26th June 2020

Dear Parents & Carers

The Government has confirmed guidance will be issued next week to inform the wider re-opening of schools in the Autumn Term.  Although we have modelled a range of scenarios, we anticipate all students will return to school in September, albeit with a range of safety measures in place.  We have many questions to which we require answers before plans can be finalised. We hope the published guidance will provide these answers.  Class sizes, ‘bubbles’, social distancing requirements, school transport, staggered arrival and departure times, visitors on site, movement around the school site and curriculum changes are some of the areas on which we require clarity. We hope to communicate our plans to parents and students as soon as possible, but certainly before the end of term in 3 weeks’ time.

Safely returning over 1000 people to the academy is a huge undertaking and requires care and detailed planning. Alongside the practical issues, we are working on plans to support students to reintegrate into school life.  We know many students will welcome the return to school, but even they will need support to return to the rigour of a full school day, to gain the resilience and stamina required for 5+ hours of study. Others will have found this period unsettling and we are giving careful consideration to our mental health provision and the various ways we can help students to process this chapter.  As we all know, the pandemic continues, and we recognise the need to provide ongoing support to our students.

It is now 3 months since Lincoln Castle Academy closed to most (but not all) students and we have been reflecting on how different the end of term will be. Although we are sad that so much of school life has been lost, we are looking to the future as a time of opportunity, hope and even renewal.  Chief amongst our strategies will be a return to learning; enjoying challenge, being curious about the world and being ambitious.

LCA staff intend to learn lessons from this chapter, to reflect on where we fell short and recognise where we ‘could do better’, given the potential for a further lockdown in the future this is very important.  We also plan to draw on the positives from this extraordinary time. Whilst remote learning is no substitute for ‘live’ teaching, we have recognised ways we could innovate as a result of the pandemic.

The 3 elements of our LCA motto, ‘Learn, Care, Achieve’, will underpin our planning for the future, as they have during the last 3 months.    There are a number of achievements of which we are rightly proud, but none more so than the feedback we have received from you, our parents.  So again, thank you for your support, understanding and for open constructive communication throughout extremely challenging times.   Please spend 5 minutes completing our parents’ survey if you are able to; we value your feedback above all other:  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LCM3NHB​

I request further patience as we await the Government guidance; I will write to all parents as soon as we have clear plans for next academic year.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Laming
Headteacher

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