Dear Parent / Carer

Following guidance from the government, the college is making plans for all learners to return to further education in special education settings in September 2020 so that they can start or resume their education.

We will keep the governments guidance under review as we continue to monitor the situation over the summer and we will adjust and adapt our approach as necessary, building on the protective measures we already have in place in college to make sure the college is COVID-secure.

We have carried out risk assessments on all the students expected to attend college in September in line with health and safety legislation and guidance on implementing protective measures, which includes information on managing the number of learners in attendance at any one time and how much they mix with other learners.

Please see the college’s Secure Management and Risk Assessment details which will inform you of the measures we have taken to ensure that all students and staff are safe whilst on college premises.

www.wsucbpt.co.uk

Parents and carers will be receiving letters informing you of when your child will be expected to return to college in September 2020.  We have planned a phased return over three weeks to ensure all students have sufficient time to settle into college.  We will be carrying out induction activities and will deliver a Recovery Curriculum during these three weeks before moving on to the full curriculum.

On the 15^th June 2020 we re-opened the college to students who we felt were safe to attend college.  This has been very successful, those students who attended enjoyed meeting their peers and college staff and took part in some fabulous social projects such as painting the wooden benches in the college garden, preparing a plot of land for a new shed to be installed, general maintenance of an outdoor area by the entrance to Wilson Stuart School and making Bird Boxes.

I would like to thank all the staff in college that have worked extremely hard during these difficult times to ensure that whilst we were in lock down our students and parents/ carers received regular calls from our Safe and Well team.  Our Home Learning Team ensured that students received regular work to do at home and teachers participated in virtual Group Tutorials, giving face to face support to our students and their families.

Teachers, teaching assistants and all the support staff in college have all been instrumental in ensuring that the college continued to function and came up with some inspiring ways of keeping in touch, this has been so well received by our students, parents and carers.

Finally, to those students who have left the college to transition into employment, volunteering roles or social destinations the staff at the college would like to congratulate you and wish you the very best for the future.  Please come and visit us, we will keep in touch to make sure you continue to thrive on your journey into adult life.  Unfortunately we are not able to celebrate your successes and the good times you have had whilst being a student at the Hive.  Rest assured that as soon as we can meet socially and safely we will be contacting you to arrange an Awards Evening.

Have a good summer and please stay safe

Best wished

Kim

College Principal.

This week is the which is hosted by the Mental Health Foundation.  The theme this year is kindness.
During theses socialising distancing times where people are feeling isolated, anxious and alone it couldn’t be a better choice.
To offer out acts of kindness and to receive kindness can and will have a massive impact on our daily lives.  So everyone is encouraged to commit one act of kindness a day and make a difference to someone’s life.
Kindness can benefit us in so many ways. These include:

• Reducing stress
• Increase sense of worth
• Increases emotional resilience
• Improves immunity system
• A more optimistic and happier outlook on life
• A sense of exhilaration and euphoria
• An increase in energy
• A feeling of  being healthy,
• Decreased feeling of loneliness, depression and helplessness

The following link has guides and ways you can support this week.  It is a typing area where it states sleep is the theme.  Let us be kind to them though!https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you and your families continue to remain well. The Easter holiday did not provide the usual opportunities for us all to find rest and relaxation, but I hope you are all bearing up in these very difficult times.

Many of our college staff worked over the holidays to continue to provide support to students and families. I hope this has helped you. We will continue to do everything we can to help. Please contact us if there is anything you feel we can support you with.

I am really hopeful that we will see the end in sight regarding coronavirus over the next few weeks and we can get back to normal when it is safe for us all to do so. We will keep in touch regarding any developments.

Keep safe and kind regards,

Kim Everton

Strive enjoyed a day full of ‘German Market’ related activities. We had fun making mulled apple juice, chocolate fruit kababs and mince pies along with making our own music on auto rap and a lovely aromatherapy session and sensory time.

Thank you so much to the parents and students of The Hive College for supporting the YMCA Sutton Coldfield with their Young Carers Shoebox appeal.

I was so proud to take along all the lovely donations you bought into college and I know that the people that receive them, who may be finding things tough at the moment, will have some joy on Christmas Day