Welcome

Assalamualaykum

I pray you are all in the best of health and Imaan.

I would like to thank you for supporting your daughters to be able to do their online learning and working on their learning packs.

Whilst some schools have only given work packs, at our school we have set up online lessons for most of our lessons.

We have observed that the online platform as well as the materials provided have been helpful in enabling your daughters to continue with their learning in some form at home.

Further independent learning may be done through BBC Bitesize and Twinkl to help your daughters to understand the topics better.

All pupils are expected to log in to their lessons as per the school timetable and registers are taken for every lesson. If your daughter is having difficulties logging in please assist her and please ensure you daughter is on time.

Please ensure your daughters do all set work as this will be checked and for Year 11 this may also be taken into consideration when submitting their estimated grades for their GCSEs.

Please may I emphasise your daughters are expected to behave on the online meetings and chats by ensuring that they do not make unnecessary comments and also distract the lesson.  The behaviour is monitored every lesson and any pupil that does not cooperate will not be allowed to join the lesson in order for others to be able to get on with their learning.  This would mean that they would lose out on important teaching and learning that takes place.

Safeguarding and well-being is at the core of everything we do and staff are available for pupils if they have any worries and safeguarding issues. Mentoring will also take place as per school timetable.

If you have any worries or wellbeing concerns or require any help please contact Mrs Zenab Hussain or Mrs Nafeesa Ashiq via the school email admin@bigs.bham.sch.uk.

Thank you again for your continued cooperation. Jazakumullahu khairan.

May Allah SWT keep everyone safe, make it easy for us, give us patience and help us and our families to get closer to Him.

Please remember all of us and the rest of the people in world in your duas.

Yours sincerely

Rehana Mogra

Headteacher

19/03/2020

Assalamu Alaykum,

According to the guidelines by the government in response to the current epidemic, school will be closed to pupils as of Friday 20th March until further notice.

If you are a key worker and your child needs to continue at school, you need to contact school by Friday 20th of March, 10:00am to inform us.

As informed earlier the pupils have been given learning packs for some subjects whilst others have been uploaded onto Microsoft 365. All pupils are expected to follow their subject timetable and log into their lessons at the allocated times. This will be monitored and any pupils not adhering to this will be followed up.

Instructions how to use Microsoft 365 are attached and if you have any queries please contact the relevant subject staff via Microsoft 365.

The GCSE exams will NOT take place as timetabled and we will update you once there are any further guidelines. All Year 11 pupils will also be expected to complete the set work. Please check the school website on www.bigs.bham.sch.co.uk and your daughter’s Microsoft 365 as all updates/announcements will be updated regularly.

In this difficult time please continue to do much istighfaar and duas. May Allah SWT protect us all, Ameen.

17/03/2020

Assalamu Alaykum,

As you will be aware through news coverage the Government is frequently updating their response to the global issue of Coronavirus. We are monitoring the situation daily and following all nationally recommended advice to protect students and staff. Please assist us by following government advice in terms of isolating where symptoms of a new persistent cough or high temperature are present. Pupil absence should be reported to school each day by 8.35am.
In the event of school closure, a programme of work would be set to support your daughter’s learning. Some work packs have been given to your daughters and the work would be set electronically through the Microsoft 365 meetup link on their school email. Please ensure that your daughter is following the school timetable, attends the online meetup live lessons and completes set work, this will be monitored by staff. Staff will be present in the online  meetings. All login details have been given to all pupils.
There are several websites that are also providing free online access to learning for certain subjects.
Important updates will be communicated via the school website on www.bigs.bham.sch.uk, and parental announcements will be made and on your daughter’s Microsoft 365 area. It is essential that the school has your up to date contact details and that you check the school website regularly and parental announcements on your daughters Microsoft 365. Some communication may be done via mobile messages.
Thank you for your ongoing support during this difficult time.
May Allah SWT protect us all, Ameen.

17/03/2020

Assalamu Alaykum,

The following is the latest DFE guidance in relation to Coronavirus.

 Staff, young people and children should stay at home if they are unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature to avoid spreading infection to others. Otherwise they should attend education or work as normal.

 The new guidance is that individuals will still be asked to self-isolate for 7 days from the onset of COVID-19 symptoms but any individuals in the household will now be asked to self-isolate for 14 days from that moment as well in order to reduce the risk of passing the virus onto others.

 If staff, young people or children become unwell on site with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature they should be sent home

 Clean and disinfect regularly touched objects and surfaces more often than usual using your standard cleaning products

 Supervise young children to ensure they wash their hands for 20 seconds more often than usual with soap and water or hand sanitiser and catch coughs and sneezes in tissues

While school remains open, teachers are preparing work in case school has to close. They will be given work packs in addition they will have to access some learning on the schools online learning platform Office 365.

School closure is inevitable therefore during school closure please make arrangements for your daughter to access the internet for their school day in order for them to access Office 365 online, where the school will set up learning material and chats to liaise with the teachers according to their timetabled lessons. Lessons will be taught through the class meet up facility online. Pupils have all been given emails and login details to be able to access this.

May Allah SWT keep us safe and our loved ones in this difficult time, we need to do as much Istighfar often during this time, as Allah SWT favours the repenting one, and Allah knows best.

13/03/2020

Assalamu  Alaykum,
You are likely aware of the outbreak of Coronavirus and the subsequent confirmed cases in the UK. At Birchfield Independent Girls School, we take the health and safety of our students and staff very seriously and are following advice from Public Health England (PHE) West Midlands on managing the outbreak. We have also taken the following steps:
 Reviewed and increased the cleaning pattern throughout the school
 Students have been given lessons on appropriate hygiene and hand washing
 Pupils are spaced out with sufficient gaps in assemblies
 Desks in all classrooms have been spaced out so that pupils are sitting individually
 Classrooms are kept ventilated.
 Visitors are required to wash their hands in the bathroom by the office
 Public Health signage and posters are displayed around the school
 Daily updates from Public Health, Department of Education and the Local Authority
There is currently no cause for concern at the school, but we will keep you informed about any developments and ensure we are keeping the school clean to prevent the spread of any virus. Additionally, you can help to prevent the spread of infection by making sure you and your children follow these general principles to prevent spreading any respiratory virus:
 Wash your hands often – with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or an alcohol based sanitiser if soap and water are not available
 Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
 Avoid close contact with people who are sick
 If you feel unwell, stay at home and do not attend work or school
 Cover your cough or sneeze into a tissue, then throw the tissue in a bin
 Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in the home
If you are worried about your symptoms, please call NHS 111. Thank you for your continued support.

Inspection Reports

For our latest Ofsted inspection report, please click the following link: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/27/103591

Announcement

Admission Information

Admission forms can now be filled out online and emailed to admin@bigs.bham.sch.uk
Click the link to download: Pupil Admission Form

Note that if you are waiting to hear from us, we are still processing applications and will get back to you shortly.

Student Instructions for Microsoft TeamsDownload

Please click the above link to understand how students will be studying during the Covid-19 crisis through online lessons. Students and parents should read through the instructions carefully before lessons start on Monday 23rd March 2020.

Contact for Support during Covid-19 crisis

Any parents who have concerns regarding health issues, well-being, exams, safeguarding, or need extra support during this difficult time can contact Ms Nafeesa on nafeesa.ashiq@bigs.bham.sch.uk

External Exam Candidates

We are a certified Examination Centre and accept external candidates.
Please contact our Examinations Officer on nafeesa.ashiq@bigs.bham.sch.uk for further information.