Covid 19 Information

Important information for the Christmas holidays 

If your child tests positive for coronavirus having developed symptoms within 48 hours of having been in school, please notify us as soon as possible so we can complete the relevant tracking and tracing process with public health and notify any other children or staff who have been close contacts and need to self-isolate. Please contact Mrs Chiswell via ClassDojo, or if you are unable to access ClassDojo please email admin@aldbury.herts.sch.uk.  Please don’t call the school telephone as this won’t be covered during the holidays.

Remember as soon as your child or any member of your household develops symptoms, they must start self-isolating immediately and book a test.

Main symptoms of coronavirus are:

•  a high temperature

•  a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot, for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours

•  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

If you’re not sure whether symptoms suggest that they have coronavirus or an everyday cough or cold, you can consult this online NHS symptom checker: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/

Please do not send children back to nursery or school if any of the following apply:

•  they have symptoms of COVID-19

•  they, any members of your household, or any close contacts (including extended family or friends they have seen and bubbles at half-term activities and sports clubs) have tested positive for COVID-19

• they haven’t completed the full 14 day isolation period requested

If you or your family are affected by COVID-19 and need support locally with things like shopping, getting medication or financial advice, visit: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/coronavirus

Local COVID-19 alert levels and restrictions

As you know Hertfordshire is currently at ‘MEDIUM’ Tier 2 in the local COVID alert level framework. Please continue to adhere to all of the guidelines.  We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will update you of any changes to Hertfordshire’s alert level if needed.

Safety Measures in school

Essential measures include:

• a requirement that people who are ill stay at home
• robust hand and respiratory hygiene
• enhanced cleaning arrangements
• active engagement with NHS Test and Trace
• formal consideration of how to reduce contacts and maximise distancing between those in school wherever possible and minimise potential for contamination so far as is reasonably practicable.  Children will remain in their bubbles as they have been doing over the last half term, the only change will be that the bubble will be bigger e.g. Class1 will be a bubble, Class 2 will be another bubble.  The children will not be able to mix across bubbles.
• staff maintaining distance from pupils and other staff as much as possible

Additional measures

• Staggered drop off and collections times to prevent gatherings at the school gates or on the playground 
• Parents will only be allowed on site with an appointment.
• The children from Year 2 ( at times) – Year 6 will be sat side by side at desks facing the front, (over the last half term children have commented that they enjoy working like this)
• Staggered lunch time and break times will continue for the foreseeable future and there will be a rota system in place for use of equipment and the ‘Trim trail’ equipment.
• To speed up getting the children in and out of school we are continuing to ask that rucksacks and book bags are not brought on site.  The children will be given a clear wallet for their reading book and home learning book
• From September the school will be providing each child with a named water bottle to ensure the bottle stays in school
• On days when the children have PE they will be allowed to wear their PE kits to school – please can I ask that you refer to the Uniform Policy to ensure the children are in appropriate PE kit.

Drop off & Collection timings.

The same procedure that have been in place this half term will remain in place for September - Siblings can be dropped off at the earliest time together and collected at the earliest time.

Engaging with the NHS Test and Trace process

Anyone who displays symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) can and should get a test. Tests can be booked online through the NHS testing and tracing for coronavirus website, or ordered by telephone via NHS 119 for those without access to the internet.

The most important symptoms of coronavirus (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 (anosmia)
   

Parents/carers understand and will need to be ready and willing to:

• book a test if they are displaying symptoms. Children must not come into the school if they have symptoms, and must be sent home to self-isolate if they develop them in school. All children can be tested, including children under 5, but children aged 11 and under will need to be helped by their parents/carers if using a home testing kit
• provide details of anyone they have been in close contact with if they were to test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or if asked by NHS Test and Trace
• self-isolate if they have been in close contact with someone who develops coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms or someone who tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19)

Below is the link to the latest stay at home guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID -19)

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

Attendance & Uniform

School attendance will be mandatory again from the beginning of the autumn term. This means from that point, the usual rules on school attendance will apply, including:

• parents’ duty to ensure that their child attends regularly at school where the child is a registered pupil at school and they are of compulsory school age;
• schools’ responsibilities to record attendance and follow up absence
• notify the school office by 9.30am if your child is absent from school
• All children will be required to be back in full school uniform from September.  Children should come to school in their PE kit on the days they have PE.

  Class	PE Days
  Class 4	Wednesday & Friday
  Class 3	Wednesday & Thursday
  Class 2	Tuesday & Friday
  Class 1	Monday & Friday