Covid-19 Operational Update for September 2021

Dear Parents/Carers                                      

From September we will no longer be operating in bubbles and classroom activities can mostly return to normal. We will also revert to our normal start and finish times, however we will still operate our separate entrances and exits for drop off and collection:

‘Early Byrds’ breakfast club: door opens at 7.45am and closes at 8.10am. £1 per child (free for children in receipt of Pupil Premium) We are delighted to be reopening our breakfast club and extended after school club from Monday 6 September 2021. Please note that Breakfast Club will return to its usual start time of 7.45am.

‘Blue Byrds’ after school childcare: 3.00pm/3.05pm until 5.00pm. Please contact the school office for prices and booking information.

Government Guidance on managing Covid-19 in schools

As you may be aware there have been changes to the Government guidance around managing Covid-19 within educational settings. Please see below a reminder around the updated guidance:

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

Individuals will be required to stay at home if:

• they are symptomatic
• they have tested positive with a PCR or LFD test (they may return if a positive LFD test is followed by a negative PCR within two days of the original LFD)

If neither of the above apply, then it is expected that children attend school as normal.

A reminder that children under the age of 18 are no longer be required to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case. Instead, parents will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace, informed their child has 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 or children who test positive following a lateral flow test or a PCR test should not attend the school and should notify the school by telephone as soon as possible.

We will continue to follow our control measures of ensuring good hygiene through hand washing/sanitising, continuing our enhanced cleaning regimes, encouraging twice weekly lateral flow testing for adults and ensure spaces are as well ventilated as possible. For the Autumn term we will continue to limit events within school and will review this practice in a timely manner as the term progresses.

Finally, the most important advice from the Government remains the same. Pupils, staff and other adults should follow public health advice on when to self-isolate and what to do. They should not come into school if they have symptoms, have had a positive test result or there are other reasons requiring them to stay at home due to the risk of them passing on Covid-19. If anyone in our school develops COVID-19 symptoms during the school day, we will send them home and they should follow public health advice.

If you have any queries or require any further information, please contact the school via email enquiries@williambyrd.school

 

Kind regards

Mrs S. Roberts
Head of School