Please note that school will be open to all students 5 days a week from September 9th.
Ensuring the safety of our school community
The school has been engaging in detailed planning to ensure that we can open in September for all students, full-time. There are some important changes that will affect the way we use the school, and these will be explained to your children when they return.
Please make sure you have read the below letter from last term – you can also find this in the ‘letters’ section of the Parents section of the website.This gives important information about how we are reopening safely using government guidance.
- We will be managing the school so that there is no mixing of year groups, and minimal movement around the site.Students will arrive and leave through different gates to avoid contact with other year groups. Students will be taught in the same room except for specialist subjects, and all rooms will be arranged with desks facing forward to ensure safety. There will be no assemblies. There will also be fewer extra-curricular activities, and playtime will be very strictly controlled to keep the social bubbles apart.
- Until further notice, our vertical tutor system will change to a year group system. You will receive details of this at the start of term.
- Students may not use lockers until we reopen as usual. This means that on their first day they need to take out any items that they need and keep them with them. All students therefore need to check they have a large and strong school-bag and are properly equipped for the new school year.
- It is very important that students bring their own equipment this year to ensure they do not need to borrow anything. Please therefore ensure you check the equipment list carefully.
- We ask students to behave safely walking on the left, washing their hands frequently, keeping to their year group area and being, at all times, hygienic and thoughtful.
- Our Library will operate a request and delivery service and students will be expected to have books with them at all times. Returned books will be quarantined until safe to lend again.
- We ask students to bring in a permanent plastic bottle that may be refilled during the day.
- If students wish to wear a mask in the corridor or around the school, please use it responsibly and provide your own. We discourage mask use in the classroom but encourage it moving around the school.
- If it is being worn inappropriately, there will be a consequence.
- We advise students to wash their hands regularly rather than wearing gloves.
- Please help us to ensure clean air and safety around our school by not driving your child to school unless there is a real need. Please encourage them to walk or cycle.
- In light of the current situation parents are discouraged from congregating at the school gates, please arrange to meet your child at a separate location in the vicinity.
Start of the New Year, September 2020
Please see below for the details of when your child should be on site. Once term starts for a year group, they will be in school 8.25am – 3pm. Attendance at school is compulsory from September. Please note that the school will not open until 8.10am except for invited students.
Please note that Tuesday 1st September and Wednesday 2nd September are staff training days.
Entrance Route Videos for Year Groups
Each year group has a separate entrance point, walking route and boundary areas within the school. The PMs have created a video of each route to share this communication with all parents/students as much as possible.
Yr 9 Entrance Video
Yr 10 Entrance Video
Yr 8 Entrance Video
Yr 11 Entrance Video
Yr 7 Entrance Video
Student Year Group Bubble Areas
Term Dates 2020-2021
Autumn 2019
| Autumn Term 1 |
Refer to the table above for details |
| Half Term Break |
26th October to 30th October |
| Autumn Term 2 |
2nd November to 18th December |
| Winter Break |
21st December to 1st January |
Spring 2020
| Spring Term 1 |
4th January to 12th February |
| Half Term Break |
15th February to 19th February |
| Spring Term 2 |
22nd February to 1st April |
| Spring Break |
2nd April to 16th April |
Summer 2020
| Summer Term 1 |
19th April to 28th May |
| Half Term Break |
31st May to 4th June |
| Summer Term 2 |
7th June to 16th July |
| Summer Break |
Begins 19th July |
Any changes to these dates will be published both in our Lister Community Update emails and on the School Website
Tutor group and House changes
House leadership from September 2020 is as follows:
Head of Da Vinci House – Ms Sophie Talbot – da-vinci@lister.newham.sch.uk
Head of Galileo House – Ms Sarah Sarwar – galileo@lister.newham.sch.uk
Head of Hawking House – Ms Sarah Black – hawking@lister.newham.sch.uk
Head of King House – Ms Natasha Sivadasan – king@lister.newham.sch.uk
Head of Shelley House – Ms Sara Voisey – shelley@lister.newham.sch.uk
There will be some changes to our tutor groups in September, based on the latest DfE guidance. Students will be informed about their tutor group on their first day in September.
School meals
If you are eligible for free school meals, please ensure that you apply immediately. Failure to do this will interrupt your child’s access to free school meals. If your child is not currently in receipt of free meals and you feel you may be eligible, please apply online at https://www.newham.gov.uk/pages/services/free-school-meals.aspx or contact your child’s house office for more information or assistance with your application.
Students will either be able to buy a lunch using the Parent Pay online system or to bring in a packed lunch. We expect all students to have a healthy lunch every day.
Price of School Meals
From September 2020, the price of a school lunch will increase to £2.30. We have been able to keep the price at £2.05 for more than 8 years, but we must now increase the price of meals in order for our providers to be able to provide meals that are more substantial and of better quality.
Ensuring the safety of our school community
The school has been engaging in detailed planning to ensure that we can open in September for all students, full-time. There are some important changes that will affect the way we use the school, and these will be explained to your children when they return.
- We will be managing the school so that there is no mixing of year groups, and minimal movement around the site. Students will be taught in the same room except for specialist subjects, and all rooms will be arranged with desks facing forward to ensure safety. There will be no assemblies. There will also be fewer extra-curricular activities, and playtime will be very strictly controlled to keep the social bubbles apart.
- Students may not use lockers until we reopen as usual. This means that on their first day they need to take out any items that they need and keep them with them. This helps us to maintain the safety of the school community.
- Until further notice, our vertical tutor system will change to a year group system. You will receive details of this at the start of term.
- Students will arrive and leave through different gates to avoid contact with other year groups, and you will receive details about this.
- We will also be helping students to learn habits around safety – walking on the left, washing their hands frequently, keeping to their year group area and being, at all times, hygienic and thoughtful. Please encourage them in this and see our Behaviour section below.
- Our Library will operate a request and delivery service and students will be expected to have books with them at all times. Returned books will be quarantined until safe to lend again.
- It is very important that students bring their own equipment this year to ensure they do not need to borrow anything. Please therefore ensure you check the equipment list carefully.
- Lister will be attempting to go plastic-free next year. There will be more water taps, and we ask students to bring in a permanent plastic bottle that may be refilled during the day. Please support us in keeping students hydrated and reducing plastics.
- Please help us to ensure clean air and safety around our school by not driving your child to school unless there is a real need. Please encourage them to walk or cycle.
We wish you and your family a happy, safe and enjoyable summer holiday and look forward to seeing you in September.
