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Dear Parents/Carers
Welcoming Back All Our Students in September
As we come towards the end of the academic year, I want to thank parents and carers for how the
school community has worked together over the past few months. It has probably been the greatest
challenge that any of us have faced and I am very proud of how we have all responded to the
situation. I am particularly pleased that we have managed to provide a strong online curriculum for
students, and I would like to thank parents for all the encouragement they have given them during
the lockdown to continue with their learning.
The very good news is that school will be returning in full in September. This means that every year
group will be able to attend, every day from the dates listed below. This is vital for children’s
education and wellbeing and is something that we know will be welcomed across the school
community. We have planned a staggered return for students with our main priority being the safety
of everyone and we have prepared a detailed booklet (enclosed) which outlines everything we have
put in place to ensure a smooth and safe return for all our children, as we know this will be your
main concern as well.
Staggered Return of Year Groups
The first main point is that we will be re-introducing students gradually from 3rd September in the
following way;
Thursday 3rd September and Friday 4th September - the school will be open just for our new Year 7
students. Over these two days we will have a 2-day transition experience to help and support all new
students most of whom have not yet been in the Academy, to have an essential introduction to the
school building, lessons and staff. (More details to follow regarding this specific experience).
Monday 7th September Year 7s and Year 11s only*
Tuesday 8th September Yr7, Yr8 and Yr11s only*
Wednesday 9th September Yr7, Yr8, Yr9 and Yr11s only*
Thursday 10th September Yr7, Yr8, Yr9, Yr10 and Yr11s – whole school full return
*We will be inviting some of our higher need SEN students to attend on these days. These will be by invitation
only and will be the students who will struggle more than usual with the changes to school life.
As each Year group returns, we have planned a careful re-introduction into school life for them
(which looks a little different from when they were last here). Following government guidance, we
have temporarily re-planned the school day, placed year groups into ‘bubbles’ and segregated
students as much as possible within their year groups. Students will be entering school premises
differently, entering the building differently and following a changed school day – all in the interest
of keeping them safe at the same time as providing them the best educational experience possible.
This will continue until the Government advise us otherwise.
Key to this will be ensuring that everyone in school follows excellent hygiene practices and that we
are careful about the number of different people that students come into contact with at school.
This follows the publication of the Department for Education’s (DFE) guidance for reopening schools
and we are now in the process of finalising our risk assessment so that we can reopen for everyone
in line with the government’s and scientists’ advice.
The booklet enclosed is very detailed and we believe we have covered every aspect of school life so
please could you take some time to read and understand the content. Once you have done this if
you have any further questions or are unsure about anything please email or ring the Academy on
the contact details below and a member of the team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Main school number 01226 284606
Once again, thank you for your ongoing support and understanding as parents/carers and I remain
confident that working together we can ensure a safe return for our children and begin to catch-up
on lost learning time.
Wishing you a wonderful summer
Regards
Sara Wildes
Principal
September 2020 Return to School Guidance
‘Keeping our students Safe’
Student Equipment
During these challenging times when cross contamination must be avoided, the sharing of, or
loan of school equipment is not allowed. To avoid this becoming an issue or a barrier to
learning we have made the following arrangements.
We have invested a significant amount of money preparing a starter pack of stationary which
will be given to every student in September on the first day of their return in a sealed plastic
folder. The reason for this is to try to reduce the amount of equipment being brought in from
outside the building. The pack will contain pens, pencils, ruler, rubber, sharpener, revision
cards, a mini whiteboard and whiteboard pen. The expectation is that students bring a
suitable sized bag in which to carry this plastic folder during the day and don’t bring their own
equipment in September but instead use what we provide. The pack will stay in school at the
end of each day and not be taken home.
We do ask that parents buy their child a specific Barnsley Academy water bottle which is an
essential part of the school equipment in September and can be purchased via Parent Pay
Barnsley Academy Water bottle £1.20
We also would ask parents/carers to provide the following for each child
A Geometry Set (available from most supermarkets at a cost of about £2 - £3)
A small pack of tissues for personal use
A small bottle of hand sanitiser for personal use
A scientific calculator (available from most supermarkets or online from about £5)
All of which can be brought to school and kept in the student’s bag during the day.
Key Information
Thursday 3rd September and Friday 4th September - new Year 7 students only
Monday 7th September Year 7s and Year 11s only*
Tuesday 8th September Yr7, Yr8 and Yr11s only*
Wednesday 9th September Yr7, Yr8, Yr9 and Yr11s only*
Thursday 10th September Yr7, Yr8, Yr9, Yr10 and Yr11s – whole school full return
*We will be inviting some of our higher need SEN students to attend on these days. These will be by invitation
only and will be the students who will struggle more than usual with the changes to school life.
Start School Times
Year 7 and Year 11 arrival time to form 08.20am
Year 8 & Year 10 arrival time to form 08.30am
Year 9 arrival time to period one 08.40am
All students must arrive via the Farm Road entrance in the morning as other gates will be locked.
Students will be allowed to exit school at the end of the day via both the Farm Road Gate and
Bank End Gate.
Student Entrance/Exits
Year 7 through Key Stage 3 yard and entry via Student Reception
Year 8 up the steps at the front of school and though Main Reception
Year 9 through Key Stage 3 yard and entry via Student Reception
Year 10 through the Green Entrance (past the Construction Yard – signposted)
Year 11 following the outside path around the building (past the Art rooms) to the Orange Entrance
Departure Times
Year 7 leave via Student Reception at 14.35pm
Year 8 leave via Main reception at 14.35pm
Year 9 leave via Student Reception at 14.40pm
Year 10 leave via Green Entrance at 14.40pm
Year 11 leave via the Orange exit at 14.40pm
All students have been placed into a Year Group Bubble and everything they will be doing during the school
day will keep them within these bubbles as much as possible. We will be avoiding any non-essential mixing of
year groups.
Face masks are not permitted to be worn by students or staff on premises apart from students using school
buses (see specific guidance below).
The Academy will continue to be a non-visitor area, apart from pre-arranged essential
appointments or for emergency collection of children due to illness or injury.
Arrival to School
Year 7 and Year 11 arrival time to form 08.20am
Year 8 & Year 10 arrival time to form 08.30am
Year 9 arrival time to period one 08.40am
We encourage as many local students as possible to walk to school as this will be the best way to
ensure large volumes of children can arrive safely at school and problems caused by excessive
traffic be reduced/avoided.
BY CAR
In the mornings, the school will only be using one entry/exit so the flow of students can be better
controlled and managed – this will be the Farm Road entrance. Other gates will be locked in the
morning. The gate will open at 08.05am for parents dropping off children in cars and will lock again
at 08.45am. There will be a one-way system in place for vehicles entering site plus an area of short-
term drop-off parking in the far carpark. We encourage all parents to arrive as close as possible to
their child’s start time, follow the one-way system, drop their child off and leave. This should free up
space for other parents also dropping children off and prevent traffic jams. We kindly ask that
parents arriving in cars to avoid parking around the school gates on Farm Road to avoid upsetting
local residents and also blocking visibility for students trying to cross.
WALKING
If you are walking your child to school (we particularly expect this to be the parents of our new Year
7 students only), we ask that you leave them at the end of the drive (on Farm Road) and watch them
walk up to the gate from that point. Staff will be on duty supporting all children to arrive safely on
the premises, but we ask that parents respect social distancing with staff and where possible keep
their distance. If your child arrives alone (or with friends) please ensure they arrive as close as
possible to their start time to avoid contact with other year groups as much as possible. On entrance
to premises students should keep moving until they reach their entry point and enter school making
their way to their form room as quickly as possible. Students walking on their own or with friends
are asked to arrive as close as possible to their arrival time, not to enter premises with students from
other year groups and not to loiter – but keep moving until they arrive at their form
room/classroom.
BUSES
We accept that students arriving on buses will be from a range of year groups and will be arriving at
school at the same time. Because of this unavoidable situation the government guidance is that all
students arriving on buses will be expected to wear a face mask and make use of the hand sanitiser
provided as they board the bus. When students leave the bus, they will continue to wear their face
mask and walk directly to their specified entrance. Before entering the school, students will have to
remove their face masks and put them in their bags as they are prohibited in the Academy. Students
should not put masks back on until they are about to board the bus, where they will also be provided
with hand sanitiser by staff on duty.
BIKES & SCOOTERS
We ask that students wanting to arrive by bike/scooter, get off their bike/scooter before entering
the school premises and walk to the bike sheds where they will wait in the socially distanced queue
to lock up their bike/scooter before making their way directly to their specified entrance.
All staff on duty will endeavour to keep everyone moving to avoid un-necessary contact with others
Student Specified Entrances/Exits
Start times for students have been slightly staggered and students have been given their own
entrance
Year 7 through Key Stage 3 yard and entry via Student Reception
Year 8 up the steps at the front of school and though Main Reception
Year 9 through Key Stage 3 yard and entry via Student Reception
Year 10 through the Green Entrance (past the Construction Yard – signposted)
Year 11 round to the KS4 yard following the outside path around the building to the Orange
Entrance
(signposted)
On arrival to form rooms students will be provided with a breakfast bar free of charge to replace the
usual free toast and a drink which we are unable to provide at the current time. Students will be
expected to have their Barnsley Academy water bottle filled with water (only) to drink throughout
the day.
Each Year Group has been allocated a corridor of classrooms which is specific to them. Students will
move between the rooms to be taught in sets or option groups but will not leave their specified
corridor area for lessons.
Year 7 English Corridor (Yellow Zone)
Year 8 Maths Corridor (Purple Zone)
Year 9 Languages & Technology Corridor (Blue Zone)
Year 10 Some Science & Humanities Rooms (Green Zone)
Year 11 Some Science & IT Rooms (Orange Zone)
Staff will move between classes and bubbles as needed (as per Government Guidance which allows
staff to move between bubbles but to maintain social distancing of 1 metre plus from children and
each other wherever possible).
A special timetable has been created for each year group with the aim of ensuring students receive
teaching in all subjects. Where a specialist environment is needed to deliver the practical side of a
subject e.g. Technology, Sports Hall, Music Room, the normal situation will be a theory lesson in a
classroom for health and safety reasons. However, a special timetable has been put together which
will allow students to utilise these specialist areas on a rota as frequently as possible and still allow
for ‘deep cleaning’ of these areas in between use. Your child will be given plenty of warning of these
activities so they can be properly prepared for any practical lessons. On days when your child has a
practical PE lesson, they will be allowed to arrive in school wearing their PE kit which they will keep
on all day – to avoid shared use of changing rooms which are confined spaces and don’t lend
themselves to any kind of social distancing. A text will be sent home reminding all parents of those
classes that the following day will be a practical PE lesson. Students will also be directly reminded
and asked to make a note in their planners. There will be no contact sports of any sort until further
notice.
TOILETS
Year group bubbles will have their own designated toilet block. Students will be asked to sanitise
hands on entry to the toilet and then wash and sanitise their hands after using the toilet. Toilets will
be regularly cleaned on a rota by dedicated cleaning staff.
BREAKS & LUNCHES
Breaks and lunchtimes have been staggered to ensure students are able to buy and eat their food
and then move to an outside area (weather permitting) before returning to their designated corridor
for their next set of lessons. The timings allow for an ongoing rota of cleaning tables and chairs in
between sittings. The setup of break and lunchtime in two different venues has meant we have had
to make adjustments to the types of food on offer to children, but absolutely not the quality or
healthiness of the food. Students will not be able to ‘load money onto their thumbs’ in school to pay
for food due to the risk of cross contamination when using the machines. Parents need to pre-load
money onto a student’s account using the parent pay app. Parent’s can also purchase the Barnsley
Academy Water Bottle via this app.
Here is a video link further explaining how parent pay works https://www.parentpay.com/parents/
Lunchtimes are shown on the relevant year group timetables and will take place in the following
areas
Year 7 Main Canteen & KS3 Yard
Year 8 Main Canteen and KS3 Yard
Year 9 Main Canteen & KS3 Yard
Year 10 Main Hall/Food Pod and KS4 Yard
Year 11 Main Hall/Food Pod and KS4 Yard
The Main Hall will sell a variety of sandwiches and desserts, while the new Food Pod based outside
the Main Hall will serve various hot foods such as jacket potatoes, pasta dishes, hot sandwiches,
baked paninis etc…
Students will stay in their Year Groups the whole of their lunchtime and return to lessons as a Year
Group, always supervised by staff.
All areas of the school will receive more frequent cleaning and there will be hand sanitiser
available throughout the school. We will continue to encourage students to wash their hands
regularly and promote the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach for any sneezes or coughs.
Additional Information
• In the first half term there will not be any extra curricular clubs. This will be reviewed at the
end of half term one when we can hopefully start a programme of after school activities.
• Attendance will be required at school and will be monitored as it has been in the past.
Unauthorised absence will be treated as such and followed up accordingly.
• We know that students thrive best when they have routine, consistency and stability around
them. We will therefore be doing everything we can to ensure that, wherever possible,
school life is as close to what they are used to as possible. Thus, all the academy’s existing
policies and expectations on issues such as behaviour, uniform, attendance and safeguarding
will be in place as normal with updates as required to reflect adherence to safety and
hygiene measures.
UNIFORM
Students will be expected to wear full uniform in September 2020 as per government guidance.
BARNSLEY ACADEMY UNIFORM
Trousers - Black Academy logoed school trousers. These trousers are only acceptable in one style for
boys and one for girls as chosen by the Academy although we do not mind which one of these styles
are worn by girls or boys. Vortex is our authorised supplier for logoed trousers.
Skirts – Black logoed skirt. These skirts are only acceptable in specific styles chosen by the Academy.
Any other skirts, in any other style which are not the design chosen by the Academy will not be deemed
appropriate. Skirts cannot be worn rolled up at the waistband and must be worn the full correct length.
Vortex is our authorised supplier for logoed skirts.
Shirts - A white school shirt (long or short sleeved) must always be worn with the top button fastened.
It is not appropriate for any item to be worn under school shirts unless it is plain white in colour.
Students will be asked to remove/replace any item worn under shirts which is not plain white in colour.
Blazers - A black blazer with embroidered United Learning badge must be worn by all students. Sleeves
must always be rolled down to the wrists. The only badges which can be worn on student blazers are
the ones provided by the school which are Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum & Diamond Ambassador
Learner Badges, Safe to Say badges and Hegarty Badges. No other badges/broaches can be worn.
Logoed blazers can be purchased from Vortex or Tesco. During the final half term (after the June break
until July) blazers do not have to be worn as an adjustment for the summer weather.
Tie – A Barnsley Academy clip-on tie. No other type of tie will be allowed unless the student is part of a
student group such as Ambassadors or the Student Council – in which case ties will be provided by the
Academy and most be worn correctly. Please note that all new Year 7s will be given a free tie on their
first day in school
Cardigans & Jumpers – Plain black V-neck wool/wool blend jumpers can be worn under blazers or a
plain v neck wool/wool blend cardigan. The V-neck needs to show the Academy tie at all times. Jumpers
and cardigans cannot be worn in place of a blazer and jumpers cannot be tucked into skirts or trousers.
Any other style of jumper or cardigan is not acceptable in the Academy. Logoed cardigans and jumpers
(if wanted) can be purchased from Vortex.
Footwear - All students must wear plain black, flat footwear. All footwear must be entirely black and
have no coloured logos or soles and not be of ankle height. Boots of any sort are not allowed. Heeled
footwear of any sort is not allowed.
Socks – plain black socks only for both boys and girls. No over-knee socks can be worn.
Tights – black tights can be worn but must be at least 40 denier.
PE Kit - All students are required to wear Barnsley Academy PE tops, black shorts or dark plain tracksuit
bottoms and black football socks. Barnsley Academy logoed PE kit is also available from Vortex. We
encourage parents to buy the new design of PE tops from Vortex if they are replacing existing kit, but
the new design is not compulsory – just preferable.
School Bags – School bags are compulsory. All students should have a strong school bag big enough to
carry the plastic wallet of equipment provided by the school in September. A rucksack style bag is ideal.
Please see additional information regarding equipment
**Please note that the United Learning holds a copyright on their logo and therefore it cannot be used
by anyone external to the Academy without previous permission from United Learning Academy Head
Office.
The following expectations apply to all students:
Jewellery - The only jewellery which is acceptable is one wristwatch and one pair of small plain gold or silver stud earrings worn in the earlobes. No SMART watches of any sort are allowed. Any other form of jewellery is not allowed. Barnsley Academy does not allow facial piercings of any kind, including transparent piercing retainers. Students will be asked to remove any other piercings. Any body piercings of any sort are not allowed (especially in the interest of Health and Safety). Medical identity bracelets and necklaces can be worn with proof of a medical need. Any student wearing a ‘daith’ piercing for migraine will only be allowed to wear the piercing if they are able to provide medical evidence that they are a regular migraine sufferer. Other jewellery will be confiscated and placed in the school safe to be returned to students at the end of the school day after completion of their 30-minute detention. Nails - False nails or nail polish are not allowed to be worn. Tattoos are not allowed - The law states ‘You must be at least 18 years before you can have a tattoo; it is illegal for anyone to have a tattoo under 18 even with parental consent’ If a student does have a tattoo it must be covered at all times and never visible to anyone when in the Academy or representing the Academy – this includes during non-uniform days and on school trips etc… Hair - No extreme hairstyle is allowed. This includes tramlines, Mohican or skinhead-type styles. It is at the School’s discretion as to what constitutes ‘extreme’ but usually involves shaven heads on any part of the hair or carved/patterned shapes/partings in short hairstyles, Mohican hairstyles, large back-combed hairstyles, multi-coloured/ unusually coloured or extremely vibrant coloured hair. We accept natural colourings e.g. black, brown, blonde, and natural red/auburn. Natural red is often the most difficult to interpret so as a rule, if red takes on a vivid tone we will ask for it to be altered as it does not look natural. Students arriving in school with an unacceptable hairstyle will be sent to IE. If there is any ambiguity regarding whether a hairstyle is extreme or not, the final decision will be the Principal’s. Male and female students with long hair must tie it back for PE, Technology and Science lessons. Headwear Very large ribbons are not permitted to be worn in hair, only plain headbands. Any headband to hold back hair must be totally plain, either dark blue or black and can be elastic or plastic. Bandanas of any sort are not allowed and are not allowed to be worn by males or females in any way. Bandanas are
often liked with ‘gang-type’ behaviours and representative of street gang membership and are therefore banned in the Academy. No caps, hats or durags can be worn in the Academy. Headwear is permitted to be worn for religious reasons such as hijab, dastar or turbans, although we do ask that they are also black or dark blue in colour. Make-Up - Minimum, natural-looking makeup can be worn by students. Heavy, pronounced eyebrows are not allowed and students will have to remove them first time of asking. Excessive, noticeable fake tan is also not allowed. False-eyelashes are not allowed or excessive mascara which cannot be described as ‘natural-looking’. Any student arriving to the Academy with any of the above will be asked once to remove the offending items before the consequences system is applied. If there are any discrepancies regarding what is acceptable in terms of makeup/hair the final decision will be the Principal’s. The Principal may also adapt uniform for particular students to support their medical needs. This will be on a case by case basis and at the discretion of the Principal based on medical information/evidence. Purchasing Uniform
All uniform can be purchased at Vortex Clothing Co, Unit 2/3, Grange Lane Industrial Estate, Barnsley,
S71 5AS
Managing Cases (potential cases) of Covid-19
The government’s scientists have also set out what will happen if any student or member of staff
displays symptoms of COVID-19. Firstly, it is essential that everyone – students, parents and staff –
continues to follow the NHS guidance and that they do not come into school if they are experiencing
any symptoms. Thus, we would ask every parent to keep any child displaying symptoms of COVID-19
at home and immediately inform the school. Likewise, if any member of your household tests positive
for COVID-19, please keep your child at home and inform us as soon as possible.
If a student becomes unwell at school with a high fever, new continuous cough or has a loss of, or
change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia), they will be sent home. We will arrange for
them to be looked after safely, separately from others, until they can be collected. They will be expected
to self-isolate for at least 7 days and arrange to have a COVID-19 test.
Should we experience a confirmed case of COVID-19 within our school community, we will work closely
with our local health protection team to ensure the situation is managed quickly and effectively. Using
NHS Test and Trace data, they will advise us on what next steps – if any – we will need to take as a
school. We will be putting in place stringent control measures as per the DfE’s guidance in order to
minimise the need for larger groups of children to self-isolate should there be a positive case within
school.
In the event of any large number of students having to self-isolate or in the event of a local lockdown
that means we are required to close the school; we will immediately revert to the online learning that
has been working well this term. We very much hope that we do not need to return to any form of
lockdown but, if we do, we are confident that we will be able to continue with all students’ learning
from home. Once again, the support of parents in ensuring children access these resources will be vital.
Finally, we know that some students will feel apprehensive about returning to school after such a long
time away. This is completely understandable and is something that we expect will be more
widespread than one might think. We will therefore be taking particular steps to ensure that our
pastoral support for each student allows for this and provides time and space for any worries or
concerns to be addressed so that each student is able to enjoy being back at school.
Thank you for your patience and understanding over the past few months. Everyone at the academy is
looking forward to welcoming our students back. We know that there is a great deal to do and that
the year ahead may still be subject to some interruptions, but we are entirely focused on making sure
that in every lesson, every day, every student continues to learn and thrive.
S. Wildes Principal
