Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Preparing for the Wider Reopening of School
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a message from the headteacher friday 4th September 2020
Dear parent(s)/ Guardian,
I am writing to you to share information about current procedures we have put in place to make our school “COVID safe” to reduce risks to the pupils and staff, you can also find more information on our actions in our school Risk Assessment. I will write to you all in two week’s time with any further updates and information.
Currently, we are going to continue to ask pupils to use hand sanitiser as they enter school or before they get on school transport each morning as well as temperature check as we did before the Summer break. Furthermore, we have arranged classes into three “bubbles” on site and on school transport whereby pupils will not mix with other bubbles. We will include hand washing and additional cleaning routine throughout the day in the classrooms. Pupils will have individual resources such as pens and pencils which we will provide in school. We recognise social distancing will not be possible at all times and so within bubbles staff and pupils will be able to interact with one another without 2metre distance though, where possible, we will try to limit close contact and face to face contact. If your child would like to wear a face-covering while on transport and/or in school, we will support them in doing so but this is not mandatory in primary settings. We do ask that pupils do not bring any personal items to school such as soft toys, bags and stationary.
Initially we have reduced the school day to allow for staggering the number of people entering school over a period of time and while pupils adjust to being back in school. Therefore, next week pupils will be on site 9.30-1.30pm. The following week, week beginning 14th September the school day will be 9.30-2:00pm.
How School will respond to symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) from September 2020
As you know, it is the government’s plan that all children should attend school from September 2020 and everyone at our school is delighted to welcome back all our pupils. The government has produced information for parents which you can read by following the link at the end of this letter.
The scientific evidence shows that coronavirus (COVID-19) presents a much lower risk to children than adults of becoming severely ill, and there is no evidence that children transmit the disease any more than adults. Of course, there will still be risks while coronavirus (COVID-19) remains in the community, and that is why schools and colleges will be asked to put in place a range of protective measures.
Your child’s school has completed a health and safety risk assessment as part of their plans to re-open schools in September (see attached). The Local Authority has put in place a process to support schools in dealing with any suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus in schools and this letter outlines what steps parents, carers and families must take.
What to do if your child is unwell
The box below provides a summary of the common symptoms of coronavirus. A test is needed for anyone who has one of the most common symptoms of the virus (outlined in Section A) or at least two of the other symptoms outlined in Section B.
Section A
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of any of the following:
A new continuous cough
A high temperature (fever)
A loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
Any one of the above symptoms gives reason for high level of suspicion for COVID-19.
A well person or child: feels 100% well, seems themselves and not displaying any changes in behaviour or their daily routines.
Section B
An unwell person or child could be a possible case of COVID-19.
A combination of symptoms (two or more) below gives reason for high level of suspicion for COVID-19.
Vomiting/nausea/off their food, diarrhoea, sleeping more than usual, complaining of not feeling themselves, listless/restless/agitated, shortness of breath, feeling cold, headache, severe body aches, sore throat, congested or runny nose, skin rash - anything that is not feeling themselves.
NB For fevers, the NHS advice is to look for a high temperature – ‘this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back; you do not need to measure your temperature’.
If your child becomes unwell at home or if anyone in your household is unwell as outlined above, they should not attend school. Please let school know the reason for your child’s absence and we will discuss with you if your child needs a test using the criteria above.
If your child becomes unwell whilst in school, we will contact you and your child will need to be sent home. Your child will be supervised separately from other children and other members of the school community while he or she is waiting to go home.
We will contact the Local Authority Infection Control Team to inform them of the need to arrange a test. You will be contacted with information on what you must do to arrange a test for your child and details of how and where this will be carried out. Please wait for this call. Your child must remain at home while awaiting the test and the result and your child, and all members of your household, should not come into contact with other people outside of your household. You must not go to a doctors, hospital or NHS facility during this time unless symptoms become serious.
What to do when you get the results of the coronavirus test
Once you have got your child’s test results, or the test results of anyone else in your household, you must phone the school and inform them of the results. Even if the results are negative, you must still tell your child’s school. This is to protect the rest of the school community.
What to do if your child’s coronavirus test is negative
You must inform your child’s school of this straight away.
Your child can return to the school provided they feel well enough and they have not had a fever, diarrhoea or vomiting for 48 hours. As there are other viruses circulating such as a cold or flu, it is advisable to avoid contact with other people until they are better. Household members can also end their isolation, unless someone else is awaiting results of a coronavirus test.
What to do if your child’s coronavirus test is positive
You must inform your child’s school of this straight away. This is so they can inform the Local Authority so that next steps can be taken to protect others.
If your child attended school in the 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms and up to the point of testing, Salford public health team will work with school and your family to establish any contacts that may have been made with others in the community, both in and out of school.
Your child will need to self-isolate for at least 10 days until they feel better and symptoms have gone. A cough or lack of taste and smell might last longer than 10 days, but your child can still return to school. Advice on self-isolation will be available from Infection Control.
Your household and any other contacts must isolate for 14 days and watch for symptoms. If these appear then they will need to be tested.
What do if your child is sent home because another child in their bubble (eg class or year group) has tested positive
If the other child with a positive test outcome attended the school in the 48 hours prior to symptoms appearing, a decision may be made that your child’s class or year group has to go home for isolation. This is to protect members of the school community and others.
If your child is sent home, your child’s school will inform you of this and your child will need to self-isolate for 14 days and watch for symptoms. Your child will be offered a test if symptoms do appear. Members of your household will not need to isolate, unless your own child develops symptoms. All pupils in the bubble will need to isolate for 14 days even if your child has a negative test result during this time.
If children are sent home they will be provided with learning to complete at home during the period of isolation and we will keep in touch with you.
Further Information
For further information please follow the links below.
Guidance for parents about early Years providers and schools
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-in-the-autumn-term#process-in-the-event-of-outbreaks
If I can please ask you to support my staff and I with being vigilant to COVID-19 symptoms and supporting the government guidance as well as Salford public health.
Finally, you may have noticed we have a new logo at the top of the page. We have ordered a number of jumpers with the new logo and will be giving every child one free jumper on their first day in school. We would love to see all the pupils using the new logo jumpers as we start a new term. If you wish to order more jumpers they can be ordered from the school office and are £9 each.
If you have any concerns, questions or want clarity on anything, please do not hesitate to contact school.
Thank you once again.
Giles Caldwell
Headteacher
Alder Brook
