Highfields School
Issue 06: 16 October 2020
Newsletter School News COVID responses To help parents/carers, staff and students understand our responses to any positive COVID cases I thought I’d update you on the process we go through as a school when we receive notification of a positive case. When a parent/carer calls to inform us of a positive case we need some key information from them: The date symptoms started The date the test was taken The date the result was received The names of ‘close contacts’ of their child during social times at school and any students they have spent time with as close contacts after school If the student caught a bus to school and what number it was. We also check in to see how the student is feeling. A close contact is: A person who has had face to face contact with them within one metre Contact within one metre for one minute or longer without face to face contact Someone who has been within 2 metres for more than 15 minutes A person who has travelled in a small vehicle with them, or near them on a large vehicle or plane I then look at our seating plans to work out how many close contacts there are from lessons, identifying any students who have sat within 2m of them in any lessons during their contagious time prior to developing symptoms. I have to go and look in individual classrooms to check exactly where desks are and how much room there is. Once I have all of this information I call through to the Public Health England Schools helpline who take the information from me. If the case is the only one in a year group and if we are confident we have identified all close contacts we only need to ask those students to stay off school and to self-isolate for 14 days. I then update the Local Education Authority and the school nursing team. If there is more than one case in a year group, or there is uncertainty around close contacts, then I receive a call back from East Midlands Public Health. They go through all of the information, contact the parents/carers where there are positive cases and review the school risk assessment. They then give school advice on what steps to take next. So, what have I learnt this week? It is really important that parents/carers keep children in their home if they test positive or are asked to self-isolate. It is key parents/carers know where their children are and who they are with so close contacts can easily be traced. Unless there is a really urgent situation (such as urgent first aid) staff need to keep 2m away from students and other staff so they are not classed as close contacts.
Be the best you can
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