Maths Study Tour - Important Update, Response Required

11 February 2022

Image of Maths Study Tour - Important Update, Response Required

Dear Parents/Carers,

Thank you for your patience as we continue to adapt to the changing landscape regarding vaccinations and travel to France.

We are exploring all possibilities available to us to allow all students signed up to the Paris Maths trip a safe option to travel. However, whilst there are various options available to the travelling public to gain access into France, we must stress that not all are acceptable to a school with a travelling party of 70. The school must manage the welfare and expectations being placed on staff whilst travelling with students overseas.

We wrote last week to advise all students must be vaccinated to travel with us to Paris in June 2022. This would be our preferred choice. Since then however, there has been further clarification.

Please note that all travelling - including fully vaccinated individuals - are currently required to have a negative PCR or antigen (either 24 or 48 hours) before departure in order to be allowed travel. This cost will be in addition to the trip costs. At present we only have an estimate of the cost of the PCR or antigen, and that it will be in the region of £20-£30 per person. Should the PCR or antigen prove positive, and as a result your child cannot travel, you are covered as part of the trip insurance policy. Of course, as time goes by, this entry requirement may change.

Whilst it is possible for unvaccinated children to travel to France with fully vaccinated adults, we are unable to consider this as an option on a school trip as it would require daily testing in France in order to access the Health Pass (required for when visiting restaurants, museums, sights etc.). Organising daily testing for a large number of students would be unmanageable.

Therefore our options are:

1. Vaccination, on condition that people have completed a full course of vaccination and left the necessary period of time after the final injection, i.e.

  • 28 days after the injection for single-dose vaccines (Johnson & Johnson)
  • 7 days after the second injection for double-dose vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca)

 

2. A positive RT-PCR or antigen test result showing recovery from COVID-19, dated at least 11 days old and less than 6 months old.

Positive RT-PCR or antigen tests more than 11 days old and less than 6 months old (taken to date) indicate the presence of natural immunity following COVID-19 infection, and a limited risk of re-infection because the infection took place during the previous 6 months

This second option is available for those who have had COVID-19 recently and who therefore do not have time to be vaccinated.

However, there remain considerations:

  • Firstly, there is a risk that the French government change the rules and vaccinations become compulsory before June.
  • Secondly, proof of COVID-19 recovery will be required – and our understanding is that this must be through a reported PCR test or antigen test on the NHS app. Self-diagnosis through unreported lateral flows is not sufficient.

If you are relying on a COVID-19 recovery pass and are subsequently unable to travel, then this is a risk you must undertake, and potentially lose out on any significant refund.

 

3. Decide as a family to opt out of the trip at this time

Due to your child not having a double vaccination for whatever reason, alongside the risk involved with an ever changing landscape for vaccinations and travel to France, it would be sensible to withdraw now from the trip rather than later. The school would look to find a replacement for your child and thereafter reimburse the deposit you paid. Please be aware, that whilst we will do all we can to find a replacement, we may not be successful and you may lose the deposit.

The requirements of international travel are changing all the time and we cannot guarantee that they will remain as they are now, especially as the trip is not due to take place until June.

At this point it is essential we hear back from everyone on the trip by emailing:  s.durkin@bishopchalloner.bham.sch.uk

Please do this by Wednesday 16th February with the name of your child and one of the following options.

  1. Fully vaccinated, or will be by the time the trip takes place – incl. time after second vaccination.

 

  1. Reliant on COVID-19 recovery pass but aware that should the rules change may not be able to travel and may incur significant cost if we cannot replace your child on the trip.

 

  1. Would like to withdraw from the trip now and we will hopefully be able to fill your place from our reserve list and therefore receive a refund for what has been paid so far.

I look forward to hearing from you in relation to selecting one of the above options and I will be in touch in due course about further trip information.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Yours sincerely

 

Mr E O’Connor

Vice Principal

Educational Visit Coordinator