Hello,

Please see the letter from Dr Gillian Brydson regarding return to school.

Letter to Parents 12 April 21

Hello,

When we come back after the Easter Holidays there will be a series of Virtual Information sessions for parents. Within the calendar section on the website there is information on how to join the session for your child. Below are the dates for your diaries. All sessions will take place from 7-8pm

13 April – Into S3, for current S2 pupil’s parents

14 April – Into S4, for current S3 pupil’s parents

15 April – Into S5/S6, for current S4 & S5 pupil’s parents

19 April – Into S2, for current S1 pupil’s parents

20 April – Into S1, for current P7 pupil’s parents

21 April – Into the World, for current pupil’s in S6 parents

To access any of the sessions you will need a computer or a mobile phone with the app for VScene downloaded, the app is free and looks like this.

 

Hello,

As we prepare the School Improvement Plan for session 2021/22, I am looking for some feedback on what you would like to see included. Please complete the questionnaire linked below.

Thank you in anticipation,

Mrs Elaine Hetherington Cree

This week a number of staff from across the school are attending the World Education Summit through Osiris Educational. #osirisedu #worldedsummit.

This will provide the staff team the chance to reflect on educational developments from across the world. Building opportunities to lead and develop Sanquhar Academy to #Be Our Best.

Our virtual classroom is now being used daily to support learners. Maths is currently being delivered using VScene through our Virtual Classroom!  The virtual classroom was installed at Sanquhar Academy as part of the Hub and Spoke project in conjunction with Dumfries & Galloway College.

We have been able to expand the use of this facility to enable teachers and pupils to be brought together when they can’t meet in person, continue with Parent Council meetings during lockdown and after the Easter Holiday we will host Information Evenings to help parent/carers to support their children into next session!  More information on these sessions will be available soon.

From Monday 15 March, pupils in S4 to S6 who are taking national qualifications will begin their return to school and will have priority for face-to-face lessons. Learning and teaching, whether in school or through remote learning, will continue to enable both teachers and pupils to review and consolidate all learning, before moving on to focus on completing assessment evidence.

The number of assessments which pupils will undertake for qualifications purposes may vary across their subjects. This is due to the nature of individual subjects and how they are taught. Pupils should talk to their teachers if they have any questions about what work will count towards assessment evidence.

With the SQA exams being cancelled this year, teachers will use their professional judgement to decide results at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher based on the marked evidence from pupils’ assessments. These will remain provisional results until all quality assurance checks have been carried out.

To ensure provisional results are fair and credible across the whole of Scotland, quality assurance processes will be applied in two phases:

• In the first instance quality assurance will be carried out by the school, with support from the local authority. This includes discussing and agreeing the marking of pupils’ work across all classes and local schools.
• Alongside this SQA will also carry out quality assurance as support for teachers. For example, reviewing their assessment and marking standards. This is to ensure that when teachers conduct assessments, that national standards are applied reliably and consistently across Scotland.

Schools will submit provisional results to SQA by 25 June.

SQA will not adjust provisional results. It will check for administrative errors that might have happened when schools were sending the quality assured results to SQA. When that check is completed, provisional results will become final.

Pupils will receive their results by post on Tuesday 10 August 2021. They will also receive their results by text and/or email if they decided to sign up for this service at www.mysqa.org.uk.

SQA has created an information booklet outlining ‘What you need to know for 2021 – National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher’ qualifications. This includes further details on how results will be arrived at and about the quality assurance process for this year.

The booklet is available to download from the SQA website and will be posted directly to your child w/c 15 March.

You can stay up to date on the 2021 National Qualifications by visiting sqa.org.uk/NQ2021.

Please encourage your child to take part in the Lateral Flow Testing to help us keep Sanquhar Academy open for all learners. Additional information is available through the links below to the Dumfries and Galloway website.

In accordance with the Scottish Government guidance, asymptomatic testing is available for all our senior phase pupils.  A supply of Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) are available from the school and will be made available to all our senior phase pupils.

For more information on the asymptomatic testing programme is available on the Support DG website: SupportDG – Dumfries and Galloway Council – Asymptomatic Testing in Scottish Primary, Secondary and Special Schools, and ELC Providers (dumgal.gov.uk)

More information

There are Frequently Asked Questions on the Support DG website providing more information on the return to schools: SupportDG – Dumfries and Galloway Council – Reopening of schools – Frequently Asked Questions (dumgal.gov.uk)

Hello,

Yesterday parents and carers were sent text messages advising of their child’s allocation of day/s for the 15th March until the Easter Holidays.  We are working hard to ensure that the timetable that will be in place meets the constraints set down by the Scottish Government  within their paperwork issued to schools on the 8th of March.

The following considerations have been taken into account within the revised timetable:

• The need to prioritise pupils in the Senior Phase (S4-S6) as they complete the work that will be vital in helping them to achieve their qualifications and get the grades that they have worked for.
• The need to ensure 2 metre distancing for all staff and learners throughout the school.
• The need to reduce transition points during the school day, reducing the number of contacts on a daily basis.
• The capacity on school transport to ensure physical distancing requirements.

Everyone within the school building will be required to wear face coverings throughout the day unless they are exempt for medical or additional support needs. Lateral flow testing kits are available for all staff and Senior Phase learners these can be collected from the school office.  It is anticipated that pupils will return to school in school uniform with added layers for warmth as appropriate. Windows will be open regardless of the weather to provide ventilation in classrooms.  Physical Education will continue to take place outdoors only, please ensure children come prepared for this if PE is on their timetable.

Pupils will be issued with their new timetable next week, this timetable will remain in place until June 2021.  All learners will attend classes in double period blocks to allow reduction in the number of contacts on a daily basis and the assessment of pupils work towards their qualification’s. Senior Phase learners have been allocated two days in school and BGE (S1 -S3) one day. It is expected that pupils are completing their school work across the remainder of the week by remote learning.  Learners who have a place allocated within the childcare hub will continue to have access to this place until their full time return to in school learning.

During the period of blended learning from the 15 – 26 March 2021 all learners are requested to remain on campus for break and lunchtime to support the community who remain in lockdown.  This will remain the position until the  COVID 19 tier level information for Dumfries and Galloway is released from the Scottish Government.

Senior Phase pupils who are considering leaving or are at the end of S6 will be required to remain in school until the end of June 2021 to complete their qualifications. Exceptional circumstances will be considered please contact your child’s Pupil Support Teacher or Year Head to discuss as required.

It is hoped that all learners will be able to return full time in school education after the Easter Holidays in line with the Scottish Government timeline, as always we await confirmation of this and any changes will be intimated to you in due course.

I look forward to meeting all learners next week.

Please Note – Could Parents/Carers still inform the school office if your child is unwell or if they show any Covid symptoms whilst they are home learning – Thank you

Please find attached information regarding a webinar being held on Thursday 25th February 2021 by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is offering to parents and carers helping their child with S2/3 subject choices.

Please share with your parents/carers as appropriate. Helping your child with S2/3 subject choices -support for parents and carers

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is offering parents and carers an online opportunity to find out more about how they can help their child make their S2/3 subject choices for the Senior Phase. Scotland’s Career Service has organised the virtual session on Thursday 25 February which will also give parents and carers information about accessing a wide range of SDS support. Careers advisers will be providing expert advice for parents and carers of young people in S2 and S3.

SDS also has a Subject Choices tool on SDS’s My World of Work website which helps pupils explore where options choices can take them.

This virtual event, which is from 6.30pm until 7.15pm, will also have a question and answer session.

To take part please register here.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/helping-your-child-with-s23-subject-choices-tickets-141267909119