We are performing Lateral Flow Tests on pupils and staff who are asymptomatic (they don’t have Covid symptoms) each week. Anyone who is in contact with a confirmed case is tested each day for seven days (this is called serial testing).

Here is how the testing works:

Step 1. Register your details using your own device (Sixth Formers and staff) or one of our iPads (Years 7 to 11) and collect your barcode. This uniquely identifies your test and ties it to your name and the details you have given. Registration takes around 5 minutes.

Step 2. The registration assistant will let the testing assistants know that you have registered and one of them will take you to a private booth, screened from anyone else. 

Step 3. Inside the booth, you will perform the swabbing of your tonsils and nose yourself, following the written instructions or by following the guidance from the testing assistant. They can offer any help you may request, for example by holding up a mirror or shining a torch if you are struggling to locate your tonsils.

And that’s it! You just take a seat for 30 minutes and wait for your result. Bring something to read! If your test is negative, you will be told you can go back to lessons. If it’s positive, you will be given further instructions.

Barr Beacon School is proud to announce that we have received reaccreditation for the International School Award. Our school is proud of its longstanding commitment to learning about the world and preparing our pupils to be global citizens. The assessors were impressed by the variety and scope of our application and agreed that we are school that opens doors to different cultures, communities and countries. 

Walsall Council are providing some financial support for Free School Meals pupils who attend Walsall schools. This applies even in situations where you don’t live in Walsall but your local authority has not announced financial support (such as Birmingham). 

The Council will be writing to you directly. Click the buttons below to view sample letters. 

Please contact the Council if you need more information. Phone number: 0300 555 2855

Check our uniform page if you are not sure about anything: www.barrbeaconschool.co.uk/uniform/ (clickthrough to this)
Uniform checks will be happening on the first day back.

If you would like us to send out the certificates in the post we will require you to send in a Large stamped addressed envelope with recorded delivery (it has to be sent recorded delivery as this is a requirement from the exam boards).

Please telephone the school and make an appointment with the receptionist if you would like to come and collect them or if you wish someone to collect them on your behalf. Please give them a letter of authorisation and ask them to bring a form of identification.

This year Barr Beacon will be running a remote Scholastic Book fair. To give you the opportunity to buy books below is a list of all the books available to purchase. If you would like to buy a book, you will need to order over the phone at home where you will receive a transaction code. The order slip with the transaction code and book title will then need to be sent back into school where the book will be then delivered to the pupil.

There is also a range of stationary available to purchase. The list for this is also below.

When buying books from the Book Fair the money also raises money for the school to enable us to buy great new books for the Library.

When purchasing you will be asked for the school code. The school code is – 23400062.

To support Year 11 with their revision ahead of their mocks, we have produced this video explaining the science of revision. It will help them identify what they can do more effectively to get more information to stick in their memories. They have already been shown this in assembly and it has been emailed to them, but we thought it would be helpful for parents and carers to see as well so you can understand the science of revision and support them in their efforts.

This is a PowerPoint file so just start it as a slide show to hear a running commentary and right click your mouse to pause at any point.

If your child does not have PowerPoint at home, don’t worry – they can use our Microsoft 365 subscription (they need to log in using the Home Access button in the top right of this page).

https://matrixacademytrust-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/dlowbridgeellis_barrbeaconschool_co_uk/EbaL49hllktOpu5UWAJKjF8B8Gi1fi-jS9NKghUYk_hCKA?e=1Anc10

As you have probably seen, the Department of Education has announced the following: 

 “Almost all” A levels and GCSEs, exams will start on Monday 7^th June (first day after the spring half-term holiday) and end on Friday 2^nd July. “Almost all” means, according to the government, that “one maths and one English GCSE exam will be held just before the May half-term, giving any Year 11 pupils who are affected by Covid-19 the best possible chance of still sitting a paper in each of these core subjects.” Vocational qualifications (e.g. BTEC) are expected to be “align” with GCSEs and A levels.  

The government, through their exams regulator Ofqual, has made some adjustments to some qualifications. 

The full details are here: www.assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

This is how it affects the courses our pupils study: 

• GCSE Art & Design: assessment will be based solely on pupils’ portfolios. 
• GCSE Biology, Chemistry & Physics: required practicals may be taught through observation. 
• GCSE Computer Science: programming can take place in unsupervised time. 
• GCSE Drama: pupils may evaluate recorded performances rather than having to visit a theatre. 
• GCSE English Literature: we will be able to choose a text we won’t study. 
• GCSE Food: the amount and complexity of Non-Examined Assessment (coursework) has been reduced. 
• GCSE French, German & Spanish: instead of speaking examinations, there will be a spoken language endorsement (accredited as either pass/merit/distinction/ fail) that will be reported separately alongside the 9 – 1 GCSE grade. 
• GCSE Geography: students will not complete fieldwork but will be examined on the theory associated with fieldwork in the exam instead. 
• GCSE History: we will be able to choose a topic we won’t study.  
• GCSE Media Studies: coursework has been reduced. 
• GCSE Physical Education: pupils will need to demonstrate only two activities. 
• GCSE Design & Technology: there is no longer a requirement for the production of a full prototype 
• A Level Biology, Chemistry & Physics: required practicals will be reduced to a minimum. 
• A Level Geography: there will be more flexibility in the non-examination assessment (coursework) in relation to the students’ own fieldwork. 
• A Level Physical Education: the exam board will require less evidence for activities. 

For all subjects, there will be no changes to the length, number, or format of the exam papers, except as necessary to accommodate the specific changes listed above. 

Exam results days for 2021 have been set as follows: 

Tuesday 24^th August for A levels 

Friday 27^th August for GCSEs