Living with Covid01/04/2022

The Department for Education has now released new guidance linked to the Living with Covid strategy that will take effect from 1st April 2022.

The main details of this can be found in the blog below.

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/03/30/living-with-covid-the-end-of-routine-testing-in-schools-colleges-and-childcare-settings/

Currently, cases of Covid at the school are relatively low and stable. We know that Covid is still amongst us and that we are constantly alert to the impact that can have on face to face teaching. This is particularly important for those students in Years 11 and 13 who are about to enter a period of examinations.

The school is currently running above the national average figure for school attendance. Our attendance figures are lower than normal where historically, we expect each year group to be around the 95% attendance rate. Our current year to date figure is fluctuating at around 90 to 91% compared to the national average of around 87% (March 2022).

Cottesloe students always have excellent attendance and we expect this figure to rise as we come into the next phase of the Covid pandemic.

The Department for Education guidance advises the following regarding symptoms and attendance:

• Adults with the symptoms of a respiratory infection, and who have a high temperature or feel unwell, should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they feel well enough to resume normal activities and they no longer have a high temperature.
• Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature and are well enough to attend.
• Adults with a positive COVID-19 test result should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days, which is when they are most infectious. For children and young people aged 18 and under, the advice will be 3 days.

Essentially, we are expecting a return to normality with attendance and absence expectations with regards to respiratory illness/infection.

If you are genuinely unwell and have the symptoms described above please stay at home until you have recovered. This does not mean you have to self isolate for 5 days. Please return promptly when you have recovered and in line with the advice above.

From 1st April 2022, staff and students will no longer be required to complete asymptomatic testing in line with changes to the use of Lateral Flow Testing devices.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all staff, students and parents for their continued resilience and support as we enter the next chapter of our recovery journey.

Yours sincerely
Mr S Jones
Headteacher