Face Coverings: Statement

28th August 2020Andrew Gray

As you will no doubt be aware, there has been a great deal in the media about face coverings in recent days.  Our priority at Burnside is to ensure that all staff and students are safe and that we make the risk of transmission in the school as low as possible whilst also ensuring that students experience a good quality of education.

The current government guidance states that “face coverings can have a negative impact on learning and teaching and so their use in the classroom should be avoided.”

Therefore face coverings will not be used in lessons at Burnside.  We have a wide range of other control measures in place to ensure that staff and students remain safe, please follow this link to find our full guide on this.

The government guidance also states that: “schools and colleges will have the discretion to require face coverings in communal areas where social distancing cannot be safely managed, if they believe that it is right in their particular circumstances.”

Therefore, the school will require that staff and students wear face coverings in communal areas where social distancing cannot be maintained.

Due to the control measures that have already been put in place by the school such as reduced changeovers, one way systems and staggered social times, there will be very few instances in the day where this will be the case, but the main examples are:

  • Entering or exiting buildings at changeover times
  • Using stairwells at changeover times
  • Dining areas (unless seated)

Therefore parents must ensure that they arrive at school with a clean face covering each day.  Please see this guide on how to use a face covering safely and take some time to talk through it with your child.Please note that parents and other visitors will be required to wear a face covering if visiting the school site.  If you have any further questions about this or anything else please email office@burnsidecollege.org.uk.  We look forward to welcoming all children back to school this term (please follow this link for start of term arrangements)

Parents information- school reopening

25th August 2020Andrew Gray

Welcoming students back in September

As announced in previous bulletins we aim to have a phased return for students  in September. This is so we can ensure that all students have time to settle in and adapt to new routines and this will be particularly important for our new year 7 students who have missed so much of their transition activities. We would like to remind families that the dates for return to school are as follows:

Thursday 3rd September: Y7 and Y13 students

Friday 4th September: School open to year 7,11,12 and 13 students

Monday 7th September: School open to year 10 (8:50am), 8 and 9 students (8:40am)

There will be a later start for year 7 (10:35am) and year 11 (10:15am), 12 (10:15am) and 13 (10:35am) just on this day so that we can get other year groups into school and give them time to become familiar with the new routines.

To help families work together to understand how the school day will look different we have produced a guide which can be found on the website and we hope will give you all of the information you will need. It also has important information about attendance, uniform, break times, school lunch and transport. Please can you read it carefully with your child so that students are as comfortable and confident as they can be when they return to school in September. If you need further information please contact your child’s progress leader who will be available from Tuesday 1st September and will be happy to help.

Best ever GCSE results awarded to the class of 2020

21st August 2020Andrew Gray

It’s been a year of great worry and uncertainty for all young people completing year 11 this year.  The anxiety caused in the last couple of weeks around the grading of exams was the last thing that students needed.  

We are therefore delighted that our year 11 students have been awarded the grades that they deserve, and the highest set of grades achieved by a year 11 at Burnside.

A higher proportion of students than ever will be staying on at Burnside into our outstanding sixth form in September.

If any school leavers, from Burnside or elsewhere, are still unsure of the right place to study in September, please contact office@burnsidecollege.org.uk for more information on joining our record breaking sixth form college.

Another record breaking year for Burnside’s outstanding sixth form

13th August 2020Andrew Gray

I am delighted to share with you the news of our excellent A level results.

In what has been a year of great uncertainty, and anxiety for young people due to sit exams, our students have done themselves proud and been rightly awarded outstanding results for their efforts.

As has been well reported nationally, around 40% of teacher assessed grades have been moved down by the government this year.  In spite of this, students at Burnside have once again achieved our best ever A level results.

It is fantastic to once again see how successful our students have been in securing places at universities around the country. We have students studying a range of subjects including Medicine, Veterinary Science, Law, Philosophy, Psychology, Classic Literature and Italian, Nursing and Sports Science. Many of our students are staying local attending Newcastle University, Northumbria University and Durham University. Whilst others are moving to new surroundings in Manchester, York and London. 

Burnside continues to ensure that a higher proportion of our students secure places at the top universities than the national average.

We would like to wish all of our year 13 students leaving the school this year the very best of luck in the future.

Collection of GCSE Results

12th August 2020Andrew Gray

GCSE results can be collected from school on Thursday the 20th August.

Due to social distancing requirements we are required to manage the number of people in school. We therefore ask that only those people collecting results come into the building and they attend as follows:

8.00am – 8.30am surname starting A to C
8.30am – 9.00am surname starting D to G
9.00am – 9.30am surname starting H to L
9.30am – 10.00am surname starting M to R
10.00am – 10.30am surname starting S to Z

Staff will be available should you have any questions on the day. We look forward to seeing you on the 20th of August!

A Level Results Day Information

11th August 2020Andrew Gray

Results will be available to collect from 8am on Thursday 13th August. Please enter through Main Reception and collect your results at the following locations:

Surname A-G Main Hall
Surname H-M Sports Hall
Surname N-Z Gym

Please remember the following

  • Social distancing must be maintained at all times
  • Hand sanitiser will be available as you enter the building
  • To maintain social distancing, only those students collecting results will be allowed in the school building. Parents/carers are advised to wait outside
  • Mrs Patterson and Mr Hedley will be available to support with any advice and guidance as needed
  • We will arrange individual appointments throughout the day if any student and parent wishes to discuss future pathways

Burnside TV Summer 2020

17th July 2020Andrew Gray

Here is the summer 2020 episode of Burnside TV, written and filmed by Burnside College pupils. We hope you enjoy!

School may be particularly closed but that hasn’t stopped our intrepid reports from bringing us a Burnside TV Lockdown Special. Here is their special episode for our new Year 7s in September. We ask who can we go to for help at Burnside; what rewards are available in school; a new uniform exclusive and finally what do our three core values of Pride, Achieve and Respect mean. Well done team.

Have a great summer and we’ll see you all soon for more Burnside news and exclusives!

Cashless Catering

15th July 2020Andrew Gray

Cashless Catering

From Thursday 3rd September we will be operating a fully cashless system. This will minimise contact between year groups and student bubbles (students cannot access the cash top up machines in line with current guidance). This will also improve speed of service. All parents/carers must use our e-payment method to pay for student lunches. This can be done online using a very secure website called ParentPay.

  • Parents/Carers of students starting at Burnside College in September will be sent login details to ParentPay shortly.
  • ParentPay login details will be also be re-shared with parents/carers of current students.

In addition to this we will operate an colour coded option system for lunches. This will improve efficiency of service and ensure students spend less time queuing. Our first menu will be shared towards the end of the summer.

New to ParentPay?

To create a new account, you will need to have the account activation letter/email, which will be provided shortly. You will also need to be able to access your email as your email address will become your new username and is used for the verification process.
If you have lost your activation letter or not yet received it, please contact your school.

Please note, if you have previously had a ParentPay account you should attempt to login to this account and follow the add a child process, rather than creating a new one.

  • Navigate to parentpay.com
  • Select Login at the top right corner of the screen.
  • Enter the username and password (activation codes) provided in your account activation letter/email and select Login.
  • Complete the activation as detailed on the screen.
  • You can now log in to your account.

For further info on activating your account view here.