Should any families be impacted by Covid over the half term or experience other similar problems please email:

covid@saintedmunds.org.uk

Statement from the Headteacher (21st October 2020)

We have been advised today that there has been a single confirmed case of Covid-19 within the school.

We know that you may find this concerning but are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with the Public Health England.  This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, Coronavirus (Covid-19) will be a mild illness.   The individuals who may have been in contact with the confirmed case will have received an individual letter and will be isolating for the next two weeks.  Positively, I can report that the student is well and making a recovery. As are the individuals who have previously tested positive.

The school remains open and your child should continue to attend if they remain well.

What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19

If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they must not come to school and should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119. 

All other household members who remain well, must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’.

Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.

Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home.

If you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online.

Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community

If you are able, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:

• a new continuous cough
• a high temperature
• a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

If your child or anyone in the household does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/ or by phoning 111.

How to stop COVID-19 spreading

There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19

Do

• wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• wash your hands as soon as you get home
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

Further Information

Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Click here to read full statement

Expectations for Parents for Virtual Learning (24th September 2020)

During any situation where remote (home) learning is required, St Edmund’s will seek to continue to provide a high-quality learning experience for our children.  Central to this success will be the live learning lessons used during the previous lockdown during the summer term 2020. 

These expectations have been written in response to the previous experience of live remote learning taking into account factors which influenced our children’s learning experience.

These lessons will be delivered using Microsoft Teams. Lessons will be at the normal time students have lessons in school and vary between 1 hour and 45 minutes in length (depending upon the circumstances). In order for this to operate the following criteria are expected:

• Students must be suitably dressed and fully equipped for learning.
• Where possible, learning should take place in suitable areas with no distractions.
• Parents/Carers should not participate in the lesson or use the chat function to communicate.
• Language must be professional and appropriate, including, any family members in the background.
• Parents should email the HOL if they have any concerns in relation to the lesson.
• Parents should be supportive of the learning and understand the limitations linked to remote learning (i.e. difficulties in differentiation and appropriate pace of learning for every individual).
• Parents should report their child’s absence if they are unwell or unable to attend a live learning session.
• Be aware that the live learning seminars will be removed and project work set should a student/parent break the expectations for participating.
• Staff will record, the length, time, date and attendance of any sessions held.
• If the teacher believes there is risk to safeguarding or signs of inappropriate behaviour, they will terminate the meeting immediately and report this to the safeguarding team.

BY ALLOWING PUPILS TO JOIN THE GROUP SESSION, PARENTS GIVE PERMISSION FOR THE SESSION TO BE RECORDED FOR SAFEGUARDING REASONS. THE RECORDING WILL NOT BE USED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE.

Should your child be unable to attend a learning seminar, please contact the school on 023 9282 3766 to report this as you would do in a normal absence or use the absence button on the My Ed App.

Many thanks for your support.

Stay safe.