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Summary
- The advice around symptoms, testing and self-isolating remains the same as before. It’s just not a legal requirement anymore. Government guidance here.
- Please continue to use the covid@stmarksce.org.uk email address.
- We’ll retain much of our school logistics and practicalities for now. We’ll be planning on how to move to a new-normal in the weeks ahead.
- Staff, parents and visitors will not need to wear masks when onsite, but can choose to do so.
Detail
You’ll have heard confirmation of the removal of covid rules by the prime minister earlier this week. Whatever our thoughts are on this, the changes have been made and we will carefully begin to move away from the changes we have had over the past 2 years, towards our new-normal.
Being a large school, we’ll all have different views on the pace of change and how it makes us feel. I understand this, and it is one of the reasons we are not making all the changes at once. It will also take time to:
- Help the children know how to move around the school in an orderly fashion (e.g. moving 630 in and out of the hall is no small achievement!) Remember, many children have never been in a whole school or Key Stage worship, and so will need to learn how best to do this.
- Decide on how we want to manage break and lunchtimes, and organise rotas/adjust timings.
- Move furniture around – for example from rooms used for extra staff rooms
- Clear the main and small halls.
- And more!
We’ll also be thinking about keeping what changes have worked, and going back to what we have missed from pre-covid. If you have any thoughts this, then complete our form here: www.stmarksprimary.net/
What will stay the same for now?
- We’ll stay in our year group bubbles and continue with online worship, until we have discussions on the logistics of changing everything, and of course practicing going into the halls etc.
- Please continue to use the covid@stmarksce.org.uk email address.
- Children’s toilet arrangements stay the same
- Children wearing PE kits to school (we’ve made this a permanent change)
- Staggered start and end of day
- Lunch arrangements
- Breaktime arrangements and zones
- Our cleaning regimes, regular hand-washing and ventilation.
- We will still be providing google classroom work for those who are isolating, but will be removing the live teaching element.
What else has/hasn’t changed?
- Staff, parents and visitors will not need to wear masks when onsite, but can choose to do so.
- We are all on a tight rope of having to learn to live with covid, and also protect those who may be vulnerable. If a child came into school having tested positive for covid, it could have a significant impact on others.
- Ultimately, the school has the right to send a child home if they have suspected or confirmed case of Covid (see page 10 here)
- The advice is still to take a PCR test if you are showing any of the symptoms, although it is not a legal requirement to do so. We ask you to work with us in respecting this advice.
- The advice is still to self-isolate if you get a positive result from either an LFD or PCR test, although again it is not a legal requirement to do so. Again, we ask you to work with us in respecting this advice.
- If a child tests positive, they can return on day 6 if they have tested negative on day 5 and 6, although again it is not a legal requirement to do so. Again, we ask you to work with us in respecting this advice.
- You can still use an LFD if you’ve been in contact with a positive case, in order to be checking for a negative result.
- Fully vaccinated close contacts and those aged under 18 do not need to test daily for 7 days. Further, close contacts who are not fully vaccinated do not need to self-isolate.
How to safely return to your normal routine before 10 days
Thank you for your support of our school.
Best wishes,
Charles Applegate
Head Teacher