Important COVID Update (December 2021)

You will have seen in the news that Omicron is fast becoming the dominant variant in the UK. The experts believe that it presents additional risks and challenges that have to be taken seriously. A few weeks ago we took decisive action to adjust our plan in response to the predicted risks - based on public health advice - steps which have since been vindicated by what is now unfolding. We continue to work hard in order to support both our children and their families as we manage the risks and impacts of COVID in our community.

Our priority is to keep school open for all pupils and ensure that everyone in our community is kept as safe as possible. It is also important that our responses are calm and proportionate and based on the best and most current advice available to us. We want school to keep feeling as normal as possible for everyone.

As part of this my colleagues and I are redoubling our efforts to minimise the risk of transmission by keeping school clean; maintaining good hygiene protocols for children and staff; maintaining separation; and generally by working hard to keep up-to-date with the guidance and instructions issued by the authorities.

We continue to focus sharply on our children’s wellbeing and learning. Never has it been more important to keep our Mission and Vision front and centre as we do all we can to help our children feel happy, safe and loved. We want all of them to thrive and continue to enjoy and achieve within their learning, in spite of the challenges. Every decision we therefore make, and everything we do is, is with this in mind.

We share everyone’s frustrations when limits are imposed. It is always disappointing. We all want the virus to just disappear so that everything can return to normal. Unfortunately things are not that simple so, instead, we try to stay positive and make the best of every situation. We of course remain hopeful that things will improve eventually and look forward to again operating as we always used to.

In the meantime, your support continues to be key. Sticking to our plan and following Public Health requests will help protect everyone in our community. We thank you for your support and patience. Please contact us directly if you ever have any questions or concerns and we will always try to respond quickly.

The following is taken from a letter sent by Mr Nadhim Zahawi, the Secretary of State for Education on 16th December 2021, which outlines the current view of Government. This obviously shapes our current thinking, decisions and responses.

TESTING & SELF-ISOLATION

The rules around self-isolation for close contacts of those with the Omicron variant have changed. Previously, all close contacts of someone with the Omicron COVID variant had to self-isolate for ten days regardless of whether had been vaccinated or had received the vaccine booster. The guidance has now been changed so that close contacts of someone with the Omicron COVID variant now will not have to self-isolate if they take lateral flow tests daily for seven days and these are, of course, negative. The rule applies to all children aged 5 years and upwards. We have been advised that additional tests can be obtained via this link:

https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

Please note that the link takes you to a page on the government site that still states that it is for children older than 11 years of age. Some of the pages need to be updated to reflect changes to government guidance.

VENTILATION

All classrooms are kept well ventilated and have carbon dioxide monitors in line with the guidance.

START OF TERM - JANUARY 2022

You will have noted that schools are advised to prepare contingency plans in case the situation changes in January 2022. This does not mean that anything will change, but we need to prepare just in case. Though we have a flexible provisional plan, it is impossible to say with any certainty what the precise picture will be in January 2022, because things continue to move so quickly.

Sheffield Catholic schools return on Monday 10^th January 2022 a few days after most other Sheffield schools and it is possible that new instructions could be issued by the government or local authority before we return. If our plans do need to change significantly at short notice, we will need time to finalise them, prepare staff and possibly the building and put everything in place.

Though we can draw upon previous experiences there could also be new things to do, we just do not know.

It is for this reason that our Trust has given us permission to delay the start of the new term by one day if, and only if, the public health guidance changes significantly and we need time to respond in order to put everything in to place. If this happens you will be notified immediately and given as much notice as possible.

Let me stress that this will be a last resort.

We hope to reopen as planned on Monday 10^th January 2022. If things do have to change, then we hope that our provisional plan (and previous experience) mean that we can still open on the first day. However, if things do change so significantly that the plan needs reworking, it is right to put everyone’s safety first and take this time so that we are as prepared as possible to welcome our children back to school the next day.

WHAT HAPPENS IF SCHOOL NEEDS TO REMAIN CLOSED ON MONDAY 10 JANUARY 2022? 

As stated we really hope to open as planned on the first day of Term 3, but in the event that we do need an extra day notifications will be sent out via all the usual channels and appropriate children’s learning activities will be shared immediately via Microsoft Teams and our school portal available via this LINK (the password is 2020STJOHN). It will still be a school day and the expectation will be that all children engage.

Next week we will arrange access to the Microsoft Teams platform for every child who has joined our school since the last lockdown. We are also in the process of preparing school laptops so that they are ready to go home with those children who will need them in order to engage with online learning, should the need arise.

If we have to stay closed on Monday 10^th January, staff will be on hand throughout the day to support children in every class, remotely, via email and the messaging/video call functions of Microsoft Teams. Additional and targeted provision will also be made for all vulnerable pupils (and their families), including those with learning or wellbeing needs. Staff will also be on hand to support any anxious parents/carers who need to talk to us.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS A LOCKDOWN IN THE NEW YEAR?

At the moment, there is no talk of a lockdown.

That said, you might have seen on the news that lockdowns are being considered or even reintroduced in some other European countries. Many of you will also remember that news of last January’s lockdown came with minimal notice.

We sincerely hope that we avoid any sort of lockdown in the UK, or even the closure of specific classes that has occurred in some other schools, however it is sensible to preapre for the worse whilst hoping for the best.

Provisional plans, based on what we have done in previous lockdowns, are therefore being reviewed, just in case, and these will be shared if anything changes once we have been told what to do by the government.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

We are staying positive and are planning for our children to return to school on Monday 10^th January 2022 .

I want to stress that we know nothing more for certain at this stage. In fact schools are never told anything before it is announced to the general public. We are taking these sensible and precautionary steps on the basis of Mr Zahawi’s advice to prepare contingency plans, like other schools will be, and I want to be open and share everything with you now, so that you are clear about where we are.

If you have any concerns or questions please contact us directly via the telephone (0114 2485009), email (enquiries@st-johnfisher.org), or speak to me on the school gate at the start/end of the school day. Thank you.