St Stephen's Infant School

St Stephen's Infant School

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Welcome to

St Stephen's Infant School

  1. Parents/Carers
  2. Covid-19 Support

Covid-19 Support

We will be using this page to share useful information, resources and links to help you through the Covid-19 outbreak.

If you have any questions or concerns please email enquiries@ststephensinf.org.uk 

 

 

Thursday September 2nd 2021

Welcome back to school!

Please see below for our 'Welcome back to school' letter, updated Risk Assessment Covid Outbreak Contingency plan.

Further down the page is a letter from S.Glos Council and an NHS leaflet re: returning to school.

The three documents have been emailed to all parents/carers.

If you have any questions/feedback please email enquiries@ststephensinf.org.uk 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Covid Update Monday 26th October - emailed to all Reception parents/carers

Dear Parents/Carers of Reception children,
 
Overnight two members of our Reception Team tested positive for Coronavirus - both members of staff are generally well. 
Covid- 19 symptoms started for both members of staff on Thursday 22/10 - this means all Reception staff and children need to self-isolate up to and including Wednesday 4/11/20.
 
All Reception children can return to school on Thursday 5/11/20 - as long as they are well and symptom-free.
 
Apologies for any further inconvenience this causes, you'll understand we have to follow the guidance/timelines given to us by South West Public Health England Team and the local authority. 
 
We will let you know arrangements for home learning for the Mon/Tues/Weds of next week.
 
Take care,
 
Mr Ruck
Headteacher

Saturday 24 October 2020

FOR PARENTS/CARERS OF CLOSE CONTACTS OF A SINGLE CONFIRMED CASE OF COVID-19 at St Stephen’s Infant School.

 

Advice for children in Red, Blue and Yellow Classes to Self-Isolate until Sunday 1st November 2020

 

Dear parent/carer,

We have been advised that there has been a single confirmed case of Covid-19 within staff working in our Reception classes. The member of staff first showed symptoms on Sunday 18th October and has been self-isolating since then. The positive test result came through late last night .

 We have followed Public Health England (PHE) guidance and are working closely with PHE and South Gloucestershire Council’s public health and education teams. We have identified that your child has been in close contact with the affected person, as part of the same bubble. In line with national guidance and our risk assessment, we ask that you keep your child at home and self-isolated until Sunday 1st November returning to school on Monday 2nd November.  This will be 14 days from the date when the member of staff first showed symptoms.

 We are asking you to do this as a precaution, to help stop the spread of Covid-19 to other members of the community. Please note that this is in line with the government’s new legal obligation to self-isolate.

 National guidance states only those identified as a close contact of a confirmed case must isolate: 

  • Provided your child does not develop symptoms within the isolation period, other members of your household can continue their usual activities. If your child does develop symptoms, all members of your household must isolate for 14 days from the day your child’s symptoms started.
  • Siblings within your household can still attend school/go out as normal as long as your child isolating does not have symptoms and the sibling is symptom-free.
  • You do not need to request a test for your child unless they display symptoms as outlined below.

 Please see the link to the PHE Staying at Home Guidance

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

 

What to do if your child develops symptoms of Covid-19

 If your child develops symptoms of Covid-19, you should arrange for your child to be tested through the NHS online portal www.nhs.uk or by calling 119. All members of your household should then isolate for as long as you are advised to do so. Please do not request a test unless your child develops symptoms.

 Symptoms of Covid-19

 If your child has any of these symptoms, get a test as soon as possible. Visit: www.nhs.uk/coronavirus. If you are unable to use the webpage, call 119. DO NOT call 111 to try and book a test.

  • a high temperature – where your child feels hot to touch on their chest or back
  • or a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot, for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
  • or a loss or change to sense of smell or taste – this means they cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

For most children, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

 It is fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or cold. They should attend school if they are fit to do so. But if they have a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes. Get advice from NHS 111 if you’re worried about your child and not sure what to do – it could be another illness and not Covid-19.

 South Gloucestershire Council has produced a quick Covid-19: Is my child too ill for school? guide for parents and carers to help you understand when NOT to send your child to school, the steps to take and when to send them back. Visit www.southglos.gov.uk/schoolreturn to view the guide.

 How to stop Covid-19 spreading

 Remember there are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with Covid-19. It is everyone’s responsibility to do the right thing.

 HANDS, FACE, SPACE:

  • Wash your hands regularly
  • *Wear a face covering in all shops, indoor and hospitality venues, on public transport and taxis
  • Keep your distance from others

 

*Exemptions include: children under the age of 11, people with breathing difficulties and people living with a disability.

 Further information

 Further information is available at www.nhs.uk

 Please be assured that we have followed and continue to follow all Public Health England guidance for infection control and to minimise any potential spread.

 We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you and your family. We would like to thank parents, carers and children for their support and understanding in this unsettling time, when everyone’s safety and wellbeing is our top priority.

 If you have any worries or questions please do not hesitate to contact us. 

 Yours sincerely,

Tim Ruck,

Headteacher.

                         

Friday 23 October 2020

Dear Parents/Carers,

Over the last week we have been made aware of several children/staff in our school who have tested positive for Covid-19.

We are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England and South Gloucestershire Public Health and Education teams. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (Covid-19) will be a mild illness.

The small number of children/staff who have been in direct prolonged contact with the confirmed cases will have received an individual letter and will be staying at home for 14 days.

The school will reopen on Monday 2nd November and, providing your child remains well, they can continue to attend school as normal. We will keep this under review.

What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19

If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, you should organise for your child to be tested via the NHS online portal or by calling 119. Your household should isolate until you receive the test results giving the all clear.

Please see the table below for advice on what you should do if your child tests positive over half term.

Symptoms of COVID 19

The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:

  • new continuous cough and/or
  • high temperature
  • a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

 

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

How to stop COVID-19 spreading

There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19

Do:

  • wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
  • use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
  • wash your hands as soon as you get home

 

  • cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
  • put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

 

Further information

Further information is available at

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

and

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/

 

Take care.

 

Yours sincerely,

Tim Ruck

Headteacher

 

 

HALF TERM – WHO DO I CONTACT IF MY CHILD TESTS POSITIVE IN HALF TERM

Who to inform                                                                           What information to provide

SATURDAY

24 October

Email Duty Consultant Duty.Consultant@southglos.gov.uk

Remember:

Your whole household needs to self-isolate for 14 days

·       The name of the school / setting

·       The year group and class your child is in

·       When your child’s symptoms started

SUNDAY

25 October

Email Duty Consultant Duty.Consultant@southglos.gov.uk

Remember:

Your whole household needs to self-isolate for 14 days

·       The name of the school / setting

·       The year group and class your child is in

·       When your child’s symptoms started

MONDAY

26 October

Email Duty Consultant Duty.Consultant@southglos.gov.uk

Remember:

Your whole household needs to self-isolate for 14 days

·       The name of the school / setting

·       The year group and class your child is in

·       When your child’s symptoms started

TUESDAY

27 October

Email Duty Consultant Duty.Consultant@southglos.gov.uk

Remember:

Your whole household needs to self-isolate for 14 days

·       The name of the school / setting

·       The year group and class your child is in

·       When your child’s symptoms started

WEDNESDAY

28 October to SUNDAY 1 November

Email enquiries@ststephensinf.org.uk  

Remember:

Your whole household needs to self-isolate for 14 days

Let the school / setting know when symptoms started, then count 10 days after this to get the date your child will be able to return to school if they are well enough.

Why do we need to do different things at the beginning of half term?

When Covid-19 symptoms start the person is infectious 48 hours before this and up to 10 days afterwards.  If your child gets symptoms from Monday of half term onwards and then gets tested positive you won’t need to alert the school/setting.

You will need to let all those your child has been in close contact with know they have tested positive and they will need to self-isolate.

This includes letting any half term out of school case / holiday clubs / activity clubs know about symptoms and test results too.

There’s lots of useful Covid-19 information for parents and carers here:

Returning to School

Guidance for events and celebrating occasions

Is my child too ill for school?

My Child’s bubble is closed what do I need to do?

Support Payment scheme link  (telephone number 01454 434087 Mon-Fri   9:00 - 17:00)

 

Please click here to read Frequently Asked Questions related to positive Covid cases in schools.

If you have any questions please email the school on enquiries@ststephensinf.org.uk 

Please click on the below letters and advice:

 

Social Distance Guidance

 

Letter to Parents and Carers

 

NHS Letter to Parents/Carers Sept 2020

 

NHS Info on Covid-19 Testing for Under Fives

Why could Under 5s not be tested up until now?

It was necessary to review and validate the existing supply of testing swabs in order to ensure that they could be clinically approved for the testing over Under-5s. This has now been complete and the extension of eligibility is now appropriate.

Aren’t the testing swabs used for adults unsafe for Under-5s? We have followed updated clinical guidance throughout on the suitability of testing swabs for use on children under the age of 5. This is being supplemented by updated instructions for parents and guardians of those under 5.

Why are Scotland and Wales not able to test Under5s: Testing eligibility is the responsibility of each individual Devolved Administration.

Will it hurt/cause them harm?

It is possible that children may experience some mild discomfort, but it should not hurt. 

Who carries out the test? Children under 5 must have the test performed by a parent or guardian.

How do I book a test for my under 5 child? You can ask for a test online at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-for-coronavirus/ask-for-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/

 

We'll ask you:

how you want to get the test – you may be able to choose between driving to a regional testing site or getting a home test kit

for details such as your name, mobile phone number and address

The Coronavirus Testing Call Centre is available to assist eligible individuals through the process of booking and taking a test for Coronavirus. The Call Centre handles all enquiries about the testing process, from how someone books an appointment, to what they do upon receipt of their result. 

The Coronavirus Testing Call Centre can be contacted on 119 (in England and Wales) and 0300 303 2713 (in Scotland and Northern Ireland) between the hours of 7am – 11pm.

The service can be accessed by people with hearing or speech difficulties by calling 18001 119 (in England and Wales) or 18001 0300 303 2713 (in Scotland and Northern Ireland).

 

 How will their results be shared?

When a child takes a test, their parent/guardian will be told how results will be passed to them. This may be by email or by text or both.  We are aiming to return results within 48 hours of tests taken at regional test sites and 72 hours for home tests.

Planning for the potential return to school for our Reception/Y1 pupils.

Wednesday 13/5/20

Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope you, your family and friends are well.

The government released their first set of guidance documents on the reopening of schools late on Monday evening. We have been working through these, along with Local Authority advice, to draft a plan for St Stephen’s Infant School. Clearly there are a lot of important health and safety measures we need to consider and risk assess. This will take time and I will keep you posted throughout and share our final plan as soon as it is ready.

It is important to understand that the decision to reopen schools is still subject to change and is currently open to question from professional associations and teaching unions. Please note we will continue to be open for the children of keyworkers in all year groups.

As you know, the safety of our school community is paramount and we are fully committed to minimising risk. I would like to clarify that if schools reopen on June 1st we will be unable to provide full-time education for all Reception and Y1 children at the same time. As a large infant school, already catering for the children of key workers, we will need to limit the number of non-keyworker children coming into school. In order to comply with government guidance on social distancing, teaching in small groups etc we will have to operate a rota system for the children.

We are currently establishing staffing levels and risk assessing appropriately-sized learning spaces so we can calculate exactly how many children we can safely support at any one time. Safety comes first and we will review our provision as we go. For example, we may have to initially focus on just half of Reception for the first week and the other half the next week. If we can then include Y1 children we will – but only if it is safe to do so. This stance is supported by the guidance and our governing body.

To help us plan our provision we would appreciate all Reception and Y1 parents/carers – including Reception/Y1 keyworkers – to complete our Doodle Poll survey by midday Friday 15th May 2020. We are asking whether you intend to send your child back to school if we reopen from 1st June.  Please answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ – there is also a comment box. Your response and comments will only be seen by the school. Please share this poll with other Reception/Y1 parents/carers so we have a clear understanding of the number of children we need to plan for.

This is the link to the poll: https://doodle.com/poll/t5umugrdsfat8xvw

 Below is a link to the Department for Education’s Guidance for Parents/Carers on the reopening of schools. Please take the time to read through this as it may well answer any questions you have.

If you would like more detail, there are links within this document to the guidance we are following regarding planning for reopening.  

DfE Guidance for Parents/Carers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/reopening-schools-and-other-educational-settings-from-1-june

Please note the government guidance states:

‘No one with symptoms should attend a setting for any reason. Eligible children – including priority groups - are strongly encouraged to attend their education setting, unless they are self-isolating or they are clinically vulnerable (in which case they should follow medical advice). If someone in their household is extremely clinically vulnerable, they should only attend if stringent social distancing can be adhered to, and the child is able to understand and follow those instructions. Families should notify their nursery/school/college as normal if their child is unable to attend so that staff can explore the reason with them and address barriers together. Parents will not be fined for non-attendance at this time, and schools and colleges will not be held to account for attendance levels.

For more information on this please see below: ‘Should I keep my child at home if they have an underlying health condition or live with someone in a clinically vulnerable group?’

Many thanks for your continued understanding and support during these challenging times.

Take care and stay safe.

Yours sincerely,

Tim Ruck

Headteacher.

 

Should I keep my child at home if they have an underlying health condition or live with someone in a clinically vulnerable group?

Children and young people who are considered extremely clinically vulnerable and shielding should continue to shield and should not be expected to attend.

Clinically vulnerable (but not clinically extremely vulnerable) people are those considered to be at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus. A minority of children will fall into this category, and parents should follow medical advice if their child is in this category.

Children and young people who live in a household with someone who is extremely clinically vulnerable and shielding should only attend if stringent social distancing can be adhered to and the child or young person is able to understand and follow those instructions.  Children and young people who live with someone who is clinically vulnerable (but not extremely clinically vulnerable) as defined in the social distancing guidance and including those who are pregnant, can attend.

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 This is a link to the Education Endowment Foundation's Resources for Parents/Carers.

Some really useful tips for helping maintain routines etc during the Covid crisis.
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/…/support-reso…/

We Miss You!
Thank you to Mrs Nicholls for organising the SSIS staff rainbow video

(and to all the staff for sending pix in)

We hope you enjoy it!

 

SSIS Shotgun!

Mrs Manning (Music Subject Leader) has written and performed a home schooling-inspired version of Shotgun. If your child would like to singalong (with the family too) please film and email it to enquiries@ststephensinf.org.uk 
Thank you and well done to Mrs Manning!

'Looking After Yourself, Looking After Your Children' contains useful info on helping to deal with the current Covid-19 outbreak.

In particular, some tips on how to look after your family's well-being. It includes links to useful websites, home learning ideas and details of organisations available to support you.

The summer break is nearly here! The Mind You website has lots of up to date information, resources and activities available for children and young people with regards to their mental health.

This includes how services are operating, a 30 day challenge, 10 ways to be kind, anxiety and sleep toolkits and much more.

The page is being updated on a regular basis and within the second half of the school holidays there should be lots on there around returning to school and reducing anxiety.

https://sites.southglos.gov.uk/mind-you/coronavirus-covid-19-useful-information/

The 'Rainy Days' Story  [Click on the title to open file] is about some bees who cannot go outside!

Mindfulness and relaxation exercises

 

Parents/carers can do these with younger children to help manage anxiety.

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga

 

https://www.headspace.com/meditation/kids  

Please see below for a simple social story that explains the Coronavirus for your child.