Covid Update 15.09.20

15th September 2020

COVID-19 UPDATE 15.09.20

Dear parents and carers,

We had a lovely, first, full week back last week, lots of fun learning going on and only the odd hiccup which has now been sorted. It’s great to see less morning congestion, just a quick reminder though to turn up within a minute or 2 of your drop off/pick up time, no need to be waiting around at the gate or getting there early to get a parking space as there are plenty. Also, could you please make sure that if your child is walking to school on their own, that they arrive at their designated time, not 10-15 minutes before as they then have to wait outside the gates.

I wanted to remind you of what to do if your child develops symptoms, your role, our role, your child’s role and the latest Public Health England and government advice which we are following closely:

What are the symptoms? – As children return to school, we are going to see the usual sniffles, sore throats, slight temperature that we would normally see at this time of year. You know your own child and know if they are different to what would be usual for them. If you notice anything unusual such as a high temperature (hot to touch on chest, back and neck), a new and continuous dry cough or a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia) then DO NOT send them to school, follow the procedure below:

If your child develops symptoms at home - Ring 119 or go to www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test  to request a test. Inform school that a test has been requested. Self isolate along with the rest of the household until the test results come back.

If your child develops symptoms at school they will be taken from the classroom to the isolation room (head’s office) and their parents/carer will be called (please ensure we have the up to date details for you). A member of staff from their bubble will stay with them at a distance and wearing PPE until the parent/carer arrives. Once home, a test should be ordered immediately by ringing 119 or visiting www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test  They should self isolate along with the rest of the household until the test results come back.

If the test result comes back negative, please inform school. The child should return to school when they are feeling well again.

If the test result comes back positive, inform the school. Engage in NHS test and trace so that all those who have come into contact with them can be informed. School will also contact all those in the bubble and the bubble will be closed down for the isolation period. If the bubble is closed then we will revert to online learning through SeeSaw learning platform. Self isolate for 10 days from when the symptoms began, all other family members should isolate for 14 days. Please see attached guidance for further information on isolation periods.

If a staff member develops symptoms, the staff member will order a test and self isolate until the test result comes back. If it is a teacher then the teaching assistant assigned to the bubble will temporarily lead the bubble and deliver the planning under the direction of the class teacher. If the result is negative, the teacher will return to work when feeling better. If the test result comes back positive, then they will engage in test and trace and everyone who has been in contact with them will be contacted and asked to self isolate for along with their household. This will mean the bubble will close for 14 days. If the bubble is closed then we will revert to online learning through SeeSaw learning platform. Please see attached guidance for further information on isolation periods

If YOU or anyone else in your household develops symptoms, order a test. Inform school, keep your child at home along with the rest of the household until the test results return. If the test result comes back negative your child can return to school as normal. If the test comes back positive, inform school. Engage in NHS test and trace so that all those who have come into contact with you can be informed. Keep your child at home in self isolation, they should engage in online learning via SeeSaw platform. Please see attached guidance for further information on isolation periods

When there is a suspected case in school and they are awaiting test results, we will not close the bubble and we will not inform parents of the suspected case. We do not want to cause any unnecessary alarm to you or your child and want to continue providing a fun and exciting curriculum, keeping things as normal as possible. We have had 2 suspected cases to date and both tests have returned as negative. We are expecting this to happen a lot this term as the usual illnesses continue going into the Winter months and we would be closing bubbles unnecessarily, disrupting education and your own work patterns and causing anxiety for no reason. Should a result come back positive however, you will be informed immediately and asked to collect your child and self isolate and continue learning online.

If you have any question then please do not hesitate to contact me on head@germoe.cornwall.sch.uk.

Many thanks

Paula Blackburn

For further guidance on isolation period see below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection