30th September 2021

Dear Parent/Carer

Update on control measures

I am writing to let you know there have been confirmed cases of Covid-19 within the school community.  

Schools are no longer asked to identify the close contacts of cases of Covid – this is done by the national Test and Trace system. Test and Trace may be in touch with you in the coming days if they identify your child as a close contact, but as a school we do not pass personal contact details on to the cases to share with Test and Trace.

Children who are identified as close contacts of someone with Covid-19 are no longer required to isolate, but they are advised to get a PCR test.  They do not need to isolate while they wait for the result unless they have symptoms.

The 3 main Covid symptoms remain:

  • a temperature of 37.8 degrees or higher.
    • a new continuous cough.
    • a change to or loss of taste and smell.

Your child should continue to attend school unless they develop symptoms of Covid-19 or are unwell. If they do develop symptoms, please keep your child at home and book a PCR test for them.

Our priority is to deliver face-to-face, high-quality education to our students, while maintaining proportionate control measures.     

We are following DfE and Public Health guidance and continue to:

  • Strongly encourage all staff and students to complete twice weekly LFD tests. 
  • Maximise ventilation of classrooms
  • Carry out additional cleaning, with a focus on frequently touched surfaces
  • Use fogging machines to clean communal areas and classrooms on a rota basis  
  • Carry out activities such as PE outside, as much as possible
  • Encourage hand and respiratory hygiene amongst staff and pupils.
  • Advise visitors to stay away if they have any symptoms. 

In light of the recent cases, we are stepping up our measures for a two-week period in the first instance.  The enhanced measures we will put in place from Friday 1st October 2021 are:

  • Students will remain in their year group at break times
  • Students will remain in their year group at lunch times
  • Face coverings will be required rather than expected and recommended on buses to and from the Academy, unless exemptions apply
  • Face coverings will be required in communal areas, unless exemptions apply. 
  • Each student has been given two academy face coverings today

We will operate these enhanced arrangements for a two-week period, subject to regular review, until Friday 15th October 2021.   We will write to you before this date with an update on our plans.

Your child should continue to attend school unless they develop symptoms of Covid-19 or are unwell. If they do develop symptoms, please keep your child at home and book a PCR test for them.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Yours sincerely

Mrs H Thornton

Principal