Dr Ingate’s Blog – week beginning Monday 29 June 2020

Dear Parents / Carers

I hope you and your families continue to keep fit and well.  I must admit that this lockdown, for me, has gone on long enough but I understand the scientific argument – and we can see when things relax too quickly that the virus has a habit of resurrecting.  

It has been difficult to evaluate and measure whether we have got things right at Birchwood. We have had Year 10 in school for 4 days doing 1:1 meetings with a further 2 days planned this week. We have also had Year 12 in school for meetings – some are also using the library where home circumstances make it difficult for them to study.  We continue to set work and plan lessons on-line and parents I spoke to last week felt that feedback and assessment marks had improved considerably from the early weeks of lockdown. 

I thought I would share the feedback from our recent student survey.

• 566 students responded. 
• 91% were coping well working from home
• 63% were ready to come back to school now. 21% felt they were ‘not ready yet’ and 12% not keen to come back at the moment.
• 81% of students said they had completed all, or nearly all, of the work set.  12% said ‘about half’ and 5% said they had done very little work.
• 49% said the amount of work set was ‘about right’.  34% said there was too much and 1% said there was not enough. 
• 69% are happy with the work they have done while in lockdown. 25% say their work has been ‘acceptable’ and 5% feel their work has not been adequate.
• 74% have easy access to technology.  23% have to share it or have connectivity issues.  2% lack access to technology.
• The majority of students are spending 3-4 hours on homework – trying to get this done in the morning so they could enjoy a well-deserved afternoon of leisure.
• 58% have contacted a teacher about a work query. 29% say they haven’t but would if necessary.  10% would prefer not to.
• Where students felt support has been good, they identify good communication, quick feedback and well explained work as the main reasons why.
• 16% ask for parental help ‘fairly often’.  54% said they have asked ‘a few times’. 23% have not asked for help at home.
• 9% ask for help from friends ‘fairly often’.  44% said they have asked ‘a few times’. 42% have not asked.
• Most students identified more time working on computers and more working flexibility as things they would like to continue when lockdown ends.
• 5% of students were worried about something they wanted to talk to staff member about. 14% weren’t sure and 81% said they weren’t worried.

As you can see, the majority of this feedback is positive but I am concerned about the small minority who have IT access issues, have not really engaged with learning or have generally struggled by not coming to school.  At Birchwood, we put in a raft of measures to support students who are struggling either at school or at home and the lockdown has definitely inhibited our ability to do this.  If any parent is concerned about their child’s progress at the moment, can they please contact their child’s form tutor or Head of Year – their details can be found on the ‘Contact Us’ section of the school website.

As a quick reminder, here are the planned events for the rest of this term and beyond.

Timescale and events 

As stated, once I am clear about plans for September and arrangements as specified by the DfE, I will write to inform you.  I know that our staff are desperate to get things back to normal and ensure that all our students receive a great education.  However, we have to abide by the health and safety restrictions currently imposed.  

Take care and keep safe

Yours sincerely

Dr Chris Ingate

Principal

Dr Ingate’s Blog – Monday 22 June 2020

Dear Parents / Carers

I hope you and your families are well.    

Since my last update a week ago, a lot has happened. The Government have announced that they would like to see all students back in school by September.  Further advice to schools will be published within the next two weeks and I will update you once I am apprised of this.  

At Birchwood, we have been working hard to ensure that all students will have the opportunity to come into school for a 1:1 before the end of term – details are scheduled below.  The DfE have requested that schools focus on Year 10 and 12, but we feel that aiming to see all students will be of benefit prior to the Autumn Term commencing.  We have already completed 1:1 sessions for Year 10 and Year 12 which have proven to be very successful, with over 80% attendance.  

We have also gathered feedback on what is working and what needs to be improved.  For example, we learnt that SMHW and virtual lessons on ‘Teams’ is working well but seeing subject teachers for 1:1 mentoring would be useful. Therefore, we have put on 4 days’ worth of Year 10 intervention this week and next, bookable on-line by students.  We learnt that some Year 12 students are struggling to find somewhere to study at home, so we have responded by opening the library on Mondays and Tuesdays to give them a study space and internet access.  In addition, we learnt that some students are getting a little behind with homework, so we have introduced two catch-up days where no extra homework or lessons will be set.  Those students on top of their work can enjoy a three-day weekend and those who are behind can have the day to catch up.  

Timescale and events 

As stated, once I am clear about plans for September and arrangements as specified by the DfE, I will write to inform you.  I know that our staff are desperate to get things back to normal and ensure that all our students receive a great education.  However, we have to abide by the health and safety restrictions currently imposed.  

Finally, thank you for all your help and support at home – parents I have spoken to have said that they have felt like they have ‘gone back to school’ helping their son/daughter with their homework.   One father told me that his maths had certainly improved!    

Take care and keep safe

Yours sincerely

Dr Chris Ingate

Principal

Dr Ingate’s Blog – week beginning 15 June 2020

Dear Parents / Carers and Students

I hope you remain safe and healthy and are enjoying the lovely weather – I was reflecting over the weekend that Lockdown has been tough on everyone but it would have been so much worse if the weather had been poor – we have had one of the sunniest Springs on record which means that at least our vitamin D levels will be good!

Last week, we invited all Year 10 students into school with their parents for a 1:1 meeting – these were highly useful with 80% attendance and we were able to maintain social distancing by having the meetings in the Sports Hall and School Hall. From these meetings, we learnt that most students were coping well with on-line learning but would benefit from some further 1:1 coaching support from subject teachers. We are reflecting on this and will look to put some 1:1 coaching sessions on 25/26th June (English / Maths / Science) and 2nd/3rd July for Option subjects – further details to follow.

This week, we are repeating the exercise with Year 12 students and again we will see what is working and what needs to be improved. This incremental way of working is ensuring that we are meeting student needs whilst at the same time respecting health and safety regulations.

We have also been focussing on increasing the amount of on-line teaching through Microsoft Teams for all year groups to complement the more traditional work being set on SMHW. Teachers have also prioritised student assessment over the last month to ensure that they receive diagnostic feedback to help them progress and improve.

Last week, we completed a student survey which yielded over 600 responses - thank you very much for taking the time to fill this in. What we learnt was:

• 91% of students say they are coping OK with not being at school
• 81% of students say that they are doing nearly all or all of the work they've been set.
• Only 1% said they don't have enough work to do. 34% said there is too much to do and 50% said it was just right
• 74% said they have ready access to technology (23% say they have to share or there are connection problems. 2% have limited access to technology).
• 76% are spending more than 2 hours a day on schoolwork. 20% are spending more than 4 hours a day on it.
• 90% of students completing their work in the morning and afternoon rather than evening.
• 58% have had communicated directly with their teachers (this is an area we are looking to improve upon)
• Where progress in subjects has been good, students identify the speed of teacher response and the quality of explanations as the main reasons.
• Where progress has been less good, students identify the excessive quantity of work and lack of feedback as being the main reasons why.
• 59% say their progress has been as good or better.
• 37% say they have made less progress whilst in lockdown.
• 71% have used parental help often or occasionally
• 53% have used the help from other students often or occasionally
• 62% of students feel ready to come back to school.

We will reflect on this feedback and respond accordingly. On the last point, I totally understand why over 60% would like to come back to school – school is more than just learning facts and figures. It is about social interaction, after school clubs and routine. I can speak on the behalf every member of staff by saying that we miss our 1400 students and would far rather be our usual busy and vibrant selves.

It is difficult to know what September will bring. I would imagine that it is one of three scenarios:

1. A return to normal, with a full school and no social distancing
2. A percentage of the school returns on a rotation basis with work being set on-line as well
3. A continuation of the current arrangements

I do hope that option 1 is where we are but we are preparing for option 2 and 3 if required. As soon as the government has decided, we will let you know how we wish to proceed.

As a quick reminder of current provision:

• Year 7-9 Work will continue to be set on-line and students are not expected to come into school other than for Key Worker / SEND and Vulnerable students. We are exploring the potential to offer 1:1 meetings with parents and students in July.
• Year 10 1:1 Meetings have taken place on 9th and 10th June – 80% parents already signed up for this. Teachers will continue to set work on SMHW and we are looking to extend our virtual lesson platform on Microsoft Teams. We are also looking to run 1:1 coaching sessions over the next two weeks
• Year 11 1:1 Phone Calls have been completed and Sixth Form Induction is being planned. GCSE levels are being submitted to the exam boards this week and exam results will be published on 20th August.
• Year 12 1:1 Meetings have been set up for 17th June alongside work set on SMHW. On-line lesson delivery is being extended and we are looking to plan lessons or 1:1 meetings where socially distancing can be applied.
• Year 13 1:1 phone calls have been completed. GCE and BTEC grades are being sent to exam boards this week are exam results are published on 13th August
• Furthermore, with our 240 Year 6 students enrolling in September, we are currently liaising with Primary Schools and will look to organise individual meetings with families in July.

I hope you understand that our main priority has to be the health and safety of students and staff. Whilst Covid-19 is still in the community, we have taken cautious measures to ensure that your child’s education can continue as much as possible from home or in socially distanced environments.

Thank you for your continued support during this difficult time.

Dr Chris Ingate

Principal