Secondary Communications

We are BSCA Magazine

March 2021 Edition - Issue 2

December 2020 Edition - Issue 1 

Newsletters

Parent Weekly Easter Newsletter - Thursday 1st April 2021

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 26th March 2021

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 19th March 2021

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 12th March 2021

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 5th March 2021

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 26th February 2021

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 12th February 2021

Parent Newsletter - Letter from Bolton Council - Friday 12th February 2021

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 5th February 2021

Parent Newsletter - Additional Activities for 5th February Screen Free Friday

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 29th January 2021

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 22nd January 2021

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 15th January 2021

Parent Weekly Newsletter - Friday 8th January 2021

Newsletter - End of term - December 2020

Newsletter - End of term - Summer 2020

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Secondary Alerts

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Secondary Messages

Secondary Uniform Reminder from Mrs Lucas - 10th December 2020

Good Morning

A reminder please this about uniform:

• PE kit to be warn only on days where there is a PE lesson or an afterschool PE club. A check will be made at the gate and those students choosing to wear PE who do not have PE or a club will be asked to go and change.
• School hoodies to be worn under a blazer - not instead of a blazer. The school blazer is compulsory- the school PE hoodie is optional whilst we are in a COVID situation.
• Ties are also compulsory and need to be worn at all time.
• Those students wearing trainers on a non PE day can borrow some replacement school shoes as we have done previously.
• Only school hoodies are allowed on site. Other hoodies will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day.

I just wanted to clarify our expectations as students have been telling me that their parents have said it is ok if they do not follow the school uniform rules, so I just wanted to clarify the rules for parents on some of the most common issues we deal with on a daily basis.

Many thanks to all those parents and carers who consistently help us to help the students to get it right. It is really appreciated.

Mrs Lucas

School hoodies can be ordered from:

Whittakers Schoolwear - Whittakers Schoolwear website

Smart Clothing Schoolwear - Smart Schoolwear website

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Secondary Letters 

Failure to wear a face mask letter – action required

Year 7 Enrichment Programme Letter - starts 24th September 2020

Year 11 Model for Supporting Year 11 Letter

The school uniform is compulsory and we would like to clarify our expectations and tighten up on them:

• Uniform
• Work Ready – basic equipment
• Punctuality

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Whole Academy Alerts

BSCA Parents: Important message from the Chair of Trustees and CEO of The Bishop Fraser Trust - 23rd March 2021

Dear Parents, Carers and Pupils of The Bishop Fraser Trust,

We would like to make you aware that Bury Church of England High School has approached our Trustees with a view to joining our Bishop Fraser Trust family in the next academic year.

Bury CE High School’s Board of Governors, with our Trust Board approval, have agreed to begin a consultation to move forward their desire to join The Bishop Fraser Trust. 

The Trust believes that, as a Church of England Trust, our vision and values are entwined and we feel that the addition of this school will add to our Trust’s capacity to deliver on our mission to provide all of our children with an educational experience that is high quality, based on academic, spiritual and social development. Our commitment to ‘Life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10) is paramount and never more has that resonated with what we have all encountered through the pandemic.

Our headteachers have seen many benefits of being in a trust and believe that the addition of Bury CE High School will positively add to our Trust’s capacity and delivery.

There will be a full consultation with Bury CE High School staff, parents, pupils and other parties after Easter and if this is successful, the school will apply to join TBFT at some point in the next academic year. TBFT will carry out full due diligence before the school joins our Trust.

We will keep you informed via your own school’s website as this process progresses.

In the meantime, we wish you and your family a peaceful Easter break.

Rev’d Janina H M Ainsworth                                                       Tania Lewyckyj                                    

Chair of Trustees, The Bishop Fraser Trust                              Chief Executive Officer       

Latest update – Home COVID -19 Testing Kits for BSCA Students – Thursday 18^th March 2021

What will happen when a student has:

Consent given and had Lateral Flow Tests in school, even if child is now isolating

We will be sending home COVID-19 testing kits with students.

• Instructions for the process are issued with the test kits.
• Your child must complete the tests every Sunday and Wednesday evening and continue testing twice a week, at home, throughout the Easter school holidays. We will be sending home extra kits for Easter holiday before term ends.
• BSCA will continually issue home test kits to participating students on a schedule in order to ensure that they always have tests available.  In the event that a student needs additional kits, they can be requested from their Head of Year.

You MUST report test results with the NHS and BSCA

After every test, it is really important that results of test are reported online straight away, even if your child’s result is negative or void:

• NHS - www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result
• BSCA - https://forms.gle/rmaKPmkcnvaLxkvN7
• If it is a positive test your child and anyone is the household must also:

1. self-isolate immediately and follow national guidance
2. book a PCR test - https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
3. inform our Attendance Team immediately – 01204 201144

Consent given, but child has had COVID since 18^th December 2020, therefore, or consent not received and therefore, have not had any Lateral Flow Tests in school

Unfortunately, home COVID-19 testing kits will not be provided by school. If you want your child to start doing home testing you can order kits online at - www.gov.uk/order-school-household-tests.

We were hoping the guidance would change, but the current guidance that states that we are only permitted to issue kits to those students who have had assisted tests in school.

You MUST report test results with the NHS and BSCA

After every test, it is really important that results of test are reported online straight away, even if your child’s result is negative or void:

• NHS - www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result
• BSCA - https://forms.gle/rmaKPmkcnvaLxkvN7
• If it is a positive test your child and anyone is the household must also:

1. self-isolate immediately and follow national guidance
2. book a PCR test - https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
3. inform our Attendance Team immediately – 01204 201144

Update on twice weekly COVID-19 testing at home for students - 15^th March 2021

Dear Parent/Carer,

Students will shortly be moving to twice weekly, rapid COVID-19 testing at home, this is following their first three supervised tests on site at school.

Up to 1 in 3 people who have COVID-19 have no symptoms and could be spreading it without knowing. Getting into a regular habit of testing twice a week will help stop the virus spreading, keeping your family and friends safer.

Home COVID-19 testing kits

We will be sending home COVID-19 testing kits with students who have consented to participation in the home testing programme and have received an assisted Later-flow test in school. 

• Please make sure your child tests themselves every Sunday and Wednesday evening.  Instructions for the process are issued with the test kits. 
• Your child should also continue testing twice a week, at home, throughout the Easter school holidays. We will be sending home extra kits for Easter holiday before term ends. 
• This does not replace testing for those with symptoms. If you have symptoms you must self-isolate immediately, book a PCR test and follow national guidelines.

Reporting results

It is really important that results of test are reported online straight away, even if your child’s result is negative or void. It’s easy to do at www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result.

Results can also be reported via telephone by calling 119 (free from mobiles and landlines). Lines are open every day, 7am to 11pm.

As a school we also are required by the government to keep a log of all test results so it is important to keep a note of your child’s results and share with school via https://forms.gle/rmaKPmkcnvaLxkvN7

Testing for parents, households and bubbles twice a week

If your child has not participated in the in school testing you as a family can still access free testing kits to use at home.

Regular rapid testing is now also available for parents, their households and support or childcare bubbles. The government is encouraging all families to participate in twice weekly testing to help stop the spread.

Parents and other adults in the household can access tests by:

• Ordering tests online www.gov.uk/order-school-household-tests   
• Getting an assisted test at work, if it is available
• Attending a test site to get tested (where you will be able to see how to take the test) or pick up tests to do at home.

To find out more on school household testing visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff

We continue to encourage everyone to take part in regular Covid-19 testing.

Yours faithfully,    

Rachael Lucas

Headteacher

Click here to view and print this letter (above)

Return to school and Lateral Flow Testing arrangements for w/c Monday 8th March

Thank you to all those parents and carers who have consented to their children taking the lateral flow test in school. Obviously the more students we can test and identify asymptomatic cases, the safer school will be for the students and the staff.

First day back for students

• Monday 8^th                Year 11 and 13 arrive at 8.45am
• Tuesday 9^th                Year 10 arrive at 8.45am
• Wednesday 10          Year 7 arrive at 8.45 am
• Thursday 11^th             Year 9 arrive at 8.45am
• Friday 12^th                  Year 8 arrive at 8.45am

Next week, students will continue to learn remotely until their day to return to school. Please be aware that staff may be slightly late logging into online lessons where they have been teaching in school the period before.

For all year groups on their second day back in school arrival time reverts back to 8.30am- that is 8.30 sat in RISE ready to go not 8.30 arriving at the building.

Reminder we are using the top entrance as we have done since September.

Second and third Lateral Flow tests

Once the students have been tested we have to wait three days to test them again. The schedule is below- 

All those students will be issued with a home testing kit once 3 tests are completed.

We will send you the weekly Parent Newsletter later this afternoon, so please also read this careful to make sure you and your chilod are ready for next week.

If you have any queries please do contact me at school via my PA Sam Cass - 01204 332533.

Kindest Wishes

Rachael Lucas

Headteacher

Latest news - Arrangements for Secondary returning to school on Monday 8th March 2021

Dear Parent/Carer,

I am delighted to be able to write to you confirming the return to school plans for all year groups for the week beginning 8^th March.

As you may know, the guidance we have been given by the Department for Education allows us to stagger the start for the different year groups to allow us to test all those students who wish to be tested as soon as they are in the building. We have been instructed to offer all students 3 tests and we have a plan that will ensure all students are tested 3 times in the first 2 weeks back in school.

Return to school plan

Students to arrive and be in the building by 8.30am wearing a mask.

• Monday 8^th March - Years 11 and 13
• Tuesday 9^th March - Year 10
• Wednesday 10^th March - Year 7
• Thursday 11^th March - Year 9
• Friday 12^th March - Year 8

Whilst we have a staggered reintegration all remote leaning will continue and for those students classed as vulnerable we will make provision for them to be in school. For key worker children we are unfortunately unable to accommodate them whilst we bring in the rest of the school so they will need to work remotely at home whilst they wait for their year group to come back into school.

Testing

Once the students are back in school we will, class by class, take those that have sent in their permission forms for testing. We envisage that it will only take 30 minutes or so to test a class so they will not lose out on a great deal of learning. Once each year group has had their first test we will start a round of testing again. We will have all year groups tested 3 times by Friday 19^th March.

Please click on the links below to read the information about the testing and to complete this online form by Thursday 4^th March so we can upload all the permissions onto the national database and have cards pre-registered for each student  to make the process much quicker.

Lateral Flow COVID-19 Testing Information Letter for Parents

Lateral Flow COVID-19 Testing Registration & Consent Form

If there is a positive test then close contacts will be asked to self-isolate as we have done previously.

Once this testing has been done, we will issue each student with a home testing  kit. Each kit contains 7 tests. Students are asked to test twice a week. Instructions and more guidance on home testing will be issued nearer the time. The government are hoping that having tested themselves in school with supervision from school staff, the students will be confident with parental supervision to test themselves. Parents are asked to upload results onto the test and trace system. All instructions are in the home testing kits.

Friday 5^th March

On Friday 5^th March we are asking staff not to undertake live lesson but to set assignments on TEAMs  for the students. This will enable all staff to be tested in school and undertake all the necessary planning with their departments  needed to make the students return as smooth as possible. We want to make sure that our planning for the student’s return is top notch!!

Risk assessments and masks

The government has asked schools to make sure that all students wear a mask inside the building and inside the classrooms where maintaining social distancing is not possible. For us this means that the students will need to wear a mask when in lessons and whilst moving around the building. This is new guidance which will be reviewed, we believe, at Easter.

I must insist that all students to come to school with a mask. In the autumn term we had to spend nearly £1000 on masks for those students who turned up without a mask, I am sure you would agree this is money we could have spent much better elsewhere. For those students who did arrive without a mask, however, all of them had their mobile phone with them - interesting both devices designed to keep them safe and yet one obviously more important that the other. Please support us by ensuring your child has a mask with them and save the school a great deal of money.

Bubbles

We will be operating  the same year group bubble system, lunchtimes etc as we did in the autumn term. There will be tough sanctions for those students who break the bubble system or who refuse to wear a mask having no underlying reason not to do so.

Mandatory Attendance

The government have reinforced  that school attendance is mandatory from 8^th March and have given schools a separate attendance code to use whilst we are binging each year group back into school. Once everyone is back in our attendance team will be operating in the same way as they were before the Christmas break.

School Uniform

As the weather is on the turn and a good deal milder we are taking away the option for students to wear their PE hoodies as part of their normal school uniform. Obviously they can still wear their PE  hoodie, not another type of hoodie, when they have PE, but they must come into school in correct school uniform including wearing a blazer. As we meet and greet all students at the start of the day, if their uniform is not correct we will ask them to return home and get changed or they can spend time in isolation if returning home is not possible. This includes those students who chose to wear a PE kit when they do not have PE and those students wearing any type of hoodie. Hoodies are not school uniform and can not be worn on the school site at all even if they are black.

Equipment

Please take next week to ensure that your child/children have all the equipment they need. We do not want to have to lend out equipment as this increases the risk, so we ask that all students have a pencil case with basic writing equipment and a calculator.

Steps 2 Success

We are relaunching our Steps 2 Success with students on their return - highlighting  and reinforcing our expectations in terms of behaviour and attitude to learning. We know it has been tough for many at home and we are delighted to be able to share with the students some of the changes. We will write home specifically with an outline of the changes but fundamentally the students will still use the 1-5 score/measures, but some of the finer detail having been changed.

Year 11 and Year 13

The guidance has just been issued about GCSE and A level grades for this summer. There is still little detail apart from giving the responsibility of issuing grades to the staff based on what the students currently can do. There will be a moderation process from the exam boards and an appeals process. Grades will be issued earlier in August than is usual - week beginning 9^th August and teachers will issue grades to the exam boards by 18^th June. More detailed guidance will be issued by the end of this term and we will be able to share that once we have it.

Apologies for the amount of information in this letter - there will be more info on its way over the next few days as well.

We are really excited to have everyone back in, tested and back learning in the classroom. Hopefully things can start to return to normality over the next few weeks.

Kindest regards

Rachael

Join our latest challenge with all our Manchester United Foundation Hub Schools, Team GB and ParalympicsGB by taking on the Travel to Tokyo virtual challenge 

Posted 1st February 2021

Dear Parent/Carer,

Get ready! Our school is getting active with Manchester United Foundation Hub Schools, Team GB and ParalympicsGB by taking on the Travel to Tokyo virtual challenge. We want you to join us on a 47,349 kilometre journey to Tokyo by getting active as a family and logging your activity. There are lots of prizes to be won too!

Find out more:

https://www.getset.co.uk/travel-tokyo?tab=families

Log activity:

https://www.getset.co.uk/travel-tokyo/log-activity

Keep track of progress:

https://www.getset.co.uk/travel-tokyo/school/manchester-united-foundation-hub-schools-m16-0ra

Many thanks

Miss Espie and Mrs Lucas

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Whole Academy Information and Letters

School Buses

School Bus Timetable - 2020-21

Bus Fare Increases Letter - July 2018  

General Data Protection Regulation

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is new legislation that all people and organisations must comply with by 25th May 2018. This replaces the 1998 Data protection Act. Even with Britain leaving the E.U. the government have adopted this legislation.

For schools this applies to ensuring all our stakeholders are aware of what data we hold on them, why we hold it and how long for. To ensure our stakeholders are aware of this we have published on the school website our privacy notices which inform students and parents of how we will use their data.  

Anyone is allowed access to the data that we hold on them as long as it is not against the public interest. As a school we aim to comply with the all the guidelines from the data regulator the Information Commissioners office.

GDPR Policy

Privacy Notice for Students

Privacy Notice for Parents/Carers

School Closure (due to adverse weather conditions) Process

The procedures that we will take should there be the need for any closure of the school due to extreme weather, or other emergency conditions. We will do all that we can to ensure that the school only closes when completely unavoidable and any decision to close the school will be taken from assessing local conditions, and an assessment of risk to the safety of students and staff after safety precautions have been taken.

If school is closed during school hours, we will need to know how your child is getting home, or to an alternative agreed location. Complete the form within the letter below or email us at contact@boltonstcatherinesacademy.org.uk. 

Click below to read the process:

School Closure Process - Parent Letter

Privacy Notice

Every year we share our Privacy Notice with you, because under data protection law, individuals have a right to be informed about how the school uses any personal data that we hold about them. We comply with this right by providing ‘privacy notices’ to individuals where we are processing their personal data.

Please read the attached Privacy Notice explains which explains how we collect, store and use personal data about students. We, Bolton St Catherine’s Academy, are the ‘data controller’ for the purposes of data protection law.

Privacy Notice - Parents and Carers

Privacy Notice - Students

Student and Parent Information                              

It is essential we have the correct information for all our students on our systems for the health, safety, safeguarding and wellbeing of your child. It enables us to contact you when we need to either by phone, email, School Gateway app or letter home -

• student home address
• prime (parents/carers) contact details - address, mobile number and email address. Other phone numbers will need to be provided if you are unable to use your mobile at work i.e. home number and work number
• other contacts - mobile number

We require a minimum of two contacts for each student including at least one prime contact (parents/carer).  To update your details either send a change request or message via the School Gateway app or email us at contact@boltonstcatherinesacademy.org.uk  .