Charlton School

Dear Parent / Carer

I hope you are having a good summer break.  I wanted to remind you of our return to school procedures.  We will be implementing a similar process to that in March where students will attend site to have the first of two Lateral Flow Tests and then return home.  Doing this will prevent students starting school who are positive and will reduce the impact on others.  It was very successful when we returned from the last lockdown.

Please arrange for your child to attend school on the following day and time, they will be here for a very short period of time and will then return home.  They should enter the building through the main reception. 

Year 10 – Monday 6^th September

Testing in this way will not further delay our planned return to school date for Year 10 of Wednesday 8^th September.   If your child is unable to attend for testing on Monday, they should return to school as normal with the rest of the year group and will receive a test on Thursday 9^th September.

If you do not consent for your child to be tested, please do not send them to school on Friday and remind them not to attend the hall with their form group for testing on the Wednesday.

Following their second tests, students will be issued with a test kit box to allow them to undertake home testing until the end of September in the first instance.  Please note that testing in school will be undertaken using the new Orient Gene Rapid Testing Kits, these are nasal swabs only, but the home testing kits are the original combined tonsil and nose swabs. I have shared links below, please discuss these with your child prior to them attending school for their test.

Orient Gene Test Instructions

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-rapid-lateral-flow-home-test-kit-instructions-for-nose-only-test

Home Test Kit Instructions

https://youtu.be/S9XR8RZxKNo

On our return to school, we are expecting all students to be back in full uniform and will change for PE when they have their lessons.  Our uniform guidance can be found at the link below:

http://charlton.uk.com/parent-student-information/uniform

We are looking to maintain some of the measures we have implemented during the pandemic as these have had a positive impact in the school, these include staggered breaks and lunchtimes and our one-way system in school.

There has been a change to the guidance that recommends face masks should be used on the dedicated schools transport so please ensure your child has a face covering if they attend school on a bus.  We will continue to support the wearing of masks if staff and students wish to do so if cases remain high in the Autumn.

Please remain vigilant between now and the start of term and hopefully the number of cases locally can continue to fall. 

Yours faithfully

Mr A McNaughton

Principal