Cliddesden Primary School

COVID19

Personal hygiene is the most important way we can tackle COVID-19, especially washing hands more; and the catch it, bin it, kill it strategy for those with coughs and sneezes.

NHS: How to wash your hands

E-bug: Fun games and teaching resources about microbes and antibiotics

Key School Information

The following ARE symptoms of coronavirus:

Individuals will need a test if they have any of the following:

A high temperature: any new high temperature where the person feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature);
A new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours;
A loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal.

Individuals do not need a test if they have a runny nose, are sneezing or feeling unwell but do not have a temperature, cough or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste because these are not normally symptoms of coronavirus.

Risk Mitigation

The school has written a new risk assessment that you can find below.

To reduce the risk of transmission in school we will ensure that we:

practise good hygiene for everyone. We will continue to have regular handwashing and provide hand sanitiser around school. We will remind the children of ‘The ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach. The e-Bug COVID-19 website contains free resources for you, including materials to encourage good hand and respiratory hygiene.
maintain appropriate cleaning regimes. We will continue to have additional cleaning in the middle of the day and keep classrooms and equipment disinfected.

keep occupied spaces well ventilated.

follow public health advice on testing, self-isolation and managing confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Re CV19: Changes to contact tracing in education and childcare settings.

Cases of CV19 – Tracing close contacts and isolation

Should there be a case of CV19 in school the whole class will no longer be required to self-isolate. The school will seek any advice from Public Health England. Below is an extract from the DfE guidance relating to cases.

Close contacts will now be identified via NHS Test and Trace and education settings will no longer be expected to undertake contact tracing.

As with positive cases in any other setting, NHS Test and Trace will work with the positive case and/or their parent to identify close contacts. Contacts from a school setting will only be traced by NHS Test and Trace where the positive case and/or their parent specifically identifies the individual as being a close contact. This is likely to be a small number of individuals who would be most at risk of contracting COVID-19 due to the nature of the close contact. You may be contacted in exceptional cases to help with identifying close contacts, as currently happens in managing other infectious diseases.

Individuals are not required to self-isolate if they live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19, and any of the following apply:

they are fully vaccinated
they are below the age of 18 years and 6 months
they have taken part in or are currently part of an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial
they are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons

Instead, they will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace, informed they have been in close contact with a positive case and advised to take a PCR test. We would encourage all individuals to take a PCR test if advised to do so.

Staff who do not need to isolate, and children and young people aged under 18 years 6 months who usually attend school, and have been identified as a close contact, should continue to attend school as normal. They do not need to wear a face covering within the school, but it is expected and recommended that these are worn when travelling on public or dedicated transport.

Settings will continue to have a role in working with health protection teams in the case of a local outbreak. If there is a substantial increase in the number of positive cases in a setting or if central government offers the area an enhanced response package, a director of public health might advise a setting to temporarily reintroduce some control measures.

Flowchart for parents and carers on when to send your child to school

Please ensure that you read the following NHS online guidance about:

WHEN TO SELF ISOLATE – click here
HOW LONG TO SELF ISOLATE FOR – click here
WHAT TEST RESULTS MEAN – click here
Coronavirus and your child, what you need to know - click here

Please do not send a child in if they are showing symptoms. If they are showing symptoms, keep them and the household at home, self-isolate, and try to get a test. Keep the school updated via email/phone!

Lateral Flow Testing

The staff will continue to take rapid flow testing twice a week. This is also a requirement for secondary school pupils and their school provide the kits.

They are not provided for primary school children. However, I strongly recommend that all families including their children take a rapid flow test twice a week to reduce the risk of transmission. They are available for free online on at your local pharmacy. Details are below.

Regular rapid lateral flow coronavirus (COVID-19) tests - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Coronavirus Information Website

The DfE has launched a helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows:

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)