E-newsletter 109

Covid Update

Many thanks for your attention to Saturday's newsletter and the related documents. The children have reverted to the new control measures extremely smoothly.  

Following an extremely busy weekend for school staff, I was in contact with the local Health Protection Team (HPT) yesterday to review the measures taken by school since the outbreak in Willow Class. The HPT reported that the school has reacted extremely promptly to the outbreak and that it has 'very strong measures in place to reduce and break the transmission.' The HPT report that the school's situation is mirroring patterns in many other primary schools where long periods of calm are interrupted by sudden spikes in infection.

The HPT have advised that the school should remove the current control measures at the earliest opportunity - this will be when confirmed cases stabilise. I will, of course, update you on this in the coming days.

Presenting Symptoms

As mentioned in a communication to parents yesterday, it appears that the pupils who are currently absent due to Covid are presenting with a range of Covid symptoms. Some are displaying the classic Covid symptoms, a small number with no symptoms at all and a significant proportion presented with non-classic Covid symptoms like a headache, aching limbs, sore throat.

To mitigate the risk of Covid infection, the school (in consultation with PHE) would encourage and support parents to get their child PCR tested if the child is generally unwell, even if they do not have the classic Covid symptoms. 

The school would also remind families to engage in lateral flow testing at home to help identify those with Covid who are asymptomatic. 

Several parents of those children who have tested positive for Covid have shared their child's experience with school and it may offer some reassurance to know that children are generally presenting with mild symptoms that improve quickly after a day or two.  

School Context

As you will appreciate, this is a very fast moving story and the school will provide prompt updates as it develops. As it stands today:

• A sudden, local outbreak was identified in Willow Class over the weekend.
• The outbreak has been promptly addressed in consultation with Public Health England and the Health Protection Team, such that a range of control measures were in place by the next school day (Monday 15th November).
• The HPT report that the school has 'very strong measures in place to reduce and break the transmission.'
• The school continues to liaise daily with PHE and the HPT. 
• Elsewhere in the school, approximately 10 pupils are absent awaiting a PCR test result. 
• Aside from the outbreak in Willow Class, there is currently 1 other confirmed case of Covid in the school.   

Information Sharing

Our parent body remains the school's prime source of information on suspected/confirmed Covid infections and so I am extremely grateful for the openness that has been displayed by parents in sharing test results and other anecdotal information with school. It is incredibly useful in plotting return dates, organising remote learning, monitoring the school-wide impact of Covid and dealing with any questions or misunderstanding. Schools are not made aware of positive Covid test results amongst pupils from any other source and so they are reliant on parents sharing this information.  

The school will continue to communicate promptly with parents via our text service and          e-newsletter and will always share with you the information that it is able to without breaching data protection.

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It goes without saying that the school's number one priority is to keep our community as safe as it can possibly be. School staff, supported by the governing body, have responded brilliantly to this latest situation, working throughout the weekend to develop new timetables, remote learning plans, resources and Covid risk assessments as well as communicating with parents, dealing with external agencies, montioring infection rates, adapting the physical space and disinfecting the school. 

Parents continue to be incredibly supportive of the school's efforts - you are fantastic at keeping school in the loop regarding suspected/confirmed Covid within your household, your children have returned to school calmly, happily and keen to learn and your positive messages really do make a big difference. Please continue to observe the school's Parent Information.