Dear Parents and Carers,
I’m emailing you to welcome you and your children back to Newhaven after a hopefully restful Easter break and update you on the new guidance around Covid-19 and other respiratory infections. This term will be another busy one as we get students ready for our first set of exams since 2019. It is not clear yet what the processes are if students have Covid during exams but we will update you as soon as we have been informed (assuming we are).
We will continue to follow guidance for reducing the risk of transmitting respiratory illnesses in school including maintaining good ventilation where possible, encouraging students to wash their hands, catch coughs and sneezes in tissues and requiring students and staff to stay off school if they have symptoms. However, I am also keen that your child is in school as much as possible to avoid missing any more education. The guidance for this has changed significantly:
- Testing has ended as a recommendation for us and indeed we have no tests left. I have tried to order more before Easter but they have yet to arrive.
- It is your choice but I would like to encourage you to make sure your children’s Covid vaccinations are up to date.
- If your child has a temperature and the symptoms of a respiratory infection (eg: cough, change in taste or smell, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue) they should stay at home for three days or until they don’t have a temperature, whichever is sooner.
- If anyone else in your house has these symptoms then your child should still come to school but take extra care with hygiene and avoid close contact as much as possible.
I am hopeful that we will have minimal disruption to the school this term and that as we approach the Summer we can continue on the road to the return to normal.
Yours faithfully,
Jon Kelly
Head Teacher
Newhaven
