The Autumn Term for our Overseas Families

The Autumn Term at St Edward’s Guidance for our overseas families as of 24th June 2020

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Dear Parents, I hope that you and your families are well. We understand how unsettling these extraordinary times are. New guidance emerges almost daily and it is difficult to keep up with the changing picture, particularly if you are outside the UK. This information booklet gives as much information as we currently have available about what school life will look like in

September. As I said in my last email, we are optimistic about being able to run St Edward’s on a near normal basis from the start of the Autumn Term, though of course we continue to plan for a number of scenarios. Please read through the following pages, and don’t hesitate to contact your HM with any questions. Alongside all the planning, we are allowing ourselves to be incredibly excited about the opening of the new Library and Academic Centre in September, followed soon afterwards by the Hall. The academic facilities will be stunning – truly inspiring light, airy spaces specially designed for the kind of education we believe in. The architecture cleverly blurs the distinction between teacher-led learning and areas where pupils will be working independently, giving all year groups more choice in how they approach their studies. Whether they need a quiet area for research, a break-out space in which to discuss a project with their peers, an uplifting view from one of the individual study decks overlooking the Quad or the less formal workspace of the ground floor café, pupils will discover new opportunities to work together, think together and be together. We can’t wait to share the wonderful new Quad Development with you. Yours sincerely,

Stephen Jones Warden

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Precautionary Measures

The following provides a brief overview of the precautionary measures likely to be in place at St Edward’s in September. More detailed information can be found in the Q&A section from page 6.

Physical Distancing The announcement yesterday by the UK government that physical

distancing requirements are to be reduced from 2m to 1m simplifies our planning for school routines in September. We will be looking carefully at classrooms, Houses and movement around the site, but we are confident that we can comply with the new requirements with relative ease.

Face Masks Face masks may be worn by any pupil who wishes to do so, and clear guidance on the need to be tolerant of individuals’ preferences will be given to all pupils.

Quarantine For information about quarantine arrangements, please see page 6.

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Isolation Pods We are in the process of installing a series of isolation pods next to the Health Centre where any symptomatic members of the community who can’t go home can be cared for by designated staff 24 hours a day.

Hygiene All members of the community will be encouraged to wash their hands as often as possible throughout the school day. Hand sanitiser stations will be available across the site.

Increased Cleaning Regimes Rigorous and regular cleaning procedures will be implemented, particularly for common touch-points such as door handles and bannisters.

Medical Facilities Our trained medical team consists of three Doctors, 11 Nurses and a team of counsellors. The Health Centre is open 24 hours a day, and all pupils will be regularly reminded of the importance of monitoring their

own health and of asking for help if they have any concerns at all. Beyond the medical team, there are countless people available in School to provide assistance to pupils. More information is available in the Q&A section.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will Teddies re-open as normal? Yes, we anticipate opening pretty much as normal in September and are very much looking forward to seeing all pupils back at School. As you know, we have staggered arrival times at the start of term to allow time to explain new school routines and safety measures to each year group. We also want to be able to welcome both new and returning pupils after a very long break. As a reminder, timings are as follows: TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER Fifth Form and Upper Sixth return from 6pm WEDNESDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER Shells arrive from midday THURSDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER New Fourth Form and Lower Sixth arrive from midday THURSDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER Fourth Form and Lower Sixth return from 6pm

What can you tell us about the general situation in the UK? Following the UK government’s recent decision to downgrade the general risk level, and the announcement yesterday that the physical distancing requirements would be reduced from 2m to 1m from 4th July, the general population is starting to operate much more freely. It was also announced yesterday that many more shops, businesses and leisure facilities would open on the same date, and we are hopeful that quarantine restrictions may be eased in the near future. Yes, if the 14-day quarantine requirement is still in place in August, we will enable overseas pupils to spend the 14-day period in School with arrivals from mid-August. Plans are in place to provide a light programme for quarantined pupils, including introductions to life at the School, fitness sessions and enrichment opportunities. They will also be able to begin to form friendships ahead of the start of term. We will of course adhere to all Boarding Schools’ Association and government regulations at all times. The cost of the quarantine service is being finalised at the moment and will be communicated in due course. Who will look after my child during the quarantine period? St Edward’s staff will take the lead in looking after our quarantined pupils. Will my child be able to spend the quarantine period at St Edward’s?

Will testing be available during the quarantine period?

Yes. In collaboration with the NHS Public Health Protection Team, all pupils will be tested on entry to the quarantine programme as well as during the 14 days should it be deemed necessary.

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Will the Health Centre be open during the quarantine period? Yes – the Health Centre will be fully open. How will you provide a safe environment when all pupils are back at School in September? We believe that boarding provides one of the safest possible environments and we are confident that we will have the right systems and procedures in place to ensure this. Final decisions on the specific measures to be implemented will be made once further government guidance is available. and BSA guidance, appropriate precautionary measures such as the following will be introduced as necessary: • Limiting the size of gatherings within School • Staggering mealtimes • Introducing one-way routes • Using online platforms for submitting and returning work • Preventing the sharing of equipment and personal belongings • Introduction of hand sanitisers throughout the School • Extra daily cleaning procedures for frequently-touched items such as door handles and banisters • Strict health centre protocols for individuals developing symptoms • Limiting the number of visitors to the School and ensuring strict hygiene protocols on arrival. St Edward’s has adopted the UK Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) set of guidelines, the Covid Safe Charter, to further protect the community. In line with government

How will physical distancing work in Houses? Houses will be considered ‘households’, and so, depending on the physical distancing requirements in place at the time, Houses will be able to go about day-to-day life in a relatively normal way. Of course, appropriate guidelines will be followed and sensible precautions will be taken. For example, it may be that households need to be further divided into smaller units or ‘bubbles’. Will staff and pupils wear face masks? Based on government guidance, the wearing of face masks will not be a requirement, but staff and pupils may choose to do so. Pupils who wish to wear a mask will be asked to bring their own supply of washable masks to School, which, for boarders, will be laundered in the usual way. The suggested number of masks per pupil is at least five.

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Will there be special arrangements for Day Pupils? We are working to provide the safest possible environment for all members of our community. Final details about arrangements for day pupils will be made once we know more about government guidelines likely to be in place at the time. How will you look after pupils’ wellbeing? Our pastoral care network is comprehensive and compassionate in ordinary circumstances and will continue to be so as school life returns to normal. The staggered start times at the beginning of term will enable us to give more care and attention to arriving pupils so that we can introduce new school routines to them and talk through any emotional well-being issues. We will be reminding pupils on a more regular basis of all the different people available in School should they need help – House staff, tutors, teachers, peer listeners, counsellors, school nurses, the Chaplaincy team – and each other.

How will lessons work? We are lucky enough to have plenty of space so we do not anticipate major difficulties in complying with whatever guidance is in force at the time. Will pupils’ learning be affected? No, we are confident that we have the right measures in place to ensure our usual high academic standards in all scenarios. What will sport look like? We are closely following developments within sport National Governing Bodies, who decide when sports can fully return to play, and aim to offer a range of sports from our usual autumn and summer programmes, such as hockey, rowing, tennis, badminton, athletics, golf and fitness.

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What about music, dance, drama and other co-curricular activities? A great many of our co-curricular activities will be able to continue without difficulty, including musical ensembles, dance, drama and outdoor activities. Will pupils be allowed into Summertown and Oxford? Depending on circumstances, it is likely that visits to Summertown and Oxford will be restricted at the start of term for the benefit of the whole community. How can we buy uniform? Our outfitter, Stevenson’s, operates an online service at stevensons.co.uk .

What if an individual in a House contracts Covid-19? Pupils and staff will be regularly briefed about the importance of being vigilant about their health. The Health Centre has robust procedures in place for looking after any individual who develops symptoms, and for looking after their ‘household’. If an individual becomes symptomatic, they will be isolated in one of the Health Centre isolation pods immediately. They will be tested as per the NHS Test and Trace service and, failing that, through the private testing facility at our disposal. Where pupils cannot return home, they will remain in the isolation pod under the care of the Health Centre. All relevant health developments within the community will be communicated swiftly to parents and guardians.

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Will remote learning continue if my child can’t travel to School, even if most pupils are back in Oxford? We are anticipating that borders will open soon, but, in the unlikely event that this is not the case, remote learning will continue for affected pupils. How can we avoid public transport from airports? We will be operating a pick-up service using school mini-buses. Details will be available nearer the time. If there is a second wave in the autumn and St Edward’s reverts to Virtual Teddies, will my child be able to remain in the boarding house? Yes, this is our current plan.

St Edward’s School Woodstock Rd, Oxford, OX2 7NN +44 (0) 1865 319200 registrar@stedwardsoxford.org www.stedwardsoxford.org

Registered charity number 309681

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