Monday 3rd January 2022

 

Dear Parents and Carers

 

Return to school Wednesday 5th January 2022

 

Happy New Year! We hope that you all enjoyed the Christmas break and had a wonderful time with your families. You will have heard various reports in the media about children returning to school and we would like to give you some guidance about what is happening at St John’s.

 

The school will be re-open on Wednesday at the usual times, with children entering and leaving the school from their usual entry and exit points. We will be returning to year group bubbles and this arrangement will remain in place unless we have a significant rise in the number of Covid cases in any particular year group. During the Christmas holidays we have had just one reported case of Covid and at the moment all teaching staff are well. Enabling face to face education for your children is an absolute priority so please help our community to remain as healthy as possible by testing your children regularly for Covid-19 and by not sending them to school if they have any symptoms of Covid or other illnesses.

 

The government has published new guidance (Sunday 2nd January 2022) which states:

 

Changes to the self-isolation period for individuals who test positive for COVID-19

• The 10 day self-isolation period for people who record a positive PCR test result for COVID-19 has been reduced to 7 days in most circumstances, unless you cannot test for any reason.

• Individuals may now take LFD tests on day 6 and day 7 of their self-isolation period. Those who receive two negative test results are no longer required to complete 10 full days of self-isolation. The first test must be taken no earlier than day 6 of the self-isolation period and tests must be taken 24 hours apart. This also applies to children under 5, with LFD testing at parental or guardian discretion. If both these test results are negative, and you do not have a high temperature, you may end your self-isolation after the second negative test result and return to your education setting from day 8.

• Anyone who is unable to take LFD tests will need to complete the full 10 day period of self-isolation. Further information is available in the stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Daily testing for close contacts of COVID-19

• People who are fully vaccinated, or children and young people aged between 5 and 18 years and 6 months, identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19, should take an LFD test every day for seven days and continue to attend their setting as normal, unless they have a positive test result or develop symptoms at any time. • Children under 5 are not being advised to take part in daily testing of close contacts. If a child under 5 is a contact of a confirmed case, they are not required to self-isolate and should not start daily testing. If they live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 they should limit their contact with anyone who is at higher risk of severe illness if infected with COVID-19, and arrange to take a PCR test as soon as possible. They can continue to attend an education or childcare setting while waiting for the PCR result. If the test is positive, they should follow the stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

 

There is no requirement for primary aged children to wear masks to school. It has been recommended that all adults at school wear masks in communal areas and staff will continue to wear masks when they greet you at the gates. When coming to the school office or visiting a member of staff please wear a mask.

 

We would like to request that:

• Your child takes a LFD test tomorrow before returning to school

• The number of adults bringing/collecting a child to and from school is limited to one person

• You keep to the USUAL staggered start and collection times and leave the school site/ gates as promptly as you can.

• Adults maintain 2 metre social distance from others when at the school gates

• Adults wear masks unless medically exempt

• Adults keep their children with them until it is time to line up or a member of staff has directed the children to line up

• All COVID absences are reported to the school office by phone or via the school office email address (adminoffice@st-johns-gosport.hants.sch.uk) All of these arrangements will be reviewed at the end of January when the government’s Plan B regulations are scheduled to expire.

 

We are looking forward to seeing you all and the children returning to school on Wednesday 5th January 2022.

 

Kind regards

 

Carolyn Wilkinson

Acting Headteacher