Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope this email finds you well. We have had a good first week back at school.
Well done to the following children who won this week’s TOP Award.
TOP Awards Week beginning Jan 3rd
This week our core value is Endurance
5T – Matthew
5H – Jake
6O – Mary-Anne
6M – Grace
7I – Josh
7L – Amy
8N – Euan
8S – Archie
Well done to all these award winners.
Please remember that:
Children in Key Stage Three are recommended to wear face coverings
All staff, and children in Years 7 & 8 have been advised that unless exempt, they should wear a face covering in classrooms as well as communal areas of school including corridors and halls. In addition, they are required to wear face coverings on school transport. Please support us by providing your child – if they are in Key Stage 3 – with an appropriate face covering every day.
The advice is short term only and will be reviewed on the 26 January, in line with the review on Plan B measures.
Continued regular LFD Testing for KS3 children
Children in Key Stage Three are strongly encouraged to continue testing twice weekly at home and then for the results to be reported to NHS Test and Trace and to school. In the event of a positive LFD result, please contact school to let us know. From 11 January those children who do not have symptoms and have a positive lateral flow will still have to isolate, but will no longer take a PCR.
Even if your child has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days, they are strongly encouraged to take part in LFD testing once they have completed their isolation period for their prior infection.
Symptomatic PCR testing
If your child develops symptoms at any time (including a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste and in addition sore throat or headaches) they must immediately self-isolate, and book a PCR test by visiting https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test. Please contact the school and advise us of this, and then again once you have received the results of the PCR test.
Isolation
Since Wednesday 22 December, the 10 day self-isolation period for people who record a positive PCR test result for COVID-19 has been reduced to 7 days in most circumstances, unless you cannot test for any reason.
Children may now take LFD tests on day 6 and day 7 of their self-isolation period. Those who receive two negative test results are no longer required to complete 10 full days of self-isolation. The first test must be taken no earlier than day 6 of the self-isolation period and tests must be taken 24 hours apart. If both these test results are negative, and you do not have a high temperature, you may end your self-isolation after the second negative test result and return to school from day 8.
Daily testing for close contacts
People who are fully vaccinated, or children and young people aged between 5 and 18 years and 6 months, identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19, should take an LFD test every day for seven days and continue to attend their setting as normal, unless they have a positive test result or develop symptoms at any time. This is so that any subsequent positive cases can be quickly picked up and for self isolation to begin as soon as possible. We will continue to distribute test kits as needed to pupils in Year 7 and Year 8.
Remote learning Work is on Google Classroom
Work for remote learning during self isolation – if a pupil is well enough to complete it – is available on Google Classroom. Please do not hesitate to contact our school if there are any problems accessing the work.
We realise that this is a difficult time. We will keep you updated with any further information however always remember that you can contact us if you have any problems or concerns.
Take care,
Liam Murtagh – Headteacher
