Positive COVID-19 Case in School
11th December 2020
Dear Parents and Carers
We have been advised that there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the school. We know that you may find this concerning but we are continuing to monitor the situation and are following all Public Health England and Local Authority advice. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
When information about a positive case is received in school, we inform the Public Health Department of the Local Authority immediately and follow all instructions. We are required to trace any potential contacts from 2 days before the symptoms developed. Contacts are defined as those who have been within 2 metres of the affected person for 15 minutes or more, or within 1 metre of the affected person for 1 minute or more.
We immediately interview the positive case and check all their potential school contacts for the relevant period, e.g. during travel to school; tutor time; lessons; break and lunchtime, and attendance at clubs and detentions. We speak immediately to any identified teaching or support staff to ensure that staff have observed all social distancing measures and that classroom seating plans are accurate. Parents of all pupils identified as potential contacts are contacted and these pupils go into immediate self-isolation for 14 days. All parents in the school are informed that there is a positive case; we do not communicate any details of the affected child or the year group, since contacts may cross year groups.
Having observed all these measures, school can remain open and your child should continue to attend as normal if they remain well.
What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19
If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they must not come to school and should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119. All other household members who remain well must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’. Please inform the school if this occurs by completing this form https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=1u3qfje_FUCP6Rn7wsAtVZ5anT3Tt8NCpB3-WECuym5URjNBRkNGTVEyTlVNWDRISVMzN0oxVUlKMS4u
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:
- a new continuous cough
- a high temperature
- a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
How to stop COVID-19 spreading
There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19
Do
- wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
- use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- wash your hands as soon as you get home
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
- put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
Further Information
Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Yours sincerely
Claire Coates
Principal
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