Information for University and College Admissions Teams.
· In accordance with UCAS guidance, the following section outlines the specific impact of coronavirus on The John Fisher School. This link will be included in applications under the guidance published here:
https://www.ucas.com/advisers/references/how-write-ucas-undergraduate-references
· The John Fisher School closed its doors to students on Friday 20th March 2020 as a result of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This closure meant that our students experienced some form of disruption to their formal education; students at The John Fisher School missed out on approximately 12 weeks of ‘in person’ teaching time. Alternative provision was put in place for students through online platforms such as Show My Homework, Microsoft Teams and Zoom, however much of this could only be accessed by students who had consistent access to IT provisions at home. Some of our students were further impacted by their individual circumstances such as no access to ICT at home, sharing devices between siblings and even losing loved ones due to the virus.
· School resumed for our current Year 13 students in September 2020 where they began their A-level studies after an extended summer break. The nature of Covid legislation and guidance meant the winter term was disruptive, with a number of students and staff being asked to isolate, in line with guidance. The John Fisher School switched to remote learning in the last week of the winter term as a response to increasing cases.
· In the light of the January 2021 Lockdown and the guidance issued, The John Fisher School implemented the remote education policy which focused on a blended approach, where our Sixth Form students received a combination of ‘live’ Zoom lessons and remote work set via Google Classroom or Show My Homework. The school provided opportunities for vulnerable and keyworker students to attend school, but contextual circumstances meant that not all students could experience the same quality of learning as per a normal school year and some struggled with adapting to remote education for a variety of contextual factors.
· When school returned to ‘in person’ lessons in March 2021, the attitude of our Sixth Form was excellent and whilst the majority of students did receive support on University preparation through our enrichment programme and virtual events/opportunities, some students who either tested positive themselves or were identified as close contacts were forced to isolate in light of government guidance and some struggled to gain ‘in person’ work experience during the summer.
· This cohort had only completed two sets of Pre Public Exams (PPE’s) amongst regular formative and summative assessment which have been used to inform predicted grades.
· We facilitated virtual information events alongside recorded instructional videos, and have dedicated time and support in the autumn term to future applications, but we recognise that these provisions are inevitably different from our normal provision.
· Our students still continue to be impacted by the Coronavirus but through all of this, our students continue to strive for excellence, adapting their way of learning and developing themselves during these worrying times. As a school we have taken measures to reduce the interruption to learning caused by the pandemic and are continually impressed by the resilience demonstrated by our students. We wish them the very best with their undergraduate studies.
Mr B Woolford - Director of Sixth Form