Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope you are all continuing to keep safe and well. Further to my letter last week, I am writing with a positive update re-Coronavirus. I am pleased to update that we have had no new cases reported in school since Monday September 21st. The school remains fully open on a full-time basis for all students and providing your child remains well, they should continue to attend school as normal.
I would also like to take this opportunity to share some general information on testing on behalf of Public Health England. In order to ensure that the right people have access to get tested at the right time, Public Health England ask that you follow these principles:
- You should only book a test if your child has any of these 3 coronavirus symptoms:
- a high temperature: any new high temperature where your child feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature).
- a new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours.
- a loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal.
- Your child does not need a test if they have a runny nose, are sneezing or feeling unwell but do not have a temperature, cough or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste because these are not normally symptoms of coronavirus.
- If you are unsure about whether to get a test, please check the official list of symptoms on the NHS website, which is reviewed regularly.
- Only the person with symptoms should get a test. You do not need to get a test for anyone else in the household unless they also have any of the 3 symptoms listed above. All members of the household need to self-isolate whilst waiting for the test result.
- If the person with symptoms’ test comes back positive, other members of their household should continue self-isolating for 14 days and only get a test if they develop coronavirus symptoms.
- Contacts of a person who has tested positive must follow the guidance carefully and in full, which means they must stay at home for 14 days. This is because it can take several days following contact with an infected person before an individual develops symptoms or the virus can be detected. Students should only book a test if they get symptoms. The NHS has produced some guidance to help parents understand when their child can and cannot attend schoolwhich you may find useful.
If you have any further questions for me regarding this letter, please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] .
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Wakefield
Principal