COVID Guidance Letter

Dear Parents and Carers,

Covid-19 safety measures

We’ve been asking all parents and carers of children at the academy to support efforts to keep our school and children as safe as possible in the coronavirus pandemic, and we want to say a big thank you for your support for the various measures introduced by the school, and for following the advice and guidance to help keep our school open.

As you will know, coronavirus remains a significant threat to our community. Nottinghamshire was designated an area of very high alert (Tier 3) from 30 October. Since then, the Prime Minister announced a national lockdown starting Thursday 5 November. You can find information about the national lockdown at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november.

These will be the new basic rules:

• You must stay at home, except for specific reasons such as work and education.
• You must not mix with anybody outside your household or support bubble in any indoor setting or in any private garden.
• You can exercise or meet in a public, outdoor space with people you live with or your support bubble, or when on your own, with one other person, with social distancing in place.
• People in the “clinically extremely vulnerable” category (who previously received information about shielding from their medical practitioner) should take extra care and work from home. The government will write directly to affected individuals about this.

Our academy will remain open, with many extra safety measures in place to reduce the risk of children catching coronavirus at school. All schools within our Multi Academy Trust will continue to monitor and respond swiftly to any reported cases.

The lockdown does not change the expectation that children should attend school.

You also have a vital role to play in helping to reduce the risk of infection – here are some ways that you can help to keep us all safe.

Breaking the chain of infection

• Keep your children off school if they have coronavirus symptoms (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to sense of smell or taste) and get a test for them. You can book a test online at https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119 if you don’t have internet access.

• If ANYONE in your household has symptoms, all other members of the household must also self-isolate until test result is received. If your test result is positive, you will get further instructions about what to do.

• You MUST NOT send any of your children to school if there is someone in your household with symptoms or a positive test result. In the instance of a confirmed case, any further negative test during this period WILL NOT override the requirement to isolate.

• Let the school know immediately if your child has a positive test result via:

1. Email - covidreporting@themanor.notts.sch.uk
2. Text - School Gateway
3. Phone - Student Absence line 01623 425100 Opt 1.

• If an adult in the household is self-isolating because they have been told to by NHS Test & Trace or the NHS Covid-19 app, or if your child is self-isolating because their bubble has been sent home from school, they must not leave the house even if they do not have symptoms themselves. Other people in the household do not have to self-isolate unless they get symptoms.

Social distancing at the school gates

• Remember that social distancing applies when taking or collecting children from school.
• Keep your distance from other people outside your household.
• Avoid car sharing with someone from outside your household or support bubble. You can find further information at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travelguidance-for-passengers

Following the public health advice

It is crucial that we all continue to follow the public health advice so we can protect our family, friends and school communities. Here is a summary of the Hands-Face-Space advice for Nottinghamshire:

Thank you again for all your efforts in helping to keep the virus under control, which will contribute to keeping the school environment safe for your child and all their classmates.

Yours sincerely,

Katrina Kerry

Headteacher