Coronavirus Information

This page will be updated with any changes to the usual school routine. To receive urgent updates, please ensure we have your correct email address via INSIGHT.

Any important letters can be found at the bottom of this page

COVID Mitigations - Autumn Term 2021 Update 2

Last updated - 11:00 Monday 20th September

I wrote to you at the start of the term regarding the measures we were taking to minimise the risk for students and staff. Last week, I provided an update on these measures, with the additional mitigations we needed to take due to the increase in positive Covid cases, and said we would be reviewing them on a weekly basis.

On this basis the following mitigations and information have been updated or received during the last week:

• Lateral Flow & PCR Testing – all students should continue to do two lateral flow tests per week at home.
  • If they have a positive test, they should then have a follow up PCR Test.
  • If the PCR test is negative, they can return to school.
  • If PCR is positive, NHS Test & Trace will notify you of the period of isolation.
  • If other members of the family test positive, your son or daughter can still come to school if they have a negative result from a test.

In addition to these testing arrangements we have been informed by Public Health Wiltshire that if any student has been in contact with a positive case and has symptoms they should book a PCR test.

• Covid & Flu Vaccinations – we have been informed that the these are scheduled to take place in school, for eligible students, on Wednesday 6 October; as for previous vaccinations parental consent will be sought through the normal route.
• Sporting Fixtures – fixtures this week against other schools will be cancelled or rearranged, including the rugby on Saturday 25 September.

The following mitigations will continue as before:

• Face Masks – all year groups will still be required to wear face masks in lessons, sixth form study rooms, ICT rooms and the library. (This will not apply if you are exempt from wearing a mask as previously outlined by the guidance)
• School Assemblies – weekly assemblies and collective worship for multiple year groups have been paused. The individual year group assemblies and Chapel Services will continue as previously outlined.
• Rooms to be well ventilated – all windows and doors to be open to allow air to circulate. All room usage should ideally be no longer than an hour in length and students should leave the rooms after this time to allow the air to replenish.
• Hand sanitising – the hand sanitiser dispensers on-site will remain in place and should continue to be used to help with basic hygiene measures.
• Designated outdoor areas – all year groups will continue to have specific areas of the school to use at break and lunch times.

We will continue to review these measures on a weekly basis to make the school as safe as possible.

COVID Mitigations - Autumn Term 2021 Update

Last updated - 08:00 Tuesday 14th September

I wrote to you at the start of the term regarding the measures we were taking to minimise the risk for students and staff.

Having reviewed the first two weeks of term it is clear the case numbers are rising and the main spread for the virus is via the airborne route, particularly with the current variants.

On this basis we now need to add to the mitigations in place to keep students safe and at school, in line with the government legislation, so we are updating our advice as follows to try to minimise and reduce infection levels:

• Lateral Flow Testing – all students should now be testing twice a week at home. If they have a positive test they should then have a follow up PCR Test. If the PCR test is negative they can return to school; if it is positive, NHS Test & Trace will notify you of the period of isolation. If other members of the family test positive your son or daughter can still come to school if they have a negative result from a test.
• Face Masks – due to the number of cases across all year groups we have now reached the threshold where we need to inform Public Health England. On this basis, from Wednesday 15 September, face masks will now be required in all lessons, sixth form study rooms, ICT rooms and the library. They will also be required in any room where the occupants will be together for over 15mins and in close proximity. (This will not apply if you are exempt from wearing a mask as previously outlined by the guidance)
• School Assemblies – weekly assemblies and collective worship with multiple year groups will be paused. They will be replaced with individual year group assemblies, which the Heads of School will produce a programme for and inform the students. The individual year group Chapel Services will continue as normal.

The following mitigations will continue as before:

• Rooms to be well ventilated – all windows and doors to be open to allow air to circulate. All room usage should ideally be no longer than an hour in length and students should leave the rooms after this time to allow the air to replenish.
• Hand sanitising – the hand sanitiser dispensers on site will remain in place and should continue to be used to help with basic hygiene measures.
• Designated outdoor areas – all year groups will continue to have specific areas of the school to use at break and lunch times.

We will review these measures on a weekly basis to make the school as safe as possible, and I hope the school community will support these measures to help us continue in this way.

COVID Mitigations - Autumn Term 2021

Last updated - 12:00 Sunday 5th September

As the whole school returns next week we wanted to update you on the measures we are taking to minimise the risk for students and staff.

The current information we have received regarding the coronavirus indicates the main spread is via the airborne route, this is particularly the case with the variants that have been identified.

Based on the requirements outlined by the Department for Education, and advice we have received, the following will be important measures in minimising infection levels:

• Lateral Flow Testing – all students are to have two tests in school on their return and then continue with twice weekly testing until the end of September. Students who test positive will need to have a follow up PCR Test, with close contacts undertaking daily testing but remaining in school unless they themselves test positive.
• Rooms to be well ventilated – all windows and doors to be open to allow air to circulate. All room usage should ideally be no longer than an hour in length and students should leave the rooms after this time to allow the air to replenish. This fits well with our current timetable, with lessons of a maximum of 1 hour in length. The nature of the school means there are very few other enclosed spaces, so the students are at a lower risk when not in lessons. (We purchased a CO2 monitor last term to monitor rooms and the air quality was good if appropriate levels of ventilation were maintained)
• Face Masks – one of the most basic measures everyone can undertake to prevent infection levels rising is the use of a face mask. The national advice for this has changed since the last academic year but we would strongly recommend students use face masks in lessons due to the time spent in the rooms and their proximity to others. If the cases nationally continue to rise, particularly in the younger age groups, we may well have to make the wearing of masks compulsory again in lessons. Sensible use of masks now may help prevent this next step having to be taken.
• Hand sanitising – the hand sanitiser dispensers on site will remain in place and should continue to be used to help with basic hygiene measures.
• Designated outdoor areas – all year groups will continue to have specific areas of the school to use at break and lunch times.

We have tried to adopt sensible approaches to keeping the school open, and I hope the school community will support these measures to help us continue in this way.

Return to School Letters - September 2021

A copy of all letters sent to parents regarding the return to school in September and the procedure for Lateral Flow Testing can be found at the bottom of this page.  Please note that Year 12 were contacted directly via teams, if you are a new Y12 student who has yet to receive your login, please email ajw@bishopwordsworths.org.uk

Use of face coverings on school transport - Updated

12:00 Friday 14th May - Wiltshire Council letter to parents added to bottom of this page

Please see the following advice updated by Wiltshire County Council

Following the announcement by the Government that the next step of the Roadmap out of Lockdown will take place on 17th May I thought it would be helpful to explain how school transport is affected by the changes.

Dedicated School Transport will continue to run as it does now. There are no changes to routes and timetables. Passengers will still need to wear a face covering whilst on board. I would appreciate your assistance in spreading this message, please, as with face coverings no longer being needed in classrooms I would understand it if children and young people felt that the transport rules were similarly relaxed. This isn’t the case. Buses and coaches continue to be Covid-safe places to be, as long as the current mitigations remain in place.

Public Buses are now nearly all back running to their normal timetables, with additional capacity being provided where it has been found necessary. Pupils should continue to travel as they do now, whether that is on the main bus, or one of the additional “school pupils only” vehicles. As with dedicated school transport, face coverings must still be worn on public buses and on any additional vehicles provided to supplement the service. Again, I would appreciate your assistance in spreading this message.

Please click below for a full copy of the letter issued to all schools and parents

Remote Education Provision - Information for Parents and Carers

This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education where national or local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home.

• Remote education provision at Bishop Wordsworth's School – (Updated 12th Feb 2021)

Last updated - 10:00 Friday 3rd September

BWS Remote Learning System Status

• Staff Remote Desktop - Good Service
• Student Remote Desktop - Good Service
• New web based Remote Desktop - click here to login - Good Service (Facility  to change your password has been added)
• Teams - click here to login - Good Service (username is xxxxx@bws-school.org.uk)

An acceptable user guide for Microsoft Teams has been published for all students to read, a copy is available here

For technical enquiries, please email insight@bws.wilts.sch.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.  If you are reporting an error, if possible, please attach a screen shot

Last Updated:-10:00 3rd September 2021