Whole School November Newsletter 2021
Dear Parent/Carer
I hope you enjoyed the half term break.
We will be supporting the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal again this year. The children will be able to purchase Poppy items costing up to £1.50, including snap bands and wrist bands, alongside the usual paper poppies from tomorrow, Friday 5th November.
Please can I remind you that the deadline for Photograph orders is tomorrow, Friday 5th November. Orders are made online with Fraser Portraits. Any problems, please contact the school office.
Back by popular demand, The Elves of Mudeford Junior School are partnering with the School and are pleased to be able to open a Christmas Secret Gift Shop 2021. Children can come and buy a present for a special adult in their lives. This will take place on Friday 10th December during the school day. More information to follow.
Thank you to all those parents who have ordered the Christmas cards and festive items. We look forward to distributing them in the run up to Christmas.
COVID : Over the last week BCP Council have been in contact with all schools. They have advised us that the number of Covid cases in the BCP locality are of a concern.
Schools, Early Years and educational settings in BCP and Dorset have been given scope to enhance the measures they use to protect children and staff from Covid during the coming weeks.
They are encouraged to do this by BCP and Dorset Councils and by Public Health Dorset, with several measures being added to support a reduction in cases in schools and the community in BCP and Dorset.
Why are they being asked to consider enhancing measures?
· In the south west and pan-Dorset there is agreement that more measures need to be at the disposal of schools and settings following the case load in half term one, which saw many schools having outbreaks and a rise in cases in school age children
· Public Health Dorset write that case rates in those aged 11-16 year olds are a particular concern, although we have seen cases in Early Years and primary phase too.
· Whilst the immediate health risks of COVID-19 infection to children and young people are low; the present high case numbers harms children and young people by their missing or having disrupted education and is also disrupting the vaccination programme for older pupils.
What measures will the school use?
These will include;
· Extending daily LFD testing for close or household contacts (identified by NHS Test and Trace) while awaiting PCR results to a minimum of 5 days, increasing to 7 days as necessary to ensure the final test is taken on a school day. Note: this can be applied in secondary, middle and in primary, at parent/guardian discretion. So if a case arises in a primary or middle school setting, parents can support safer return to school by using LFTs on their asymptomatic children.
Mudeford Junior School Specific
During the first half of the autumn term the school has maintained significant Covid safety protocols. Attendance has been 95.6% during the first half of term with a low number of pupil Covid cases reported (14 children).
A number of staff have contracted Covid 19 over this period, however the Governors and Senior Leadership Team of the school had foreseen this and implemented plans which we knew would ensure we could continue face-to-face education rather than revert to home-based learning. The school has an extensive risk assessment which kept the outbreak amongst staff within a certain year group. Safety protocols will continue, with children continuing to eat lunch in their own classrooms, enhanced cleaning taking place, no assemblies in the hall and the only mixing in the year groups outside the building. Public Heath Dorset have asked schools to keep these measures in place.
How can parents/carers help to support less infection in school?
· If a case arises in a primary, junior or middle school setting and you are notified, parents can support safer return to school by using LFTs on their asymptomatic children, which many have been doing/asking if they can do this.
· Support school by observing isolation and getting PCR tests when asked
· Adhering to new requests for mitigation and encouraging eligible family members to get vaccinated/boosters
· Observe close contact advice from NHS Track and Trace and do not send children to school with symptoms of the virus.
Over the next few weeks the school will be sending out notification of positive PCR cases to the relevant year groups to raise awareness and Inform the wider community.
If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 at any time, please isolate and book a test, even if you have already taken a test. The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:
- A new, continuous cough, and/or
- A temperature, and/or
- A loss of, or change to, sense of test and/or smell.
Further guidance on COVID-19 and what you need to do can be found at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
Yours sincerely
M Partridge
Headteacher