Coronavirus - Key Sources of Information
Please see below key sources of information regarding the Corona Virus
Tuesday 24th March
Today's update
Tuesday 17th March 2020
Updated guidance from the Department for Education and Public Health England for education settings on COVID-19 below:
- Staff and children as well as all members of the household should stay at home for 14 days if they are unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature to avoid spreading infection to others. Otherwise they should attend education or work as normal
- If staff or children become unwell on site with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature they will be sent home;
At present, the current advice remains that no education or children’s social care setting should close in response to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case unless advised to do so by Public Health England. The Chief Medical Officer has advised that the impact of closing schools on both children’s education and on the workforce would be substantial, but the benefit to public health may not be. Decisions on future advice to education or children’s social care settings will be taken based on the latest and best scientific evidence, which at this stage suggests children are a lower risk group.
As a school, we would like to remind parents that if your child presents with any of the symptoms listed above then your child should be off school as per the updated guidance. Please ensure that you contact the school if your child is absent for any reason.
It is important that we have a calm and measured approach - a proportionate response. We do not want to raise alarm amongst the children and we need to make sure the messages that we give to them are age appropriate. They are being brilliant in school at washing their hands and they are happily continuing their classroom learning as usual. Thank you for keeping us informed about your child’s health and for your continuing support. Please note, there is no reason to self-isolate your child unless they have the symptoms described by Public Health England. We will continue to update you regularly.
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We are taking advice from the Department for Education on protecting our pupils and staff from coronavirus (COVID-19). To minimise risk we ask our community to follow good hygiene and also to inform us if your child has recently travelled to a high risk area or has been in close contact with other travellers. We assess risks daily and will inform you of any further developments or actions to take. Please see links below for more information;
Updated 16th March - see below link for published Government stay at home guidance;
Newsround links to use with children;
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51467978
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51698180
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https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-action-plan
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51734855
Guidance for educational settings
Contact Public Health England South London HPT on 0344 326 2052
Department for Education Coronavirus helpline
The Department for Education has launched a new helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows;
Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)
No school should close in response to a suspected (or confirmed) COVID-19 case unless directed to do so by Public Health England.
The importance of hygiene
Personal hygiene is the most important way to tackle COVID-19. Please help us in sharing simple and effective hand hygiene messages.
Public Health England has a dedicated webpage with a range of posters and digital materials at:
https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/101-coronavirus-/resources
Sign up is quick, free and means you will be alerted as more resources are made available.
