Last Updated on 28th May 2020 at 11:00
The updated government-issued advice states that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild infection. Everyone should read and following key points:
Primary schools will be partially opening on 1st June and secondary schools will be partially opening later in the month on 15th June. For details regarding school reopening, please refer to the dedicated FAQ pages which can be found in the sidebar.
Advice regarding self-isolation
- If you or a member of your household has a new continuous cough, a high temperature, and/or a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell, then the all members of the household should stay at home and self-isolate for 14 days.
- The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.
- You do not need to call NHS 111 to go into self-isolation.
- If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after 14 days, contact NHS 111 online. If you have no internet access, you should call NHS 111.
- For a medical emergency, dial 999.
please read the official government guidelines here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
Guidance on social distancing
Social distancing is advised to reduce the opportunity for transmission of COVID-19. It is intended to be used in situations where parents, carers, and children are living in their own homes, with or without additional support from friends, family and carers. If you or a member of your household has an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 you should be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures.
For a full list of people you are included within the severe category, and the different measures for social distancing please view the Public Health England official list here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing#protecting-different-groups-of-people
Further Information
We understand you may have further questions. Our aim is to manage communications to the best of our ability, keeping you up to date with all the latest information so that we can help you prepare for any eventuality. Below, we have outlined the actions parents and carers can take should they have further questions.
- Read Public Health England’s advice regarding educational settings.
In order to best help limit any spread of the virus, we recommend everyone to follow the advice issued by Public Health England.
The government advice in relation to the plans to reopen the schools can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/education-and-childcare
- Call the 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)
- If you have worsening symptoms then call NHS 111:
If you have self-isolated for 14 days with a continuous cough and/or a high temperature and your symptoms worsen or you are no better after 14 days, contact NHS 111 online. If you have no internet access, you should call NHS 111. For a medical emergency, dial 999.
Still have more questions?
If, having taken all the above steps, you are still unsure about anything regarding COVID-19 in relation to the school, please refer to the FAQs pages that can be found in the navigation bar. If you are still unable to find an answer to your questions, feel free to contact the school via our chat function.
Any inquiries fielded through the website chat will be answered by a White Horse Federation Coordinator. We promise to respond to any questions from parents and carers as soon as possible, within normal working hours.
Additionally, we would also like to issue to following advice for:
What to do if…
A.) A member of the household shows symptoms that may be caused by coronavirus:
If a member of the household shows symptoms that may be caused by COVID-19, all inhabitants of the household must stay home and not leave the house for 14 days. If your child has been attending school, or had intended to, please inform the school as soon as you are able by either calling or emailing our school office. We would ask that any of your children should also remain at home for 14 days even if they are without symptoms. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house showed symptoms.
If your child develops a new continuous cough and/or a high temperature, or if they experience a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell, please keep them at home and continue to self-isolate them. As long as everyone in the household stays at home for 14 days, the government advice is that no one will need to be tested.
After 7 days of your child's symptoms starting, if they feel better and no longer have a high temperature, they can return to school. Should your child develop symptoms late in the 14-day household-isolation period (eg on day 13 or day 14) the isolation period does not need to be extended for all the household. Your child will need to stay at home for a further 7 days.
For information on ending self-isolation please goto: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#ending-isolation
B.) A member of the household has been ASKED to self-isolate by the NHS or by track and tracing agents and is NOT a confirmed case:
If your child has been attending school, or intended to, and a member of the household has been asked to self-isolate but does not yet have a confirmed case of COVID-19, please still inform the school as soon as you are able by either calling or emailing our school office.
In this situation, the whole household including children should choose to self-isolate for 14 days. If your child develops a new continuous cough, a high temperature, and/or a loss of, or change in, taste and/or smell, please keep them at home and continue to self-isolate them. If their symptoms worsen during self-isolation or are no better after 14 days, contact NHS 111 online. If you have no internet access, you should call NHS 111.
After 7 days of your child's symptoms starting, if they feel better and no longer have a high temperature, they can return to school. Should your child develop symptoms late in the 14-day household-isolation period (eg on day 13 or day 14) the isolation period does not need to be extended for all the household. Your child will need to stay at home for a further 7 days.
For information on ending self-isolation please goto: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#ending-isolation
C.) A member of the household has CHOSEN to self-isolate and is NOT a confirmed case:
If a member of the household has a new continuous cough, a high temperature, and/or a loss of, or change in taste and/or smell, but does not yet have a confirmed case of COVID-19, the whole household including children should choose to self-isolate for 14 days. If your child was attending school, or intended to, please still inform the school as soon as you are able by either calling or emailing our school office.
If your child develops a new continuous cough, high temperature, and/or a loss or change in taste or smell, please keep them at home and continue to self-isolate them. If their symptoms worsen during self-isolation or are no better after 14 days, contact NHS 111 online. If you have no internet access, you should call NHS 111.
After 7 days of your child's symptoms starting, if they feel better and no longer have a high temperature, they can return to school. Should your child develop symptoms late in the 14-day household-isolation period (eg on day 13 or day 14) the isolation period does not need to be extended for all the household. Your child will need to stay at home for a further 7 days.
For information on ending self-isolation please goto: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#ending-isolation
D.) My child develops symptoms of coronavirus while at an educational setting.
If anyone develops coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms in an education setting they must be sent home and advised to follow the staying at home guidance. The school will follow the Public Health England advice for this situation. Public Health England does not recommend that all of the children that have been in contact with the symptomatic child be sent home until the case is confirmed.
If no one in the household has been asked to self-isolate, simply follow Public Health England’s advice for limiting the spread of the virus through good personal hygiene. Further guidance linked to non-clinical settings can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
Important Note:
We would like to reassure all parents and carers that we promise to treat all cases with confidentiality. Thank you to parents, carers, and members of the school community for their continued cooperation throughout this period.
