Dear Parent/Guardian,
Re: Coronavirus/ COVID19
I write to update you on how we intend to respond to the unfolding situation regarding the Coronavirus outbreak.
As I am sure you will appreciate, we are dealing with a complex and rapidly changing situation. Schools are currently required to remain open for the time being, unless specifically instructed by Public Health England to do otherwise. This is an unprecedented situation and we are following official advice on a daily basis from both the Department for Education and the Department for Health. Whilst I appreciate that there will be a wide range of different views about how we should be responding and what action should be taken, please rest assured that our priority remains the welfare and safeguarding of our pupils and staff and their families.
We are working hard to ensure good hygiene practices are followed, both by pupils’ handwashing and provision of antibacterial hand sanitiser, and our daily cleaning routines of all school buildings. We would appreciate your support in reminding your children of the importance of taking care to wash hands, use tissues, etc.
Following a full discussion with all our Headteachers last week, as a Trust we have decided:
With regards to trips, to cancel all overseas visits for children under 18, as advised, due to concerns over the significant challenges to ensure children’s welfare that staff may face, should children or staff be required to self-isolate or the county visited should impose a lockdown. We have contacted our insurance companies and can confirm that such cancellations are covered and we will endeavour to secure full refunds where the school imposes a cancellation. Domestic trips, both residential and non-residential, can proceed currently, but we will monitor this status carefully and advise you further as we get nearer to departure dates. These will only run where we can be assured that measures are in place and agreed with parents to mitigate risks.
With regards to school events, to cancel major gatherings, including parents’ evenings, to limit the potential spread of the virus. Your school will contact you individually in this regard. Across Warrington, we will continue with sporting fixtures and planned small group activities until advised otherwise.
In the event of high levels of staff absence, we may need to consider changing elements of the timetable and deploying teachers to different groups of children. We will try to ensure learning is disrupted as little as possible and that examination classes are protected as much as we can. There has been no central communication as yet with regards to the impact of the virus on 2020 examinations or details of proposed contingency plans as yet. As such, we will continue to prepare for exams and other assessments as normal. We hope to have more information soon.
With regards to potential partial, full and/or extended school closure, we have been working hard to find alternative access to curriculum resources to support home learning for all children if the need for closure arises. You will be contacted directly by your school about how you can access on-line resources, as necessary, but please see information posted on school websites in this regard.
If pupils feel unwell in school, they should follow the usual school procedures and parents/carers will be contacted. The guidance is based on having symptoms of a new, continuous cough and/or a high temperature (above 37.8C) and advises ‘self-isolation’ for 7 days. If your child is presenting such symptoms at home, then please inform us in the usual attendance-related way and you should follow the advice:
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
If your symptoms worsen, you should then call NHS 111.
If you are concerned about the advice given for schools, you can access:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19
I trust the information outlined in this letter is helpful and reassuring. Please do not hesitate to contact your individual schools or me directly, should you feel we be of some further assistance. We will keep you updated on this matter as best we can.
Yours sincerely,
Jon Wright,
Chief Executive Officer,
Omega Multi-Academy Trust.