Updated guidance | self-isolation14/12/2021

Dear Parent / Carer 

From today, a new national approach to daily testing for contacts of COVID-19 is being introduced (including until the end of this term).

All adults who are fully vaccinated and children aged 5 to 18 years and 6 months, identified as a contact of someone with COVID-19 – whether Omicron or not – should take a lateral flow device (LFD) test every day for 7 days instead of self-isolating.

Daily testing by close contacts will help to slow the spread of COVID-19. Daily testing for contacts of COVID-19 will help protect our school by reducing transmission and will also help keep our students in face-to-face education.

Once notified by NHS Test and Trace as a close contact, all eligible staff and students should take an LFD each day for 7 days and report the results through the Online Reporting System and to their setting. If they test negative, they can continue to attend their education setting.

This approach should also be adopted over the coming school holiday and on return in January.

If they test positive, they should self-isolate and order a PCR test to confirm the result. If the PCR is positive, they must self-isolate for 10 days. If the PCR test is negative, they no longer need to self-isolate but should continue to carry out the remainder of the daily tests, and only need to isolate if it is positive.

All staff and secondary aged students should have access to a box of 7 LFD tests from school. Additional tests can be ordered online through the NHS website.

Anyone over the age of 18 years and 6 months who is not vaccinated, must isolate in line with government guidelines if they are a close contact of a positive case.

Thank you for your continued vigilance and resilience during this time. This will help us maintain face to face learning for students.

Yours sincerely

Mr S Jones

Headteacher