COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS)
This page contains generic letters that parents will be referred to in the event of a positive case linked to their child(ren).
All contact tracing is now conducted by NHS Track and Trace and schools are no longer expected or required to routinely notify close contacts.
In the event of a positive test result:
- The parent of the positive child will be contacted by Test & Trace, who will question parent and child to determine close contacts
- Test & Trace will contact those identified as a close contact; they will be advised to arrange a PCR test
It remains to be seen how long this process will take, or how they will make contact - we expect that it'll be via the school in most cases.
In the interim, the school will support parents in taking prompt action to prevent further spread by:
- Identifying pupils who have had close, extended contact and advising parents of this by informing them of when the contact was* and directing them to letter 1 below
- Warn and advise parents of pupils in the same class that a case has been detected amongst that cohort by directing them to letter 2 below
*Please note that the incubation period is between 1 and 14 days and simply taking a PCR test as soon as possible may not be particularly accurate!
Instead, you should be alert for ANY signs that your child may be unwell and respond accordingly, even if Track and Trace have not contacted you yet.
Asymptomatic testing after 48 hours or more may be helpful.
LETTER 1: IF YOUR CHILD HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A CLOSE CONTACT OF A KNOWN CASE:
LETTER 2: IF YOUR CHILD'S CLASS HAS HAD A POSITIVE CASE:
The importance of hygiene
Personal hygiene is the most important way we can tackle COVID-19. Please help us in sharing simple and effective hand hygiene messages.
Make sure you and your children follow these general principles to prevent spreading any respiratory virus:
- Wash your hands often – with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or an alcohol-based sanitiser if soap and water aren’t available
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- If you feel unwell, stay at home and don’t attend work or school
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a bin
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in the home
- If you’re worried about your symptoms, please call NHS 111 – don’t go directly to your GP or other healthcare environment
Symptoms to look out for:
- a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal