Category: Uncategorised

Friday 4th September 2020

Dear St Marylebone students, parents and carers,

Welcome back!  

It’s been great to see Years 7, 10 and 12 back at school this week and smoothly re-adjusting to St Marylebone ways.   We look forward to welcoming all students in all year groups back on Monday.  

This letter contains a repeat of information you might already have seen.  

Our plans for re-opening school have been fully risk-assessed and approved by the Governing Body.  The plans are as explained in July, in the video shared with you all.  You can watch or re-watch this by clicking here.   

Importantly, we need all parents / carers to complete a new Home-School Agreement to show that the new rules and expectations are understood.  If you have not done this, please click on this link to open the Home-School Agreement.  This needs to be completed by the date your child starts school in September.   If you have more than one child at the School, you only need complete it once, giving both / all three students’ names and years at once. 

Here are some other updates and reminders.  

1. Term start dates
   Years 7 and 12 started yesterday, Thursday 3 September 2020

Year 10 started today, Friday 4 September 2020

Years 8, 9, 11, 13 start on Monday 7 September 2020

Students should arrive on-site before 8.30am but not before 8am.

2. Zones and entrances / exits
   As you heard in the July plan, each year group has been assigned a zone and entrance / exit gate.   This table tells you who goes where:
   
   

6th Formers should look out for more information from the 6th Form team about your first days on site.

We have staggered dismissal times, which are the same for each year group each day:

Year 7:  3pm

Year 8:  3.05pm

Year 9:  3.10pm

Year 10: 3.05pm

Year 11: 3.15pm

Year 12: 3.15pm

Year 13: 3.15pm

Students should leave swiftly through their allocated gate and not gather in large groups outside school. 

3. Travel to and from school

We are all asked to avoid or limit use of public transport. Walking or cycling is encouraged.  If you cycle, wear a helmet and reflective clothing for safety.

Some students of course cannot avoid public transport to travel to school.  Everyone must wear a face covering and maintain social distancing as far as possible on public transport.  

The School does not have bike racks or secure bike storage.  There are bike racks on Marylebone High Street or in the mews behind the School.  Bikes must be locked securely.  The School cannot take responsibility for personal possessions of this kind.  

4. Uniform
   All students should return in full school uniform or, for Year 12 and 13, should be dressed in-line with the 6th Form dress-code.  The uniform list can be found on our website here. 
   
   On days when students have PE or Dance, they must come to school in the correct school PE or Dance kit for that day.  The changing rooms will not be in use, so they will not be changing in school.  Note: correct school PE or Dance kit means correct school PE or Dance kit, not other tracksuit trousers or hoodies.

The cloakrooms will also not be in use, so if students wear a coat to school, they will keep it with them during the day.  It must go in a bag or on the back of the chair in classrooms. Note: coats must be plain black.

Any family who is struggling to afford school uniform should contact the Head of Year. We want to be able to help you with this.  

5. Face-coverings
   Students are not obliged to wear face-coverings in school but can do if they choose. The same goes for staff.  The School will continue to review and take advice on this and will update you if our stance changes.  

6. Food and drink

Update: next week, we are only able to cater on-site for students eligible for lunch being provided.  While we establish the routines around provision of lunch bags, we need everyone to bring food and drink to school with them. We will only be providing lunches to those who are eligible.  By the week of 14 September, we hope to have a system in place for anyone else wanting to order a lunch bag.

Even once this system is in place, we strongly encourage students to bring food and drink to school with them.  This will reduce the numbers collecting school lunches and hence the amount of movement and mixing of students around school. For the same reason, there will not be any catering served on-site at breaktime, again, to reduce circulation and mixing of students. 

However, lunch-bags will be provided at lunchtime for students eligible for Free School Meals and, once the system is established, for anyone who orders in advance. We are establishing this system with the caterers, Harrisons, and another message about how to order will be shared with you soon.

Students eligible for Free School Meals are the School’s priority in all these points on catering. We do not want anyone to go without food.  If you think you might be eligible for Free School Meals but have not registered, visit this page to find out more: https://stmarylebone.school/free-school-meals-application/

Students should bring a filled water bottle with them which can be re-filled at no-touch water fountains on-site.

7. Equipment
   We ask that students bring to school the following equipment, to support their learning and limit the need for sharing, which in turn limits the risk of virus-transmission:  

• writing pen 
• HB pencil
• 30cm ruler 
• eraser/rubber 
• pencil sharpener 
• glue stick 
• colouring pencils
• scientific calculator 
• scissors (round ended) 
• protractor 
• compass 
• whiteboard marker
• pencil case 
• reading book 
  

We understand that not everyone will get all these items in time for day one.  Students eligible for Free School Meals will be provided with an equipment kit from the School as soon as suppliers allow.  

8. Advice and information from the Department for Education about the return to school
   The DfE asks parents / carers to visit gov.uk/backtoschool for information and practical guidance to help them plan for their children’s return to school.  There is also guidance from the DfE for parents / carers about supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing you can see by clicking here.  

Our school website also includes guides to keeping children safe and supporting their wellbeing. Click here to see more.

9. School is opening for all students in September.  

Only in some cases should students not attend. The following must not come to the School site: 

1. students with COVID-19 symptoms
2. students who are self-isolating for 10 days having had symptoms of, or having tested positive for, COVID-19
3. students who should be self-isolating for 14 days, due to contact with people who have tested positive for COVID-19
4. anyone in quarantine for 14 days following a return from overseas from a country which is not exempt from this measure.
   
   

This is set out in the Home-School Agreement. 

We know this might be an uneasy time for some students and their families.  We are here to support students feeling anxious about returning or whose experience since March has been difficult. There is advice on supporting young people’s safety and wellbeing on our website here.   Meantime, we have confidence that, even if some things are a bit different, the welcoming, compassionate, creative St Marylebone will be able to welcome and support students.  We are all in this together. 

Thank you for your support, please complete the Home-School Agreement and hooray for seeing students at school again!   

Best regards,

Ms Pugh

15th July 2020

Dear Parent/Carer,

I would like to begin by thanking you all for your support of your child’s Year 9 Award this year. I have been absolutely blown away by the incredible commitment shown by Year 9 to their Award, especially in the face of current challenges. The students have displayed the Marylebone 5 qualities both inside and outside of school to a wonderful extent and I am sure you are as proud of their achievements as I am.

At this point in the academic calendar, we would usually gather together in Church to celebrate the students’ fantastic work and they would find out the level they have achieved for their Year 9 Award. Unfortunately, this has not been possible this year and instead, myself and other members of staff have worked hard to put together a virtual celebration for the students instead. This was shared with students on Monday via Google Classroom, so they should already be aware of the level that they achieved. Furthermore, some students were also awarded the Wow Award or Outstanding in the Face of Covid-19 Award, both impressive additional accomplishments.

I would like to invite you to watch the virtual celebration video and join me in extending my warm congratulations to Year 9 upon the completion of their Award. You can find the video linked here. 

I also encourage you to look through the virtual gallery of Independent Projects that the students have compiled. It has been a pleasure to see their hard work come to fruition and I hope you also enjoy looking at the gallery. You can find the virtual gallery linked here. Please note, if your child is yet to include their work in the gallery, there is still time to add to it, but please ensure this is completed as soon as possible.

Once again, thank you for your support and I wish you a pleasant summer break.

Kind regards,

Miss Emma Harrison Beesley

History teacher and i/c of Year 9 Award