Key Information for the Christmas Break
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On Tuesday, the Government updated its guidance for schools regarding the end of term and the role of schools in supporting the Covid-19 track and trace process. The guidance states:
We know that school and further education leaders, teachers and staff, as well as nurseries and childminders, have worked tirelessly over the last term. This has included their important role in contact tracing, to help in the national effort to limit the spread of the virus. We are aware that this has led to additional work over weekends and holidays and we are incredibly grateful for this.
Public Health England has agreed a 6 day window after the final day of teaching in which schools and further education providers are asked to remain contactable so they can assist with contact tracing where necessary. This will allow enough time for positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to be identified and confirmed by a test and for relevant contacts in the education setting to be traced. We are clear that beyond 6 days after the final day of teaching, school and further education staff are not asked to play a role in any contact tracing.
To ensure that staff get the time off they need and deserve, schools may wish to use an INSET day, making Friday 18 December a non-teaching day and using the day for staff training, which could be delivered online. Where term would normally finish in the week commencing 21 December, schools may wish to consider adjusting term dates to make Friday 18 December the last day of term (which could be an INSET day), and bringing forward the start of term in January by the same number of days.
We recognise this communication has arrived with schools late in the term but would ask schools to be as helpful to parents as they can by sharing any changes to end of term arrangements as soon as possible, particularly where schools choose to make Friday 18 December a non-teaching day.
The government has asked that schools ensure staff, parents and carers are aware of the following information and relevant arrangements regarding positive cases in the holidays:
Where a pupil or staff member tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), having developed symptoms more than 48 hours since being in school, the school should not be contacted. Parents and carers should follow contact tracing instructions provided by NHS Test and Trace. · For the first 6 days after teaching ends, if a pupil or staff member tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), having developed symptoms within 48 hours of being in school, the school is asked to assist in identifying close contacts and advising self-isolation, as the individual may have been infectious whilst in school. School staff are not asked to remain on-call or conduct any contact tracing more than 6 days after the final day of teaching. Where a schools last teaching day is on Thursday 17 December, there should be no pupil contact tracing asks beyond Wednesday 23 December. During the first 6 days after the end of term, school staff responsible for contact tracing are advised to designate a limited period in the day to receive notification of positive cases and to advise close contacts to self-isolate.
Forest Fields Primary School will finish on Thursday 17th December. Friday 18th December will be an INSET day.
If anyone in your household shows symptoms within 48 hours of being in school, you should get a test and have your child/ren tested too. If your child/ren tests positive, we need to know for track and trace purposes, as we will need to let other families and staff know that they need to self-isolate and for how long.
You can contact us via email on: trackandtrace@forestfields.nottingham.sch.uk
In the email please tell us:
· Your child/ren’s names and classes
· The dates when symptoms started
· The date of the test
· The date your child was last in school
We may need to contact you by phone for further information.
You must inform us if symptoms started within 48 hours of your child/ren last being in school. We will continue to track and trace for 6 days, until the 23rd December.
The emails will be checked daily at 10.30a.m. each day until 23rd December.
If we are contacted by a parent reporting a positive case, we will contact all families affected via a school comms message which will inform you to self-isolate and for how long. This message will come to the phone number you gave us for the first emergency contact number, so please check for messages each day.
If symptoms develop on Monday 21st or after, you do not need to contact school, but follow PHE guidance.
To get a test you can go to the walk-in centre on the Forest Park and Ride or a local drive through. Results come through much quicker (often the next day), than using postal tests.
Hopefully, nobody will contract the virus and we can all have a holiday without having to self-isolate!
Please also use the track and trace email on Sunday 3rd January, to inform us if anyone in your household has tested positive or is showing symptoms.
Do NOT send your child/ren to school on Monday 4th January if anyone in your household is showing symptoms. We need to keep as many classes open as we can, but we need your help by keeping us informed.
Information on what parents and carers should do, and what school will do, if COVID-19 is suspected
Information on COVID-19 symptoms and school procedures
To help protect your children and the wider community, please be as honest as possible with school around symptoms, testing and results. You shouldn’t be embarrassed or concerned about reporting a suspected or confirmed case.
We want to provide as much information as possible on our approach to coronavirus symptoms, testing and isolation periods. Please see the answers to key questions below:
1. What do I do if my child displays symptoms?