Dear Parents/Carers

We have been advised this morning that there has been a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 with a Year 9 student at the school.

We know that you may find this concerning but we are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England and the Local Authority. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will continue to be a mild illness.

As a precautionary measure, any children who may have been in direct prolonged contact with the confirmed case (the Year 9 ‘bubble’) will have received an individual letter and must stay at home until Monday 12th October 2020. They will need to self-isolate at home during this time and should not be mixing with people outside of their household or out in any social gatherings. This is to help prevent community transmission.

The school remains open for all other year groups and your child should continue to attend if they remain well and are not displaying any symptoms. Siblings of students in Year 9 should also continue to attend school as normal, unless they are displaying any symptoms.

What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID-19

If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they must not come to school and should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119. All other household members who remain well, must self-isolate, stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. This also includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’. If the test is positive, the self-isolation remains in place. If the test is negative, students can return to school and the household no longer needs to self isolate. Please notify school accordingly.

Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

How to stop COVID-19 spreading
There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19

• wear a face mask as directed both in the community and at school
• wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds every time;
• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available;
• wash your hands as soon as you get home;
• 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.

We will keep you updated of developments and issue further information as necessary. Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely

Martyn Palfreyman
Headteacher