COVID-19

The school is now open to all pupils and from 1 September, attendance has been mandatory.  Measures have been implemented in order to limit the possibility of any infection spreading between groups and full information has been sent to parents and carers. These include minimising contacts between individuals, robust hand and respiratory hygiene and enhance cleaning arrangements.

However, if one of our pupils or members of staff does develop symptoms of COVID-19, we will follow the following process, taken from DfE advice to schools:

• Any child or adult exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 must not come to the school. If in doubt, please stay away so that we can protect our school community from infection as much as possible. Please email the school to alert us if your child, or someone in your family develops symptoms.
   
• If anyone in the school becomes unwell with a new or persistent cough, or a high temperature, or has a loss of, or change in their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia), they will be sent home and advised to follow the government document  'Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus infection', which sets out that they should self-isolate for at least 10 days and should arrange to have a test to see if they have coronavirus. Their fellow household members should also self-isolate, but for 14 days  from when the symptomatic person first had symptoms.. Please email the school to alert us immediately of your child’s test results, or if your child needs to isolate.
   
• If a child or staff member tests positive, the school will contact the local health protection team who will carry out a rapid assessment and provide definitive advice about who needs to self-isolate for 14 days. Other household members of that class/group do not need to self-isolate unless the child or staff member they live with subsequently develops symptoms or tests positive.

• If someone tests negative, if they feel well and no longer have symptoms similar to coronavirus (COVID-19), they can stop self-isolating. They could still have another virus, such as a cold or flu – in which case it is still best to avoid contact with other people until they are better. Other members of their household can stop self-isolating.

• If someone tests positive, they should follow the guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and must continue to self-isolate for at least 10 days from the onset of their symptoms and then return to school only if they do not have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell/taste. This is because a cough or anosmia can last for several weeks once the infection has gone. The 10-day period starts from the day when they first became ill. If they still have a high temperature, they should keep self-isolating until their temperature returns to normal. Other members of their household should continue self-isolating for the full 14 days.