Bryanston continues to take guidance from Public Health England and the Boarding Schools’ Association. Taking this into account, we are now limiting access to the site to essential visitors only. If you are unsure as to whether your proposed visit is considered essential, please email the Headmaster's PA on headspa@bryanston.co.uk.

Visitors categorised as essential are nevertheless asked to refrain from visiting if:

• they have developed a fever (above 37.8C) or a new, continuous cough within the last seven days. 

• anyone in their household is required to self-isolate in accordance with Government guidelines.

Along with all members of the Bryanston community, any visitors to the School should wash their hands with soap and water before leaving home and once they arrive at Bryanston. 

The School is observing social distancing in line with Government instructions. 

All the pupils are now safely home or with friends. Our immediate priorities are now making sure that we follow the stringent government guidance, that all of our staff are safe and well, that we are preparing for next term and, lastly, playing our part in contributing fully to the national response to coronavirus. We are in contact with our MP, with Dorset County Council and with numerous other local organisations and charities about the support that volunteer staff from Bryanston might offer over the Easter period.

We are confident that we can support pupils using our eCharts, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) as well as email. Please see our Guided Learning Programme for further information.

Bryanston was one of the first schools in the UK to adopt Microsoft Teams as our VLE.  It is a powerful and flexible platform which allows our staff to upload assignments for pupils to access, mark their work, and provide quick and constructive feedback. It also has the capability of providing video lessons to groups of pupils, and all in a safe online environment controlled by teachers.  You can find out more about Teams here. 

Where possible, all our lessons next term, as well as learning support and tutorials, will be conducted via Teams.  We would expect our staff and our pupils to follow their timetables as closely as possible if the School is not open.  Work should be set, completed, submitted and marked as quickly as possible, and teachers will conduct lessons wherever possible to all pupils. 

No pupil of Bryanston will go unsupported through an enforced and prolonged closure. 

If Bryanston is closed next term, the School will operate as close to the normal timetable of lessons as possible, even if that means virtually, through Microsoft Teams. It is important that pupils attend these lessons, so please support your child in following the timings of our school day. We accept that this may be a challenge for pupils in different time zones. By following the normal timetable, your child will have a good amount of variation built into their online learning, which, as we have learnt from experiences elsewhere in the world, is important to maintain engagement and to prevent boredom while learning in physical isolation.  

We ask that pupils conduct their online learning in a reception room (not in a bedroom), that they are dressed in a business-like fashion and that they utilise the “blur my background” facility on Teams should they be in a video meeting. Other expectations include being on time for lessons, listening to the teacher and other pupils, and engaging with their learning in a mature and constructive way. 

Parental support on these matters is essential. Further guidance is available here.

The IB have announced that the summer examinations are to be cancelled. Please see ‘SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS’ above for the latest information. More details, and a comprehensive set of FAQs, were published by the IB on 27 March and are available to view here.

The Prime Minister has announced that GCSE and A level examinations will not take place this summer.  Please see 'SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS' above for the latest information.

Ofqual  

Joint Council of Qualifications  

The IB 

We expect to deliver some content through online lessons through Microsoft Teams. Guidance for online learning for both pupils and parents is available here.