Dear parents/ carers,
I wanted to share with you some arrangements for the start of next academic year. I appreciate that the current situation regarding Covid 19 is very fluid but if the proposed roadmap out of lockdown goes ahead we intend the arrangements to be as follows:
Start date for the new academic year:
o Year 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 will return on Wednesday 25 August
o Year 7 will start on Wednesday 1 September
o Year 12 will start on Monday 6 September
Please find attached full term dates for 2021/22 and 2022/23
Times of the day:
School will start at 8.30am and finish at 3.10pm for all year groups. Enrichment and intervention activities will then run from 3.25pm until 4.25pm. Tutor time will be at the start of the day for years 7-11.
Tutor groups next academic year
We recently surveyed staff and students to ask if they would like tutor groups to remain year group based or revert back to the vertical system, which we had prior to the Covid 19 pandemic. Due to the overwhelming response from students that tutor groups remain year group based, we have decided to continue with this approach next academic year. Year group tutor groups bring many benefits, including being able to deliver meaningful and age appropriate personal and social development work during tutor time, creating a collegiate and positive ethos within the year group, and allowing Heads of Year to both quickly deliver meaningful interventions and build really positive relationships with students, families and the tutor team. We will also set up a formal system of older students mentoring young students in tutor time. Arrangements for tutor time for Years 12 and 13 are slightly different as sixth form students will be part of mixed Year 12 and 13 tutor groups that will meet twice a week.
School uniform
School uniform for next academic year remains unchanged but there are some changes to PE kit. Please remember that the only acceptable school skirt is the pleated skirt that can be purchased from Uniform Direct. https://www.uniform-direct.com/acatalog/Stitched-Down-Pleated-Skirt-with-Adjustable-Waistband-in-Black-88020361.html#SID=1522
Next academic year students will be able to wear sports leggings (not fashion leggings) for PE lessons. Both girls and boys will participate in football during PE lessons and will therefore need football boots, football socks and shin pads. Please remember that school can support with the cost of PE kit and school uniform. Please contact the PA to the Principal, Miss Walendziewski, to enquire about support with PE kit/uniform costs.
Equipment
Please find the equipment list attached. Students will be able to use their lockers again next academic year. Lockers can be used to store coats, PE kits and school books.
The last day of term will be 16 July and school will close at 1.30pm. This year we will say goodbye to staff who are retiring or moving on to promotion, and we have lots of new staff starting with us next academic year.
We would like to say a special goodbye to Mr Carey, who is retiring after 28 years at the school. Mr Carey has had tremendous impact on the lives of so many of our students and he really is irreplaceable. If you or your family would like to send a goodbye message to Mr Carey, please do email Miss Walendziewski and we will include this in Mr Carey’s retirement celebrations.
Finally, I would like to thank you for your continued support this academic year. It has been an incredibly challenging year for schools across the country but we are always so grateful for the support of the Landau community, which makes such a difference to our work every single day. If you have any feedback or questions on any issues raised in this letter please do contact me via Miss Walendziewski, [email protected]
Kind regards,
Alison Brannick