Coronavirus Advice and Guidance

On Monday 21^st February, the government removed the guidance for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice-weekly asymptomatic testing. Staff and students of secondary age and above in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) settings within mainstream settings are advised to continue twice-weekly testing. The education testing delivery channels will remain open so that staff and students of secondary age and above can access tests if needed to respond to local public health advice, in particular in relation to outbreaks. Staff and students are also able to access test kits from their local pharmacy or online via https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests.

On Thursday 24th February, the government removed the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test. Adults and children who test positive will continue to be advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least 5 full days, and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days. In addition, the Government will:

• No longer ask fully vaccinated close contacts and those aged under 18 to test daily for 7 days, and remove the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate;
• End self-isolation support payments, national funding for practical support and the medicine delivery service will no longer be available;
• End routine contact tracing. Contacts will no longer be required to self-isolate or advised to take daily tests. Staff, children and young people should attend their education settings as usual. This includes staff who have been in close contact within their household, unless they are able to work from home;
• End the legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers when they are required to self-isolate

More detail can be found in the Living with COVID-19 plan published on Monday 21st February. 

As you are aware, the roll out of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programme has been extended to all 12 to 15 year olds. The vaccination programme will be facilitated in the forthcoming weeks with NHS staff attending to administer the vaccination to each student who has returned their signed consent form. Consent will be sought from parents, guardians and carers, in the same way as for any other school vaccination programme.  If consent has not been received, but the child wants to be vaccinated then the healthcare professional will judge whether that child can self-consent – this is known as being judged to be Gillick competent. In this case, the healthcare professional will make every effort to contact the parents, guardians and carers of the child to check before they proceed. We anticipate that all students aged 12 to 15 will have been offered one dose of the Pfizer vaccination by the end of October.

Please click on the links below for access to a range of leaflets and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to enable you to make an informed decision about your child’s vaccination. Please also read the letter that was distributed in September 2021: https://bit.ly/2XJ6QBG.

Children’s COVID-19 vaccination leaflets
Including the ‘What to expect after your COVID-19 vaccination’ leaflet for children aged 12+.

Easy-read children’s COVID-19 vaccination leaflet
Easy-read guides providing information on COVID-19 vaccination.

Information and FAQs for schools, parents, guardians, carers and young people on 12 to 15 vaccination
Including Frequently Asked Questions about issues such as consent and side effects.

Review of the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccine in 12 to 15 year olds
Information from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on how the vaccine was authorised.

Detailed information about consent for young people, including Gillick competence
The ‘Green Book’ has the latest information on vaccines and vaccination procedures and issues relating to it.

If any older students, or members of staff, are due their 1st or 2nd dose vaccination, they should make themselves known to the vaccination teams.

The vaccination lead in each school is the main point of contact for families who have vaccination queries. For individual parent queries about the vaccinations (e.g. timing, allergies, doses etc), schools can share the following contact at the NHS who is happy to support individual parent queries:  Pat Stephens - 0203 317 5076 - patriciastephens@nhs.net

What is coronavirus (COVID-19)?

A coronavirus is a type of virus that causes respiratory tract infections, such as colds and pneumonia. Although coronaviruses usually cause mild symptoms, they can (on rare occasions) cause life-threatening breathing difficulties and death. 

What are the symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

The symptoms of coronavirus are:

• Cough
• High temperature
• Shortness of breath
• A loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell.

But these symptoms are similar to other illnesses, such as cold and flu.

 

What should you do if you think you have Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Stay at home and self isolate if you have either:
 

• A high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back a new, continuous cough – this means you've started coughing repeatedly, or a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell.

• You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you're staying at home.

• Testing for coronavirus is not needed if you're staying at home.
   

If I have been told to self-isolate, what does this mean? 

• Anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days.
   
• If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.
   
• After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine.
  But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 7 days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they're at home for longer than 14 days.

Information:

• If you live with someone who is 70 or over, has a long-term condition, is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 14 days.
• If you have to stay at home together, try to keep away from each other as much as possible.
• After 7 days, if you no longer have a high temperature you can return to your normal routine.
• If you still have a high temperature, stay at home until your temperature returns to normal.
• If you still have a cough after 7 days, but your temperature is normal, you do not need to continue staying at home. A cough can last for several weeks after the infection has gone.
  
  Tips for staying at home

How do I protect myself and my family from Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

The best way to prevent infection and spread of viruses is by practicing good hand hygiene and following the usual recommended actions to prevent the spread of respiratory infections.

• Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water is not available, you can use an alcohol based hand gel (view videos below).
• Always wash your hands when you get home or into work. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze, or cough/sneeze into the crease of your elbow.
• Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards.
• Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

Don't 
Touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.

How to wash your hands 
 

Should I wear a facemask?

The second lockdown has brought with it new regulations for face coverings. With the Tier system in place, there are many public settings across the UK where wearing a face covering is mandatory. These include indoor places where social distancing may be difficult and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet.

For school specific guidance from the government about the wearing of face masks in schools, please see our update to parents, guardians and carers from 9th November.

Click to view Face Masks Letter

 

Who is at risk of being infected with Coronavirus COVID-19?

You may be at risk of infection if you’ve been in contact with someone that has a confirmed COVID-19 infection.

The situation is evolving but to date the following should take appropriate precautions according to the NHS:

• • Those who are 70 or over
• • Those with a long-term condition
• • Those who are pregnant
• • Those with a weakened immune system
   

Advice for caregivers

If you are caring for someone with COVID-19 and using a face mask, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before putting it on and follow these steps:

1. Make sure the mask covers over your nose and mouth completely, and don’t touch the mask once it is on

2. If you need to touch your mask, clean your hands before and after

3. If the mask becomes damp, replace it with a new one

4. When taking your mask off, don’t touch the front of it

5. Throw used face masks away immediately into a closed bin and don’t forget to wash your hands after. Wearing a face mask is not enough to prevent infection and spread without also taking the precautionary measures mentioned earlier.

For further advice and guidance from Public Health England, please visit this link for any updates:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance

What should I do if I am self-isolating, or if the school/college closes? 

You should continue to follow the Stay at Home Advice and Guidance for Households Information. 

If you are well enough, continue to study and teach at home via Microsoft Teams. We believe that strong links between home and college is crucial to your child’s education. We would like to draw your attention to the online platforms that you have access to at home. The logins for these have been provided.

Online Learning Links 

How should I structure my day if I’m at home?

Having a routine can be really helpful. You might like to adapt the below example schedule for your family:

Please download our Daily Routine Calendar to help support you with planning your day to day routines. We also have a Top Tips poster to help to keep you positive while you study at home. 

Daily Routine Calendar 

Top Tips - Studying at Home

Lateral Flow Testing - Frequently Asked Questions

Following the return to college for all students from Monday 8th March, we have started administering the lateral flow tests to all those who have returned their signed consent forms. Along with the other protective measures we are taking, these tests will help staff and students to remain in college safely.

Click to view: COVID-19 Lateral Flow Testing for Parents, Guardians and Carers

What precautions will be in place for my child's return to college in September 2021?

In preparation for a safe return to college for our students, we have set up Asymptomatic Test Sites (ATS) on site for the start of the autumn term. With the assistance of our trained staff, students will undertake two Lateral Flow tests on site, spaced 3 to 4 days apart (therefore operating a staggered start for students). This will help to identify cases of COVID-19 and prevent transmission to support a safe return to college. If you have not already provided us with consent, please click on the link to fill out the form at your earliest convenience https://trhat.co.uk/letter-covidlateraltest/.

For Years 7, 10 and 12, the first test will take place during the morning of Friday 3rd September. All other years will have their first test on Monday 6th September. Face-to-face lessons will then begin for students after they receive a negative test result on their first day of testing, except for Year 13s who will resume their lessons on Tuesday 7th September. If the test reads positive, the student must self-isolate and inform the College of their result. Students who have tested positive should immediately order a confirmatory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.

In addition to these precautionary measures, although not mandatory, students will still be encouraged to continue wearing face masks, maintain social distancing and perform regular handwashing throughout the day. The College are also anticipating the provision of the new carbon dioxide monitors this September launched by the government. The programme will provide sufficient monitors to take readings from across indoor spaces within the College to allow staff to identify where ventilation needs to be improved and let fresh air in, removing air that contains virus particles and reducing the transmission of COVID-19.

The ATS programme is only for individuals with no symptoms and it is crucial that students do not come into college if they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.

What measures will be in place on the day of my child's individual photographs?

The health and safety of all our students is paramount to us and we have been working hard to ensure we can still supply your child’s individual photographs in the safest way possible. As such, we have made contact with Fraser Portraits who have provided us with a risk assessment, outlining the various measures that will be put in place for their onsite presence on the day.

Should you have any concerns, a copy of the risk assessment can be accessed below:

Fraser Portraits Risk Assessment

Advice on social distancing practices during the journey to and from college

"Over the last couple of weeks, as many schools in the borough have opened their doors to increasing numbers of pupils and parents, it is a really important time to remind everyone how vital it is for the whole school community to continue following social distancing measures when travelling to and from school.

We want to provide information for parents and carers to remind them and outline advice on safe social distancing and travel practices on their way to school."

Travelling Back to School

STARS Team