Tuesday 13^th January 2022

 Dear Parents & Carers,

COVID-19 Update

I am writing this letter in order to provide you with a further update on the situation at school regarding COVID-19.  So far we have 19 pupils who have tested positive therefore I have spoken to the Department for Public Health in Lancashire, who agree that due to the increasing number of children testing positive we now need to move to our Covid-19 Contingency plan and use additional control measures reduce the risk of the virus spreading further. 

Below, is a list of the additional safety measures we have implemented from today:

ADDITIONAL MEASURES

• Reinstated class ‘bubbles’ and social distancing measures
• Reinstated adult use of face around the school premises
• Reduced the number of visitors in school
• No large indoor gatherings, such as whole school worships
• Increased hand hygiene procedures for pupils, staff & visitors
• Increased surface hygiene procedures
• Increased respiratory hygiene procedures
• No unnecessary mixing of Key Stages during playtimes, lunchtimes, breakfast and after school clubs
• Asking parents/ carers to ring the school or email with any issues or questions rather than coming into school

 Clubs, tutoring and boosters will continue with the exception of changes with

Breakfast Club

Form Monday 17^th this will only be for parents who work from 8.00 am ( if you have filled in a critical worker form before we do not need another one we have you on file ) and then all other children from 8.30 am onwards in classes.

Art Club

Year 6 will no longer be able to attend Art club this term (we will open it to them again later in the year ). A letter will be going out tomorrow  for Year 6 Boosters classes on Thursday night from next week which they will be advised to attend.

 As you are no doubt aware, the guidance regarding positive results on a lateral Flow Device (LFD) changed this week.  The guidance now states that anyone with a positive LFD result is not required to take a confirmatory Polymerase Chain Reaction test (PCR).  If you receive a positive LFD result, you should isolate immediately and assume you have COVID.  This is a temporary measure and has been brought in because of the extremely high rates of COVID throughout the country.

However, it is important to remember that these new rules only relate to positive LFD results.  The official guidance still states that anyone with symptoms should immediately book a PCR test.  LFD tests detect proteins and are very good at identifying people who have high levels of coronavirus, but a negative LFD test is no guarantee that COVID is not present.  Therefore, in order to keep our school family safe, please book a PCR test whenever COVID symptoms are present.  Please also remember that the Test & Trace Support Payment can only be claimed following a positive PCR test.

Below, you will find a reminder of the additional safety measures you could implement at home.

RECOMMENDED SAFETY MEASURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED AT HOME:

• Regular use of LFD tests
• Frequent hand washing
• Extra vigilance in identifying the primary symptoms of COVID-19
• New, continuous cough
• High temperature
• Loss or change in normal sense of taste (ageusia)
• Loss or change in normal sense of smell (anosmia)
• Inform school as soon as possible of any positive LFD or PCR test results

 Please note, we have also found that the children in school, who have tested positive, have often displayed the softer symptoms of COVID-19 so please be extra vigilant in identifying symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue and tummy upsets, including vomiting & diarrhoea.

 I would like to thank all parents and carers who have tested their children swiftly when advised and requested recently. Being able to act on this information has enabled school to implement additional safety measures quickly and has undoubtedly helped to keep our All Saints’ family as safe as possible.

 I would also like to pass on my very best wishes to the children and the staff who have tested positive. I hope they have a speedy recovery and I hope to see them back in school very soon. I will of course be monitoring this situation closely and I will keep all parents updated regularly should the situation change.

 Best wishes

Sarah Partington

 Head teacher