Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update: Monday 12th March

Dear Parents

Following my last correspondence, we continue to monitor very closely government advice on Coronavirus, including guidance in relation to educational settings. Our aim is to take a consistent, pragmatic and evidence-based approach whilst ensuring the health and welfare of the Prince’s Mead community remains at the forefront of all our decision-making.

Changes to Calendar Events

Whilst we anticipate an escalated response from the government as we transition from containment to delay, we have reviewed calendar events in the Prince’s Mead diary between now and the end of term and, with regret, we have made the decision to postpone the following activities:

• Quiz Night (Friday 13^th March). This is now postponed until the Summer term.
• Friday Prayers. Attendance for parents will be limited to those whose children will be performing in a Form assembly.
• Grandparents’ teas. The scheduled dates of 17^th and 24^th March have been postponed.

I am very sorry for the inconvenience this may cause; we would much rather exercise caution and minimise unnecessary risk to our very special community at this difficult time.

Medical

In line with recommendations from Public Health England (PHE), we are taking extra precautions in our action plan. We have increased our expectations and routines with regards to hand washing and we would appreciate you continuing this good practice at home.
If a child presents as unwell, they will be sent to Matron as normal unless symptoms suggest a child needs to be immediately isolated where arrangements are in place. Matron will make an informed decision on the course of action based on symptoms and current guidelines.

The following guidance may be helpful to you: World Health Organisation (WHO), Public Health England (PHE)

Easter holiday arrangements

As of today our advice for the forthcoming Easter holidays is against all travel to category 1 areas. We are also advising against non-essential travel to category 2 areas and contact with non-essential visitors from either category who have not already been in the UK for 14 days. Pupils who do travel or have contact with visitors may be asked to delay their return to school in line with any changes to government advice.

Only if you plan to travel, we would greatly appreciate an indication of your family’s travel plans over the Easter holidays. To that end, please let matron know if this is the case. This information is important in our planning for monitoring and supporting the school community after the Easter break.

The following guidance may be helpful to you: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)

Remote Learning

A significant effort has been put into establishing a remote learning system that all our pupils can access that harnesses our Microsoft 365 learning platforms. Full details will follow should your child need to access this digital content library from home.

I appreciate that this is a challenging time and thank you for supporting our advice and our approach as we navigate these unchartered waters together.

Yours sincerely

Peter Thacker