The document outlines Kellett School's strategies and protocols for preparing for potential school closures and reopening amid COVID-19 outbreaks in Hong Kong. It details the phased return of students, safety measures including temperature checks, mask-wearing, and social distancing, along with plans for education continuity and wellbeing surveys for students and staff. The school emphasizes the need for agility in leadership and adapting to ongoing uncertainties while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the school community.

1. They think it's all over . . .
well it's not yet!
Preparing for Potential School Closures Due to 2nd and 3rd
Wave Covid-19 Outbreaks
Mark S. Steed, MA (Cantab.), MA, MSc,
Principal and CEO
Kellett School, The British International School in Hong Kong
Webinar: Wednesday 14th October 2020 1700HK 1600BK

2. They think it's all over . . . well it's not yet!
4. Education Continuity Planning
2. First and Second Wave: Student and Staff Wellbeing
3. Impact of having to close once reopened
1. Our Context: The Kellett Journey
5. Leading in Uncertain Times
6. Learning from Covid-19

3. Our Context:
The Kellett Journey
Kellett School, The British International School in Hong Kong

4. Hong Kong Covid-19
Coronavirus – Overview
• 7.5m Population
• One of the most densely
populated cities in the world.
• 5,133 Cases
• 105 Deaths

5. Hong Kong Covid-19
Coronavirus
• Hong Kong learned lessons from
SARS in 2003

6. Covid-19 Cases in Hong Kong (Mar 4th to Oct 6th 2020)

7. Covid-19 Cases in Hong Kong (Jan 30th to Oct 6th 2020)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105425/hong-kong-novel-coronavirus-covid19-confirmed-death-recovered-trend/
Home Learning SD no KG

8. Kellett School
Covid-19 Coronavirus
Phase One
• Last teaching was Friday 24th January
• 15 weeks of Home Schooling
• Phased Return
• 20 May
• Y5 and Y6 (am only)
• Y11 and Y12
• 25 May
• Y3 and Y4 (am only)
• Y7, Y8, Y9 and Y10
• 1 June
• Y1 and Y2 (am only)
• Reception/KG not allowed to return

9. Approaches to Re-Opening
Risk-Averse Gung-ho

10. Kellett - Return to School Protocols
Thermal Imaging
Camera in Entrance
1. Temperature Checks
• Parents have to take temperature
every morning and record in school
planner
• Temperature Check on entry to school

11. Kellett - Return to School Protocols
Technical Specification:
• HIKVISION Thermal Network Bullet Camera DS-2TD2136T Series
• Running iVMS-4200 Software
• https://www.hikvision.com/
• Cost: HK$39,800 per unit (= £4,000) - not including laptop
Captures a photograph
of anyone with a
temperature > 37.2 C

12. Kellett - Return to School Protocols
2. Travel and Health declarations, including that you have not
been in contact with someone in quarantine.
• (We're going to use Google Forms in advance of student return).
3. Masks to be worn at all times in public areas, lessons and on
buses.
• Can remove if on own in classroom or office. A limited supply of
masks will be available at school.
4. Social Distancing on School Buses and Public Transport –
• Temperature checks before getting on the bus and masks
compulsory.

13. Kellett - Return to School Protocols
5. Social Distancing in Classes
• Recommended: at least one metre.
• All students facing forwards
• We’re thinking of changing the furniture to use our stock of
examinations desks in classrooms where the current configuration
means that this is not possible.
6. Social Distancing in Meetings
• e.g. using the Lecture Theatre spaced out, rather than gathering in
common room areas.

14. Kellett - Return to School
Protocols
• Social Distancing at mealtimes –
• Our Health Department consider
this high-risk time
• students can mix;
• students can move around;
• students have to remove their
masks to eat.
• The EDB would prefer us to do
mornings only.
• We have had to demonstrate that
we can socially distance at
mealtimes.

15. Kellett - Return to School Protocols
8. Maintain regular, thorough hand-washing and sanitizing
9. Contact sports may not be appropriate.
• Some activities (Badminton etc) should be possible.

16. It is important that people feel safe.
Visible signs that the school has taken
steps to ensure the safety of the
community go a long way to help this.

17. Covid-19 Cases in Hong Kong (Jan 30th to Oct 6th 2020)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105425/hong-kong-novel-coronavirus-covid19-confirmed-death-recovered-trend/
Home Learning SD no KG Summer H-Learning

18. Kellett School
Covid-19 Coronavirus
Phase Two
• Start of Year – Home Learning
• Phased Return
• 16-22 Sept – Soft Launch
• Reception Y1; Y11/Y13 toggled
• 23-28 Sept – Phased Return Week One
• Reception, Y1, Y2 and Y3 (am only)
• Y7, Y10, Y11, Y12, Y13
• 29th Sept – Phased Return Week Two
• All Prep (am only)
• All Secondary (Core Full Day)
• 12th Oct
• KS2 All Day

19. First and Second Wave:
Student Wellbeing
Kellett School, The British International School in Hong Kong

20. Secondary wellbeing questionnaire:
Week Three – February 2020

21. Secondary wellbeing questionnaire:
Week Three – February 2020
Over 1/3 told us that we were setting too much work. This triggered the re-think.

22. Practical: reorganisation of the timetable
• Shorter lessons in the morning (50 minutes down to 40 minutes )
• PE and community activities into the afternoon
• Moved in response to pupil questionnaire from week six
Usual School Day Structure Home Schooling Day Structure

23. Secondary wellbeing questionnaire:
Week Six – March 2020

24. Secondary wellbeing questionnaire
Week Ten – April 2020
Week after
Easter Break –
also post
announcement
of the
cancellation of
public exams.

25. Secondary wellbeing questionnaire
Week Ten – April 2020

26. Secondary wellbeing questionnaire
End of Summer Holiday

27. First and Second Wave:
Staff Wellbeing
Kellett School, The British International School in Hong Kong

28. Staff wellbeing survey
1. How would you rate your current wellbeing?
2. Is there anything you are finding particularly
challenging?
3. Is there anything you think that we could do as
an employer to assist you currently?

29. Staff Wellbeing Survey
27 March 2020

30. Staff Wellbeing Survey
5 May 2020

31. Staff Wellbeing Survey
End of August

32. Educational Continuity
Planning
Kellett School, The British International School in Hong Kong

33. Education Continuity
Planning
Education Continuity
Planning

34. Education Continuity
Planning

35. Education Continuity
Planning

36. Education Continuity Planning
Home-learning only
“Screen-to-screen” teaching
Normal school
“Face-to-face” teaching
Social Distancing Measures:
“Mask-to-mask” teaching
Three modes of operation for schools
RIP Snow Ways:
Education
Continuity Plans
now vital’
Tes 28th May 2020

37. Education Continuity Planning:
Both/And rather than Either/Or
Using Swivl with Zoom to Stream Lessons

38. Education Continuity Planning:
Both/And rather than Either/Or
Single ear wireless Bluetooth Headsets

39. Education Continuity Planning
Can we offer live teaching
during term?
The general consensus in schools is
that there is binary choice:
• either we are teaching through
home learning;
• or we are teaching face-to face.
This is a false dichotomy. Going
forward, we can and must do both.

40. The impact of having to
close once reopened
Kellett School, The British International School in Hong Kong

41. It’s a marathon not a sprint
41

42. Don’t go off too fast
42

43. Settle into a sustainable pace
43

44. Take every opportunity to refresh yourself
44

45. The End is in Sight – April 2020
45

46. The Finish Line (NOT) – 20th May 2020

47. But it was a false summit

48. Leading in uncertain times
The nightmare we all face:
Reopening, Closing and Reopening has an
enormous impact on community morale:

49. Leading in uncertain times
The nightmare we face:
• Will the Christmas Carol Service take place at the end of term?
• Will the annual Year 5 trip to Beijing take place next May?
• Will there be public exams next Summer?
• Will our school trips week in October 2021 take place?
• When will we get back to normal?
• Will school be open next week?
• When we not have to wear masks?
• When will we be allowed after-school ECAs?

50. Leading in uncertain times
The nightmare we all face:
Uncertainty

51. Leading in Uncertain
Times
Kellett School, The British International School in Hong Kong

52. Leading in uncertain times
General Principles - 1
Plan for the worst
Hope for the best

53. Leading in uncertain times
General Principles - 2
You have to play what is in front of
you
Any plan beyond the short-term is
“provisional”.

54. Leading in uncertain times
General Principles - 2

55. Leading in uncertain times
General Principles - 3
Wellbeing should be the priority
Quality Assurance
Formal Assessment
Accountability etc. should wait

56. Secondary wellbeing questionnaire
Term One Week Seven – October 2020

57. Learning from Covid-19
Kellett School, The British International School in Hong Kong

58. Leading in uncertain times
Revisiting Allocation of Scarce Resources
Staffing
Space
Cash
Time

59. Leading in uncertain times
Time: More Meetings Online

60. Practical:
reorganisatio
n of the
timetable
• Shorter lessons in the morning (50 minutes down to 40 minutes )
• PE and community activities into the afternoon
• Moved in response to pupil questionnaire from week six
Usual School Day Structure Home Schooling Day Structure
Time: The School Day

61. Leading in uncertain times
School Space Audit

62. Leading in uncertain times
Staffing Audit
Roles that can be
done by
administrators
Roles that need
to be done by
Teachers

63. Leading in uncertain times
Cash: Revisiting Budgets
Are
1. the Financial Costs of Flights and Accommodation,
2. the Social Costs of time of being out of school for up to a week,
3. the Physical Costs of wear and tear on individual school leaders,
and
4. the knock-on Opportunity Costs of how we could spend the
recruitment budget and time differently,
worth the difference between upskilling to use
Video-Conferencing to conduct interviews or for CPD?

64. Leading in uncertain times
Conclusion:
The greatest quality in school
leadership at the moment is
AGILITY

65. Mark S. Steed MA (Cambridge), MA (Nottingham), MSc (Ashridge-Hult Business School)
Principal and CEO of Kellett School, Hong Kong
Email: mss@kellettschool.com
Twitter: @independenthead
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/independenthead
Blog: independenthead.blogspot.com
SlideShare: slideshare.net/independenthead
YouTube: Search for independenthead
Kellett School:
The British International School in Hong Kong