25^th September 2020

IMPORTANT COVID-19 Updates at Newlands

Dear Parents & Carers

Thank you all for the amazing support you are giving the Newlands community by following our protective measures when you come to the school site. Drop off and pick up is now going much more smoothly and we thank you for your patience.

FACE COVERINGS FOR ADULTS VISITING OUR SITE FROM MONDAY

Following the recent announcements by the government and the tightening of restrictions to control the virus and keep numbers low in our community, we will be asking that, from Monday, all ADULTS visiting the site wear a face covering for drop off and pick-ups when they come onto our site (unless exempt). This is an extra precaution aiming to protect our entire community, as there are places around the school site where social distancing is more difficult to achieve between parents. We are hoping that all of our parents and carers will want to collectively support this measure. Other local primary schools have also made the same request of their communities.

Guidance from the government states that ‘children in primary schools do not need to wear a face covering. Primary children wearing face covering in schools may inadvertently increase the risks of transmission, as children may be tempted to touch their faces and coverings and would need to be trained properly to put on, remove and safely store face coverings. Face coverings can have a negative impact on learning and teaching and so their use in the classroom should be avoided.’ Our risk assessments show that the many other protective measures that we have in place in primary schools already significantly reduce the risk of transmission. If you choose for your child to wear a face covering whilst walking to school with you, this should be safely removed and taken home with you before coming onto the school site.

A letter from Public Health England to parents and carers of children

Public Health England have produced a letter for schools to distribute to parents which explains when a person requires a coronavirus test and what the symptoms of coronavirus are. The intention of this letter is to help prevent children being taken out of school unnecessarily and answer some of the questions parents may have around testing. The letter is attached to this communication.

Many thanks for your continued support.   

Mrs Mellor