COVID-19 guidance reminder

Face coverings

All staff and students must wear a face mask in the following locations: • Entering the school building • When moving around social areas in school, eg on corridors / colonnades / stairways / dining halls • Face coverings must also be worn on school buses and public transport.

Students and staff are permitted to remove their face mask: • In the dining room on both sites and areas designated for eating and drinking; the face mask must be replaced before leaving these areas • When outside the building • When taking part in PE lessons or any other physical activity Students must remove their face mask in classrooms (unless they have medical reason not to do so).

We are aware that some students and staff might not be able to wear a face covering or mask and the reasons may not be visible to others. We must all be respectful of these students and staff. With reference to the Department of Health and Social Care, this includes:

1. Those who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability. 2. Those who would be severely distressed by putting on, wearing or removing a face covering or mask. 3. To avoid harm or injury or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others – including if it would negatively impact on your ability to exercise or participate in a strenuous activity

Where students are exempt from wearing a facemask Mrs Leverton should be contacted by parents/carers and we will provide an exemption lanyard if students do not already have one (lleverton@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk).

Safety measures in school

Students on both school sites should follow the one way system strictly, adhering to the directional arrows for guidance.

At Lumsdale students should walk up the school colonnade inside and down to the front of school using the outside areas. At Starkholmes students go up the stairs at the start of lessons and down them at the end of lessons.

Students should ensure hands are washed regularly, particularly on entering the building and before/after eating.

It is crucial students protect others in school and families at this time by sticking to identified year zones in social times and cleaning desks at the end of lessons.

COVID-19 symptoms or positive test result

If your child has symptoms of COVID-19 (even if they are mild) they MUST take a PCR test, rather than using lateral flow tests that we send home for routine testing/detecting

non-symptomatic cases. This is because many people experience mild symptoms from COVID-19, but may still pass on the virus to others.

The most important symptoms of COVID-19 are recent onset of any of the following:  a new continuous cough  a high temperature  a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell

PCR tests can be arranged online (https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test) or by phone by calling 119. Stay at home while you are waiting for a home test kit, a test site appointment or a test result.

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test result should stay at home and selfisolate immediately and follow the advice from NHS Test and Trace.

Full details can be found on the gov.uk website, the link is below. Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19

If you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, you must self-isolate unless you meet one of the following conditions:  you are fully vaccinated  you are below the age of 18 years 6 months  you have taken part in or are currently part of an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial  you are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons

If you live in the same household as someone who has been identified as a suspected or confirmed case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, these conditions do not apply, and you must stay at home and self-isolate.

If you are required to self-isolate, do not go to work, school, or public areas and do not use public transport or taxis.

Self-isolation period

Your isolation period starts immediately from when your symptoms started, or, if you do not have any symptoms, from when your test was taken. Your isolation period includes the day your symptoms started (or the day your test was taken if you do not have symptoms), and the next 10 full days. This means that if, for example, your symptoms started at any time on the 15th of the month (or if you did not have symptoms but your first positive COVID-19 test was taken on the 15th), your isolation period ends at 23:59hrs on the 25th.