How one Banburyshire school has adapted during lockdown

During lockdown school buildings have been closed to all pupils with the exception of a handful of children from key worker families.

Sibford School, which educates children from nursery through to sixth form on a 50-acre rural campus at the edge of the Cotswolds, was founded by the Society of Friends in 1842.

The Quaker ethos of respecting, nurturing and valuing the individual remains fundamental and underpins what is regarded as a Sibford Education today.

Toby Spence, Sibford School headteacher, said: “The school’s rural location, co-educational approach and strong focus upon pastoral care and values are at the heart of why parents are looking closely at a Sibford education at this time. Although, we are primarily a day school, our full, weekly and occasional boarding gives further flexibility to many.”

Since its inception the school has never closed, including during the first and second World Wars when it remained open to pupils and evacuees eager for a safe and secure education in the countryside. The school was determined not to allow the current COVID-19 pandemic to shut it down, either.

In March, prior to any formal government announcement of school closures the school was in preparations to remain open and functioning via online platforms should such measures be necessary.

By mid-March, parents and pupils at the school were already receiving notifications of how the school would function in the event of the lockdown that inevitably came.

Anna Jo Mathers, assistant head of learning and teaching, said: “We were incredibly fortunate to have a parent that works for Microsoft. The sharing platform Microsoft Teams, which had initially been designed for business use, was suddenly thrust into our world of learning as a useful tool upon which we could continue daily school life.”

The use of teams, together with the school’s existing daily management program, Firefly, has meant that, while the school premises have been shut, the Sibford Education has continued, including the pastoral care for which the school excels.

Since lockdown, pupils have been expected to attend registration online within their tutor groups at 8.40, just as they would were they in the school building. Each pupil continues to follow their school timetable and routine, with live lessons via Teams.

That has included mock examinations for Year 10, internal end-of-year assessments for all lower year groups, and year 11 GCSE and year 13 A level pupils who, once the end of formal teaching was complete to submit centre-assessed grades and rankings, have been in transition periods to prepare for future academic and life-skills activities.

Anna Jo Mathers added: “Many lessons have been live, and every pupil is expected to log on, with cameras and microphones on when necessary. It’s important that teachers can see and hear the pupils, to see their body language and reactions just as we would in a classroom situation. Pupils also value seeing the staff and hearing their voices.

“Lessons are recorded for staff and pupil safeguarding. However, recording has proved invaluable for those children that have missed a lesson; they can refer back, to catch-up.

“Class work, assignments and homework have been set online. Teachers can see who has opened documents, who has handed in work on deadline, who has needed extra time and, if a pupil hasn’t logged in, we can make contact to check they’re ok. It’s an important element of our pastoral care.”

It is this pastoral care and the attention to detail to ensure that the school’s deep-rooted sense of relationship and community are retained that has been most noticeable throughout the period of lockdown and now, as the school buildings begin to re-open to certain year groups.

The whole of the Junior School building, from early years to year six has now reopened for the remainder of the summer term and, in the senior school, years 10 and 12 are in attendance in tutor-group bubbles, on set days.

Headteacher, Toby Spence, added: “At the heart of Sibford School is relationships and community. The importance of receiving these year groups back in school now is not to extend the academic work already set online as we move towards the end of term, but to have that social interaction and share the moments of community again, for staff to be able to assess the mental wellbeing of our pupils and show face-to-face concern for every pupil.”

Head of Pastoral Care Tracy Knowles has maintained online ‘drop-in’ sessions for pupils who want to ask questions or simply feel the need to chat.

She said: “We’ve had many conversations with pupils about how they are coping with lockdown, particularly during Mental Health Awareness Week at the end of May."

The pastoral team has also undertaken the mammoth task of individually telephoning the parents of all 450 pupils on roll for a brief chat to check that families are safe and well. Meanwhile, Ed Rossiter, head of the junior school, ensured that all year six parent meetings were carried out, using Microsoft Teams.

What manifests itself clearly is the determination by all staff that every aspect of school life will continue regardless of the challenges of physical detachment.

Pupils come together online for weekly house meetings and inter-house competitions.

Sibford School is a co-educational, independent school for pupils from nursery to sixth form. Sibford offers small class sizes and excellent support to each and every one of our pupils.

For more information about Sibford School visit their website here: www.sibfordschool.co.uk

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