5 January 2022
We are looking forward to welcoming back all students to school on Thursday 6th January.
New guidelines
Please support us in keeping our school community safe by following all the new isolation rules. If your child has been a close contact of a positive case, we request that your child undertakes a lateral flow test each day before coming to school. If the lateral flow test is negative, then your child can continue to come to school as long as they are well.
If any of your lateral flow tests are positive, please isolate and book a PCR test.
Should the PCR yield a positive result, we would ask that you isolate and follow national “Stay at Home” guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
For information regarding access to lateral flow tests see: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/regular-rapid-coronavirus-tests-if-you-do-not-have-symptoms
If your child has any covid symptoms, please arrange a PCR (not a rapid or lateral flow test), as they will be unable to come to school until they have received a negative PCR or have completed the isolation period.
If your child has had a positive test result, they must isolate from the day symptoms started (or the day of test if they have no symptoms) and for the next 7 full days (minimum).
Children can then take a lateral flow test on day 6 and day 7 (at least 24 hours apart): if both lateral flow tests are negative and your child is well and does not have a fever, they may return to school on day 7. Please contact school to inform us your child will be returning.
If either of the day 6 or 7 lateral flow tests are positive, your child must continue to isolate until they have received two negative lateral flow tests, 24 hours apart, or until the end of day 10.
Updated guidance on the use of face coverings in education settings
From Sunday 2 January, it is recommended that face coverings are worn in classrooms where pupils in year 7 and above are educated. The advice is short term only, to support pupils and teachers as they return to school this term and builds on the existing proportionate guidance that recommends face coverings for all adults in communal areas of all settings. We are updating our guidance to reflect this. The advice on face coverings in classrooms will be in place until at least Wednesday 26th January.
Staff absence
You are likely to have seen in the media that staff illness and absence as a result of covid is likely to be higher than usual. As always, we will endeavour to provide the very best education we can for your child, however, realistically, staff absence could mean that your child is taught by a different person or in a different way.
Attendance
Unless your child has tested positive for covid or otherwise ill, they should be in school every day on time. The impact of poor attendance on academic progress and achievement will be greatly hindered when there is poor attendance and/or punctuality. Attendance review letters and meetings will be conducted this term where required, in line with our attendance policy. We thank you in advance for your continued support in ensuring your child attends school on time every day
Thank you for your ongoing support. Working together, we can keep our school as safe as possible whilst minimising the impact on your child’s wellbeing and education.
Kind regards
Dr J Coughlan
Principal