UPDATED INFORMATION 22/09/2020

COVID-19 UPDATE Tuesday 22^nd September

IMPORTANT

The rules and guidance concerning COVID-19 can be quite complicated (particularly as they keep changing and different rules apply to different parts of the country.)  It is EXTREMELY important that we ALL follow the rules if we are to prevent further deaths and stop the virus. 

Burnley has the 6^th highest rate of COVID-19 cases in the country.  The top 10 areas are all in the North-West.  Central Burnley and Daneshouse (our ward) is a COVID-19 hotspot, recording significantly more cases than anywhere else in the country over the latest 7 day period data is available for. Yesterday the country was upgraded to alert Level 4

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

From today, adults, young people and children in Lancashire MUST NOT mix socially with anyone who does not live in their house.  The only exceptions to this are people in a support bubble and people who provide childcare (check www.gov.uk/coronavirus for further information.)  Breaking these rules means you are endangering lives and could risk receiving a fine (of up to £10 000.)

SUSPECTED COVID-19

PLEASE STUDY THE ATTACHED CHART WHICH OUTLINES WHAT STEPS TO TAKE.  (If you require further advice, email school, seek medical advice or check government websites.)  It is VERY important that if anyone in your household develops symptoms, the WHOLE household self-isolates IMMEDIATELY (this means you must stay at home and NOT leave your house until the guidance says you may.)

CASES IN SCHOOL

IF A PUPIL AT SCHOOL TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, PLEASE CONTACT SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY (OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS, LEAVE A MESSAGE BY PRESSING 1 OR EMAIL contactus@stoneyholme-pri.lancs.sch.uk .) This will help us to act immediately to help prevent the spread of the virus.

You will receive a text message, email and the website will be updated should there be a confirmed case affecting your child’s bubble.

When there is a confirmed case in school, the class bubble will need to self-isolate for 14 days.  IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT PUPILS SELF-ISOLATING REMAIN IN THEIR HOME FOR 14 DAYS.  We are aware of a number of high school students who have been sent home from school to self-isolate, leaving their house and socialising with others.  This is extremely irresponsible and could endanger lives by spreading the virus further.

If your child remains symptom free, the rest of the household does not need to self-isolate (brothers and sisters can still go to school.)

If your child (or anyone else in their home) develops symptoms, the WHOLE household MUST self-isolate and arrange a test (follow the guidance on the chart.)

HOME LEARNING

If your child is sent home to self-isolate, your child’s class teacher will provide work EVERY DAY, which will match, as closely as possible, what they would be doing if they were in school.  COMPLETION OF THIS WORK IS COMPULSORY.  The Secretary of State for Education has made it very clear that schools MUST ensure children are not further disadvantaged as a result of COVID-19. Furthermore, wilful non-compliance could mean that your child is deemed to be Missing in Education, resulting in other Local Authority and Department for Education legal intervention.  We wish to avoid this at ALL costs.

 Valuable staff time (which is paid for out of your child’s funding) SHOULD NOT be wasted contacting families who are not complying with this requirement, neglecting their child’s right to an education. Missed learning CAN NOT be caught up.   Children have been shown how to access home learning and teachers will be in daily contact, supporting learning, providing feedback and setting new challenges.  If you need any further support with this, email school and staff will be on hand to answer any questions or queries.

COMMUNICATION

Please continue to check and read your emails and text messages.  The website will be regularly updated and COVID-19 guidance and support can be found in the Parents Section (press SELECT LANGUAGE on the top of the homepage if you would prefer to translate the information into your home language).  We are unable to make telephone calls to every family, therefore, it is important that you inform us of a change of email address or telephone number.

Because we need to keep the flow of people moving at the beginning and end of the school day, this is not a safe time to have conversations with adults (their role is to ensure the safety of the school community.) Please telephone school or email contactus@stoneyholme-pri.lancs.sch.uk if you have any questions or queries.  Teachers will ring you back should you wish to speak to them.  Telephone lines are extremely busy, particularly first thing in the morning.  To report a child’s absence, you can leave a message on the answerphone (press 1.)

COVID_19 Information for Parents/Carers

Burnley is still on the COVID_19 watch list because confirmed cases are much higher than the national average.  Cases are increasing rapidly, Last week, Burnley recorded 77.6 cases per 100 000 (up from 32.6 the week before), making it the 8^th highest area in the country. 

The government has brought in NEW regulations:  In England, the new limit of six people from multiple households will apply to social gatherings from Monday.

It will apply to both indoors and outdoors, and to all ages.

So, gatherings in private homes, venues like pubs and restaurants, and in outdoor spaces like parks will all be affected.

Households ignoring these regulations are putting others’ health and lives at risk and may receive a fine.

COVID_19 Symptoms

• HIGH TEMPERATURE (you feel hot to touch on your chest or back, 37.8C or above)
• A NEW CONTINUOUS COUGH (coughing a lot more than an hour or more than 3 coughing episodes in 24 hours)
• A LOSS OF TASTE OR SMELL

If you have any of these symptoms, self-isolate your WHOLE household for 14 days and get a test.

SCHOOL

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL IF:

• Anyone in your household has symptoms of COVID_19 (see above)
• Your child or someone in your household tests positive for COVID_19
• NHS Test and Trace has identified your child has come into close contact with someone with symptoms of confirmed COVID_19
• Your child’s bubble is closed due to a COVID_19 outbreak in school

CONTACT SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY FOR ADVICE IF ANY OF THE ABOVE APPLIES TO YOU.

How to Stop COVID_19 Spreading

• Follow Government guidance
• Wash your hands with soap and water often (for 20 seconds)
• Use hand sanitiser gel
• 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
• Adults and young people over 11 wear face coverings indoors in public places
• Try to keep a 2m distance wherever possible

How to Support School to Keep Your Child Safe

• Children wash their hands BEFORE leaving for school
• Only bring reading books and packed lunches into school
• Read emails,  text messages and check the school website, to keep up to date with information (which changes very regularly) as we are limiting the amount of things we send from school to home
• Tell us IMMEDIATELY if you change your email, address or telephone number
• YOU MUST FOLLOW OUR DROP OFF AND PICK UP ARRANGEMENTS

Information regarding drop off and pick up arrangements (further clarification)

• Children MUST  be accompanied by ONE adult (over 18) to make sure children are socially distancing on their way to and from and in and out of school
• The 2 bubbles (A and B) are organised so that families living in the same house have the same times
• They are equally split so that only half of the school population are on the school grounds at any one time
• The bubbles ensure that the correct number of children are; entering school at each entrance, are able to remove their coats and sanitise their hands without overcrowding, and enter their classrooms safely (arriving too early or too late will affect the numbers and potentially put children and staff at risk)
• The 20 minute gap between bubbles allows for bubble A to be off the school premises BEFORE bubble B arrives (being too early or too late affects this)
• Children in bubble A have 20 minutes teaching in a group of 15 or less in the morning before bubble B arrives.  Bubble B has the 20 minutes teaching at the end of the day while bubble A are being collected
• DO NOT arrive at school more than 5 minutes before drop off and pick up times, this will avoid large numbers of people standing and waiting (the aim is to keep everyone moving at all times)
• Maintain a 2m distance where possible.  Adults, not school staff, are responsible for keeping themselves and the children in their care apart, follow arrows and markings.  School staff are available to show adults where to go.  All other staff are supervising children in school or teaching from 8 30 am.
• You cannot change your bubble without prior arrangement with a member of school staff (this can only be considered in an emergency or change of circumstances as this will affect the agreed numbers on the school site at any one time)
• Everyone MUST follow the one way system in order to keep everyone moving and avoid unnecessary cross over where people will come face to face (which is an increased risk)
• Eldest children must be dropped off and picked up FIRST to make the safety system work
• Be respectful of each other and school staff.  School staff are frontline workers who are facing considerable challenges currently and are doing so to the best of their ability in order to keep your children, their families, themselves and their families safe and our children educated
• Adults who wilfully ignore instructions related to COVID_19 safety procedures or are verbally or physically abusive to staff or members of the school community, may be banned from the school premises

Outbreak in School

• You will be informed by text message and an emailed letter if there is an outbreak that means your child is unable to come into school
• Children self- isolating MUST complete their home learning which will be set each day.  The Department for Education has stated this is NOT a choice

• To avoid a large outbreak school has as part of the Risk Assessment:

• drop off and pick up arrangements following DfE guidance
• enhanced handwashing and cleaning protocols
• within year group bubbles, maintaining class bubbles and where possible, mini bubbles (children who are seated near each other in class, move around together; to the toilet, to wash their hands, to the dining room etc.)
• where possible,  taught and supervised by the same adults in their classroom
• children and the large majority of adults DO NOT enter other bubbles (with the exception of Unit 2 corridor for access, movement in this area is strictly timetabled with very close supervision)