Coronavirus Help and Information

Coronavirus Process Flowchart September 2020

/docs/Coronavirus_Process_Flowchart_Sept_2020.pdf

Thamesmead September 2020 School Timings

Thamesmead Site September Risk Assessments

Charlton September 2020 School Timings

Charlton Site September Risk Assessments

Letters sent home to parents

Academic Year 2019/2020

Advice on Wellbeing of Children & Young People during Covid-19

Please follow the link below for the government's published documents that provide advice on the wellbeing of children and young people:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing?utm_source=b0423990-da47-4170-b77c-cf75ee61593d&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediat

Department for Education - Guidance for Returning to School September 2020

All children and young people, in all year groups, will return to school and college full time from the beginning of the autumn term.

The prevalence of coronavirus (COVID-19) has decreased since schools and colleges restricted their opening to most pupils in March. The NHS Test and Trace system is up and running and we understand more about the measures that need to be in place to create safer environments.

The scientific evidence shows that coronavirus (COVID-19) presents a much lower risk to children than adults of becoming severely ill. There is no evidence that children transmit the disease any more than adults. However, there will still be risks while coronavirus (COVID-19) remains in the community.

To manage the risks, things will be a bit different when children and young people return to education. We have asked schools to put in place a range of protective measures to help reduce the risks.

Attendance at School

It is vital that children and young people return to school, for their educational progress, for their wellbeing, and for their wider development. School attendance will be mandatory from the beginning of the new academic year. This means that it is your legal duty as a parent to send your child (if they are of compulsory school age) to school regularly.

Local authorities and schools have a range of legal powers to enforce attendance if a child or young person misses school without a valid reason.

If children and young people have found lockdown exceptionally difficult, then your child will be supported during their return to school.

If you have concerns about your child returning to school because you consider they may have other risk factors, you should discuss these with your school. They should be able to explain ways they are changing things to reduce risks. There are resources to support you with these conversations, including this leaflet on returning to school after a period of absence.

Self Isolating and Shielding

A small number of children and young people may be unable to attend in line with public health advice because they:

are self-isolating
have had symptoms or a positive test result themselves
are a close contact of someone who has coronavirus (COVID-19)

If your child is unable to attend school for these reasons, ask your school what support they can provide for remote education.

Shielding advice for all adults and children was paused from 1 August. This means that children and young people can return to school if they:

are on the shielded patient list
have family members who are shielding

See the guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable for the current advice.

Children and young people under the care of a specialist health professional may need to discuss their care with their health professional before returning to school or college. This should usually be at their next planned clinical appointment.

If children are not able to attend school because they are following clinical and/or public health advice, you will not be penalised.

Actions You Can Take

Do not send your child to their nursery or school if:

they are showing coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms
someone in their household is showing symptoms

Arrange a test if you or your child develops symptoms. Inform your nursery or school of the results.

If the test is positive, follow guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, and engage with the NHS Test and Trace process.

It is really important that you help schools to implement these actions by following the advice set out here and wider public health advice and guidance.

Face Coverings

Based on current evidence, Public Health England does not recommend the use of face coverings in schools (except in some specific circumstances).

This is because:

children, young people and staff are mixing in consistent groups
not using them correctly may accidentally increase the risk of transmitting the virus
there may be negative effects on communications and therefore on your child’s education

The guidance on face coverings will be kept under review.

Arriving and Leaving the School Site

Please ensure you have read all the information and guidance provided by the school regarding start and end times. Please adhere to social distancing guidance at all times and only arrive at your designated time.

Public Transport

Everyone needs to play their part in reducing the demand for public transport. If possible, you should look for alternative transport options, especially walking or cycling, particularly at peak times.

This will help to ensure that there is enough public transport capacity to allow those who need to use it to travel safely. It will also benefit your family’s health. See the guidance from:

Sustrans on keeping safe on the school run

If you and your child rely on public transport to get to school, the safer travel guidance for passengers will apply. In some areas, local authorities may be providing extra dedicated school transport services to help children and young people get to school or college.

Children and young people, and their parents and carers must not travel to school if they or a member of their household has symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Schools will understand that some children and young people may be experiencing feelings such as anxiety, stress or low mood as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

There are online resources available to help you and your child with mental health, including:

MindEd, a free educational resource from Health Education England on children and young people’s mental health
Rise Above, which aims to build resilience and support good mental health in young people aged 10 to 16
Every Mind Matters, which includes an online tool and email journey to support everyone to feel more confident in taking action to look after their mental health and wellbeing
Bereavement UK and the Childhood Bereavement Network, provide information and resources to support bereaved pupils, schools and staff

It is also vital to report any safeguarding concerns you have about any child. Contact the NSPCC helpline or Barnardo’s support service.

School Trips

From the autumn term, schools can resume educational day trips in the UK. They must follow the latest public health guidance and wider guidance for schools on the actions they can take to reduce risks.

We currently advise against overnight trips in the UK and overseas educational visits.

Breakfast and After School Club

Schools can run breakfast and after-school activities from the autumn term. Schools will need to make sure these can be delivered in line with the wider guidance on protective measures. This means they may need to run things differently.

Talk to your child’s school to check whether they will running breakfast and after-school activities.

Windrush Primary School

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