RETURNING SAFELY TO SHERBORNE GIRLS
Dear Parents and Guardians I hope you and your families remain healthy and well and that you have all been able to enjoy some precious time together over the last few months. I should like to start by expressing my gratitude to the whole Sherborne Girls community for your unwavering faith and confidence in the School and its staff to provide the best educational offering possible for your daughters during these past months of lockdown. Your support has been invaluable during these challenging times. Although we remain very proud of the Remote Schooling programme that we were able to provide for the girls last term, and of the positive feedback from parents, pupils and staff who felt 2
that the quality of education delivered was excellent, an overwhelming majority of the Sherborne Girls community agree that the girls benefit more from being physically at School, in an environment that supports, stretches, challenges and nurtures each individual. With that in mind, I, along with all the staff, am very much looking forward to welcoming your daughters back to Sherborne Girls in September, and to the School returning to the vibrant, dynamic, creative and happy environment that we know it to be. To keep you as informed as possible, an overview of the key changes that will be adopted as part of our plans to reopen the School are laid out in the following pages.
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I hope you find this information both useful and reassuring, and that we have managed to strike the right balance between delivering the highest quality education and providing a degree of boarding school normality whilst mitigating the risk of importation or transmission of the COVID-19 (C19) virus within the appropriate parameters. With guidance and, therefore, specific details continuing to alter we will send a final, more detailed Reopening Document to you during the week commencing 24 August as it is likely that schools will be asked to consider further changes between now and then.
using the subject heading ‘September Reopening’ if there are any points you would like to discuss further, and I will ensure your query is dealt with by the relevant person as we genuinely welcome feedback. In the meantime, I wish you and your families a lovely summer.
Best wishes,
Dr Ruth Sullivan Headmistress
We will be keeping our measures under constant review but please do contact me at Headmistress@sherborne.com 3
Guidance and Consideration The Senior Leadership Team has been working closely with our Health and Safety Advisor, Deputy Bursar and all Staff in putting these plans together, as well as drawing on guidance from ASCL, AGBIS, HMC, GSA, ISC, BSA,1 in their COVID-SAFE Charter, the Government and liaising with our Governing Body and School Insurers. In addition, feedback from pupils during House meetings, tutorials and classes, as well as parental comments in email and telephone communication, have been incorporated. We have also been working throughout our planning process with Sherborne School. Due to specifics associated with, for example, boarding house structure, dining, site layout, variations will naturally exist between each School’s plan. Both Schools will continue to collaborate fully so all potential issues and concerns are given due consideration. We are committed to delivering the best possible separate yet together offering within the confines that currently exist. 1
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In planning for the fullest possible reopening of the School in September 2020, our priority is to ensure the safest possible educational experience for your daughters, while maintaining the highest standards of academic and co-curricular provision and pastoral care. The safety of your daughters above all other considerations has been prioritised, including their mental and physical health and happiness. No approach, apart from complete isolation, can guarantee absolute protection from the C19 virus, and we believe that ‘perfect’ social distancing is impossible in a boarding school environment. Our aim at Sherborne Girls is to give the girls an experience as close to normality as possible, with systems in place that minimise the risk. In line with Government guidance, the results of the School’s risk assessment for reopening are being made publicly available. If you wish to receive a copy, please email bursar@sherborne.com
ASCL: Association of School and College Leaders; AGBIS: Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools; HMC: Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference; GSA: Girls’ Schools Association; ISC: Independent Schools Council; BSA: Boarding Schools’ Association.
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Logistics of Reopening Overview, Review and Updates Our plans for a return to a ‘new normal’ in September are referred to throughout this document as SGR1. These plans are based on the current guidance as of 19 July 2020. A detailed SGR1 Final Update will be sent to you during the week commencing 24 August 2020. To ensure the girls and staff have time to adjust to the structure and changes required of our SGR1 plan, the details referred to below will operate until at least the October half-term break. During the first half of the Michaelmas term, SGR1 will constantly be reviewed and, if risk,
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guidance, and requirements permit, be adjusted for the second half of the Michaelmas term. Confirmation of any changes will be provided to staff, parents, guardians and girls during the week commencing 12 October 2020 as SGR2. An additional interim review will also take place prior to the first Exeat weekend (25-27 September), which will have a particular focus on certain arrangements for the girls, for example, social distancing. A list of key dates regarding reopening communications is printed opposite:
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Focus and Mode of Communication
Date of Communication
Sherborne Girls Reopening Phase 1 (SGR1) document emailed outlining key changes adopted in reopening plans (this communication)
Monday 20 July 2020
Teams Call - Parent Focus Group for parents of overseas pupils (page 27)
Tuesday 11 August 12:00 BST
Teams Call - Parent Focus Group for parents of UK based pupils (page 27)
Tuesday 11 August 18:00 BST
Teams Call - Information and Q&A session for parents of overseas pupils (email with link to meeting to be sent on Monday 10 August)
Friday 14 August 12:00 BST
Teams Call - Information and Q&A session for parents of UK based pupils (email with link to meeting to be sent on Monday 10 August)
Friday 14 August 18:00 BST
SGR1 Final Update - document emailed to provide further details regarding September reopening
w/c Monday 24 August
Exeat Update - document emailed to provide a brief update of the situation and changes where appropriate
Friday 25 September
Half Term Review - document emailed to provide an update on the situation and outline any changes that might be implemented after the half term break (SGR2)
w/c Monday 12 October
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Start of Term
Pupil Induction Programme
There will be no change of date to the start of the Michaelmas term from that previously published in our Term Dates although we will be asking you as parents to book a specific time to return your daughters to School in order to regulate the number of visitors on site at any one time. We will be as accommodating as possible regarding return times, especially for those who may have more than one daughter at Sherborne Girls or those who also have a son at Sherborne School.
There will be a few changes to our Pupil Induction Programme, scheduled for Sunday 6 and Monday 7 September although the days on which pupils will be required to arrive at School remain the same. Exact timings and schedules will be sent out in our Final Update during the week commencing 24 August.
Please note that there will be no pre-season training before the start of the Michaelmas term. Further details on the start of term arrangements will be provided in our Final Update during the week commencing 24 August.
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Heathrow Coach The Heathrow Coach will operate as usual at the start of term, albeit with social distancing and additional safety measures in place. Pupils using the coach service will be required to wear face masks during the journey and will be seated a maximum distance apart for the journey. If you would like to book your daughter onto the Heathrow Coach, please contact: office@sherborne.com.
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Exeats and Half Term Exeats and Half Term will operate as previously published in our Term Dates. We are currently confirming arrangements for the train that operates on each of these occasions and will circulate details in due course.
Please note, the wearing of a face covering at all times on public transport is now a legal requirement in England.
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The Pastoral Focus Boarding Houses and Social Distancing We are aware that expecting every pupil to socially distance 24/7 whilst in a full boarding environment is both unrealistic and impractical. Equally, however, we know how effective social distancing can be in reducing the transmission of the C19 virus. When pupils and staff return in September, therefore, we will be adopting an approach designed to minimise the time that pupils across the School spend in close proximity to each other, and staff, whilst also enabling the girls to be with their peers and benefit from everything a boarding environment has to offer. We intend to do this through the creation of year group bubbles. From September 2020, initially until the October half-term break, 12
our boarding house structure will be changed. Except for Aldhelmsted West (L4 and U4/Years 7 and 8) and Mulliner (Year 13), each Boarding House will become a single age group house. The rationale behind this decision is to allow each year group to be considered as a household. With each Boarding House at Sherborne Girls having its own kitchen and dining room, creating a year group household will enable us to treat all the girls in that House as a discrete bubble. Resident staff and non-resident Matrons within each Boarding House will oversee the pastoral wellbeing of the girls in their care and be able to interact with them in as normal a way as possible. Other non-resident staff within the
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Boarding House will not be permitted to enter the House without express permission from the Health and Safety Advisor and then only if they remain socially distanced from the pupils. Nonresident Matrons will only work in one Boarding House. Information regarding which year group will be allocated to each of the five mixed-age Boarding Houses, lines of communication, along with further details regarding
social distancing in and between Boarding Houses, plus evening and weekend leave will be communicated in the SGR1 Final Update. This will be circulated during the week commencing 24 August and will be based on latest guidance at that time. It will also be reviewed in the Exeat Update on Friday 25 September 2020. The Boarding Houses of Aldhelmsted West and Mulliner are exceptions and will continue to house their respective year group/s. 13
Day Girls, Day Boarders, Arrangements and Social Distancing Although Day Girls will be as fully integrated in lessons and cocurricular activities as Boarders, unless there is a fundamental shift in Government guidance between now and the start of term, they will not be able to visit Boarding Houses for the duration of SGR1 (at least the first half of the Michaelmas term). This means that we will be unable to accommodate Day Boarding until at least the October half term, and until then all girls will need to be either Full Boarders or Day pupils. As previously stated, detailed plans are still in development and this applies to our Day Girls too. At present we are expecting that, for the duration of SGR1, each year group cohort of Day Girls will be allocated a room within School. This space will serve as their Form Room and is where they will be registered each day, where they can leave their bags and books, etc. and where they will return in breaks. All meals and snacks for 14
Day Girls will be served in the Tea Crate. We appreciate that these changes may create some logistical complications for families of Day Girls/Day Boarders, and that Day Girls will need time to adjust to the restrictions on their ability to mix freely in School and the realisation that they will not be able occasionally to board. To assist with this, we are asking parents of Day Girls or Day Boarders to consider changing their daughter’s status to Full Boarding for the first half of the Michaelmas term. The option to change boarding status for half a term will only apply during this period, and fees will be pro-rated accordingly (termly fee details can be found on our website here). Should our half-term review conclude that it is not possible to relax our approach after the October half term, this option will be extended further, and you will be updated accordingly.
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To enable us to accommodate your preferences, we ask that you contact the Bursar, Mrs Fiona Clapp (bursar@sherborne.com) at your earliest convenience to advise us of your daughter’s day/boarding status for the start of the Michaelmas term, if possible no later than Monday 27 July 2020. If you are unable to meet this deadline or need to discuss aspects of your daughter’s boarding status for the half term, please do let us know and we will work with you on an individual basis.
If you would like to speak directly with your daughter’s Housemistress/Housemaster or another member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) regarding any pastoral matter in advance of the August update, please do not hesitate to contact me at Headmistress@sherborne.com
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The Academic Focus Lessons During the period of SGR1, nonspecialist classrooms and teaching areas within School will be zoned for use by each of the year groups. Historically, pupils at Sherborne Girls have changed classroom for each lesson, which results in considerable movement and footfall around the School site. Until such a time as the pupils return to their mixed-aged houses, each year group will be taught in their zone with staff moving between lessons. This will reduce the movement of people around the School site and also reduce any potential for virus transmission. These zones will have designated entrance/exit routes, and most will also have their own lavatory facilities. Assessment of our plans indicates that we will not need to restrict the curriculum as provided for in
Government guidance; that is, we will not stop teaching some subjects in order to focus on others.
Specialist Lessons Certain subjects, including Science, Food Technology, Drama, Music, Art and Design, and PE, will be taught in dedicated rooms which will be outside of the zones referred to previously. This is to ensure that the girls’ education is supported in the most effective way whilst also keeping risk to an absolute minimum. We are in the process of establishing exactly how we will make this possible, enabling the girls to take part in practical subjects whilst still adhering to Government guidance.
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Additional Items Required for The Start of Term2 • Bag or rucksack to keep hands free for sanitising when moving around School • Individual equipment such as ruler, protractor, calculator, etc. that might previously have been shared in class • Tissues • Hand sanitiser (the School will also provide hand sanitiser dispensers around the campus) • A portable charger for your device (Surface, iPad etc.)
For Boarders • Three different clothing outfits that could be worn for School in addition to School Uniform (four outfits in total). In addition to School uniform, two outfits must be appropriate to be worn in class (trousers/jeans/skirts, jumper/blouse/shirt but no ripped jeans!). Each outfit should be brought to School in a clearly marked bag and no item of clothing should form part of more than one of the outfits.
• Headphones (ideally with microphone) • Exercise/Yoga Mat • Water Bottle
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With the exception of disposable items listed above, all others need to be clearly named
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The Co-Curricular Focus We intend to run as full and ‘normal’ a co-curricular programme as possible given the confines of Government guidance, during the period of SGR1. At present, certain activities such as choirs, hymn practices or larger instrumental ensembles will not be permissible and certain mixed-year activities may be run through a blended programme with some pupils joining remotely and others being physically present, rotating these individuals on a weekly basis. All girls will be given information about the range of activities on offer and how they will operate during the period of SGR1, when they return to school in September.
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Whole School Gatherings: Assembly, School Prayers, Hymn Practice, Services For the period that SGR1 is in operation there will be no whole School gatherings. Alternative approaches will be adopted for all events which would ordinarily involve a gathering of more than one Boarding House. In September, assembly, for example, will operate on a Monday morning and be live-streamed to all girls via Planet eStream as was the case last term. Rather than streaming from the Headmistress’ office, assembly will be delivered from each of the Boarding Houses/Form Rooms on rotation, ensuring social distancing is adhered to. A similar approach will be followed for School Prayers. Hymn Practices will be removed until such a point as we are permitted to have large numbers of individuals singing together. Until this point, an additional School Prayers will take place each week.
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Sport During SGR1, no sports fixtures with other schools will be possible due to Government restrictions. An exception are those that can be undertaken through digital means, such as the virtual fixture that Sherborne Girls undertook with St Mary’s Calne and Downe House last term. Further details around Sport provision and potential opportunities for competitive sport will be provided in our Final Update document (page 7). Sports coaching will continue during SGR1 although the format will be adapted to ensure that any social distancing rules are adhered to in line with National Governing Body (NGB) guidelines for individual sports. All Sport and PE lessons will be undertaken in year group bubbles and there will be no mixing of year groups.
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Music and Drama activities
Offsite Visits and Trips
During SGR1, instrumental music lessons will take place, although some may continue to be delivered remotely, such as singing, wind and brass. Our School productions this year will be a series of smaller-scale, year group plays. Speech and Drama lessons will operate as normal.
During SGR1, it is highly likely that all offsite trips, visits and excursions will be postponed or cancelled. Where possible, a virtual event may be provided as an interim measure until such a time as guidance and restrictions permit the safe movement of pupils and staff. Further information on specific co-curricular activities including The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Charity work, Youth Town Council, etc. will be provided in our Final Update document (page 7).
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General Health, Hygiene, Cleaning and Virus Concerns Cleaning and Hand Sanitation The number of hand sanitiser dispensers has been increased considerably across all areas of the School Site. Girls will be reminded to wash/sanitise hands frequently during the day and particularly when entering/leaving classrooms and before meals.
We will also be taking steps to avoid the sharing of equipment/ items between pupils. Where there is no alternative to equipment being shared between pupils or passed from teachers to pupils, it will either be cleaned between uses or left in a quarantine area for 72 hours before being re-used.
Cleaning of Classrooms, Boarding Houses and the School Site
Boarding Houses will be cleaned at least daily with girls also being required to clean their personal spaces twice a day. All cleaning equipment will be provided to pupils, along with training to ensure the safe handling of cleaning equipment. The girls’ cleaning will supplement that already undertaken by our cleaning team. Boarding House dining rooms will be cleaned after each sitting.
Specialist teaching areas will be cleaned between each lesson and zoned classrooms will be cleaned regularly throughout the day. Our cleaning team and subject teachers will ensure that all classroom spaces have been appropriately cleaned and ventilated each day to reduce the potential risk of transmission.
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Suspected Cases of COVID-19 (C19) Our Health Centre Nurse Manager, Alexa Watson, will work closely with our GPs at the Grove Medical Centre in Sherborne to ensure that any suspected case of C19 is treated and cared for appropriately. Any Boarding pupil who is tested for C19 will be isolated whilst we await the test result and the pupils in her Boarding House will be quarantined in House and participate in lessons remotely. If the test returns a negative result, all pupils will resume lessons as previously. In the unlikely event that the test result is positive, the pupil will be required to return home whilst the rest of her Boarding House continue in quarantine until the 14-day period is completed. The above approach will allow us to remove the need for smaller bubbles of pupils to return home at any point that there might be a suspected C19 case in School, and ensure continuity of care and
teaching for the entire pupil body. In the unlikely event that a pupil were to test positive, the remainder of the House could be quarantined and receive remote teaching from staff for the period in question with minimum disruption to their studies. To maintain our capacity to deal with symptomatic cases, it will always be our preference that any pupil who tests positive for C19 should return home or to a UK guardian for their period of isolation. We appreciate that, for overseas pupils in particular, this might not always be possible. In such cases, we do have capacity for a small number of pupils to isolate in the Health Centre and we have also drawn up contingency plans for the very unlikely event that we have to isolate large numbers of positive cases elsewhere in the School.
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What if the Government Closes Schools Again? One of Sherborne Girls five key aims is to ‘Develop the Future Generation of Twenty-First Century Women’ with the first objective within this aim being to ‘Ensure Every Girl is Comfortable and Competent with Digital Technology.’ (See Strategic Plan for further detail).
parents (68%) responded to the Remote Schooling Questionnaire. This feedback helped us develop further our Remote Schooling offering for the following seven weeks of term, enabling staff to extend their skills and address the areas where progress could be made.
When the Government announced that Schools in England would close from Friday 20 March 2020, Sherborne Girls was in a strong position to be able to transition almost immediately and seamlessly to Remote Schooling. Every member of staff had already received considerable training on the use of Microsoft Teams by both internal and external providers, and the girls had been using Teams and digital technology to varying degrees within their various lessons.
We have engaged the external consultant who worked with our Digital Champions during the initial implementation of our digital strategy in September 2019, to return to Sherborne Girls for the whole of next term. He will work with pupils and teachers to develop and refine our digital offering, to standardise the use of technology across the School, and to investigate all the ways in which technology can be used to improve and transform learning. We will also be working towards Microsoft Showcase Status next year to further prove our commitment to digital technology for learning.
Three weeks into Remote Schooling in early May, our parent body was surveyed and 329
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Parent Focus Group We will also use information gathered from our Parent Focus Group sessions (page 7) to help refine and further develop Sherborne Girls Remote Schooling. When the girls return to School in September, HMs, Tutors and SLT will run similar Focus Groups to use experiences from the past to shape the future. It is our sincere hope that the Government will not require schools to close again but if they do, our staff and pupils are well placed to be able to transition immediately and smoothly to ‘Enhanced Remote Schooling’.
We would welcome the opportunity to hear from and work with our Parent Body not only to ensure we have considered as many factors as possible prior to us communicating our Final Update document (page 7) but also because of the wealth and breadth of experience you have. If you would like to be involved in one of the Parent Focus Groups (page 7) on Tuesday 11 August, please could you register your interest with Katherine Massey, Director of Development and Marketing: k.massey@sherborne.com before 5pm on Monday 3 August. Each Focus Group will be kept sufficiently small to ensure the opportunity for a meaningful discussion to take place. If interest exceeds capacity, we may require an additional session in which case we will be in touch with those who have registered an interest.
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While we regret the necessity of having to put all these measures in place, we will keep them under constant review with the aim of removing them as soon as Government and other experts advise us that it is safe to do so. It will continue to be a formative time for the girls next term, but
we know that they will make the very most of the opportunities it will bring, as well as rise with characteristic Sherborne Girls spirit to its challenges. We look forward to updating you further during the week commencing 24 August. 29
Sherborne Girls Bradford Road Sherborne Dorset DT9 3QN, UK T: +44 (0)1935 812245 E: office@sherborne.com www.sherborne.com