May 31st – Student Return to Campus for Full Day

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

As you may be aware, EDB have recently indicated to schools that they can make arrangements later this month to return students to campus for a full day. This is certainly welcome news and an opportunity to close out the year with students having more time on campus to interact and spend time together at a more relaxed pace.

Given the size of our campus however, and the fact that the Hall is in use for both morning and afternoon IGCSE examinations, we will be returning students for a full day from May 31st.

I would like to acknowledge that most of our sister ESF schools are able to return for full days from May 24th. The reason we can’t is that Cambridge IGCSE external examinations are still running and as such the Hall will not be available for lunch. Year 11 parents/guardians will be aware that IGCSE examinations are ongoing until June 9th. From May 31st however IGCSE examinations are afternoon-only so we will be able to make a full-day return work and accommodate external examinations.

As you know social distancing measures remain in place so we will not be providing a canteen lunch service for students. Students will be able to bring a full packed lunch and appropriate Health and Safety measures will be in place to ensure students can safely remove their masks to eat.

Our school bus provider has been informed and the new schedule will be operational for our buses.

Please see our daily schedule below. The Wednesday schedule remains the same as currently to accommodate 170 students taking an IGCSE examination on June 9th and to accommodate previously scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences on June 2nd.

While I know that another schedule disruption is not necessarily welcomed by all, and many of our students have settled very well into the current arrangements, the opportunity to return for a full day is another welcome step towards normalisation.

As always we appreciate both your support and your understanding moving into this next phase.

Kind regards.

Carol Larkin

Principal