We have been advised by Public Health that there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the school. A Year 11 student received a positive Lateral Flow Device test over the weekend.
We are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide you with advice on how to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, COVID-19 will be a mild illness.
The school is open and providing your child remains well they can continue to attend school as normal. We will keep this under review.
The school has implemented COVID protective measures and controls to reduce mixing of pupils to prevent whole bubbles being collapsed unnecessarily. In some instances only identifiable close contacts are asked to self isolate, in other situations the risk assessment may indicate the whole bubble needs to self-isolate, this approach reduces the numbers of pupils having to self-isolate at home for 10 days. We are contacting separately anyone we know who has been in contact with the Year 11 student. If you are not contacted today, then your child can come into school tomorrow morning and will have lessons as normal.
What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19
If your child develops any of the symptoms of COVID-19, they should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms started. Anyone with the symptoms is eligible for testing and should arrange for this via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.
All other household members even if well must stay at home and not leave the house for 10 days.
The 10-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 10 days will greatly reduce the amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
If your child has symptoms, try and keep them as far away from other members of your household as possible. It is especially important that they stay away from anyone who is clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable with whom you share a household
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of 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, cCOVID-19 will be a mild illness.
If your child or anyone in the household 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.
Do
- 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
In order to ensure that we test as many asymptomatic cases as possible, could we please request for those who miss their test day through absence, that they arrange a test at the school testing centre on return. This is particularly important for students who have had a family member test positive, and are returning after a period of self-isolation. Thank you all for helping us to keep the school community as safe as we can.
Further information
Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/