This page has been provided to give families key information about the school during the Coronavirus pandemic and to provide you with regular updates regarding any school closure.

School status

The school is fully open for all pupils of all ages.

^{The Government may instruct that the school is to close again to pupils other than those who are Critical Worker or vulnerable children. In this instance, the school will define vulnerable pupils as those who have social care involvement, have an EHCP, are Looked After Children (LAC; SGO) or are Post Looked After Children (PLAC). Critical Worker and vulnerable children would be taught from 8:45am to 3:30pm in our 'Rainbow' classes. All information regarding Rainbow class would be sent to families at the time and would be accessed at the bottom of this page.}

Attendance

With the removal of free LFD tests on the 1st April 2022, the DfE have stated that any child who is displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 should not attend school for 3 days or until they no longer display symptoms. Attendance is mandatory for all children aged 5 and over. All attendance will be recorded and monitored, with any absence being dealt with through the usual attendance procedure. Parents should be aware that exceeding ten sessions of unauthorised absence may result in them receiving a fine from the Local Authority. If the whole school is closed or there is a bubble closure, pupil absence is marked with an authorised code and no fines are issued.

What happens if my child has been in contact with someone who has tested positive ?

With the removal of free testing from 1st April 2022, if your child develops any of the symptoms of COVID, the DfE recommends that they do not attend school for a period of 3 days or until they no longer present with COVID symptoms. Should your child have undertaken a PCR and the results are positive, the guidance is that they isolate for 3 days following the test. These details apply to both term-time and school holidays.

If your child does test positive or display COVID symptoms and they will not attending school, please send an email to: absence@putteridgeprimaryschool.org.uk

 

What is the Coronavirus and what are the symptoms?

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a type of virus. As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world. COVID-19 is a strain of coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, China in January 2020.

The incubation period of COVID-19 is between 2 and 14 days. This means that if a person remains well 14 days after contact with someone with confirmed Coronavirus, it is unlikely that they have been infected.

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

In addition, the NHS have added the following to the list of symptoms (as of 4th April 2022):

• shortness of breath;
• feeling tired or exhausted;
• an aching body;
• a headache;
• a sore throat;
• a blocked or runny nose;
• loss of appetite;
• diarrhoea;
• feeling sick or being sick.

A note on the NHS website adds: "The symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu."

Preventing the spread of infection:

The best way to prevent infection is through hygiene. Some general principles that help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses include:

• washing your hands often with soap and water
• covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in a bin. See Catch it, Bin it, Kill it
• use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available
• avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• wearing a face covering
• clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
• ventilating rooms
• socially distance from others, keeping a minimum of 2m apart

To find out current, up to date information about the spread of Coronavirus, please visit this link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

Important information

As a school, we follow Government advice and instruction regarding COVID-19. We will regularly update parents about any changes that need to be implemented and the reasons behind these - these will be communicated by ParentMail.

Whilst children and staff are at school, we are doing everything that we can to ensure that no infection happens. Children and staff are encouraged regularly to wash their hands throughout the day, hand sanitisers are located in every classroom and throughout the school and full cleaning takes place daily. Disinfectant spray is used throughout the day in any teaching area, to ensure that surfaces remain as clean and hygienic as possible.