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COVID 19 UPDATE

Dear Parents, As you are aware the country is returning to a lockdown position on Thursday 5th November for at least 4 weeks. I am pleased to inform you all that the school will remain open. At St. Marys we will continue to focus on the wellbeing and learning of all pupils. Thankfully the virus is still at a low level in Herefordshire; however, incidents have increased over the past two months. This means we will have to remain vigilant and continue with the HANDS, FACE, SPACE message. Below is a synopsis of the rules as outlined by the Department for Education.

School Actions

At school we will continue to:

• manage confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in, in line with current public health guidance - this means your child may be asked to self-isolate for 14 days by the school (based on advice from the PHE advice service) if they have been in close face to face contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus
• ensure that everyone cleans their hands more often than usual, including when they arrive, when they return from breaks, and before and after eating - this should be done for 20 seconds with soap and running water or hand sanitiser 
• check temperatures on arrival. If anyone has a temperature above 37.8oC their blood oxygen level will also be taken (this should be above 95%)
• promote the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach, to ensure good respiratory hygiene
• enhance cleaning and ventilation, particular focus on extra cleaning of frequently touched surfaces such as door handles.   

Parents Actions

Do not send your child to school if:

• they are showing coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms • someone in their household is showing symptoms

Arrange a test if you or your child develops symptoms. Inform school and as soon as possible let us know the results. If the test is positive, follow guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, and engage with the NHS Test and Trace process.
 
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 / change in their senses of smell or taste • are advised to self-isolate because they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), for example, another pupil in their class, but are not showing symptoms themselves

Possible Self Isolation

A small number of children and young people may be unable to attend school in line with public health advice to self-isolate because they:
 

•  have had symptoms or a positive test result themselves
•  live with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive
•  are a close contact of someone who has coronavirus (COVID-19) and are requested to do so by NHS Test and Trace or the advice from PHE (Public Health England) 

If your child is unable to attend school or college for these reasons, ask your school what support they will provide for remote education. If your child is identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) and is asked to self-isolate, you and other members of your household (including any other children in the same school) do NOT need to self-isolate unless your child, who is self-isolating, subsequently develops symptoms. If your child has been a close contact of someone who has tested positive, and subsequently develops symptoms but has a negative test result, they will still need to self-isolate for the full 14 days. 

 

**Letter available on the download page**