.

If your child becomes ill during the day (with COVID symptoms) they must immediately inform their teacher (or

supervising member of staff). Students will then be directed to reception to the designated waiting room. A member

of first aid staff, who will be wearing PPE, will ensure your child is supported and you will be immediately contacted to

collect your child. We will contact the family of students who become ill during the day.

It is imperative that we have at least two sets of contact details for family members who are available during the

day to potentially collect your child immediately from school.

Stationery Students should bring all required stationery to school in a bag.

This must include:

At least one pen

At least one pencil

Ruler

Eraser

Pencil Sharpener

Calculator

Geometry set

Masks Any member of staff or student who wishes to continue to wear a mask may do so and that choice will be respected by

other members of our community.

Arriving to school All students to arrive by 8.30am at the latest.

Years 7 – 11 will line up in their respective playgrounds and be directed by staff, sixth formers will go to their form rooms.

All year groups will have an allocated base room for each form class.

Lateness All students are expected to arrive at school on time.

Any Ordnance Street site late students will enter the canteen via the stairs adjacent to the main reception taking care

to follow pedestrianised routes. They will complete work in this area during the form period.

Any Maidstone Road site late students will enter through main reception, make their way to the canteen where they

will be met by their PCL and will complete work in this area during the form period.

Parents will be contacted when their child is late to school. Any student who arrives to school after 8.55 must report to

reception staff on their relevant site.

Repeated lateness will be punishable by detention and will lead to the involvement of the attendance officer and the

issuing of a fixed penalty notice.

Pastoral care No students are to attend the PCL office at any time – PCLs will go to the student (if necessary) rather than the other

way around.

PCLs are available before and after school, at breaktime and at lunchtime.

On both sites the PCL offices will be closed at lunch times as staff are available on duty.

Break time

No food or drink will be available at break time. Students must bring their own drinks (and if they wish snacks).

Break time will take place outside on both sites, apart from sixth formers who may use the sixth form common room.

End of school day

Students will exit at normal time (2pm on a Wednesday, 3.05pm on all other days) using the same arrangements by

which they entered.

There are clear plans in place as to how students exit onto busy roads. We also ask parents to be aware of not parking

on footpaths especially on Maidstone Road site.

Cleaning &

Sanitisation

Sanitisation stations will be present at each school entrance. Cleaning of both sites will take place at the end of each

school day.

Trips Trips will take place as per our schedule of year group and curriculum related trips. There are several trips already

booked for a variety of year groups in September.

Behaviour – inc.

IEU and

Detentions

Internal Exclusion Unit (IEU) will be on Ordnance Street site only. Any students disrupting learning and failing to follow

the teacher’s instructions will be removed from the lesson to the IEU. On Maidstone Road site, any year 7 student

disrupting learning and failing to follow the teacher’s instructions will be removed from the lesson and placed at the

back of a sixth from lesson.

Any poor behaviour in IEU or at the back of a sixth form lesson will result in the parent/carer being contacted and the

student being sent home.

Students are expected to respect the school environment.

Detentions will take place after school. For any detention lasting longer than 10 mins, parents will be given 24 hours’

notice.

Bullying will NOT be tolerated and any person engaging in bullying whether this is in person or online will be

punished in line with our policies. We expect everyone in our diverse school community to treat others with

respect.

Parents evenings

and parental

contact.

Following feedback from parents, we have decided to continue parents’ evenings online as it enables more parents to

attend whilst dealing with work and childcare commitments.

Parents are asked to not attend the school site without prior agreement and to communicate with staff through email

and telephone.

To all the parents and carers who were part of our community last year: thank you for all

you have done in working with us to support your child’s learning over the past difficult

year. To all the parents and carers whose children are joining us in September: we look

forward to welcoming you into our school family. We encourage you to share this plan with

your children and to support us by reinforcing the expectations that we have set out. We

look forward to students being ready to work with us to keep our community safe.

We are delighted with another set of excellent results for both year 11 and year 13. The

resilience and the determination that these students had to demonstrate over the last 18

months in particular is a true testament to them and their parents. Our superb staff work

tirelessly to ensure that every student has the best possible opportunities to succeed.

It is essential that every single student starts in September determined to be their best

selves. The importance of a good education has been underlined throughout the pandemic.

It is also clear that students should show their best effort in every piece of work as

portfolios of work are the key to excellent grades.

I am also delighted to tell you that our new school building has started on our City Way site.

The project is proceeding very well, and we are on track to move into these magnificent

facilities in 18 months. Please follow us on twitter@st_johnfisher, Facebook

(@stjohnfishermedway) or on our website (https://stjohnfisher.school/new-build/) where you

will see regular updates and pictures.

Please contact the relevant Head of Year if you have any further questions which you need

to ask or please check our “stjohnfisher.school/arrangements-for-the-start-of-term-september-

2021” page on our website.

Year 7 [email protected]

Years 8 & 9 [email protected]



God bless,

Mrs D. Lennon

https://stjohnfisher.school/new-build/

https://stjohnfisher.school/arrangements-for-the-start-of-term-september-2021/

https://stjohnfisher.school/arrangements-for-the-start-of-term-september-2021/





monday, 16th

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