Charlton School

Dear Parent/Carer

Further to our email and social media posts yesterday informing you of the DfE decision to insist on face coverings to be worn by all staff, students and visitors in communal areas in all schools in England.  We wanted to share with you other measures the government are implementing to slow down the spread of the new Omicron variant.

Face Coverings

In addition to face coverings in school, unless exempt, students should also now wear face coverings on all public and school transport.  From Tuesday 30^th November, face masks should again be worn by the general public on all public transport and in all shops.   Fines of £200 can be issued for the non-wearing of face masks in shops and on public transport.

Testing

Staff and students should continue to test twice weekly using lateral flow device (LFD) tests. We will give out further test kits prior to the Christmas holiday.  Students can collect additional kits at any time from school reception.  All staff and students should test over the holidays in line with national guidance. This means that they should test if they will be in a high-risk situation that day, and before visiting people who are at higher risk of severe illness if they get COVID-19.

Testing on Return in January

All secondary schools have been asked to prepare to test their students once on-site on return to school in January. We are awaiting further guidance on this and will share a timetable for this testing nearer the Christmas holiday.  After this in-school test on their return to school, students should continue to test in line with government guidelines.  We have ordered more test kits to issue in January.

Contact Tracing and Isolation

The current guidance on contact tracing and isolation remains in place. In addition to these, any suspected or confirmed close contacts of the Omicron variant will be asked to isolate for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status or age. You will be contacted directly and told to isolate.

Vaccination

All eligible staff and students aged 12 and over are encouraged to take up the offer of the vaccine, including boosters.  Vaccines are our best defence against COVID-19. They help protect young people and adults, and benefit those around them. Vaccination makes people less likely to catch the virus and less likely to pass it on.  To book a vaccination, please visit: Book or manage a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination – NHS (www.nhs.uk).

Changes to the red list for international travel to England

Individuals arriving in England from red list countries must follow the red list rules.  South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe moved onto the red list at 12.00pm, Friday 26th November.  Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia were added to the red list at 4.00am, Sunday 28th November.

Coronavirus cases remain very high in Telford, well above the National and Regional averages.  We all have a responsibility to slow the spread of the virus and hopefully prevent further restrictions being put in place.  Please discuss with your child the importance of following these measures. Please provide your child with a face covering and encourage them to wear it at the appropriate times, and continue to test them twice weekly using LFDs.   

Thank you for your support.

Yours faithfully

Mr A McNaughton

Principal