Good afternoon.

You will most likely have seen the letter from Linda McAulay Griffiths to all parents via the app this afternoon. This came in the wake of the First Minister announcing a national position that no senior pupils should be attending school next week to complete SQA coursework.

I am relieved by this news as it guarantees that health and safety is paramount and also creates equality of provision across the country. The SQA were consulted on this decision and are expected to give further guidance to schools in the coming days that will help us ensure that every single young person achieves the qualifications their hard work has merited. Could I please urge patience from pupils and parents on this front? As soon as we have the news, I will share it with you and outline our next steps. Once again, please do your best to reassure your child that we will do everything in our power to ensure they are not disadvantaged.

In the meantime, please note the following information and actions that will support us as a staff over the coming days:

• Staff will continue to support learning at home and directing senior phase pupils to continue with portfolio and coursework that can be completed at home.
• We do not expect you to become teachers or to recreate the school day. Learning is important, but it comes in many different formats and is secondary to health and wellbeing at the moment. Do your best to enjoy time together as a family and do not let the work set become a source of contention…it is not worth it!
• The school will operate on a vastly reduced skeleton staff on Monday to limit the potential for transmission of the virus while providing care for children of keyworkers as outlined in previous communications from the Head of Education.
• To our pupils directly – please observe the government’s guidance on social distancing and, wherever possible, stay at home; you have such a crucial role to play in limiting the spread of the virus.
• Our capacity to receive and respond to parental communication will be limited over the course of the week but we will endeavour to do the best we can with the resources we have.
• I will continue to update you on a regular basis as the situation develops over the coming days. It has evolved at rapid pace over the last week and there is little to suggest that we will not have to continue being flexible and nimble in our planning moving forward.

Finally, thank you again for the many messages of support that continue to come in by phone and e-mail. They reflect my own pride and admiration for the way pupils, staff and parents have dealt with this unprecedented situation.

Be safe and well,

Ryan Miller
Head Teacher

There seems to be a bit of confusion at national and local level about access to school next week for Senior Phase pupils requiring to complete SQA coursework, portfolio work or practical assessments.

Our current position is:

• Principal Teachers are working with staff to identify pupils that have SQA work to complete, which work can be completed at home, which pupils will require access to the building to complete work and, finally, which pupils require additional support.
• Where this work can be completed at home without pupils being disadvantaged, that will be the preferred option – health and safety remains paramount and we must limit gatherings of significant numbers of pupils.
• Where pupils require to be in school due to resources or course requirements, we will contact them and families directly to arrange when this will happen next week. This will allow us to plan for social distancing measures, health and safety requirements and ensure that we have the correct staff on hand to support pupils.
•  Where pupils require and are entitled to additional support for assessments and/or coursework, we will factor this in to ensure that these entitlements are met and will communicate this with individual families and pupils.

I am aware that this is a slight shift on my communication last night that school will be open as normal for senior pupils to complete work and am now in a position to clarify what this will look like.

Whilst it remains the case that we will be open next week for Senior Phase pupils requiring access to complete SQA coursework, portfolio work and assessments, we are going to co-ordinate this from school level and make contact with pupils and families as and when we require them to be at school over the course of next week and the following week. Where work can be completed from home, departments will guide pupils through the platforms shared with you yesterday. Please do not send your child or young person to school next week if we have not directly contacted them/you. Depute Head Teachers are currently clarifying this with pupils that are present and I would appreciate if you could share the message with Senior Phase pupils currently at home.

Once again, I can re-assure you that no pupil will be disadvantaged throughout this process. We had a brilliant meeting with Mr Johnston and Principal Teachers to co-ordinate our plans for SQA Processes this morning and I have every confidence that pupils will come through this with the qualifications their work and endeavour merits.      
 
I know you will be anxious about this. Please just keep following our guidance and having confidence in our processes whilst reassuring your child and keeping them focused on controlling what they can control. I have received a high volume of communication over the last couple of days and appreciate all the kind words about the staff and the school. We are very much pulling through this together.

I trust that this gives you clarity on our current position. As in previous days, I will keep you updated and communicate any changes to guidance as we proceed.

Thank you
Ryan Miller
Head Teacher

The BGE Guidance has been updated below with additions/correction to Teams codes for Science:

Supporting Learning at Home for S1-S3: Guidance for Pupils and Parents

Good evening BGE pupils and parents (again),

Until this point, the emphasis has been on contingency planning for pupils in the Senior Phase and making arrangements for SQA-driven deadlines. However, we are acutely aware that our pupils in S1-S3 might also be feeling unsettled and anxious at the change to their daily routine. Our amazing staff have been working to pull together resources that will allow all S1-3 pupils to continue with their learning at home with support from their teachers and online sources where possible.

Again, we know this is not normal. However, all pupils are aware of their current timetable and should be able to split their time approximately as guided by that each day, using the guidance below to access instructions from teachers where appropriate or to guide their own learning using the online resources. We will continue to add to this over the coming weeks as it is essential that our pupils continue to learn and hone their skills in preparation for returning to school.

We also have developing plans to support the mental health and wellbeing of our pupils and parents over this unsettling time and will share these with you as soon as we have them ready.

You have been amazing S1-S3 and I am so proud of you. Keep working hard and taking care of or helping the people around you. That’s worth more learning than anything else right now.

Take care
Mr Miller
Head Teacher

RESOURCES FOR USE WITH ALL CLASSES IN THE BROAD GENERAL EDUCATION (BGE)

Please be aware that Microsoft Teams can be accessed via pupil GLOW accounts.

GLOW can be accessed via an APP on smartphones but it can also be accessed via Google.

Occasionally the resources display quicker if you log in via the internet.

Supporting Learning at Home

Dear pupils and parents,

You will have seen from prior communications that we have been working on bolstering our online resources to support learning at home for Senior Phase pupils during the school closure. Today’s announcement that the SQA exam diet has been cancelled obviously throws learning at home into a very different light for our Senior Phase pupils, but the information below remains crucial.

For all pupils in the Senior Phase, the focus at home must now turn to completing any outstanding SQA coursework, portfolio work or assessments as directed by the class teacher. These will still be taken into account by the SQA in arriving at final SQA grades for the year and, as such, is the only aspect that pupils are still capable of impacting at this point.

We are also looking at plans and arrangements to get pupils into school over the next two weeks to complete any practical assessment work that has still to be completed, taking into account social distancing measures and health and safety advice. We will advise of arrangements for this as soon as we possibly can and communicate what it will look like as it will have to be managed on a pupil-by-pupil basis to avoid large groupings.

Below, each department has provided a summary for pupils and parents to help them navigate the support and resources on offer while they are working at home. We will continue to revise and add to this as the weeks go. For pupils in S4 and S5 planning to stay on at school, there is an expectation that you continue with revision and learning at home using the guidance below after you have completed your SQA coursework, portfolios and assessments. It is essential that you continue to hone and build your skills and knowledge with a view to progressing to S5 or S6 next session or preparing yourself for further/higher education or training/employment.

Staff have been working tirelessly to populate the online resources and will be at their computers ready to support you wherever possible pending their own health and wellbeing. We know this is not normal; we also know that it will not be easy. Most of all, though, we know how resilient, capable and brilliant you are. Do as much as you can to the best of your ability and let us have your back to ensure that you come out of this experience stronger for it and ready for whatever is next in your academic or professional career. I have so much admiration for how pupils, staff and parents of Stewarton Academy have handled adversity over course of the last week.

Additional guidance and communication will follow in the coming days as we refine our SQA plan and processes. In the meantime, keep taking care of yourselves and each other.

Ryan Miller

Head Teacher

Department: Art & Design

Department: Modern Languages

Department: Business and Administration

Department: Computing

Department: English

Department: Maths

Department: Modern Languages

Department: Music

Department: P.E.

Department: Pupil Support

Department: Science

Department: Support for Learning

Department: Technical and Design

Department: Home Economics

Department: Social Subjects and RMPS

You can open a copy of this information above to save to your computer or device by clicking Here

Please click below to access a letter for all pupils from S4-6 from Linda McAulay-Griffiths, East Ayrshire Council’s Head of Education.

Letter to Senior Phase Pupils

Regards

Ryan Miller

Head Teacher

Good evening,

I am writing to bring staff, pupils and parents up to speed with the COVID-19 situation and its impact on our school as it stands on Tuesday evening.

We have had another immensely challenging day and I could not be more grateful for the work of our teaching and non teaching staff in maintaining a calm, purposeful learning environment for our young people today. The office staff have been under severe pressure taking calls and recording absence and have been absolutely appreciative of the wide support they have received from parents during a very unsettling period.

Like every other school, we have a significant number of pupils and staff now self-isolating either because they are exhibiting symptoms (isolating for 7 days), living in a household with someone exhibiting symptoms (isolating for 14 days unless they exhibit symptoms, at which point they should isolate for 7 days from the day the symptoms present) or because they have an underlying health condition or are pregnant, as specified by government guidance (isolating until further notice).

We have looked at the attendance statistics from the end of today and our expected staffing levels for tomorrow. With additional supply staff booked in for tomorrow, we are in a position to open the school as normal for pupils not self-isolating for any of the reasons stated above. It is essential that pupils and staff already self-isolating continue to do so for the appropriate number of days.

The First Minister has tonight stated that “it is highly possible we will see a more blanket approach to school closures in the coming days”. We are continuing to prepare for this potential outcome by placing as many resources as possible online for pupils in the Senior Phase (S4-6) through Glow, Teams, Sharepoint and Show My Homework. We are also working on our contingency plans for S1-3 and collating an extensive bank of resources to support them with meaningful work in the event of a school closure.

Ultimately, our main job for now remains to look after the health and wellbeing of pupils, staff and parents, deliver high quality learning to our pupils in school and do as much as we can to support self-directed learning at home. As the situation progresses, so to will our ability to support the later and more guidance will follow in due course to help parents understand what this looks like as it takes shape.

This really is an unprecedented situation and one that is presenting monumental challenges not only to school, but to wider society. First and foremost, I urge you to take care of yourselves, your family and those around you and continue to exhibit the resilience, compassion and understanding that makes me proud to lead and be associated with Stewarton Academy. We will continue striving to do the best we can in every situation with the information we have available at the time.

Take care

Ryan Miller
Head Teacher

With updated national guidance announced late this afternoon, there have been important changes that come into play with immediate effect. In the short term, I have included the most important points in the text below, but this is just an extract lifted directly from the most up-to-date government guidance, which can be viewed in full here

Extract from text about self isolation

Stay at home advice

Please find attached the most recent communication from East Ayrshire Council to support schools and parents in relation to pupils exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

COVID-19 symptoms – advice for parents-carers – 16.3.20

Kind regards

Ryan Miller

Head Teacher

Good afternoon,

I am aware that there is a lot of speculation and anxiety around the school community as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. I want to share this communication to ensure that all parents have a clear, up-to-date view of the situation from a school perspective.

As things stand, there is no imminent news of school closure either locally or nationally. This situation is constantly under review at national, local and school level and, should that situation change, it will be communicated to parents through the school’s app, website and twitter feed. Please ensure that you rely on these school communication channels and East Ayrshire Council’s official accounts for updates and the latest advice. This will minimise the kind of speculation that only serves to cause distress and anxiety for pupils, parents and the wider school community.

As a school, we will continue to develop contingency and resilience measures to be as prepared as possible for the deepening of the COVID-19 outbreak both from a health and safety and an educational point of view. We will communicate with you at appropriate junctures about how you can support us with this and will ensure that pupils and parents are kept fully informed.

Our immediate priority is to ensure that we act responsibly to contribute to nationwide efforts to delay the spread of the virus. With this is mind, all pupils and staff are expected to follow the most recent national guidance and self-isolate for seven days if they present any symptoms of COVID-19. Please refer to the national guidance if you are unsure. If your child is self-isolating, it is crucial that you contact the school office to report the absence in the normal manner and inform them that your child is self-isolating for seven days. We are recording these figures for reporting purposes at council and national level. If teachers see pupils exhibiting the symptoms, we will ask the child to report to the school office and we will contact home to gather more information and agree an appropriate course of action with parents.

The SQA has issued a statement on their contingency plans, and we will work to supporting our senior phase pupils through any actions taken. I would like to reassure you that we will do everything in our power to prevent pupils being disadvantaged by the current situation and that, where possible, you continue to encourage them to focus on their learning and revision as we head towards a very important stage of their education. Again, plans around supporting pupils will be communicated in due course depending on what the situation requires.

Finally for now, I would like to thank you for your support. I have had several messages and offers of help and support today and parents have shown great understanding at what is undoubtedly an unsettling time. We will absolutely draw on the strength of our school community and come out of this period all the stronger for it.

Kind regards

Ryan Miller
Head Teacher
Stewarton Academy 

Good morning,

I am aware that there is uncertainty about overseas trips following the Prime Minister’s guidance yesterday. It seems likely that our Ardeche trip and our Berlin trip will be affected by this and are unlikely to take place. East Ayrshire Council will be writing to schools and parents to clarify the position on the cancellation of trips and guidance on insurance and financial implications in the near future and we will share this with you as soon as possible. In the short term, we will not be collecting any more payments for these trips until we have clarification of the position.

I appreciate your patience and support with this.

Ryan Miller
Head Teacher