COVID Updates

From 24 February 2022 guidance on close contacts and isolation is to be replaced by the UKHSA guidance. The below bullet points are from the plan for living with Covid:

• “The public are encouraged to continue to follow public health advice, as with all infectious diseases such as the flu, to minimise the chance of catching Covid and help protect family and friends. This includes by letting fresh air in when meeting indoors, wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, and washing your hands.”
•  “Until 1 April, we still advise people who test positive to stay at home. Adults and children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days.
• From April, the Government will update guidance setting out the ongoing steps that people with COVID-19 should take to be careful and considerate of others, similar to advice on other infectious diseases. This will align with testing changes.”

In relation to testing, we have only recommended that you test your child/ren when they have had symptoms. While the tests are freely available, we will continue to recommend this approach to protect children, staff and wider families linked to our school. We appreciate your ongoing support with this.

From the 24^th February, the law changes and it is no longer a legal obligation to isolate. Instead, everyone should follow the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advice. As we understand it, the UKHSA advice remains to isolate for five full days if an individual is showing symptoms. They should then have two negative tests before ending isolation (testing on day 5 and day 6). There is therefore no expected change in the advice.

For schools, this places COVID on the same level as the current policy in place for when children have other infectious or potentially infectious illnesses – such as Chicken Pox or vomiting/diarrhoea. These require children to be absent from school for a certain period of time and/or clear of symptoms for a fixed period of time before returning to school (for example, for vomiting/diarrhoea this is 48 hours clear).

The use of face coverings is no longer advised for staff or visitors. As a school, we will allow staff and visitors to continue to make a decision on whether they wear face coverings or not.

As a school, we will continue to ventilate all spaces used by children and staff in school. Hygiene measures (hand washing and cleaning routines) will also remain in place.

Further information on self-isolation for those with COVID-19 is available.

Further information on guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person is available.