Highfields School
Issue 04: 2 October 2020
Newsletter Coronavirus guidance Advice if students (and staff) display symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) We are aware that many students will get everyday illnesses on their return to school after not mixing for so long. Public Health England (PHE) has asked us to inform families, to help PHE ensure that they are able to identify those with coronavirus while avoiding a huge increase in demand for tests from people without coronavirus symptoms. If students (or staff) become unwell during the school day with: a new, continuous cough (this is defined as coughing a lot for more than an hour, or have three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours), or a high temperature (above 37.8C), or a loss of, or change in, the normal sense of taste or smell they will be sent home and advised to follow the guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection (see link below), and must: self-isolate for at least 10 days (or until a negative result is given) arrange to have a test to see if they have coronavirus (Covid-19) and inform school of the results as soon as possible. Students should not be sent into school if they are displaying the symptoms mentioned above. If there is anyone in your household who is symptomatic all household members will need to isolate and follow the stay at home guidance from the gov.uk website below. To get a test you need to ring 119. You should be aware that once you have asked for a test, the whole household needs to isolate until a negative result is given. Please update school of any test results as quickly as possible. Stay at home guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance Guidance on how to get tested: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested
Public Health have advised: As schools and colleges across England return, students may feel unwell for example with a sore throat, aches and pains, a stomach upset, a runny nose, tiredness or a headache. If students have these symptoms (without the temperature, continuous cough or loss of smell symptom), then they don’t need to have a test. The decision as to whether or not they come to school or stay at home should be taken as you would do in normal times (they are not required to stay off school). Where a child has a sickness bug, as always, they must be kept off school for 48 hours.
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