Winchester Weekly

Pool testing

As communicated in last week's newsletter, on return from Leave-out we will be pool testing boys in groups of four, which permits rapid screening of a largely negative population. If the outcome of a pool test is negative, the four boys may join their boarding houses immediately. If there is a positive result within that group, each individual sample is re-tested in order to identify the positive(s). We are required to inform Public Health England of any positive COVID-19 results. When we do so we will only provide the information required by law. We are also required to advise parents of any boy who is found to be positive for COVID-19 that they should arrange for their son to have an NHS test so that the case can be logged on to the Test and Trace system.  

Continued vigilance

Parents are asked to maintain continued vigilance, including adherence to Government guidelines on mixing households. If boys mix with others outside their household during Leave-out, there is a greater risk of infection, which could slow down testing and preclude their return to school. This is especially important for boys preparing for public exams or Oxbridge aptitude tests the week after Leave-out. 

Precautions prior to return

Boys should of course not return to school if they or any close contacts have presented with a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste. If your son is due to have a public exam or aptitude test and he or his close contacts develop symptoms at any time during Leave-out, then please contact Drs Thomas and Cullerne immediately. All boys taking aptitude tests and their parents will be contacted directly by the Careers department - the information is also available to all parents here.

Testing week provision

The special measures this term have exerted pressure on pupils and staff alike. In addition, it is clear that, if only as a precautionary measure, the school should prepare for hybrid teaching - where pupils remote and present are taught at the same time. The school therefore proposes to use parts of the week after Leave-out to provide younger pupils with further opportunity for rest and recreation and staff with the opportunity to train in new teaching techniques. Days of return remain unaltered.

Testing week timetable

There will be no remote teaching for any year group on the Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 November. V Book boys return on Tuesday and will have up-to-books lessons and extracurricular activities from Wednesday 4. Hybrid lessons will be available to remote boys as soon as live lessons begin.

Junior Part and VI Book 2 internal tests start on Friday 6, and on other days there are public exams and aptitude tests. However, for all others, there is some flexibility in the system, which will allow a return on the Friday (the “overspill” day) for any boys who have been delayed whilst returning.   

The week's timetable for all year groups can be found here.

Information explaining how to book a test and what to do on the day of a test can be found here.

As ever, if you have any questions, please contact us at covidenquiries@wincoll.ac.uk. 

With best wishes,  

Mr Nicholas Wilks, Second Master

Pre-flight testing is available at a cost of £250 per test, which includes the test itself and the pre-flight certificate. Parents are responsible for meeting any requirements for each flight and destination and for determining the appropriate time for the test. To book a test, please use this link. 

Parents are reminded that if in the pre-flight testing their son tests positive they will be responsible for organising their isolation accommodation. Unfortunately, there will be no accommodation at Winchester College over Leave-out for boys in this position.  

An important point: Flights on Mondays and Tuesdays cannot be catered for because this would involve analysing the results over the previous weekend.

We would be delighted to welcome parents to two of our PSHEE events this half of term – both talks will be available online and will include the opportunity to ask questions of our expert speakers and to give feedback after the event. To sign up, please contact Mr Steve Burke.   

Dr Saz Ahmed – The Teenage Brain: V book pupils (in person) and all parents (online), Wednesday 21 October.  

Saz Ahmed is an expert researcher who currently works as part of Cambridge’s Blakemore Lab. She looks at the adolescent brain, and in particular the ways in which the brain supports implicit and explicit emotion regulation. She is currently carrying out research into the impact of mindfulness in teenagers, and the efficacy of mindfulness teaching in schools, as part of the Wellcome Trust funded MYRIAD project. She will be discussing the teenage brain and emotions.

Karl Hopwood – e-safety for pupils in JP (Talk 1) and parents (Talk 2): before PE1, Sunday 1 November (online)  

Karl is an independent e-safety expert and a trustee of Childnet. He has over 15 years’ experience working with schools, governments and companies, including Twitter, where he sits as a member of the trust and safety council, and the EU, where he coordinates the EU’s response to making the internet safer for children. An ex-primary headteacher, he also works closely with the Boarding Schools’ Association. Karl will be talking to JP Men before Parents’ Evening and will also be running a session for parents immediately afterwards. He will be discussing what children and young people are doing online, looking at the latest research, and presenting some of the risks they face (particularly in light of COVID-19), as well as looking at solutions: how parents can help and support their children.

Tom Quayle and Belen Lopez, Head and Assistant Head of PSHEE