All Students Return to School on Monday 6 September

We are looking forward to welcoming all students and staff back to school on Monday 6 September and hope that you have all had an enjoyable summer. Please read these important updates and share with your child before they return to school.

Covid-19 Risk Assessment and Updated Guidance

Following the Government’s move to Step 4 and the publication of the DfE Schools Covid Guidance, we have updated our Risk Assessment to ensure that we adopt all recommended safety measures, whilst ensuring we are offering a broad and balanced curriculum to our students with opportunities for educational and personal development.

Please visit our website to access all up to date information here: https://www.bydales.outwood.com/covid-19

In summary, unless our local Public Health colleagues inform us of a local outbreak, the following applies:

Students and staff are not required to wear a face mask whilst in the academy unless they choose to do so
Students are not required to remain in single class or year group bubbles
We recommend that students and staff to avoid close contact with others where possible
We recommend that students and staff to continue to regularly wash their hands with soap and water and use hand sanitiser when this is not possible
We recommend that students and staff maintain good hygiene, coughing and sneezing into a tissue and covering their mouth
Students or staff that are showing any symptoms of Covid-19 must not come into the academy and arrange a PCR test and self-isolate, following public health advice

Covid Testing

We recommend and strongly encourage all students and staff to carry out twice weekly LFD tests
Test results should be logged here: https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result and with the academy here: OANo Covid-19 Home Testing Results
All contact tracing of positive cases is now the responsibility of Test and Trace, not the academy
Children under 18 and double vaccinated adults are no longer required to self isolate if identified as close contacts

We continue to follow Department for Education guidance to ensure we are minimising risk for students and staff. Parents and students will be informed of any changes as the term progresses.

School Meals and Impact iPay

From 6 September, the academy will be cashless, with payments for all school meals and school purchases being made through Impact iPay.

Parents and Carers of all Year 8, 9, 10 and 11 students received a personalised letter with details of how to set up their iPay account and add funds at the end of the summer term. Please ensure that you have added funds as needed for your child to access lunch. Any remaining funds from ParentPay, or cash payment, will be automatically transferred to your child’s iPay account. Students who are eligible for Free School Meals will automatically receive their lunch funds daily prior to their lunch session.

Parents and Carers of Year 7 students who have not received their login information, will do so by 7 September. Year 7 students will be able to have a drink and snack at breaktime and a meal deal lunch (main meal, drink and pudding) provided by the academy on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 September.

Further information is available on our website here: https://www.bydales.outwood.com/posts/1730 Please direct queries related to iPay to enquiries@bydales.outwood.com and we will respond as soon as possible.

The School Day

Students are able to come onto the school site from 8am each day.

On Monday 6 September, Year 7 students should go directly to the main hall, using the side entrance opposite reception where they will be registered and meet their tutors.

All other students, and Year 7 from Tuesday 8 September, should enter the academy through the main student entrance to the right of the school building and can meet with friends in the dining area. Students who have bikes must secure them in the bike sheds, via the main student gate (there will be no access to the bike shed from the carpark).

All students must be on site, over the purple line by 8.20am for the first bell. If a student arrives after 8.20am they will receive a C4b 1 hour detention after school. Students will go to their Tutor room at 8.20am for registration and Tutor period.

Tutor - 8.25 - 8.45

Period 1 - 8.45 - 9.45

Period 2/Break - 9.45 - 11.00

Upstairs Break - 9.45 - 10.00

Downstairs break - 10.45 - 11.00

Period 3 - 11.00 - 12.00

Period 4/Lunch - 12.00 - 1.30

Lunch Year 9 and 10 12.00-12.30

Lunch Year 7 12.30-13.00

Lunch Year 8 and 11 13.00-13.30

Period 5 - 1.30 - 2.30

Please also read our summer newsletter which contains information about learning resources and travel to school.