On the 24th August, 2020 ACS faculty and staff were thrilled to see all of our returning students back in person and to welcome hundreds of new families to our extended community.
We have created the ‘next normal’ together, with appropriate caution, but also with the imagination and determination that makes ACS schools such special places to work and learn.
Sports and PE have resumed with a few tweaks:
Teachers have been making use of the outdoor space:
Product Design started the design process for making planes to jewelry:
Kids are outside playing:
Language classes are back in session:
And lets not forget lunch!
Health, Safety and Wellbeing remain our Priority
As you would expect - things look a little different! Socially distanced classrooms, screens in science and Deign Tech classes, sanitiser and signage everywhere, changes in dining, cleaning equipment in every classroom....
Click here to see our Heads of School talking to their respective communities about the health and safety we have implemented and how the start of school has gone....
We are exercising extraordinary care as we implement Government guidelines for COVID-19 security in every aspect of school life. We take all reasonable precautions. Here are some of the robust systems of control that we use to minimise risk and ensure the safety of all students, families and employees.
Ready to work and learn with confidence
The ACS Estates and Facilities team strictly follow government guidance, and our staff comply with training and practice standards established by the British Institute of Cleaning Science. We sanitise high-touch public surfaces and common spaces four times each work/school day. Rooms are thoroughly cleaned each evening.
Each room is equipped with sterilisation supplies and there are sanitisation stations all over the campus and entrances to buildings. Signage is everywhere reminding our community to socially distance, wear masks where indicated and wash hands/sanitise as appropriate.
Drop off and pick up are carefully controlled to limit congregating. One-way systems and zone controls are in place to prevent crowding.
Catering services are conducted according to Government guidelines for commercial food service. Younger students will begin the year eating in their classrooms. Dining halls will be limited in capacity and older students will eat in socially-distanced shifts. We won’t be holding assemblies and large group meetings for the time being. Libraries and other shared facilities are capacity-limited and subject to enhanced cleaning regimes. We will review these operational changes after the autumn break (half term), and ease restrictions only when it’s safe to do so.
Teaching and Learning Small homeroom or year group (grade-level) cohorts stay together for most of the school day, and they use the same spaces as much as possible. Where possible, teachers rotate to work with fixed groups of students in their identified learning spaces.
We’ve carefully reviewed our facilities to ensure adequate ventilation and safe capacity. Wherever possible, students have individual desks, facing forward, spaced at 1m for social distancing (Grade 2 and above). Teachers generally work at a 2m social distance and engage with students side-to- side for short conversations.
Teachers are prepared to support students temporarily learning from home while in isolation. We also have extensive contingency plans should it be necessary for large groups of students (or, in the case of another local or national lockdown) to learn at a distance. We support student learning regardless of location, easing necessary transitions between home and school.
For the latest update on the safety of our students, regular updates will be posted on our Safe Learning section on our website.