Dear Parents of secondary DBIS students,
We are delighted to let you know that the Education Bureau has confirmed that DBIS is allowed to reopen for face to face teaching for all our children from Nursery – Year 13. DBIS will of course need to comply with regulations and guidelines from the Education Bureau and we are all very pleased that children all the way up from Nursery and Reception are going to be able to return to school. To satisfy the Education Bureau guidelines, we are required to stagger the return of year groups and this is explained in more detail below.
Staggered return dates
Please find below the dates at which different secondary year groups will return. Please note, the online home learning programme will continue up until your child returns to school, and for children unable to attend school, they will still be able to engage with their classes through the Google Meets.
 Wednesday 16th September:Â
Year 12 & 13 will return for periods 1 – 4 (until lunchtime) and these classes will all be at the North Plaza. They will have their period 5 lesson online, as they have since resumption of school in August.
The EDB has allowed us to bring back a very small proportion of our overall population before the 23rd of September and has stipulated that this must only be as half days to begin with, therefore the Sixth Form students will start school at 8:20 am and finish school at 1:30 pm. The children will not eat lunch at school.
 Wednesday 23rd September:
Year 7, 11, 12 & 13 students will return to school for full days, with Year 7 & 11 students based solely on the main school site and Year 12 & 13 students starting at the North Plaza site and staying there for the majority of their lessons. To satisfy Education Bureau requirements they will be required to have lunch at the main school site. A bus will be provided to move the students between the two campuses and more details will be provided next week from the Head of Sixth Form, Emma Cerrone.
- Year 7 students will be expected to be in school from 08:00 am to 3:20 pm.
- Year 11 students will be required to be at school from 08:20 am to 3:30 pm.
- Year 12 & 13 students will be required to be at school from 08:20 am to 3:20 pm.
Tuesday 29th September:
From this point onwards, all secondary students will be able to return for full days. Year 12 & 13 students will continue to be based at the North Plaza site at the start of the day and for the majority of their lessons, although they will still be required to have lunch at the main school site. A bus will continue to be provided to move the students between the two campuses.
- Year 7, 12 & 13 students will continue to come to school at the same times they have been since the 23rd of September.
- Year 8 students will be expected to be in school from 08:00 am to 3:20 pm.
- Year 9 students will be required to be at school from 08:20 am to 3:20 pm.
- Year 10 students will be required to be at school from 08:20 am to 3:30 pm.Â
Timetables
Students will follow their normal school timetable. There will be some changes to the rooming for students in Year 11, 12 and 13. This is Year 12 & 13 will mainly be based at the North Plaza site and Year 11 students will all be based solely at the main school site. This information will be provided to students prior to them returning to school and their tutors will go through this with them to ensure that they are prepared for their return to in-school learning.
Break and lunch times
To accommodate the Education Bureau requirements regarding students eating patterns at break and lunchtimes, we have had to make a few changes. These changes align with our previous re-opening requirements. We are required to have set times for children to eat their lunch, in two sittings, with set year groups having their lunch at certain times. We will also need to slightly modify break times for Year 7-11 students, so that they are not all out of classrooms at the same time.
Your child’s Head of Year will be sending out specific information about this in the coming days and students will be informed about the specific details by their form tutors.
Health and Safety measures
All children and staff are required to wear masks throughout the day, including during break times. Please ensure you choose a mask that is comfortable for your child. Children will be able to lower their masks during PE lessons and when eating.Â
You will receive a temperature check form which will need to be completed before children arrive at school in the morning. This will be checked before your child enters school. If your child’s temperature is above 37.5 degrees or they show symptoms consistent with COVID-19, we kindly ask that your child does not come to school. We will be monitoring the children’s temperatures throughout the day and will contact you if your child needs to be collected from school.
 Wellbeing
We recognise that all children are individuals and will approach their transition back to school in different ways. Children’s wellbeing is our first priority in supporting their return to school. Your child’s tutor and their teachers will support their students with this return. If you would like any support with this, or have any further questions or concerns regarding the children’s return to school, please contact your child’s tutor, Head of Year or myself.
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Kind regards,
Simon Oakley
Head of Secondary