It was disappointing not to be able to welcome all pupils back to King’s at the start of the Easter term due to the national lockdown.

Along with schools across the country, we have had to switch to remote learning, and I have been incredibly impressed with the resilience and determination that King’s pupils have demonstrated in adapting to accessing lessons through their devices. Their approach to remote learning and the excellent work ethic being displayed by so many has been fantastic.

Pupils at King’s were very well prepared for a switch to remote learning as we had made this a priority at the start of the academic year. We wanted to ensure that should another period of remote learning be required, all pupils at King’s could continue to access their education and make the best possible progress. Teachers and pupils learnt a lot from the period of remote learning that took place throughout the summer term, and from those lessons that had been delivered remotely throughout the Christmas term. Pupils had access to the remote learning platform, were familiar with its functionality, and had accessed lessons and resources in preparation for any future lockdown. This helped to ensure that despite the switch to remote learning, all pupils have been able to access their lessons remotely and the transition has taken place smoothly.

Even though we have only had 7 days of lessons so far, 935 individual lessons have already taken place this term. This figure doesn’t include the Music lessons, Learning Support sessions, Drama, EAL, tutor sessions, house meetings, assemblies, church services, staff meetings, individual support sessions, academic workshops, enrichment sessions and pupil meetings that have all continued to take place, albeit remotely. We want to try and ensure that pupils are still able to access the support that they require and can take advantage of the enrichment opportunities that are available. I have been delighted by the progress that pupils have made already this term, and it has been brilliant to see 327 Commendations already awarded. We have also seen pupils sit external examinations, achieve considerable success with university offers, and continue to impress with their involvement in the various challenges that have been set in the King’s Spirit.

Pupils in external examination years have also found out that GCSE and A-Level examinations due to take place this summer have been cancelled, and that they will be replaced by teacher led assessments/grades. Whilst IGCSE examinations and some BTEC assessments are currently set to continue, we await the outcome of the Ofqual consultation and the subsequent announcements by the examination boards as to how some qualifications will be assessed/awarded in the future. Despite the uncertainty, it is crucial that pupils finish their courses and prepare for future assessment, and I am pleased that we can currently allow for this to happen through remote learning. All updates regarding qualifications will appear on the school website here and both pupils and parents should continue to monitor this.

I hope that in the near future we are able to welcome all pupils back to King’s, and that pupils in external examination years get further clarification from Ofqual as to how they will be assessed in the summer. For now, I hope pupils will continue to apply themselves well, prepare appropriately for future assessment, and continue to support all those around them.

Dan Cupit - Deputy Head, Academic