Updated Covid-19 guidance - January 2022

 In order to facilitate the safe opening of the school for all our children, staff and the whole school community please read the updated Covid-19 guidance below.

• All parents/carers and visitors are now required to wear face masks (unless exempt) when entering the school playground, before and after school, and to enter the school office area.
• Late collection of children will now be from the red doors in the KS1/Infant hall. 

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD/CHILDREN TO SCHOOL IF:

• They are showing coronavirus symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19, inform the school immediately and we will advise regarding isolation and sibling testing. 
• They have tested positive on lateral flow test (home test kit), arrange a PCR test at a test centre (if your child has symptoms) and inform the school immediately. 

Inform the school if a member of your household has tested positive. 

Changes to the self-isolation period for those who test positive for COVID-19

From Monday 17 January, people who are self-isolating with COVID-19 will have the option to reduce their isolation period after 5 full days if they test negative with a lateral flow device (LFD/home test) test on both day 5 and day 6 and they do not have a temperature. For example, if they test negative on the morning of day 5 and the morning of day 6, they can return to their education or childcare setting immediately on day 6. These tests must be emailed to the school on covid19@grafton.bardaglea.org.uk

The first test must be taken no earlier than day 5 of the self-isolation period, and the second must be taken the following day. All test results should be reported to NHS Test and Trace. and the school on covid19@grafton.bardaglea.org.uk

If the result of either of their tests is positive, they should continue to self-isolate until they get negative results from two LFD tests on consecutive days or until they have completed 10 full days of self-isolation, whichever is earliest.

Anyone who is unable to take LFD tests or anyone who continues to have a temperature will need to complete the full 10 day period of self-isolation.

Temporary suspension of confirmatory PCR tests in education and childcare settings

Confirmatory PCR testing following a positive result on a lateral flow device (LFD) will be temporarily suspended from, Tuesday 11 January. This means that for all education and childcare settings, staff and students who have tested (either at home or through ATS) and reported a positive LFD result will no longer be advised to get a confirmatory PCR test. If your child tests positive on a lateral flow test, you must email the test result to the school at covid19@grafton.bardaglea.org.uk

This change is informed by public health advice. With high COVID-19 rates, the risk of a positive LFD result being false is very small. We, therefore, don’t need to ask people to do a confirmatory PCR unless they:

• have symptoms (a new continuous cough, high temperature, loss of taste or smell) (in which case they need to follow the stay at home guidance, self-isolate and order a PCR test)

Parents/Carers, please be vigilant, if you receive a Weduc message from the school informing you of a positive case of Covid-19 in your child's class we may ask you to complete a PCR test at a test centre, if your child has other symptoms such as a sore throat, headache, tummy bug.

Children are strongly encouraged to test twice weekly at home and to report all results to NHS Test and Trace and to their setting. Anyone with a positive LFD test result should self-isolate and follow self-isolation guidance.

Information on the new arrangements can be found in the stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Returning From Overseas Travel

Children aged 5 to 17 have to follow the testing and quarantine rules for people who qualify as fully vaccinated on arrival in England.

This means that they have to take a COVID-19 test after they arrive in England – before the end of day 2 at the latest. This can be a lateral flow test or a PCR test.  Children must not return to school until after they have received a negative test result and this has been emailed to the school at covid19@grafton.bardaglea.org.uk

Please see our school website for the most up to date information. https://www.graftonprimary.co.uk/covid