School Safety
Do not send your child to school if they present with a high temperature, and/or a persistent cough or have a loss of sense of smell/taste. Please follow the latest government guidance click here.
Department for Education Coronavirus Helpline
The Department for Education has launched a new helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows:
Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)
It remains Government advice that no school should close in response to a suspected or confirmed Covid-19 case, unless advised to do so by Public Health England.We will continue to keep you updated on the governments response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Blenheim Primary School Covid-19
September 2020
Parent Information Pack – Control Measures
Covid-19 Risk Assessment – Blenheim Primary School updated 04.01.2020
Home School Agreement Covid-19
HM Government – Returning to Primary School – What Parents Need to Know
Booklet for Parents – Returning to Schools by NHS and PHE 03.9.2020
July 2020
June 2020
To view the E21c Model for Reopening Primary Schools, please click here
FAQS
What happens if my child is unwell with a high temperature, and/or a persistent cough or loss of sense of smell or taste?
If your child is unwell, more than likely, they will have a normal seasonal illness such as a common cold or flu. However, given the pandemic, your child will not be permitted to come to school. Instead, you must contact the school and seek advice about how to obtain a Covid test. Your child, any siblings and the family household must isolate for 14 days or until the Covid test result comes back negative. Once a negative result has been confirmed, if your child is feeling better they may then return to school.
What will happen to my child’s bubble if my child has (or has had) a high temperature or any other symptoms of Covid-19 etc?
Your child’s bubble will continue to attend school as normal. Parents will be informed that a child within the bubble has not attended school due to having had a high temperature etc. However the bubble will remain open unless a positive test confirms a diagnosis. If a confirmed positive test is returned, the bubble will close and anyone who has come into close contact with your child will be expected to isolate for 14 days.
What happens if my child becomes unwell in school?
If your child becomes unwell whilst in school, they will be seen and treated in the same way they would usually. The only difference is that the First Aider assessing your child will be wearing PPE because it is not possible to maintain social distancing whilst delivering First Aid. All children will be made aware of this and see staff members dressed in PPE during their induction mornings so that they’re familiar with processes. If your child is presenting with a persistent cough, high temperature or any other Covid symptoms; they will be initially assessed with a First Aider and then asked to wait in Mr Osborn’s office with another member of staff who will be wearing PPE. We will contact one of the emergency contacts and ask you to collect from school immediately. You will be given permission to use the school car-park and we will escort your child to the front door where you can meet them. We will then give you advice about next steps and information about local testing facilities.
What if another child becomes unwell in my child’s bubble?
First and foremost, the rate of Coronavirus within the community is decreasing. Any symptoms are far more likely to be as a result of a common-cold and/or seasonal flu. If another child in the class of your child becomes poorly, we will notify you for your information, but this is not something to be concerned about and as we go into the Autumn/Winter months, it is likely you will receive fairly regular communications like this. The child who has shown symptoms will be asked to engage with the NHS Track and Trace system and be asked to access a local testing centre. Parents of all children in the Bubble will be kept up to date and informed of the outcome. In the unlikely event of somebody testing positive, your child’s bubble will close and anybody (including staff) who have come into close contact with the child will be asked to isolate for a period of 14 days.
What if my children are in separate bubbles?
Bubble bursting is inevitable in schools due to a variety of factors including siblings. It would be impossible for schools to operate an entirely closed Bubble system due to the logistics of how schools work. If you have multiple children in the school, they will each belong to their own class bubble, they will also belong to your own family/household bubble. We are aware of this and if, in the unlikely event, one of your children’s school bubbles has to close due to somebody testing positive, siblings in other school bubbles will also be expected to isolate. However, the siblings bubble will not close fully as this wouldn’t be considered a direct transmission risk.
What about wrap-around care services?
Breakfast and After School club will again form another Bubble. These services are operating on a pre-booking system only and will help us to inform and engage with Track and Trace. Within Breakfast and After-School club, wherever possible, children will be socially distanced and kept within their class groups. This may not however always be possible which is why we will be keeping details of children’s attendance in these Bubbles. If your child has had close contact with a child in another Bubble through After School Care or Breakfast club, and they later test positive to Covid-19, you will be informed and appropriate advice given about isolation time-frames.
What happens about my child’s education if they are isolating or their bubble has closed?
If your child is isolating due to illness, the same procedures would usually apply. If they’re unwell, they’re not expected to do school work. However if their school absence is a result of Covid isolation and they are well and able to take part in work, our online provision will be remaining active. In the event of a full bubble closure, teachers and staff will be setting work and delivering regular lessons on Purple Mash. Additional activities will also be uploaded to the school website’s remote learning section. Paper packs may also be sent home as additional work to be completed and then brought back to school on return. If it is only one child isolating as a result of a positive test within the household (rather than the school bubble) – children will be set work to complete by their teacher and we will direct you to the Oak National Academy to take part in a series of other online lessons and learning opportunities.
Is my child allowed to wear a mask whilst in school?
Government guidance tells us that children under the age of 11 are not required to wear a mask. The information received from the Department for Education also advises that masks in primary schools are not practical and may pose as an additional risk if the mask is not taken on and off and/or stored safely. Therefore, our expectation is that children will not wear masks or face-coverings in school.**
If your child wears a mask due to travelling on public transport to get to and from school, the child will be permitted to bring to school with them a plastic carrier bag which their mask can be safely stored in during school hours.
**If your child is required to wear a face-covering for medical reasons, please contact us so that we can liaise with the local health protection team for additional advice. It may be that a specific risk assessment is implemented for individual children (usually only those who were previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable) though we will take advice from Public Health England.
Are staff going to be wearing masks/visors?
Guidance for school staff in Primary schools is that they will not be expected to wear masks/visors. However we will have PPE stocked on site for occasions where it may be required, for example when administering First Aid. Additionally, there may be some staff who choose to wear a face-covering or visor; this will be because they are following advice. It will not be common practice or an expectation though for all staff to wear these.
Will I need a face-covering to drop-off and/or collect my child from school site?
As you will not be in an enclosed space, there is no need for parents/carers to wear a face-covering whilst dropping off or collecting your children. However, should you choose to wear a face covering, that is absolutely fine. However, do consider that our staff will need to be able to recognise who you are during collection so that we can ensure a safe dismissal. Please consider this and do not be offended if any of our staff ask you to momentarily remove your face-covering allowing us to confirm your identity.
What do I do if I need to speak to someone in school?
Our school office will remain closed to parents and visitors. The best way to contact us is to phone us on 01689 819 955 or email us at admin@blenheim.info – You can also contact us via our school Facebook and Twitter page if you prefer. If a meeting is necessary, we will contact you and invite you to our school premises at a set time. Please be aware that in attending our school site, you may be required to wear a face-covering (unless you are exempt) and that social distancing measures will apply. During the sign-in process, you will be informed that we keep your details and are obliged to share them with NHS Track and Trace should there be a reason to do so which later becomes apparent.