Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• DfE Update 16.7.21

  Fri 16 Jul 2021

  16^th July 2021

   

   

  Dear Parents and Carers,

  Re: Changes to contact tracing in education and childcare settings

   

  As you know, the Prime Minister announced on 12 July that Step 4 of the roadmap would go ahead on 19 July.

  One of the key changes from 19 July is that, education and childcare settings will no longer be asked to conduct routine contact tracing. On local Public Health advice, we will be continuing with our current arrangements until end of the term.

  Once the summer holidays begin, we will revert to the standard NHS Test and Trace process where positive cases will be contacted only by NHS Test & trace team to identify their close contacts.

  As with positive cases in any other setting, NHS Test and Trace will work with either the positive case or, in the case of children, the parents, carers or guardian of the positive case to identify close contacts.

  NHS Test and Trace already manages the contact tracing process for the rest of society – including children who have recorded a positive PCR test – and has expertise in supporting people to identify close contacts.

  This letter sets out in more detail below how that process will work and what you need to do if your child tests positive for COVID-19.

  Self-isolating and taking a test

  1. If your child has symptoms, they and other members of the household should self-isolate – and you should inform their education or childcare setting. You should immediately order a PCR test for them. If the PCR result is negative, they and other members of their household can stop self-isolating (unless instructed to self-isolate for other reasons). If the PCR result is positive, they, other members of their household and any close contacts identified currently by the setting and post end of the term by NHS Track and Trace must self-isolate until 10 days after the onset of symptoms.

   

  1. If your child has a positive result from a lateral flow device (LFD) test, they and other members of the household should self-isolate. If this happens before the end of term you should inform their education or childcare setting. You should immediately order a confirmatory PCR test. If the confirmatory test is taken within two days and the result is negative, they and other members of their household can stop self-isolating (unless instructed to self-isolate for other reasons). If the confirmatory PCR test is positive (or is taken more than two days after the LFD), other members of their household and any close contacts identified currently by the setting and post end of the term by NHS Track and Trace must self-isolate until 10 days after the LFD test.
  2. PCR tests can be booked online through the NHS Test & Trace website or by calling 119.
  3. PCR test results will be recorded with NHS Test and Trace automatically, but you should also communicate the result to the education or childcare setting during term time or summer provision.

  Contact tracing

  1. If your child gets a positive PCR test result, before the end of term you should contact the school as normal. From the holidays there is no need for you to contact the school. NHS Test and Trace will contact you using the details you registered when ordering the PCR test. You and/or your child will be asked a series of specific questions designed to identify who your child has been in close contact with. Being in an education or childcare setting with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 will not necessarily mean a person is identified as a close contact.

   

  1. You will be asked to provide the contact details, if you know them, of any of the individuals – or their parents or guardians – who have been identified as close contacts. NHS Test and Trace will then get in touch with these close contacts and provide appropriate instructions or advice (see below).

   

  Self-isolation and/or testing of close contacts

   

  1. At present, anyone identified as a close contact is legally required to self-isolate and must not attend their education or childcare setting (the only exception is if they are participating in a daily contact testing trial and schools allow this to happen). Anyone identified as a  non-household close contact by NHS Track and Trace must self-isolate until 10 days after the date of their most recent contact with that person. If they live in the same household, they must self-isolate until 10 days after the date of that person developing symptoms (see point 1 above) or, if that person was asymptomatic, the date of their test (see point 2 above). NHS Test and Trace will notify you of the day on which the self-isolation period ends.
  2. Close contacts are also advised to take a PCR test. If the test result is negative, they must still complete the full self-isolation period, as the test will not detect all positive cases. If the result is positive, they will need to self-isolate for a further 10 days – and NHS Test and Trace will contact them to identify any close contacts.
  3. From 16 August, if the close contact is under 18, they will not have to self-isolate (in line with the policy for fully vaccinated adults) but will be asked to take an PCR test immediately, other than for very young children identified as non-household contacts, and they will not need to self-isolate while awaiting the results of the test. If the PCR test is positive, they will be required to self-isolate for 10 days from the date of the test. NHS Test and Trace will then get in touch to identify close contacts (see points 5 and 6 above). Look out for any further guidance on these changes to self-isolation.

   

  We recognise how difficult the past 18 months have been and the sacrifices that all families, education and childcare settings have had to make. This has been an enormously challenging time for everyone and we would like to take the opportunity to thank you for everything you have done.

   

  Aleks Hartshorne

  Headteacher

• Headteacher's Letter to Parents

  Fri 16 Jul 2021

  Dear Parents and Carers,

  
  Looking ahead to the summer break, we hope that the ever changing picture of the coronavirus pandemic means we can begin to see a time when we can return to our normal lives.
  It is, however, important that we continue to remind ourselves that we all have a part to play in keeping the pandemic under control so that we keep everyone safe and that together we can look forward to a brighter future.
  Since all pupils returned on 8th March, the school has been full of life and it has been wonderful to hear the busy sounds of children learning, playing and laughing with their friends and teachers. It has also been a challenging term, with more Covid interruptions and further disruption to children’s learning.
  Bowlee Park School staff have worked tirelessly since the start of the pandemic. School has remained open throughout this time supporting children of key workers and vulnerable pupils and juggling this with delivery of remote learning. Since 8th March our focus has been to help children make up for missed learning. Our recovery work is not over. We have plans in place to ensure that over the next 12 months all children will be given the support they require to catch up to the age related expectations for their year group.
  I remain grateful and thankful for your support and patience this term, and for your hard work in supporting your children’s learning at home. I know for many of you this has been, at times, challenging: juggling your own work, family illnesses, children not always eager to participate in home learning and the general stresses and strains the pandemic has put on us all.
  We are planning for a ‘normal’ September. We will dispense with bubbles, resume assemblies and lunches in the hall, and invite parents into school for school events. We will, however, be mindful of public health and government advice and make any changes required to keep everyone safe.
  Please support your child’s learning over the summer by taking advantage of the opportunity to visit school on Wednesday mornings with your child to change their reading book. Mrs Jones will be on hand to offer guidance on book choices
  Throughout the past 18 months, the community of Bowlee Park has remained strong and the conversations and emails from you, remain as always, positive and supportive. We have an exceptional school, with incredible children, families, staff and community support. I am confident that in the next academic year we will continue to thrive.
  I wish you and your families a safe, restful and enjoyable summer break,
  Aleks Hartshorne
  Headteacher