Headteacher’s Blog  18th September - Remote Learning Plan   

The first three weeks of term seem to have flown by and students and staff are now well into the swing of it.  It is wonderful to have the students back in classrooms and there have been some fabulous examples of student achievement this week in lessons.  However, it is important that we prepare for what will happen if students have to be at home whether this is due to individuals isolating, groups of students, whole year groups or even the whole school. You may have heard in the news of schools where year groups have had to be sent home to self-isolate for 14 days and this could happen at Coleshill if we have students testing positive.

I want to reassure you that we are working hard to prepare for remote teaching and learning, should it be needed.  Firstly I would like to define remote teaching and learning.

Remote teaching  - this is where teachers will teaching their class via Microsoft Teams.  Students will have two ‘live’ lessons a day. If this is needed, because their year group or the whole school is at home, your child will receive a letter indicating which lessons need to be attended.   Live lessons may take a number of formats, but will involve interaction with the teacher and learning and activities being set within a lesson for your child’s class. It is important to remember that teachers will still be in school, teaching the students in school and so two live lessons is what we felt was appropriate for staff to deliver and for students to access.

Remote learning – this is where learning activities have been set by your child’s teacher to complete whilst not in school and return for feedback, usually via Microsoft Teams.  Teachers may also direct students in Year 7&8 towards Oak Academy, which is a national platform for remote learning and has a range of resources and lessons.  We have looked to see where these lessons and resources complement our curriculum so there will be continuity in your child’s learning. These activities will be available to complete when students are not attending live lessons, alongside any additional activities set for your child to complete independently by their class teacher.

Students should by now have all accessed Microsoft Teams, which will be our main learning platform for remote teaching and learning.  Where a student is having difficulty with this they can use one of the links below.

For email or password help or any issues with TEAMs, please e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  OR speak to their form tutor For the induction PP on how to use teams please follow the link https://www.thecoleshillschool.org/students/home-study/remote-induction 

Where there are significant barriers with technology we will be able to provide some work packs to ensure students can continue to learn.

The flow chart below sets out what will be happening, from Monday 21st September, for students who are off school. This information will also be shared with students. 

I hope this sets out clearly for you what will be happening for students who are not in school.

Have a good weekend,

Ian Smith-Childs, Headteacher

Headteacher’s Blog  26th September –  Ready, Respectful, Safe

Your child may have talked to you about how we are working on our routines and procedures through the mantra of ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’.  The students have really bought into this and I want to update you as we move to the next step in this programme.

It has now been three weeks since we had the full return to school for our students.  Of course, our schools were never really fully closed as, even through lockdown, we were open to our vulnerable children and the children of key workers.  Now we have had the whole school in for a few weeks, we have been able to evaluate and tweak our school plans.

I have been extremely heartened by the way in which our young people and staff have risen to the challenge of being back in school.  Students have been very sensible and mature in wearing their face coverings where applicable, regularly washing and sanitising their hands, maintaining social distancing and following staff instructions.

I wanted to let you know of a slight change from Monday 28th September.  From this date, instead of students staying in one place for all of their lessons, they will be allowed to move to their next lesson and teachers will remain in their classrooms.  All of our robust protective measures will further support this.  Students will remain in their year group bubbles for lessons and will remain in their year groups for lunch and break times.  The start and end of the school day will continue to be staggered, in terms of arrival zones at the start or the day and the timing of dismissal by year group, to ensure that contact remains at a minimal level.  When moving to their lessons, it will be compulsory for all students to wear face coverings and to keep to our robust one way systems.  It is worth noting that the official definition of contact, as defined by Public Health England, is being in contact for more than 15 minutes at 2 metres or 1 minute at 1 metre.  Therefore, with the mitigation of face coverings when moving, there is minimal chance of students having contact when moving between lessons.

Ready for learning routine

To ensure that students and staff are ready for lessons to begin safely and respectfully, we will have the following enhanced routine from Monday:

Safe and respectful on buses

Please can I ask you to continue to support us and reinforce with your child that face coverings must be worn on buses.  We are loading the buses carefully at the end of the day and students get onto buses with their face coverings on but they need to keep them on for the duration of the journey.  Students also need to maintain the same high standards of behaviour on the buses that they have in lessons.  Where inappropriate behaviour is reported, there will be sanctions applied.

Praising Perseverance

This half term we are focusing on the SPIRIT skill of perseverance.  We are recognising those students who are really working hard to be the best they can be and demonstrating resilience to overcome barriers, whether these be learning or personal.

I am delighted to report that 25,000 praise points have been awarded already! There will be lots of prizes being awarded in the coming weeks for the many students who have really showed their perseverance.

Test and Trace

The NHS Test and Trace App is now live and we are encouraging students over 16 to download the app. We have also received the attached letter from NHS Test and Trace with information for parents and guardians:- https://thecoleshillschool.org/uploads/PDF/LettersParents/2020-2021/2020.09-_PHE_letter_to_parents_and_guardians.pdf 

Wishing you a good weekend.

Ian Smith-Childs, Headteacher

Heateacher’s Blog - 11th September 2020

Welcome back to all our families

A warm welcome back to all of our families at the end of our first full week with the whole school community together again, since schools closed to all but a few students in March. We live in ever changing times, with ‘The Rule of 6’ introduced this week and Birmingham on the national watch list for additional support.  I know that for many of our families the last few months have been incredibly difficult and I am sure, like me, that you may be nervous about the winter months ahead as the nights draw in. However, this week has been one of hope.  It has been a week of children smiling and laughing, the hub bub of the playground and the excited chatter of young people who have missed the myriad of interactions a day at school brings. Staff have been overwhelmed by the resilience and positivity of the students as they have picked up their pens again and got stuck into learning. The school is full again, the magic moments of teaching and working with your people have returned; for all of us that can only be a good thing.

Keeping everyone safe - Masks to Move

I am sure the children will have informed you of our increasing safety measures in school to keep everyone safe.  When we planned for reopening back in July no one was talking about children wearing masks.  Leading a school of over 1200 students and 150 staff the need for face coverings is clear; if we wear them in supermarket why would we not wear them in a school corridor or when close to the next person in the dinner queue? We have introduced a ‘Mask to Move’ initiative which means children are expected to wear their face coverings whenever they move. This ensures that all children and staff are safe. This is a simple message that students can adhere to; they have adapted to this brilliantly and I want to thank them for this.  A reminder that all students who travel to school on public transport must wear a face covering for the duration of the journey and that masks should be worn on entry to school please and then every time students move.  

The introduction of ‘The Rule of 6’ is a reminder that this virus has not gone away and that we need to maintain social distancing.  In school students are within a strict year group ‘bubble’, but once they leave the school gates I ask that they consider their individual efforts at school and that they act responsibly to maintain social distancing when mixing with students from other year groups.

Remote learning

Please ensure that your child is able to log in and access both G4S and TEAMs.  This is to ensure that they are able to complete home learning tasks set by the teacher and in the event of an individual absence, if a group of students have to work from home or local lockdown (where either certain year groups or the whole school are unable to be in school), they are able to access and continue to work from home.

For email or password help or any issues with TEAMs, please e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  OR speak to their form tutor For the induction PP on how to use teams please follow the link https://www.thecoleshillschool.org/students/home-study/remote-induction

Collecting students from school

Could we please ask that if you are collecting your child from school by car, you are considerate to our neighbours and wider community.  Please do not park over driveways or use them for turning as this can block our neighbours, some of them who are elderly, from leaving or entering their house. Please also respect all road marking including zig zags and bus bays.

Visits to school

In order to keep our staff and students safe at this challenging time we have the rule in place that parents and carers are not allowed into the school building and all visitors must be pre-approved and essential.  As such please do not come to school to drop off items for your child, or to see staff unless you have an appointment.  When children forget items that they need in the school day they will be supported by their Year Leader, but we politely request that you do not bring the items into school at this time.  Visitors will be asked to show their appointment confirmation email before they are admitted to the building.

I would like to thank you, our families, for your ongoing support.  The ATLP moto of ‘Together We are Stronger’ has never been truer and we will all rely on each other during the months ahead. Your support and reinforcement of our key messages are vital. 

I wish you and your family a good weekend.

Ian Smith-Childs