Dear Parent(s) and Carer(s),

As we start the final week of the school year, I would like to say a big thank you to all of you. Thank you for your understanding, support and patience during what has been unprecedented times. No one has found the past few months easy and we have all had to pull together to cope with a huge amount of change. I would also like to thank all of the staff at DCS. Throughout this time, they have showed such care and compassion for our students, whilst having to cope with the impact of Coronavirus in their lives too. Together, we have achieved a great deal as a community and it is a credit to everyone that we had such a positive response to our tutor meetings and the well-being questionnaire. Also, thank you to all of our students for adapting and coping to their new situation too; for continuing to work hard and learn in more difficult circumstances – their tenacity has shone through.

 This spirit of community and ‘togetherness’ will need to continue as we move into a new set of rules in September. You will have received an email last week with details about how school will operate when we start the new academic year. Paper copies have also been posted and should reach you at some point this week. This information can also be found on our website in the new ‘September Re-Opening’ tab. The government have announced that they will be reviewing their guidelines for school and updating this on 11th August. As such, we may need to alter our arrangements at that point. If that is the case, we will contact all parents/carers again. The government have produced information for parents about the re-opening of schools in September. It can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak

Although we have all experienced a different way of life recently, it is important for everyone to have a restful summer break. Although lockdown restrictions are easing, your child/children may want to be occupied with interesting activities. Over previous weeks, there have been many advertised in these newsletters and we have included more websites for reference in this edition too. We have also been given the use of ‘MyMaths’ for all students. This is an excellent resource which we will be using more often, for homework, from September. For those students who wanted to do some catch-up work over the summer, this is an excellent resource to make use of now. Individual login details are included in the information that has been posted out to you. There is however, no expectation for work on this to be completed before September; it is there if your child would like to use it.

The last day of school is officially Thursday 23rd July and no work will be set after that point. School will remain closed over the summer, including for children of keyworkers. This newsletter contains contact details of places of support for safeguarding, health and well-being if help and support is needed during this time.
The first day for year 7 is Friday 4th September. Years 8 & 9 start on Monday 7th September. Please note that the timings of this day are different to normal – please see the information sent by email, posted and on our website for details.
Whatever your individual circumstances, I wish you all a happy and healthy summer. We all look forward to seeing our students back together at Midland House in September ready for an exciting year of learning.
Take care

Yours faithfully
Mrs J. Brown

Safeguarding concerns

If you have any concerns related to safeguarding then please do contact either social services or the police. If you feel that a child is in immediate danger then call 999.
Please see the contacts box below for contact details of social care and the police.
You can also inform the school safeguarding team of any concerns or issues.

The staff to contact are Mr R. Hoy or Ms J. Nethercott – again, contact details are below.

Online Safety – Facebook Messenger

Get the lowdown on Facebook Messenger with the latest guide for parents and carers from National Online Safety
https://nationalonlinesafety.com/
Written by a former Facebook employee with 15 years' experience in digital media, this guide is packed with information and safety tips. Did you know Messenger has a function called 'secret conversations' that allows you to send encrypted messages that delete after a certain time?

New text messaging service helps young people access health advice

A new text messaging service has been launched in Derby to help young people and parents and carers living in the city to access confidential health advice and support in a quick and easy way.
Young people in Derby aged 11-19 who send text messages to 07507 327104 can get advice from a health professional about subjects including physical or emotional health, sexual health, relationships, bullying or drug or alcohol use. Parents or carers looking after children in Derby city aged between 0 and 19 can text 07507 327754 to seek advice about subjects ranging from breastfeeding and bedwetting to emotional wellbeing and behaviour.
https://news.derby.gov.uk/new-text-messaging-service-helps-young-people-access-health-advice/

Keeping young people safe

The government have published a useful document that provides lots of support information relating to keeping children safe from abuse and harm. This guidance brings together sources of information about the main risks children may be vulnerable to and signposts you to help and support available.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-keeping-children-safe-from-abuse-and-harm

Railway Safety
Due to the very high level of trespassing on the tracks by young people in our local area, Network Rail in partnership with Learn Live are working to help raise awareness to students across the UK educating them about the dangers of the train tracks.
Network Rail say:
There have been 1,024 incidents since lockdown began, and we are keen to help keep students safe. As part of our Programme to electrify key rail routes across the mainline, the section of railway near your school will be under construction for the installation of the Overhead Line Equipment and be electrified. The safety of people on and around the railway is our priority so please watch the short video using the following link:
https://learnliveuk.com/network-rail-secondary-school-safety-talk/

Dealing with Loss and Coping With Lockdown
BBC Bitesize has an article about coping with the change and emotions that lockdown can bring:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z7xyvk7

Safety Around Water
Please see the following website regarding safety around water.
https://www.unitedutilities.com/about-us/recreation-sites/reservoir-safety/

HPV Vaccinations – Year 8 only
We have emailed out a letter to all parents/carers of year 8 students about their HPV vaccination which is now due. As these cannot take place in school buildings, a number of venues are being used for a walk-in/drive through service. If you would normally consent to this happening in school, please do follow the instructions below. These are all detailed in the email sent out last week.
How to book an appointment:

1. Complete a consent form HPV Vaccination drive through session; Year 8 boys and girls, and Year 9 girls only. Please only complete a consent form if you haven’t already done so for Year 8 girls and boys.
Please visit https://www.derbyshireandcityimms.co.uk/Forms/HPV to complete the consent form. The option to consent or decline the vaccination is at the end of the questionnaire so please complete even if you do not want your child to have the vaccination.
Your unique school code for Derby Cathedral School is DC143734
If you experience any problems please call the School Age Immunisation Team.
DCHST.immunisationteam@nhs.net Repton: 01283 707178 Clay Cross: 01246 252953

2. Please book an appointment with your child’s name and date of birth by following this link: https://www.swiftqueue.co.uk/derbyshire.php Only book an appointment if your child hasn’t completed their HPV 2 dose course.

3. If you experience any difficulties please call: Repton: 01283 707178 or Clay Cross: 01246 252953
Please do not attend if you, your child or anyone within your family home is displaying signs of being unwell.

The following helplines give support and advice on a number of issues including personal safety, mental health and well-being.
Childline: 0800 1111 www.childline.org.uk
NSPCC – 0800 028 3550 www.nspcc.org.uk
Samaritans – 116 123
Shout – www.giveusashout.org. Text Shout to 85258
Kooth – www.kooth.com

Relate counselling – 0808 178 9363 (free helpline for couples, children and those affected by Autistic Spectrum Condition. Available: Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10.00am – 1.00pm. The helpline gives people the opportunity to speak directly to an experienced Relate trained counsellor, without having to make an appointment. For further information contact 01332 349177 or 07741193484 or email info@relatederby.org.uk
www.relatederby.org.uk

LGBT+ Support – https://www.derbyshirelgbt.org.uk/
Online Safety Parent Support www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/Support-tools/home-activity-worksheets/11-13s/
Derby City Children’s Social Care First Contact Team: 9am to 5pm 01332 641172 or out of hours 01332 786968
You can also report non-urgent concerns online https://myaccount.derby.gov.uk/en/service/report_concerns_about_a_child
If you believe that a child is at immediate risk and in need of protection then you should call the police on 999 or 101 immediately.
Alternatively if you want advice from the police and the child is not in immediate need of protection, you can call them on 0845 123 33 33.

Key staff email contacts:
Mr R Hoy (Designated Safeguarding Lead) r.hoy@derbycathedralschool.org.uk
Mrs J Nethercott (Deputy DSL) j.nethercott@derbycathedralschool.org.uk
Miss M Amiss (Head of Year 7) m.amiss@derbycathedralschool.org.uk
Mr C Capon (Head of Year 8) c.capon@derbycathedralschool.org.uk

ParentPay Cashless Payment System
Derby Cathedral School uses ParentPay, a cashless system for the purchase of school lunches, equipment and the payment of trips and outings.
Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic and the need to protect the health and wellbeing of both staff and students, adding funds to your child’s lunch account in school will no longer be possible.
Parents/carers will be required to add monies direct to your ParentPay account as we will not be able to accept cash in school, in any form.
Please log in/activate your account in readiness for your child’s eventual return to school to ensure they will be able to buy food items when back on school site.
If you require any assistance or a duplicate copy of your login details, please contact info@derbycathedralschool.org as soon as possible.
Many thanks.

Summer Reading

The holidays are approaching and for a lot of people there’s actually more time to read now than when they have lots of work on in school. That is certainly what I find. It’s a fantastic opportunity for you to read a whole book. The following website is great because you can filter down by age and interest:
https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/
Not being in school sometimes means you might not use such a wide vocabulary or even read something on a regular basis. Give it a go over the summer. You could have a go at this Summer Book Challenge:
https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/
A great way to relax in the summer!

Keep Reading – Top Tips
The government has produced some new guidance for parents about reading. The 10 top tips include encouraging your child to read, reading together and talking about books.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-top-tips-to-encourage-children-to-read

Summer Reading Challenge – Join ‘The Silly Squad’
The Department for Education has launched this summer’s reading challenge – The Silly Squad. The challenge is open to students in Key Stage 3 and is a great opportunity for children to stretch themselves with a bit of reading ready for their return to school in September. Head over to https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/ for more details on how to get involved.

Free Book from J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling is publishing her new book as a serial from 26 May; it’s called ‘The Ickabog’. She’ll be posting a chapter (or two, or three) every weekday between 26th May and 10th July on The Ickabog website. Find the link on the following website: https://www.jkrowling.com/j-k-rowling-introduces-the-ickabog/
There is also an illustration competition that you can enter.

Learning Timetable
Just a reminder that if are struggling to plan a routine for your child, the timetable below might be useful. Each family will have their own circumstances and can adjust to fit your own needs. 

Each Head of Year will be sending you a narrated bulletin every week which gives you all sorts of information. It will include the weekly challenge and other bits of information to inspire, encourage and celebrate your achievements. We hope that you enjoy them!

Year 7
Please watch the Y7 / Y8 assemblies every Wednesday to keep up to date with all the latest news. If you would like your work or any activities that you have been doing to be included in the assemblies please email: distancelearning@derbycathedralschool.org.uk and mark them for the attention of Miss Amiss.

Year 8
Don’t forget to watch the Year group assemblies every Wednesday, and make sure you get involved in the Kahoot challenges Year 8, - I want us to show the Year 7’s how it’s done! Great to see lots of you last week for tutor time and so impressed with the work that’s been produced. I’m very proud of you all to see that during your time away from school, you are really keeping up the high standards of work, even down to underlining dates and titles. Congratulations! If you would like your work or any activities that you have been doing to be included in the assemblies please email: distancelearning@derbycathedralschool.org.uk and mark them for the attention of Mr Capon.

If you have a child on the SEND register who is struggling to adjust to this new way of working then please have a read…

Life skills are very important for students with SEND and sometimes students with additional needs need a little more practice. Cooking is a something that we all need to do. The following link from Jamie Oliver shows a series videos dedicated to cooking for younger people.
Youtube.com/user/JamieOliver

Universal Credit
If you are having problems claiming universal credit then you may be eligible for an advanced payment. A Universal Credit Advance (new claim) is an advance payment of a customer’s first estimated Universal Credit monthly payment. This may be paid if the customer is in urgent need of money, has made their universal credit claim and can’t wait the 5 week period for their first payment.

Please use the following link for more information https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/new-to-universal-credit/help-with-managing-your-money/

As the summer approaches we thought it would be useful to make you aware of a range of resources that could help to keep your children busy over the summer holidays! Whilst we all believe they deserve a restful holiday, we know that many students enjoy learning! Below are a list of fun-filled websites you might want to have a look at in the coming weeks:

· Department for Education - List of online education resources for home education
· BBC Bitesize
· BP Educational Service - STEM Primary & Secondary resources
· University College London – free online resources for secondary
· British Council - Resources for English language learning
· Blockly - Learn all about computer programming
· Scratch - Learn all about computer programming
· iDEA Awards - Digital enterprise award scheme you can complete online
· Duolingo - Learn languages for free
· National Geographic Kids - Activities and quizzes
· Crash Course
· Get Body Smart - A free website study guide review that uses interactive animations to help you learn online about anatomy and physiology
· True tube - Award winning free resources for RE, PSHE & Citizenship
· Fuse School - A global education charity providing access to top quality education for free
· Teachit English - English resources

The Wind in The Willows

Walk by the River Thames
https://www.facebook.com/events/542945143299238
Watch the wonders of London LIVE from the Embankment area, wherever you are in the world!
We can't welcome you in person right now because of the measures in place to combat coronavirus – but our live coverage means you won't miss the wonders of London.
Our camera will capture the best views of the Embankment area, allowing you to connect with London from the comfort of your own home.
Tickets are £2.99 per person

Drive in films – dates for your diaries (Please check the age-rating)
https://www.visitderby.co.uk/whats-on/events/drive-in-films/
Enjoying films on the big screen whilst socially distancing.
Drive in Films bring all forms of Entertainment to a GIANT screen for you to enjoy from the safety and comfort of your vehicle. This includes; great films, live comedy shows and inspirational musical performances.
Due to the Covid-19 we require all attendees to stay in or by their vehicles, except for rest breaks. This helps to keep our staff and all our customers safe. To support this our booking process includes all elements of a drive-in night – the view, the entertainment and the refreshments. We take our responsibilities to providing as safe an environment as possible very seriously, by having pre-ordered refreshments and free delivery to your car door we believe this reduces the risks for all. We thank you for your support and for adhering to the rules.
Follow their guide below to make your booking and viewing experiences run smoothly
The films announced so far are;
• Joker - 24th July 2020, Gates 7.45pm, Film at sunset
• Grease -30th July 2020, Gates 7.45pm, Film at sunset.
• Rocketman - 31st July 2020, Gates 7.45pm, Film at sunset
• Forest Gump - 13th August 2020, Gates 7.45pm, Film at sunset
Drive In Films, Mickleover Sports Club Station Road Mickleover DE3 9FB
24th July 2020 - 25th September 2020 £7 – £13.50

Enjoy the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) from the comfort of your sofa
You can now meet the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) on Google Arts & Culture.
Google Arts & Culture will allow users to go behind the scenes and explore the range of activities that go on at this innovative and extraordinary institution. Think: Street View tours including ‘Step inside Burlington House’ and ‘Hidden Rooms at the RA’ and over 230 beautiful photographs and videos to marvel at
https://artsandculture.google.com/project/meet-the-royal-academy?e=StellaAccess

Fun and free online learning for all the family!
During this difficult time, you may be wondering what to do with your children to help them learn and develop whilst at home. Family learning courses are free and offer fun learning opportunities for parents, carers and children to learn together.
Top Tips for Families
The Family Learning team are now offering online courses from Making Maths Fun, to learning new languages and even making family meals together. The online sessions are a great way for you to interact with other parents or guardians and learn about other great online courses Derby Adult Learning will be offering too!
https://www.adult-learningderby.org.uk/courses/what-you-can-learn/covidcourses

Online Summer Science Event
This year, we’re moving our Summer Science Exhibition online. Join us for an exciting week of science streamed straight into your home, with talks and videos on subjects including the science of pets, doping in sports and Antarctica exploration, and some highlights from our favourite exhibits over the years. You can also find out what some of the researchers from past years have been up to since showcasing their work at Summer Science.

You can view the full programme on the Royal Society website: http://royalsociety.org/summerscience

Whether you're keen to delve into our rich, 350-year-old archive to explore the legacy of the Exhibition and our historic artefacts, manuscripts and records, or want to tune in for our family friendly big Summer Science quiz, complete with a round for younger viewers, there's something for all ages and interests. Plus, we will be giving you a sneak preview of next year’s exhibition, with announcements throughout the week about the 2021 line-up.
Don’t miss out on this free celebration of cutting-edge and historic science, all to enjoy at home.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel where activities will be streamed for free between 13 - 17 July 2020, or follow us on Twitter @royalsociety. https://www.facebook.com/events/573662953295232

Big Bang Digital 2020 – science, engineering & Covid-19
Meet the inspirational scientists, healthcare professionals, engineers, technicians and students doing incredible things during lockdown.
Big Bang Digital 2020 – science, engineering & Covid-19 is a free, online event on Tuesday 14 July that celebrates the amazing work of scientists and engineers in a pandemic. The 1-day event celebrates their achievements, hears about challenges, innovation and collaboration, and explores some upsides to lockdown.
Aimed at students aged 11+ #BigBangDigital gives young people a front row view of the incredible contribution of people working in science and engineering.
An inspiring day of upbeat sessions, Big Bang Digital 2020 suits students with an interest in the people, or the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) behind the news stories. Get involved with interactive polls, live Q&A sessions, and Big Bang activities – there’s also a follow-up competition for summer inspiration.
Whether it’s through a live stream at school/college or on a tablet at home, join online for an uplifting look at the essential role of science and engineering.
https://www.digitalbigbang.co.uk/

eBug Project
Based on suggestions provided, ‘My Back to School Bubble’ aims to help children understand the new protective measures that may be in place at their school, in an age-appropriate way. It reinforce public health messages
including the importance of hand and respiratory hygiene, while reassuring children that everyone makes mistakes, helping to combat feelings of anxiety, that have been reported by parents.
The published story is available as a free download and can be found alongside our other COVID-19 resources on the e-Bug website.
https://e-bug.eu/eng_home.aspx?cc=eng&ss=1&t=Information%20about%20the%20Coronavirus

Supporting Young People to be Active
Children and young people should engage in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity for an average of at least 60 minutes per day across the week. Derbyshire School Games are providing a weekly resource to give ideas on how to be physically active with a different sport theme for 30 minutes each day.
This is an excellent website with lots of ideas and a weekly competition every Friday.
All of the resources (which currently also include golf, football, netball, athletics and orienteering) can be found on the website https://www.activederbyshire.org.uk/young-people-active-at-home