Confirmed Case Covid - Public Health England Guidance
7th September 2020
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you all for your swift and supportive actions this morning. I have always said that we will do everything in our power to make sure your children and yourselves are safe. I know the decision to ask you to keep your child at home until we have had advice from Public Health Team was frustrating as you were on your way to work but I felt it was the best decision as it stopped parents getting to work and then being asked to return to school and it also made sure that everyone was safe.
We have been advised by Public Health England that there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the school.
Year 1 children in 1AH & 1SJ and all children in Year 2 have not had direct contact with the child who has Covid 19. This is because each classroom operates as a bubble and children do not go into the other classrooms within year 1 or year 2. The public Health advice is that they return to school tomorrow and parents and staff remain alert following the Covid 19 guidelines.
The guidelines of direct contact / proximity contact are:
1.1 Direct contact: Face to face contact with a case for any length of time, including being coughed on, a face to face conversation, unprotected physical contact (skin to skin) or travel in a small vehicle with a case. This includes exposure within 1 metre for 1 minute or longer.
1.2 Proximity contact: Extended close contact (between 1 and 2 metres for more than 15 minutes) with a case.
We have followed the national guidance and have identified that the children and staff in 1KF could have had either direct face to face contact or close proximity contact. To be sure that the virus is not spread the Public Health team have told us that staff and children need to isolate until Monday 21st September. Siblings of children within 1KF can continue to come to school. We will continue to educate this class as we did whilst in lockdown using Microsoft teams. Any child being taught on line will have an attendance mark because they may be absent from school but they are being taught by a member of staff.
We are asking you to do this to reduce the further spread of COVID 19 to others in the community.
If your child is well at the end of the 14 days period of self-isolation, then they can return to usual activities. A negative test does not mean that your child can return to school earlier than 14 days.
Other members of your household can continue normal activities provided your child does not develop symptoms within the 14 day self-isolation period.
Please see the link to the PHE Staying at Home Guidance
What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19
If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared as advised in https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
You should arrange for testing for your child via https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested or 111.nhs.uk or primary care
All other household members who remain well must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days.
The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.
Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home.
Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
If you are able to, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period
Symptoms of COVID 19
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:
- new continuous cough and/or
- high temperature and/or
- a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/or by phoning 111.
How to stop COVID-19 spreading
There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19
- wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
- use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- wash your hands as soon as you get home
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
- put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
Further Information
Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Our cleaning company have assured us that school continues to be a safe space. They use a protective spray that stays active for 30 days. (A video or link to a video will be put on our website so that you can see its impact.) Virus or bacteria that fall on sprayed surfaces are killed immediately.
It will not surprise you to know that as usual we have had our usual barrage of abusive comments on Facebook that certain individuals feel is acceptable to direct towards school. Can I remind these few individuals that it is not helpful and not needed? If we are to continue the fight against Covid 19 we need to stand together and protect all our community and that is at the forefront of all decision making within school. I do not make decisions to intentionally annoy the parents, I have a duty of care to my staff and to your children. Please respect the fact that organisation and safety take time, I work as efficiently as I can and would like your support at this time.
Yours sincerely,
Sarah Rudd
Executive Head Teacher
We are very social...