18 October 2021 – Move to Level 2 as of Tuesday 19th of October

18 October 2021
Dear Parents, Caregivers, and Students,

Thank you for your continued support of the College in what has been challenging times for all of
us. Today’s Cambridge external exams which were conducted under Level 3 restrictions, have
proceeded well and I thank the staff and students for their conduct.

As per today’s announcement from the Government, Northland will move to Alert Level 2 as of
midnight Tuesday 19 th of October. This means there will be a full school recommencement for all
staff and students on Wednesday 20 th October. All students are expected to be at school. School
buses will be in service from this date.

This also means that Cambridge external examinations being held tomorrow, Tuesday 19 th of
October, will continue under Alert Level 3 restrictions and our Year 7 – 10 students will continue
online for Tuesday only.

As you may be aware, the government have introduced stricter regulations around teaching and
education including:
▪ Education workers need to be vaccinated by 1 January 2022 with the first stage of the vaccination
completed by 15 November 2021 (staff may apply for an exemption, the details of which have yet to
be released).
▪ COVID-19 testing requirements for school staff prior to their return to school. This means staff
and on-site workers must take a COVID-19 test before returning to the College as of today. If you
are fully vaccinated, there is no need for continued testing once a negative result is attained. If you
are not fully vaccinated, then a weekly test must be undertaken, with a continued negative result.
▪ As the advice currently stands, it is a requirement for staff to wait for a negative test result before
returning to school. This may mean that online work/teaching will continue for some students.
▪ The College will maintain a ‘vaccination register’.
▪ Face coverings are required to be worn by students in Years 9 – 13 on school transport at all
lockdown levels.
▪ As the advice currently stands, there is no mandate for staff or students to have to wear masks at
school.
The wellbeing of our staff and students is the College’s priority in planning for the full
recommencement of school. The health and safety protocols that were established for Level 3 with
the College opening will still, in the main, apply. These particularly refer to safety guidelines,
preparing physical distancing, tracking and tracing, sanitisation, ventilation, and PPE. The College
has in place a rigorous cleaning regime.
Everyone will need to ensure they are recorded as being on site (students through the Edge
attendance register, bus students through bus logs, staff and visitors through sign in/sign out at
Reception) and are following appropriate hygiene and other health and safety measures required by
the College, including that shared equipment will be regularly cleaned.
Parents and visitors who come on site need to be noted in the visitor register. Students from other
schools and external providers will be able to come on site, subject to following the attached health
and safety protocols.

The school timetable will run as per normal from the first day back at the College. The feedback
from last year was that our students really enjoyed back into the routine of school and normal
classes. Period 7 activities will commence from Thursday 21 st October.
There are several specific requirements set by the College to support existing College practice and
to ensure that we are complying with Ministry regulations:
 Anti-bacterial sanitiser will be in each room of the College, as will disinfectant and the means
to apply these.
 All desks and the top of chairs will be cleaned three times a day. A ‘cleaning log’ of all
classrooms will be maintained.
 Classroom windows and door will be encouraged to be left open to offer better ventilation in
classrooms.

•  To ease the issue of congestion, students may move directly into classes and seat
  themselves according to the appropriately designed desk placement. Students must sit at
  the same desk from lesson to lesson in each subject.
• Upon students being seated, teaching staff will administer hand sanitiser to each student to
  save time and congestion and to ensure application. Students are also invited to bring their
  own personal sanitiser and water bottle.
• Physical Education classes will have adapted changing conditions to adhere to. Students
  will also apply hand sanitiser before and after lessons. Sporting equipment will be cleaned at
  the conclusion of each lesson.
• Any contact with commonly used items, such as door handles; mobile phones; general
  equipment requires hand sanitiser to be applied directly before and after contact.
• Travel logs for bus students will be maintained. Bus companies have measures in place
  regarding seating, hand sanitiser use and notification of any issues.
• The advice from Government is for children aged 12 or older to wear masks although this is
  not mandatory. However, as noted above, face coverings are required to be worn by Year 9
  – Year 13 students on school transport at all lockdown levels.
• Students will be encouraged to take responsibility for personal hygiene standards.
  If your child is not planning to return to school on Wednesday, can we please ask that you advise
  the Office and your child’s subject teachers.

I look forward to seeing you all soon and wish you and your families my very best wishes as we,
once again, make the transition downward through the national emergency levels.

Yours sincerely,

Philip Coombe
Principal