Subject: Coronavirus Advice for Parents/Carers
 

Dear Parents/Carers

We have not had any suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus at Newlands so far. If your child is well, there is no reason to be off school.

As I am sure you are aware, the government’s national approach to dealing with the coronavirus outbreak has moved from the “containment” stage to the “delay” stage. As such, the advice for the general public, including schools, has also changed.

What to do if your child falls ill at home:

The most common symptoms of coronavirus are recent onset of a new continuous cough or a high temperature. For most people, these symptoms will be mild. If your child has symptoms of coronavirus infection, however mild, please do the following:

  1.  Keep them at home and do not send them to school for 7 days from the first day of the symptoms.
  2.  Contact the school and let us know that they have these symptoms, and that they will be off for 7 days. This will help us plan.
  3.  The advice from Public Health England, which we urge you to follow, is that they should not leave their house for 7 days from when their symptoms started. If you want more information about what to do if your child falls unwell with symptoms, click here<https://comms.eschools.co.uk/l/uDSd5zESyKecIYzZ0vx47g/g763e4sycNr892idjvVB8ks2lg/4C9CeMYqLMZgO8l6gkHHcQ> to read the government’s advice.
  4.  After 7 days, if your child feels better and no longer has a high temperature, they can return to school. If they have not had any signs of improvement and you have not already sought medical advice, you should contact NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk. If you have no internet access, you should call NHS 111. A cough may persist for several weeks in some people, despite the coronavirus infection having cleared. A persistent cough alone does not mean your child must continue to self-isolate for more than 7 days.

What to do if your child falls ill at school:

If a child presents these symptoms at school, we will contact you immediately so they can be collected and taken home to start their 7 days.

What to do if your child is well and worried:

It is inevitable there will be some anxiety around this, which is not helped by the media and social media. If your child is hesitant about coming to school, please explain to them that we have enhanced our daily cleaning regime beyond what is advised, that we have no cases, and that we are following all public health advice. If you child is well, there is no reason to be off school. Unless they are ill, or self-isolating due to a sibling being unwell, we have no choice but to mark absence as unauthorised.

What about school trips and activities?

The government has said that school trips abroad are to be cancelled. We have had no advice to cancel any other activities.

What if someone at Newlands gets coronavirus? Will you shut? What about my child’s learning?

At some point, it is possible that someone in the school community will have a confirmed case of coronavirus. If this happens, we will follow the advice from Public Health England for educational settings which can be found here<https://comms.eschools.co.uk/l/uDSd5zESyKecIYzZ0vx47g/VG1GB5iSWg7UKkoIydppjg/4C9CeMYqLMZgO8l6gkHHcQ> if you are interested in seeing it. It is not automatic that a school closes if someone from the school has a confirmed case. However, we have already begun to look into how we would provide pupils with optional learning opportunities online should the school need to close.

I have other questions and want advice. Where do I go?

If you have any questions or are not sure what any of this means, please contact the school at info@newlandsprimary.co.uk so we can answer your question. If you want more information about what to do if your child falls unwell with symptoms, click here<https://comms.eschools.co.uk/l/uDSd5zESyKecIYzZ0vx47g/g763e4sycNr892idjvVB8ks2lg/4C9CeMYqLMZgO8l6gkHHcQ> to read the government’s advice.
 

Thanks very much for your continued support of the school. We will do everything we can to ensure we support the national effort to delay the spread of the virus while minimising the disruption to your child’s education. Your support with following the steps above will much welcomed.

We are making every effort to ensure that school is a safe place for the children and staff at this difficult time. Should the need arise to close the school due to the virus or due to staff shortages, we will contact parents/carers via text message signposting further information on our website, MarvellousMe or on our Facebook page.

Karen Mellor

Headteacher