Winchester Weekly

Dear Parents,

As before, we will be conducting mass screening of pupils for COVID-19 at Kingsgate Park (the site of our Sports Centre) before they return to the boarding houses in January 2021. This will once again require a staggered return over a week (11 – 17 January 2021). We are treating VI Book 1 and V Book as priorities because of their mock examinations, which will take place within the first two weeks of term. Middle Part also have internal examinations next term, so they too will be prioritised in the staggering so that their face-to-face teaching can commence at the earliest opportunity.

Further information on the screening process and timings for each year group

In the previous mass screening programme during November 2020, we encouraged siblings to return on their designated days, but allowed some siblings to return with their elder brothers. The schedule this coming January is particularly tight, so we would like to reduce instances of this to a minimum. If you have no choice but to return your sons from different year groups on the same day, please contact Dr Cullerne in the first instance, so that he can try to build this into the planning.  

We are aware that international parents may have booked flights prior to the release of these details of the staggered return. We would encourage any parent whose son must return on a day that is not designated for their year group to explore guardian arrangements (particularly for those with sons in the younger years). We believe that this would be preferable from a pastoral perspective than returning to the boarding house without their friends. If you are unable to organise guardian arrangements, please contact Dr Cullerne. 

The government’s Test to Release scheme is due to start on 15 December 2020. Under the scheme you can choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test. The earliest you can take the test is at least 5 days after you left a destination not on the travel corridor list. If the result is negative, you can stop self-isolating. Details of this scheme can be found here. For Winchester College pupils the Test to Release scheme can release them from UK quarantine requirements, but boys will still need to be tested by the school’s systems before entry into the school bubble.  

As we head towards Christmas, I would urge all parents to continue to take all their usual precautions and to adhere to government guidelines on mixing households. If boys do not follow the guidance and mix with others outside of their household, especially in the last week before returning to school, then there is a possibility that their test will show as a false negative, putting both your son and others at risk on their return.  

To that end, please note this reminder that boys should not return to school if they or any close contacts have had, over the previous 10 days, a positive test result for COVID-19, or any of the following symptoms:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough
• a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste  

Further guidance on how to book a test will be communicated in next week’s newsletter.

With best wishes,

Mr Nicholas Wilks, Second Master

This Sunday 6 December will be the turn of JP, VI Book 1 and VI Book 2.

Please could all JP, VI Book 1 and VI Book 2 parents indicate whether they plan to see their son this weekend by completing and returning this form by Thursday evening.

Last Thursday, Jiaqi, a pupil from VI Book 1 (Phil's) performed a particularly evocative version of Debussy's La Cathedrale Engloutie (The Submerged Cathedral). Please view Jiaqi's performance in full below.