Dear Parents/Carers

This weekend the Government announced changes to the expectations for wearing face coverings and masks in schools to limit the spread of the new covid-19 variant.

The specific guidance states:

• Face coverings should be worn in communal areas in all settings by staff, visitors and pupils or students in year 7 and above, unless they are exempt.
• Pupils or students (in year 7 or above) should continue to wear face coverings on public and dedicated school transport, unless they are exempt.

Please can you support us by providing your child with a mask to wear from Wednesday 1 December onwards when they return to school.

Students will be expected to wear masks in corridors and other indoor communal areas, unless they are seating down to eat their lunch.

In recent weeks, we have seen an increase in the number of positive cases in the local area and school.

Additional Government advice includes:

• Testing
  • Encouraging staff and students to test twice weekly using lateral flow device (LFD) tests.
• Contact Tracing and Isolation
  • The current guidance on contact tracing and isolation remains in place. In addition to these, any suspected or confirmed close contacts of the Omicron variant will be asked to isolate for 10 days regardless of vaccination status or age. You will be contacted directly and told to isolate.
• Vaccination
  • All eligible staff and students aged 12 and over are encouraged to take up the offer of the vaccine, including boosters.
  • Vaccines are our best defence against COVID-19. They help protect young people and adults, and benefit those around them. Vaccination makes people less likely to catch the virus and less likely to pass it on.
  • To book a vaccination, please visit: Book or manage a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Thank you for your support in these measures to limit the spread of the virus.

Best wishes

Rob James