Emergency school closure 4th January 2023

Baines School Letters January 3, 2023 | 0

Letter from Mrs Chapman - 2pm 03/01/2023

Dear Parents and Carers,I hope you have had a wonderful festive break and all the best for 2023.Unfortunately, the new year has not started well in our main building. We have arrived today to a major burst pipe, flooding and damage to ceilings on both floors in B block. There is significant damage to the affected areas.As a result the electricity, heating and water is off in B Block and other main buildings.We have no choice but to close school on Wednesday 4th January 2023. We are not yet sure about Thursday or Friday yet, until we know about the electricity situation.Work will be set for all classes on Class Charts for Wednesday. Please encourage your children to work during the school day.We will communicate with you again during Wednesday for further information, once we have a clearer picture.We will try to get all year groups back into school as soon as possible, but at the moment we have no electricity, heating or water and the whole computer server and phone lines are all down due to the water damage. We are not able to answer queries or phonecalls at the moment.Our Facebook page will continue to be updated (as emails may be delayed).Thank you for your support in such unprecedented circumstances.Alison Chapman

IT Helpdesk - 9am 04/01/2023

Good Morning,

If any pupils require any help with accessing Google Classroom etc then please contact ITHelpdesk@baines.lancs.sch.uk

Letter from Mrs Chapman - 1pm 04/01/2023

Dear Parents/Carers,Thank you for your patience and understanding with regards to our flooding and electricity situation.Just to give you an update.The insurance company who will lead the recovery and restoration project of our site is not available to come to school until tomorrow.Our staff have been working flat out to source support to try to get our buildings operational but unfortunately, there will be a delay.Tomorrow, Thursday 5th January 2023, we are moving all of our learning online in a similar way to how we managed the last lockdown. Students and staff will follow their timetable and the lessons will have a live element through Google Classroom.Today, the teachers are setting these codes all up (if they are not already in place). Our year 7 students know how to do this because they have been using Google Classroom in computing.If your child does not have access to a laptop/computer/tablet, please contact Mrs Doherty at CDo@baines.Lancs.sch.uk .We will provide a structured start to the day and students should log in to their form using Google Classroom and ask any questions they have. Then they will log in to lesson 1 and go from there.Children will need pen and paper if they have not got their school books.This is a temporary solution, and we will start bringing children back to school as soon as possible. (We are hoping that we may be able to start with year 11 on Friday but this is not confirmed yet, pending external generators).Unfortunately the phones and network are still down so we cannot answer queries from school.There is IT support via email from our technician. If your child has problems with IT or accessing Google Classroom, please contact ITHelpdesk@baines.lancs.sch.ukThank you again for all your support, I will send you an update again tomorrow.Alison Chapman

Letter from Mrs Chapman - 2pm 05/01/2023

Dear Parents/Carers

This is the latest update for Baines School. Hopefully the children are enjoying their Google Classroom lessons today.

Tomorrow 6th January 2023, we will be bringing year 11 back in to school for an adapted learning day.

Years 7 to 10 will remain online on Friday, I am hoping to have news about a further return for other year groups as soon as possible, this is dependent on external generators initially to power, heat and bring the computer systems back to working order.

I will send through more information later for year 11, this is likely to be this evening when I can access the internet at home to complete the documentation.

Year 11 should arrive at school in full uniform (with their pencil case and equipment) for the normal timings of the day.

Entry from the gate near the ILC and registration will be in the sportshall.

Students will have the following lessons tomorrow:

Lessons 1 & 2 – Mathematics

Lessons 3 & 4 – English

Lesson 5 – Their Option A subject.

We are only providing food (a packed lunch) for those students eligible for free school meals. So I ask all other students to bring their own packed lunch.

There is the facility for students to fill up their own water bottles with water during break and lunchtime in the year 11 social space.

We are continuing to work with companies to get our other buildings fully operational so that we can welcome more students back as soon as possible.

Please be aware that for some staff delivering face to face in school, they may not be able to deliver a live google classroom session due to our lack of internet, work will be scheduled for completion.

The bus companies are aware that year 11 students are back in school tomorrow.

Thank you again, for your amazing support.

Alison Chapman

Notice for Friday 6th January - 8pm 05/01/2023

Dear Parents/Carers and Students

Mrs Chapman has sent an announcement on Class Charts for Year 11 students only outlining the full details for tomorrow. Please take time to read this.

We look forward to welcoming all Y11 students back on site tomorrow.

Letter from Mrs Chapman - 1pm 06/01/2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been wonderful to welcome year 11 back today for their adapted learning day. They are doing really well.

This is a quick update (and the more detailed plan will be sent over the weekend, when I have had time to write it).

On Monday 9th January, we will be welcoming year 11 and year 7 into school for the normal school times.

Years 8, 9 and 10 will remain online learning for Monday.

Both year groups will follow their usual timetable but they are not likely to be in their normal classrooms as we have limited blocks safe to use.

Year 11 will be allocated a form room in one of the rooms they have been working in today and they are to register there first. There will be a slight extended form period in order to give the new roomings.

We ask that year 7 meet for registration in the sportshall and that they sit in their form groups for a briefing and to be then given the new roomings.

We will only be able to provide a packed lunch for those children eligible for free school meals. We ask that everyone else brings their own packet lunch and healthy snacks for break time (no fizzy sugary cans please).

Students will need to be in full uniform as per our policy, PE lessons will be able to go ahead.

Please ensure that students have their equipment (pencil case, reading book, blue notebook, calculator) with them as usual.

I know this is really difficult for those year groups still at home, we are working really hard to bring as many students in as soon as school is safe to do so. I am expecting to meet the loss adjuster today who I hope will be able to speed things up.

I will continue to keep you up to date and will send further detail over the weekend.

Thank you everyone, have a great weekend,

Alison Chapman

Notice for Monday 9th January - 4pm 08/01/2023

Year 7 & 11 pupils will be on site on Monday 9th January for face to face lessons. Please can all parents/carers & pupils check ClassCharts for a document outlining the arrangements for the day.

Letter from Mrs Chapman - 1pm 09/01/2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

The year 7 and 11 students are working really hard, and it is great seeing the year 7s in their PE lessons as well as classroom-based learning.

Unfortunately, tomorrow Tuesday 10^th January 2023, we can only bring year 7 and 11 back onto the school site. This is due to a vulnerability with one of the external power supplies and ensuring we have the heating to the right temperature in N Block. Therefore, we currently have no additional capacity to add additional students on Tuesday.

I would not want to risk having to send a year group home or cancelling at the last minute if the power failed.

We are currently planning and re-rooming so that we can bring year 10 back into school on Wednesday and planning the next phase after that. I will confirm this tomorrow as soon as I can.

We have ordered some main components needed to power up the buildings through the mains, but these have to come from Germany.

For those students in school today, we have prepared the number of packed lunches for those that have requested it. We will continue to use this method of asking students in the morning how many want a packed lunch. We are keeping a record of who has had a lunch and will update ParentPay when we are working on that system again.

Many thanks,

Alison Chapman

Letter from Mrs Chapman - 9am 10/01/2023

Letter from Mrs Chapman - 2pm 10/01/2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are currently planning the arrangements to welcome year 10 physically back to school in the morning.

I will upload the final arrangements to Class Charts this evening when I have prepared it.

On Wednesday 11th January, we will have years 7, 10 and 11 onsite and years 8 and 9 working online from home.

In the morning, years 7 and 11 to go to their form rooms for registration.

Year 10 to go to registration/briefing in the sportshall.

Students will receive new timetables because the rooms will have changed.

We are only able to provide a packed lunch so recommend that students who aren’t on free school meals bring their own. However, children let us know if they want a packed lunch during registration and we are making the right number so nobody goes hungry. Parentpay will be adjusted in the next few days.

Our main school phone line is back up and working, but with only one phone taking external calls at the moment, please do not rush to phone us for things that are non-urgent. Please be patient as we can only talk to one person at a time, plus the emergency number for those who have children physically in school.

Any issues with computer access, please continue to email the ITHelpdesk@baines.lancs.sch.uk .

Thank you for working with us, I will send further information out tonight for the three-year groups in school.

I will send the usual daily update tomorrow when I have more news about the plan.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Alison Chapman

Letter from Mrs Chapman - 2pm 11/01/2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are busy planning to bring year 9 physically back to school tomorrow (Thursday 12^th January 2023).

Thank you for your understanding that the details around this are likely to be late in the evening because this is the work I complete at home at night time.

Thursday 12^th January 2023, years 7, 9, 10 and 11 will be in school.

Year 8 will be online at home.

As we have reduced car parking for staff at the moment, they are mostly parking in the lower car park near the ILC, which is now at capacity. I ask that no parents or carers drive into the school grounds to drop off or pick up children unless they have prior agreement from Learning Support because of a special educational need. We will not be able to allow any cars to leave the car park until after the majority of the children have exited the site which is likely to be around 3pm.

There is not the space for cars to manoeuvre in the car park and we do not want to put any person at risk.

The information below should be sufficient to support the students arriving tomorrow.

Year 9 – go to the sportshall for registration

Years 7, 10 and 11 – go to their form bases for registration.

Year 9s will have a briefing in the sportshall, order their packed lunches and receive their timetable for the day.

All students are following their timetabled lessons but the rooms will have changed and there will be more movement around the school site.

Please discuss with your child, the need for them to be respectful of the situation and follow guidance from staff. This is vital to ensure the smooth running of the school in such challenging circumstances.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to bring in the final year group back on Friday but are already making plans for next week. I will communicate daily with parents and carers and we really are doing our best to get all students safely back into school.

Thank you again for all your understanding,

Alison Chapman

Letter from Mrs Chapman - 2pm 11/01/2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

Just a small update for you today.

It is wonderful to have four year groups back in school today.

We will need to keep the same arrangements for tomorrow, with years 7, 9, 10 & 11 in school tomorrow. Year 8 should continue working online through Google Classroom at home.

Thank you also for not driving into the school premises to pick up or drop off children. This is definitely making a positive difference.

The Art block is nearly in use, but the heating is not yet working but we are hoping to resolve this tomorrow.

If the Art Block can be used, we are working really hard behind the scenes to do our best to find ways to squeeze year 8 back on Monday, however I cannot confirm that now as we are trying to see if we can physically timetable the school using every space available without B Block.

After talking to the engineers today, we have a tentative timescale that the B Block may be ready for partial opening in about two weeks. This is just a very rough indication of potential timeframe.

This is why I am trying to bring year 8 back next week. If we are unable to do this, I will have to prepare a rota so that the year groups at home are alternated.

There will be no update tonight, the year 7, 9, 10 & 11 students are aware of where they should meet and the routines for tomorrow.

Many thanks for everything.

The Chair of Governors has this message for our Baines Community:

I would like to express thanks on behalf of the school for your support, patience and understanding during this period of disruption caused by water damage within school.

Staff and contractors are working non-stop to restore the building and facilities and bring pupils back into school as soon as possible. You will be informed about progress of this project and how restoration or change may impact upon you as things progress.

Alison Chapman and Robert Fletcher

Letter from Mrs Chapman - 2pm 13/01/2023

Dear Parents/Carers

We are really pleased to let you know that we now have the infrastructure in place to welcome students in all years in to school on Monday.

We continue to be without our main ‘B block’ and therefore we have no spare rooms at all so we need to continue to monitor the situation over this weekend but, thankfully, at this moment in time all available classrooms are in buildings with power, fire alarms and heating.

We will send guidance out for parents/carers for Monday’s opening for all years which is likely to come over the weekend as we continue to work hard ‘behind the scenes’. This will come through Class Charts.

On Monday, students in Year 8 should go directly to the Sports Hall via the bottom gate. Students can no longer access school through the ’main’ car park.

All students will receive a timetable with new rooming’s on Monday morning.

Packed lunches are now being outsourced to an outside caterer. All students will be asked if they wish to order a packed lunch. Those students on Free School Meals will, of course, not be charged for this but money will be debited from ParentPay for those not on Free School Meals.

We continue to ask that parents/carers do not bring vehicles on site unless by prior arrangement as staff must now use the car park near to the ILC and it is not safe to use this space when children arrive/leave school.

Thank you for your on-going support and understanding.

Emergency school closure 4th January 2023