Happy New Year!

As you will be aware, in the last couple of weeks there has been a significant rise in Covid cases both nationally and locally. This is already impacting on staffing in our school. 

The information below will hopefully help to guide us all through the coming weeks. 

Testing and isolation

If your child is a close contact of someone (including someone in the same household) who has tested positive for Covid, they do not need to isolate. They must however, do a lateral flow test every day for 7 days and get a PCR tests if any of those tests are positive. The isolation period has now been reduced to 7 days, as long as you get a negative lateral flow test result on both day 6 and day 7 of isolation. So in this case your child can return to school on day 8. If the results are still positive then they must complete the full 10 day isolation period. 

Staff absences

As with all businesses and organisations, the absence of staff is a major concern at the moment. If a teacher is absent due to Covid then we will:

- Where possible use Class Teaching Assistants to cover classes with guidance and planning provided by the teacher (or parallel class teacher).

- Although supply staff are currently very limited, we will continue to use these where necessary.

- If no staff are available to teach a class, we will follow the local authority and government guidance which may include combining classes for a short period of time (using the school hall). 

- As a last resort, we may need to instruct year groups to stay at home and will provide remote learning for a short period of time. 

We will do everything we possibly can to ensure children remain in school.

Pupil absences

- If your child tests positive for Covid, they will be required to isolate and remote learning will be provided through Class Dojo/ Class webpage. 

Safety measures in school 

- Staff are already wearing masks in communal areas around school and will continue to do so. 

- Due to the sheer volume of parents on the playground at any one time, please can we ask that you wear masks on school ground (unless exempt). 

- Children will wash their hands regularly.

- We will continue to have enhanced cleaning in and around school.

- We will continue to keep the children in year group bubbles.

- Any essential visitors will be asked to do a lateral flow test before entering the building and will wear a face mask. 

- In order to minimise the number of people coming into the school building, meetings will be held virtually wherever possible. 

As you can appreciate, this is an evolving situation so please expect regular updates.
As always, we will do everything we can to keep you well informed and to keep your children in school. 

We look forward to welcoming the children back to school on Wednesday. 

Thank you for your ongoing support.