UPDATE #4: MONDAY 15TH
Dear students, parents and carers,
I am writing to update you on the progress at Larkmead and plans for the week ahead.
From Monday 15 January we will be able to increase the number of year groups in school for face-to-face learning.
Year 11 has been prioritised as an exam year group, in 4 days a week. Year 10 days aim to balance their core and option lessons. We are looking forward to welcoming all students, checking in, getting back to in-person learning and setting up the week ahead.
|
Monday 15 |
Tuesday 16 |
Wednesday 17 |
Thursday 18 |
Friday 19 |
|
11 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
|
7 |
8 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
A timetable has been created for the week, allocating classes to the limited number of classrooms that can be open to students. This timetable model will run for next week. We will inform staff and parents of further developments in good time. Remote learning will continue for those days that students are not able to attend school in person.
Our external catering company will be able to provide food for the different year groups who are in school each day. This will have to be cold food at the start of the week, but hot food will be in place that week. Free school meals will be available for those children on the days when they are in school. We will continue to send food vouchers home in line with the government funding for those days when students are not attending.
Year 13 are in school for their exams, with remote learning otherwise currently in place for Sixth Form classes. Plans are developing with Abingdon School and St Helens to relocate our Sixth Form teaching temporarily as soon as possible. With around 30 teaching rooms still out of action, relocation enables us to maintain the rota plans above.
We have a large temporary generator on site to supply power to those blocks affected, but we are still without central heating in Main Block (maths, humanities, business studies, PE, science), D&T, kitchens, canteen, school hall, gym, changing rooms, prep rooms and associated offices.
We are without hot water in most of those areas but have hot water in the staff, Key Stage 3 and Sixth Form toilets on the main corridor. While access to toilets is key, having no heating remains the barrier to getting more students back into school and for staff to be able to access their classrooms. The boiler house sustained significant damage, and we are working with the insurance team to understand and address the full impact of the situation, which we know to be very serious.
Those who saw the BBC South news report will have seen the flood levels across the school. The video and photos have been shared with all staff and students and will be on Facebook to share the context.
We would like to thank students, parents and carers for your adaptability and patience. We will keep everyone updated as things develop. If you have any questions, then please do contact the school.
Yours faithfully
Jonathan Dennett
Headteacher