Dear all,
Thank you for your phenomenal support as we have needed to rotate year groups to learning from home remotely this week, owing to the level of Covid absence amongst our teaching team, as published before.
Matt Hewitt, Deputy Headteacher, and I have looked closely at the likely stats, in terms of those returning next week we hope, and as things stand, we are able to open on Monday 6th December to all year groups. We want to give the community that certainty for your planning and ours over the weekend.
However, if, during the weekend or on Monday itself, we have further confirmed cases of Covid amongst teaching colleagues (and we do have several people awaiting test outcomes) we will contact you on Monday should we reach the same staffing levels of concern we were at last week about Tuesday 7th December onwards.
As an absolute last resort, if, and only if, absence reaches those same levels of concern, having checked once more with PHE/DfE/Hampshire Health Protection Team/our Board of Trustees, we would put in place the following rotation of Year Groups home for remote learning:
- Tuesday 7th December - Year 10
- Wednesday 8th December - Year 9
- Thursday 9th December - Year 8
- Friday 10th December - we will advise nearer the time
We are flagging the above not as an intention - we strongly hope not to have to do this and are doing our all each day to enlist additional teaching capacity to protect us against this possibility. We will confirm on Monday one way or the other. We believe we need to flag the possibility for your planning purposes, knowing the cases that have continued to come this week for our colleagues, albeit more slowly than the week before, and knowing those who are awaiting PCR outcomes.
We do not want to interrupt Year 11's attendance further next week, nor yet have Year 7 work remotely again, our very youngest students, hence the rotation above should we have to use it. Here's to it not being necessary at all - please be assured it will be a very last resort.
We are grateful, too, for those of you who've supported us with daily testing when there is a case in your household/your child has symptoms, and you're awaiting a PCR, as well as for students testing twice weekly in the normal scheme of things. We have placed two further orders for a restock of LFD test kits over the past few weeks, but have received only a confirmation of order, no despatch email. For this reason, if you are able to collect a box yourself from a local pharmacy, we would be very grateful. We will update you as soon as our supplies are replenished. Everyone is in the same boat as us at the moment, so no doubt supply chains are stretched.
Thank you once again for your incredible support - the whole staff team are thankful for it, and I paid tribute to this to our Trustees' Board Meeting last night.
All our best,
Kathryn Marshall and the Noadswood Leadership Team
Close Contact Guidance:
If you think your child is a close contact of someone you know but has not been contacted directly by NHS Test and Trace then we want to remind you that they should take a PCR test via Get a free PCR test to check if you have coronavirus (COVID-19) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or by calling 119. When ordering a PCR test it is important to check the box (online) or tell 119 ‘I’ve been told to get a test by my health protection team’ and not ‘I’ve been told to get a test by my school or nursery’. Further guidance can be found at Guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
What to do if your child develops symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) or tests positive for COVID-19
If your child develops symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), they should get a PCR test and remain at home at least until the result is known. If negative, the child can end self-isolation; if positive, the child should isolate until at least 10 days after their symptoms appeared. Symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are a new, continuous cough, or a high temperature, or a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia). If the child has a positive test result but do not have symptoms, they should stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days from the date the positive test was taken. This isolation period will be extended if they go on to develop symptoms by counting 10 full days from the day following their symptom onset. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for a PCR test (the normally available test type) and this can be arranged via Get a free PCR test to check if you have coronavirus (COVID-19) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or by calling 119.
Instructions for people who live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 (tested positive or symptomatic awaiting a test result)
From 16 August, you will not be required to self-isolate if you are a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and any of the following apply:
you are fully vaccinated
you are below the age of 18 years 6 months
you have taken part in or are currently part of an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial
you are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons
Fully vaccinated means that you have been vaccinated with an MHRA approved COVID-19 vaccine in the UK, and at least 14 days have passed since you received the recommended doses of that vaccine.
NHS Test and Trace will contact you to let you know that you have been identified as a contact and check whether you are legally required to self-isolate. If you are not legally required to self-isolate, you will be provided with advice on testing and given guidance on preventing the spread of COVID-19. Even if you do not have symptoms, you will be advised to have a PCR test as soon as possible.
Any member of the household who is aged 18 years and 6 months or over and has only received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine or has not received any dose of the COVID-19 vaccination will still be required to self-isolate as household contact of a someone with COVID-19 symptoms awaiting testing and someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Please read the stay at home guidance which provides information on this.
Household members who are not exempt from isolation as close contacts should not go to work, school/college/childcare/education setting or public areas, and exercise should be taken within the home. If you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online. Household members staying at home for 10 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community.
You could be fined if you do not self-isolate following a notification by NHS Test and Trace. You may be entitled to a one-off payment of £500 through the NHS Test and Trace Support Payment scheme if you are required to stay at home and self-isolate or you are the parent or guardian of a child who has been told to self-isolate.
Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable should be supported to minimise their contact with other people in the household during this period, regardless of whether others have symptoms or not.
Instructions for household contacts who are not required to self-isolate from 16 August.
Even if you are vaccinated, you can still be infected with COVID-19 and pass it on to others. If you are identified as a contact of someone with COVID-19 but you are not required to self-isolate, you can help protect others by following the guidance on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread. As well as getting a PCR test, you may also consider:
limiting close contact with other people outside your household, especially in enclosed spaces
wearing a face covering for those aged 11 and over in crowded places such as school/college/public transport
limiting contact with anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable
taking part in regular LFD testing
You should follow this advice while the person in your household with COVID-19 is self-isolating.
If you are a health or social care worker or a student undertaking a work placement who has been identified as a household contact and are exempt from self-isolation, there is additional guidance available that you should follow to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 in these settings.
If you develop symptoms at any time, even if these are mild, self-isolate immediately, arrange to have a COVID-19 PCR test and follow the guidance for people with COVID-19 symptoms.
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from the nhs.uk website at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/. If you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, or they are worsening you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://111.nhs.uk/ or by phoning 111.
How to stop coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading
There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with coronavirus (COVID-19):
get vaccinated – everyone aged 18 and over can book COVID-19 vaccination appointments now and 16-17 year olds are being offered 1 dose of the vaccination by 23 August
wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day
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
meet people outside and avoid crowded areas
open doors and windows to let in fresh air if meeting people inside
wear a face covering if aged 11 and over when it's hard to stay away from other people – particularly indoors or in crowded places
participate in twice weekly LFD testing following national guidelines (recommended for 11 years and over). We encourage you to log your results here: https://www.gov.uk/log-test-site-covid19-results
Further Information
Further information is available at
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Symptoms
Lateral Flow Testing
Close Contacts
PCR Testing
