๐ฆ Returning in January
Mr J Sharp
Dear Families
I wanted to update you on our current plans for the return in January. As I am sure you know, Omicron cases are now increasing incredibly quickly and there are question marks about whether the government strategy of booster jabs, face masks, COVID passes and testing is going to be enough to stop the NHS being overwhelmed in January.
If you remember last January (I certainly do) there was a dispute between unions and the government about whether it was safe to open after Christmas, in which we did return for just 1 day, and then the lockdown was announced. The school and families coped brilliantly, but I donโt want us put under unnecessary pressure and stress if we can avoid or limit it. Therefore, when we return, we will be following these principles:
Reducing transmission of COVID between people in school and families.
Reducing child absence as much as possible.
Reducing staff absence. This is a major concern of mine. If we end up with a number of staff off at once, it may force us to send classes home due to a lack of safe staffing levels.
Preparation for the worst case scenario of the government limiting attendance in school to just vulnerable children, and providing remote learning for other children at home.
How we are planning on doing this:
Click the image to read the article.
We will be operating as class bubbles again when we return.
Staggered starts (not different from the current times)
Staggered playtimes for bubbles
Clubs for one bubble at a time
Preparation to limit Breakfast Club numbers if we have to
Limits on staff contacts
Virtual assemblies and services
Bubbles sat together in the dining room and hall at lunchtime, and a longer stagger of sittings
Being prepared to move lunches back into classrooms if needed
Health, hygiene and cleaning
Any child or staff member with symptoms will not be allowed in school and will need to book a PCR test. We have thermometers to check for a raised temperature, and staff will be checking very carefully for signs of infection.
Close contacts of a confirmed case will need to take daily lateral flow tests for 7 days. If these are negative, they can continue to attend school.
We continue to use hand sanitiser stations and regular hand washing.
We still have extra cleaning carried out in the middle of the day.
Staff are wearing masks when not in lessons or their own office.
Teachers are preparing plans that will allow learning to be accessed from home (for self-isolation or bubble closure)
Children all logged in to online platforms (Bug Club, myOn, etc)
Devices being distributed now to help with learning at home
Practise tasks prepared in paper form where appropriate
Why are we taking these measures?
Case numbers are already higher than the peak seen last January
It has been shown that 2 doses of the vaccine is not enough to stop people spreading and catching COVID-19, although thankfully it is believed that it does protect against serious illness for most people.
At the current rate, the booster programme wonโt hit itโs target until the beginning of February, which is a month later than the target of the end of this month.
Omicron is proving to be the fastest spreading variant, and the number of positive cases are going to be incredibly high in the next two weeks.
Even with the protection against serious illness from 2 doses and the good protection from 3 doses, it is very likely that the extremely high number of cases is going to lead to more people in hospital. Indeed, the numbers are already going up now.
January and February is already incredibly busy for the NHS in non-COVID years, so it is very likely that more restrictions will come in after Christmas to slow the spread of Omicron.
Child cases in Manchester are still rising quickly, and at very high levels
At this time, children are showing the highest rates of infection of any age group, and even with the reduction in mixing over the holidays, there is a real risk of even higher levels of absence amongst the children and the staff.
By reducing contacts, we believe that any spread of Omicron can be limited and therefore reduce the risk of bubble closures.
Message to everyone
There is no way that I would want to make these changes unless absolutely necessary, but I firmly believe that it is very likely that there will be significant challenges when we return, and we should be prepared as possible now.
I always try and avoid making comment on politics and the Department for Education, but Iโm afraid all of us in education believe that there have been too many last minute announcements, which has resulted in ridiculous levels of pressure and additional workload on staff, and this canโt continue. It also results in stress and anxiety amongst families, which is bound to transfer to the children, and that is the opposite of what we all want.
We have all learned a great deal in the last 22 months, and I am so proud of the children, families, governors, our school partners and especially the staff. I know we can cope with what may (not definite yet) come, so letโs put that knowledge into practice now while we have the time. That way, I hope everyone can have as relaxing a Christmas break as possible and be prepared for how we return.
Finally, I plead with you all to take every precaution you can to limit the spread of Omicron, and do your bit to stop it entering school, or spreading quickly if it does. I totally understand the inconvenience and pressures caused by keeping children at home, and it really is a worry for everyone. However, if we try and chance it by sending children in who symptoms (including sickness and diarrhoea), then all that does is make it more likely that everyone will be off, and for longer.
If anyone has any concerns, questions or suggestions, please get in touch. We really do welcome your input.
Thank you again for your amazing patience, support and understanding. It really is appreciated.
Mr J Sharp
Head Teacher