We now hope that remote learning will only be needed for small numbers who may have to self-isolate due to COVID. If your child is absent from school, but well enough to work they will be provided with work. Let us know.

Two key areas:

We encourage everyone to participate in twice weekly LFD home testing following national guidelines. This is our main line of protection for our school community however I know many of our learners will not tolerate the testing process. Please can I ask you, where this applies, that you continue to carry out twice weekly lateral flow testing of the wider family in the home. By doing this it will indirectly support our school testing process. Test kits are available from school and / or local pharmacists.

Secondly, please do not send your child in to school if they are unwell - please wait until they are well before they return. This will help us to keep our pupils and school work force as well as possible; we really do want to reduce the impact of illness on our school as much as we practically can.

As a school we will:

• Continue to review and, where necessary, update risk assessments to support individual pupils and staff circumstances.
• Making sure the system of controls are followed to reduce the risk to the lowest reasonably practicable level, including engaging, where appropriate, a testing programme.
• Have a contingency plan in place for any local outbreaks or changes in restrictions.
• Communicating any changes in processes with parents, carers and staff.

To provide reassurance, I thought I would outline the approach we are taking:

• Minimise contact with individuals who are required to self-isolate by ensuring they do not attend the setting.
• Although face coverings are not mandatory, they will be used in recommended circumstances for example communal areas.
• Ensure everyone is advised to clean their hands thoroughly and more often than usual.
• Ensure good respiratory hygiene for everyone by continuing to promote the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach.
• Maintain enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, using standard products such as detergents.
• Continuing to review and minimise where appropriate contact across the site and maintain social distancing wherever possible.
• Keep occupied spaces well ventilated and deploy carbon dioxide monitors.

If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19 at any time, however mild, please isolate as a household and book a test for the person with symptoms (even if they have already taken a test). Symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• A new, continuous cough, and/or
• A temperature, and/or
• A loss of, or change to, sense of test and/or smell.

You can book a test through  https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.   

Thank you for your co-operation; together we can keep our school community as healthy as we can.