Coronavirus Update - 18/03/2020
I know that you will all be concerned regarding the current situation and therefore felt that another update would be appropriate to help you understand what is happening at Oaklands.
We do not have any members of the school community (pupils, parents and staff) who have been tested positive for Coronavirus. We have a few staffs and pupils who are responsibly self-isolating as a precaution.
At present, we feel we have a sufficient number of staff and pupils to continue in a meaningful way. We continue to follow the government guidance and this is being reviewed daily. As previously explained, schools are currently asked to remain open. We know that retaining the routine and structure for our children, where possible, is beneficial for their well being and learning, and are making suitable adjustments to keep going with as much normality as possible!
Symptoms: As a reminder, if your child or anyone in your household has a fever or a new continuous cough, your
household must now remain in isolation for 14 days. (A fever is a temperature of over 37.8 degrees). You should not send your child to school and are asked to notify the school office.
The government are also advising those who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) to be
particularly stringent in following social distancing measures. This includes a diagnosis of Asthma. Social distancing means taking steps to reduce social interaction including avoiding large gatherings of family or friends. The specific advice does not currently state that this should include self-isolation for this group. However, if you are concerned, please do not hesitate to call us. The government advice can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people
Communication: As there is some uncertainty about how long schools will remain open, I would ask that you check your text messages, the school website, Weduc or Twitter regularly. These are the means of communication we would use to contact you if the school is asked to close by the Government, or in the eventuality of staff shortages. We would also notify Radio Leicester, who post information about school closures on their facebook page.
Website: https://www.oaklands.leicester.sch.uk/
Twitter: @OaklandsSchool_
I am aware of the pace of change and we are constantly weighing the pros and cons of any decisions. I will keep you
updated as the situation develops. We thank you all for your support in these very strange and uncertain times.
Coronavirus - 14 Days
In view of the Government press conference held yesterday, I am writing to you with updated guidance.
Symptoms: As you will be aware, the Coronavirus symptoms are:
A new continuous cough and/or
A fever
You should keep your child at home if they have either of these symptoms, however mild. You are now asked to keep your child at home for 14 days.
If children come into school with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature we will ring you and we will ask you to take them home. If they come on to the school site with either of the symptoms, we will take them to the medical room immediately. We will also ask that you make arrangements to collect them as soon as possible. We ask that you are vigilant and do not send them in if they have the symptoms so that other children and staff are not put at risk.
Self-isolating: If anyone in your household is self-isolating due to having either of the above symptoms, the entire family is now also advised to self-isolate for 14 days. Please call the school office to let us know if your family is self-isolating. You are advised not to leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill. It is likely that people living within a household will infect each other or be infected already. Staying at home for 14 days will
greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the
community.
Trips: As an additional precaution, responding to the Prime Minister’s advice, we will be cancelling all non-essential travel. Unfortunately, this means that any trips off-site will be postponed, and we will not continue swimming until it is safe to do so. If you have already paid for a trip, the office will reimburse the money to you in the next few days.
Visitors: We have also made the decision that we must postpone or cancel all visitors into school. This includes EHCP meetings with parents, coffee mornings and LAS meetings. We will also need to postpone Parents’ Evening and our Autism Awareness event, which was both due to take place in the week before Easter.
We are trying to keep our routines and structure as normal as possible for our children in school to prevent them from becoming anxious. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to phone me. Further advice about the coronavirus can be found at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.
Please can I ask you to support us, by adhering to the advice given so we can all work together to keep our children and staff safe.
Today, DfE has launched a new helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline:
Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)