Highlights of the Week
- Seeing the range, creativity and endeavour of our pupils’ entries for The Flecker Challenge, the results of which were announced in Headmaster’s Assembly.
- Reading about a pupil’s experience of volunteering at a vaccination clinic.
- Seeing David Evans complete his epic virtual journey to Uganda in aid of our link school Nyakatukura Memorial Secondary School. You can support his campaign here!
Please don’t hesitate to make contact with the School if you have any questions.
Senior Leadership Team Duty Rota: Easter Holidays
Friday 26 March to Saturday 3 April: Mr Hall ashall@deanclose.org.uk
Sunday 4 April to Sunday 11 April: Mr Salisbury bjsalisbury@deanclose.org.uk
Monday 12 April to Sunday 18 April: Mr Hole jahole@deanclose.org.uk
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
All pupils have been issued with their home testing kits so that they can continue to test twice weekly as part of the National asymptomatic testing programme for school pupils. We would be really grateful if parents and guardians could support us in this process by reminding pupils to continue testing. See below for details of how to perform the tests.
Home Testing Covid-19: How to Guide
Home Testing Covid-19: Latest Information
Headmaster’s End of Term Assembly: Friday 26 March
Spring Music Concert
Contact Tracing
We are hoping that this won’t be necessary, but we would be grateful if you could contact us on office@deanclose.org.uk if your son or daughter develops any Covid related symptoms anytime between 1.00pm on Friday 26 March and 1.00pm on Sunday 28 March. This essentially covers the critical 48-hour ‘contact’ time period for contracting the virus whilst your child was in school.
If any pupils were to display symptoms during this window, and then tested positive, we would be required to contact Public Health England, and make contact with the pupil’s close contacts, who would then need to self-isolate according to government regulations.
Use of School Facilities During Holidays
Registered pupils of the school may come onto site between 2.00pm and 4.30pm to use Outdoor Facilities ONLY between 29 March and 3 April. In weeks 2 and 3 there will be too many other activities on site to justify additional use. Pupils must be supervised by a parent, and must not be in groups of more than 6.
When? 2.00 to 4.30pm Monday 29 to Saturday 3 April
Where? Furthest astro from Dining Hall (Carnill’s) and Railway Tennis Courts (next to the Day House Village) only. Carnill’s is however NOT to be used on Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 March due to the marking and setting up of the Tennis Courts for the Trinity Term.
Who? Dean Close Staff, their immediate families, and registered pupils of DCPS and DCS.
Out of Bounds? Indoor Facilities / Ellam’s Astro (New Astro) / Shelburne Tennis Courts
Calendar Amendment
July 2021
We have taken the decision to finish the Trinity Term 2021 on Friday 2 July at 12noon. This means that we have brought forward our end of year celebrations to Saturday 26 June. We are very much hoping to be able to hold a whole school event, but we will be entirely led by the prevailing situation. Please see attached the 3 options that we are planning for. This will be co-ordinated with the DCPS programme, which will take place in the morning. The plan is to start the Leavers’ Service at 11.00am in the School Chapel, and finish at around 5.00pm.
Fifth Form: Guide to Effective Revision
To support the vital revision phase ahead of trials and assessments, the Fifth Form attended a Revision Assembly (https://youtu.be/0eM0qH0ulj4) to help them make the most of the weeks before, during, and after, the Easter holidays. This is being followed by Revision Workshops available to all pupils over the next few days. Materials discussed (including revision plans and trackers) and presentations used can all be found at: https://dcslibrary.com/revisionkit.
Outdoor Adventure: All 4th Form
24-25 April – Save the Date
As we plan for the unlocking of the current restrictions, we have entered into the School Calendar the proposed dates for our annual 4th Form Outdoor Expedition. For those who have signed up to the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, this counts as their training expedition and for those who have not signed up, an opportunity to explore the outdoors and enjoy an overnight camp. No specialised equipment or clothing is required for this event, apart from school sports clothing, a pair of trainers and a day backpack.
GCSE and A-Level Trials
GCSE: Tuesday 20 to Friday 30 April
A-Level: Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 April
The trials take place in the first two weeks after the Easter holiday. The timetable for GCSE and A-level trials is available to view on the iStudent and iParent Apps (but not on the Portals). There is no study leave for these trials, so Fifth Form pupils will attend workrooms and Upper Sixth pupils will study in Houses when not sitting an exam. Please note there are trials on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and pupils are not expected to do Games on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. If there is any error or you know of any authorised absence during the trials, please email Dr Bradley asap.
Cricket Coaching
Dean Close is proud to offer a range of 8 week Cricket Specialist Programmes on Tuesday & Wednesday evenings commencing 18 May 2021 run by our very own Director Cricket Mike Powell (ECB 4, former Glamorgan CCC and Kent CCC) in partnership with GECKO cricket.
The sessions are open to everyone aged 8-18, not just Dean Close pupils and all abilities are catered for.
You can book using the click through below or you can book in person by calling or emailing Ryan Higgins on 07969 997303: ryan@geckocricket.com
The link to book – https://geckocricket.com/product/specialist-cricket-camps/
English Chamber Orchestra & Voces8
Tuesday 27 April, 4.00-5.30pm
Please join us for an Online Concert and live e-Gathering hosted by the Music Department, Dean Close School.
Presented by Dr Joseph Fort, of King’s College London, with members of the English Chamber Orchestra and Voces8, do join the world-famous English Chamber Orchestra and their friends from VOCES8 vocal ensemble in a special educational Concert and e-Gathering.
The programme is designed to link with, and to enhance, wider listening in the GCSE and A-Level curriculum; also suitable for those in Y9 wishing to take GCSE Music.
Please see the attached flyer for full details and a sign-up link.
Easter Quarantine and Settling In
9-19 April 2021
Ahead of the start of the new Term on Tuesday 20 April, we are pleased to be able to offer a Quarantine and Settling-In Programme for all our Overseas Pupils. Recent guidance allows schools to quarantine pupils from all countries including so-called ‘red–list’ countries. Please see below and attached for further details.
DCS Library Online
Access a wide range of resources from home with https://dcslibrary.com/. Reminder: for our Online Research Kit @Home go to https://dcslibrary.com/orkathome and use the password:”Flecker1886” to access login details for our many research databases.
OD Initiative – Generations
‘Generations’ will be shown every Thursday at 7pm throughout April on the Old Decanian Society Facebook page. See below for further details.
Cricket, Tennis, Strength & Conditioning 1:1s
We are delighted to be able to resume our sports 1:1s when we return in the Trinity Term. Your existing session time will remain in place from Tuesday 20 April unless you have been contacted directly. Please do contact Mrs Gore in the Sports Department if you have any queries or would like to enquire about 1:1s
Parents’ Prayer Fellowship
All parents are warmly invited to join us at our fortnightly parents’ prayer fellowship. We currently meet on Zoom to hear the needs of and to pray for our pupils, staff and families, with occasional opportunities to meet senior Foundation leaders. Parenting is a high calling at the very best of times, and we need one another to be the best parents we possibly can. Do please come and join us!
Cheltenham Educational Partnership
#LaptopsForLearning
Dean Close is acting as one of the 7 collection points around Cheltenham for laptops and tablets to be cleaned up by IT Schools Africa and redistributed to disadvantaged pupils. Please click here for an UPDATE on the success of the project thus far!
https://nclbcheltenham.org.uk/laptops-for-learning
Ultimate Activity Camps
We are really pleased to let you know that Ultimate Activity Camps have been busy planning for their welcome return to Dean Close School to run their fun, safe and engaging holiday day camps during the Easter and Summer Holidays of 2021 with added Covid-safe measures for all.
- Easter 2021 Dates: Tuesday 6th to Friday 16th April
- Summer 2021 Dates: Monday 19th July to Friday 27th August
Ultimate Activity Camps offer exciting holiday day camps with over 40 activities every week delivered by engaging, enthusiastic and energetic staff who will instruct and encourage every child to try new activities and make new friends – and naturally have lots of social time and fun of course! Please visit www.ultimateactivity.co.uk for full details or you can call their friendly team on 0330 111 7077.
The Week Ahead
CLICK HERE to access the Live Website Calendar.
If you have any queries or comments, please contact ashall@deanclose.org.uk.
