Corona Virus Update

Monday 16th March 2020

Dear Parents/Carers,

Coronavirus/ COVID-19 Update – 16th March 

I am sure that you are all following the news closely and are aware of the new Coronavirus advice that came out on Friday.

Following updated government guidance, if any pupils or staff members develop the following symptoms, they must stay at home for seven days:-

• a high temperature 

• a new continuous cough 

Do not go (or take your child) to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. 

You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you’re staying at home.

For most people, Coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild infection but if symptoms get worse or are no better after 7 days, contact NHS 111 online. https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care/nhs-111/

If you have no internet access, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999.

Stay at home guidance can be found at 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

Please let the school know as soon as possible if your child is unwell.

If anyone becomes ill during the school day they will need to go home and will be asked to remain at home for 7 days. Please make sure that the school has up-to-date contact details for you and that you keep phones on so we can get in touch with you if necessary.

We do not have any confirmed COVI18 cases at school.

We have been informed by members of staff and families that they are following the medical advice and are self-isolating at this time. We wish them all well.

Public Health England and Department for Education current advice for schools in London is that staff and pupils should monitor themselves for symptoms and self-isolate if they experience symptoms. People who do not have symptoms are advised to carry on as normal and do not need to self-isolate.

We understand that parents are concerned about the risk of their children catching Coronavirus and that some may want to keep children at home even though they are not required to do so by the medical advice. All pupils who are well enough to come to school and who do not fall into the two categories described above, should attend school as normal.

We continue to follow the advice of the Department for Education and Public Health England in school. We are encouraging all children and staff to wash hands properly and regularly and we are taking extra care with cleaning. We will continue to follow advice and we will keep you informed of the situation and what we are doing about it.

Please make sure you check the NHS and government websites daily:

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19

I realise that this is a very worrying time for all of us. Rest assured that the safety of pupils, staff and the school community remains our priority and we will keep you updated with any new information.

Wednesday 11th March 2020

All schools are receiving daily guidance updates from the Department for Education and any action we need to take will be implemented immediately.

At the current time, we have not been advised to cancel trips. We will continue to follow the government and local authority guidance and will inform you of any changes. We carry out risk assessments for all trips and as part of the current risk assessments we ensure that hand washing facilities are available and that regular opportunities for washing hands are included in the timetable for all trips. We are not currently booking new trips.

The general advice from the NHS about how to stop viruses like the coronavirus spreading is as follows:

DO:

• 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

• wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available

• try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell

DON’T:

• touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

We are helping children and adults follow this advice in school. During assemblies this week we have been showing the children how to wash their hands effectively and this has been reinforced in class.

The most up to date public health advice from the government can be accessed here (this includes a video showing you how to wash your hands effectively):

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-public

If you have any concerns, please contact the school office.

Contacting the School

Coopers Lane Primary School is situated in Grove Park in the borough of Lewisham. The entrance to the school is in Pragnell Road, SE12 0LF