UTC Oxfordshire
Newsletter – 11th June 2021
Dear all,
Today is the last official day for year 13's onsite and it was lovely to see them all together with the excitement and anticipation of their next adventure. All have worked so incredibly hard under these challenging circumstances to secure their next destination. We wish them the very best in the future and hope they will stay in touch through our Alumni. Results day is on site on August 10th.
Science and Engineering Excellence
Yesterday saw a partial eclipse of the sun and despite the overcast day we were able to capture part of it using a pin hole camera.
You can find out more about eclipses here: Eclipses visible in Didcot
Apprenticeship Success
Congratulations to Lina Gardner in Y13 who has accepted a Management Degree Apprenticeship with McDonalds. Lina studied a L3 National Diploma in Business at UTC and is looking forward to this next challenge.
Opportunities
A new gym opened on the 12th April this year on Hawksworth industrial estate in Didcot. They are a gym with a difference, aiming to help people’s physical and mental health whilst providing a positive and motivating atmosphere for our members to work in. They use state of the art equipment called EGYM, these pieces of equipment are resistance machines that recognise a person automatically, setting up the equipment specifically for them. This automation means that risk of injury is lowered, and a typical 60-minute workout becomes a 30-minute workout.
Year 13 students
So, your lessons have finished for the year, your assessments are done...what next? See attached leavers pack
For students who left us in 2020
The 2020 exam certificates for GCSEs, A levels and BTECs are available for collection from reception between 2 and 4pm any afternoon.
Year 11 events
18th June: Year 11 Leavers Day (12:30pm-4pm).
The details for this event will follow.
All other days are off timetable and students are not expected in school. Unfortunately, the year 11 Prom will not be going ahead
Please note that results will not be available until the results day on August 12th.
Covid Update
NHS Test and Trace Quality Assurance Programme
As part of the NHS Test and Trace schools rapid asymptomatic testing programme, ongoing quality assurance (QA) in secondary schools and colleges is being conducted. This is a standard requirement to assess the performance of lateral flow devices (LFDs) while asymptomatic testing in secondary school and college settings is carried out. The Schools Quality Assurance Team from NHS Test and Trace have invited our college to participate in this programme.
Why are we doing this QA?
Quality Assurance is a key aspect of clinical oversight for the testing programme, it enables us to ensure the following:
- Test kits and supplies provided to schools are safe and effective
- Results are reported and acted upon
- Tests are conducted in a safe and correct manner
- Most importantly, Quality Assurance enables us to ensure the desired Public Health outcome, which is the reduction of transmission of COVID-19 through asymptomatic spread and minimal disruption to children’s learning by maintaining face to face education.
What will this involve?
The exercise will be taking place over two weeks, commencing 7 June, and it will involve staff and students aged 16 and over who currently do LFD self-tests and will be asked to participate in dual testing. This will require them to complete one additional PCR test alongside their usual LFD test and report the results of both tests. They will only need to do this once during the QA period.
Staff and students can individually choose whether they wish to participate. All lessons learnt will be play a key part in improving LFD testing for schools/colleges and will help us to minimise the spread of COVID -19. The tests should have been collected and will be taken alongside the Lateral flow test on Monday 14th June
Your efforts will help us ensure that we keep our school/college communities safe; we would like to thank you very much for playing your part.
Lateral flow tests
Please continue to register your test results on the Government Website and also log them for our school records Covid Test Result Log.
Elements cafe
Dates for the diary
- Friday 18th June last official day for year 11
- Monday 28th June Year 10 and Year 12 end of year assessments. Please see the separate email correspondence for further details.
- Wednesday 21st July - Summer break (finish lunchtime)
- Saturday 19th June - welcome event for new year 10's joining us
- Tuesday 10th August - A-level results (onsite)
- Thursday 12th August - GCSE Results (onsite)
Have a fabulous term and I look forward to sharing with you the events for the last week of term in the upcoming newsletters.
Stay safe
With good wishes
Sam