Coronavirus (Covid-19) SQA & Home Learning

Dear Parent/Carer,

Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Further to the letter I issued yesterday, I would like to add a few other things to support our young people through this very challenging time:

SQA exams

I am aware that parents naturally have concerns over whether SQA exams will run or not.  The SQA have stated that there will be no change to the exam diet at this time and therefore we continue to prepare pupils for their exams. This includes ensuring that pupils complete SQA coursework that forms part of the grading for National Qualifications. The statement from SQA issued last week can be viewed at https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/93499.html.

What if pupils are self-isolating or schools are forced to close before the exams?

All pupils studying for exams can access Glow. Teachers have been asked to check with pupils that they have their GLOW log in and password details.  Please reinforce with your child the importance of their log-in details. If they have forgotten these details, they should contact their Guidance Teacher who can give advice on resetting passwords.  Teachers can use Glow to share resources, provide feedback and to communicate with pupils about their lessons / progress.   A number of our teachers have already set up Microsoft Teams groups which can be accessed via the pupil Glow account.  It will take us time to set up more of these arrangements and to put relevant work on the sites.  Priority will be given to work for S4-6 pupils.

Teachers are also currently working hard to ensure that by the end of the week, every pupil sitting a certificated course has access to materials necessary to support them in the run up to the exams. Further, if there is an interruption to our provision, if your child is absent from school, or if a member of staff is absent, then teachers can communicate with their classes through Glow.

There is also a huge amount of quality materials available on line, so please use the internet to your advantage.

What if schools are forced to close or pupils continue to self-isolate throughout the Summer term?

If, due to the spread of the virus, we are closed throughout the Summer term, all pupils will continue to have access to Glow.  Our experience in this type of learning will be invaluable to ensuring our young people are both ready for any exams and/or able to continue learning throughout any closure period with some teacher support.

Regardless if the school closes or not, all these efforts will be useful to support any pupil absent from school for whatever reason.  I would encourage parents to ask their children regularly if they have any difficulty accessing Glow and email the Guidance Teacher if there is an issue. 

Please remember, the guidance from the Scottish Government is to stay open. With this in mind and noting the efforts made to keep everyone safe, our dedicated staff at Grove Academy will continue to work towards the completion of courses as well as give regular reminders of good hygiene.

Please be assured that we are taking all reasonable precautions to keep our children safe and educated and are liaising closely with Dundee City Council, Public Health, NHS staff, Tayside Contracts and Robertson’s FM to ensure this remains the case.

Yours sincerely

Graham W Hutton

Rector

This information can be downloaded from the schoo, website at http://resolveuid/17cbe52e55314a90a98bf417c817cd0f