Information from the Department for Education.
You will be aware that the government issued new advice during the February half term holidays about self-isolation and testing which affects you and your child. This letter sets out what the new guidance is.
Government advice is still that your child should stay at home and avoid contact with other people if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or have COVID-19 symptoms. If your child is symptomatic, they should get a PCR test as soon as possible. Your child can return to school after 10 full days isolation. They may be able to return earlier if they test negative for two days in a row from day 5 of self-isolation and do not have a temperature. If they continue to test positive during the 10-day isolation they can return after completing 10 full days isolation.
Your child will still receive work to do at home if they need to self-isolate, as well as free school meal support if they are eligible for this.
If your child is considered clinically vulnerable they should still attend school and should follow any additional advice they may have been given by their doctor.
School will continue to take a number of measures to reduce the spread of the virus, including thorough cleaning, ensuring spaces are well ventilated and encouraging good hygiene.
(Please look for the latest guidance on the .GOV and NHS websites)
“Respiratory infections are common in children and young people, particularly during the winter months. Symptoms can be caused by several respiratory infections including the common cold, COVID-19 and RSV.
For most children and young people, these illnesses will not be serious, and they will soon recover following rest and plenty of fluids. Attending education is hugely important for children and young people’s health and their future. Children and young people with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting.
Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare, and resume normal activities when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend.
All children and young people with respiratory symptoms should be encouraged to cover their mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when coughing and/or sneezing and to wash their hands after using or disposing of tissues.”
“It is not recommended that children and young people are tested for COVID-19 unless directed to by a health professional.
Children and young people who usually go to school, college or childcare and who live with someone who has a positive COVID-19 test result should continue to attend as normal.”
“People who live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 are at the highest risk of becoming infected because they are most likely to have prolonged close contact. People who stayed overnight in the household of someone with COVID-19 while they were infectious are also at high risk.
If you are a household or overnight contact of someone who has had a positive COVID -19 test result it can take up to 10 days for your infection to develop. It is possible to pass on COVID-19 to others, even if you have no symptoms.
You can reduce the risk to other people by taking the following steps:
If you are a contact of someone with COVID-19 but do not live with them or did not stay in their household overnight, you are at lower risk of becoming infected. There is guidance on protecting yourself and others in living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19.”
Documents Post Reductions in Restrictions (February 2022 onwards)
Prior to returning to school in both September 2020 and September 2021 a lot of work was put into preparing the site and the staff for a COVID-safe return to full time education for the children following the latest guidance and information. In additional to the training for staff a range of documentation is available to families to aid in discussions to prepare the children for the return after a long break from the usual type of learning.
The document store at the bottom of this page contains copies of the school Risk Assessments, guidance from the Local Authority and Government. As additional documents are released these will be added to the document list below.
In additional to planning for the return to school, plans have been put in place for closing gaps in learning due to disruption to normal routines, to aid the mental well-being of the pupils and staff and to deal with potential short and longer term absence due to COVID infections in the school community. The guidance includes details of the school’s provision for Home Learning in the event of short term absence, self-isolation or the collapse of a bubble.
These plans can be seen in the school contingency planning document below.
Schools’ allocations will be calculated on a per pupil basis, providing each mainstream school with a total of £80 for each pupil in years reception through to 11.
As the catch-up premium has been designed to mitigate the effects of the unique disruption caused by coronavirus (COVID-19), the grant will only be available for the 2020 to 2021 academic year. It will not be added to schools’ baselines in calculating future years’ funding allocations.
Schools should use this funding for specific activities to support their pupils to catch up for lost teaching over the previous months, in line with the guidance on curriculum expectations for the next academic year. (See also EEF – School Planning Guide 2020-21 )
Schools have the flexibility to spend their funding in the best way for their cohort and circumstances.
At Harewood Primary School, we had 103 pupils on roll at the time of application, which means we will receive a total of £8,240. We will receive this in instalments through the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms of this school year.
As with all government funding, school leaders must be able to account for how this money is being used to achieve our central goal of schools getting back on track and teaching a normal curriculum as quickly as possible.
Given their role in ensuring schools spend funding appropriately and in holding schools to account for educational performance, governors and trustees should scrutinise schools’ approaches to catch-up from September, including their plans for and use of catch-up funding. This should include consideration of whether schools are spending this funding in line with their catch-up priorities, and ensuring appropriate transparency for parents. (DfE guidance – Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium – updated 24/08/2020)
DfE asks that schools meet the following key expectations:
This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education where national or local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home. There are also details of what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating or away from school for a short time waiting for test results.
Documents Post Reductions in Restrictions (February 2022)
Pre- February 2022 Documentation
Post – February 2022 reduction in regulations
Pre – February 2022 Documents