23 October 2020

Dear Parent/Carer,

Letter from the Headteacher (End of Autumn Term 1)

As the half-term break approaches, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for the support
that you have given to us as we returned to school with a range of coronavirus (COVID-19) safety
measures in place. Congratulations too, to our new Year 7 students who have made a most
promising start to school. My staff and I look forward to seeing them develop further in the weeks
ahead as they learn all about ‘The Isleworth & Syon Way’. Please do read this letter which
contains some reminders ahead of the next half-term.

The Return to School

Whilst this has been the most unusual start to any academic year in my career, I am pleased that
we have managed the return successfully. My colleagues and I have been impressed with how
the vast majority of students have adapted to the procedural changes and it has been a delight
to see them enjoying being back. Attendance across the school has been excellent and well
above the rates across the country, so I wish to thank parents/carers for showing the trust in our
safety measures and in ensuring that education continues, with a degree of normality, at school.

COVID-19 Updates

We maintain a detailed log of students and staff who may have developed COVID-19 symptoms.
Over the half-term, we have logged around 200 potential cases. Fortunately, only one has been
confirmed as positive and the impact for us was minimal.

What is vital, now that London is in tier 2 (high) for COVID risk, is that every member of the school
community including family members, follow the latest guidance. This is what will keep us safer
at school and allow us to maintain on-site education provision. Please do take time to read the
guidance here. If any member of the household develops symptoms, then everyone must self-
isolate until the symptomatic person has been tested and further action can be determined.

Clearly there can be a high degree of anxiety with any announcement of a positive test. Please
do be assured that we will always go through a standard process which will include identifying
and notifying any potential or close contacts of the person testing positive.

Should you or a family member have COVID-19 symptoms, you can book a test via
nhs.uk/coronavirus here or call 119. There is a Mobile Testing Unit in Hounslow every three days
and daily testing available at the Local Testing Sites - Padstow Walk in Feltham or Brabazon
Road in Heston. There are also Regional Testing Sites at Heathrow or Twickenham. You need
to ensure that a test is booked in advance.

Face coverings are now mandatory in communal areas in school and the students have all
adapted really well to this new requirement. We do have a small supply of masks in the school
shop should your son/daughter/ward forget to bring a face covering to school.
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Learning

With the possibility of future local or national lockdowns, we are determined that we can move
quickly to learning off-site should the need arise. In preparation for this and to get our students
used to using technology to support their learning, we now require our students to be very familiar
with using Microsoft Teams. Important pieces of their daily work can be uploaded to Class
Notebook and they can utilise Class Voice for messaging purposes.

PPA (or homework) is distributed on PARS and parents/carers can check the Parent Portal or
the Insight App for further details. All students should also be reading for 20 minutes every day
as there is no doubt that literacy is fundamental to success in all subjects.

Travel to School

Please do encourage your son/daughter/ward to walk or cycle to school. If they need to use public
transport, a face covering must be worn unless they have a valid exemption.

Cyclists must wear a cycle helmet on the ride to and from school. The cycle sheds are securely
locked during the day and each cyclist has their own designated rack to ensure COVID-19 safety.

If you do drive your child to school, please prevent congestion around the school by avoiding
Church Road or Ridgeway Road. Please also note that it is illegal to stop on double yellow lines
or on the zig-zag marking outside the school gates!

Appearance Policy

Some lenience has been shown this half-term for students who have not met the requirements
of our Appearance Policy. However, after half-term we will be applying our usual standards.
Please check out the requirements on our website here and ensure that students conform to all
of the expectations from the start of next half-term.

CucinA Survey

We are pleased that we have managed to maintain a safe hot food service this half-term and
appreciate your patience with some initial teething problems. Whilst the school kitchen is being
refurbished the catering team have been running the service from a makeshift facility and using
three different service points. The catering company, CucinA, would welcome any feedback from
students who have used the service this half-term. Please use this link for a brief survey.

Virtual Events

It has been difficult to run our normal extensive range of additional activities this half-term.
However, we are reintroducing events and activities where we can preserve COVID-19 safety
and we intend to keep expanding the offer after half-term and for as long as the guidance allows.

There have been a number of virtual events and visits this half-term and the sporting and arts
offer has returned in the past few weeks.
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It has been fantastic to see so many students on the pitches and courts enjoying their sport and
seeing the return of music lessons and drama work, as well as many other on-site activities.

As we continue to deal with the pandemic, virtual events will form more of our offer. So, do look
out for the Virtual Sixth Form Open Event and a virtual Christmas Concert over the next half-term.
Further details will follow in due course.

You may be interested in viewing the Virtual Open Event which was held for prospective Year 7
students earlier this term. The series of videos and a virtual tour of the school can be seen here.

Year 11 Parents’ Evening – Thursday 19 November

We are planning an online Parents Evening for Year 11 students, so please do keep the late
afternoon/early evening of 19 November free for this important contact point. There will be a
further communication after half-term.

Late Start for KS3 – Thursday 5 November

In order to undertake some staff training for online Parents’ Evenings, our Year 7, 8 and 9
students will have a slightly late start on 5 November, arriving at 9.30am, rather than 8.30am.
Please do note this on your calendars.

December Examinations – Year 11 & 13, and Year 12 Vocational Students

Our GCSE and A level students, and those students in Year 12 following a vocational course,
have been issued with their timetables for the December Examinations which will take place at
the end of this term.

School Developments

Work is well underway on £750,000 project to install new drama and music rooms; the
refurbishment of the kitchen and the expansion of our dining facilities which will include a Sixth
Form study area. This project will continue this term and should be finished in January. We will
publish some photographs of the work in progress next half-term.

I do wish you all a very good half-term break.

Yours sincerely,

Euan Ferguson
Headteacher