Covid Measures Update

Dear Parent or Carer,

I hope that you and your family are all well.

I wanted to write to update you on our COVID prevention strategies here at Holcombe. In line with new government guidance we are changing our strategies again from Thursday 27th January. From this date:

• Face coverings will no longer be required either in classrooms or in communal areas. However, should individuals choose to continue wearing a face covering then they may do so

• Other aspects of school life will start returning to normal. We will be bringing back assemblies (from Monday 31st January) and other in-school events will return in time.

• Parents will be allowed back on site for non-emergency matters, for example to attend meetings with staff as required.

However, the pandemic is still very much with us so we are keeping some measures in place:

• Good ventilation is known to be a key factor in reducing the risk of COVID transmission so we will keep classroom doors and windows open to ensure rooms are well ventilated

• Hand sanitiser will be located outside every classroom and students will be told to sanitise hands before every lesson

• Students and staff are still encouraged to complete Lateral Flow tests twice a week and we will continue to provide test kits for students to take home

We will, of course, continue to do all we can to keep our school open for face-to-face learning. However, if we are impacted by rising case numbers within year groups or large staff absences, we may need to move some year groups to remote learning. This has not been necessary so far this year but we have to be ready to do this should we need to. We can all play our part in preventing this by following the safety measures in place such as continued testing. Important If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19 they should not attend school. Please book a PCR test and seek advice from the NHS website at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/. In this instance, please contact the school office and we will advise you on the measures.

We continue to encourage all students and staff to participate in regular COVID-19 testing. Students are asked to continue testing twice weekly at home and to report all results to NHS Test and Trace and to their setting using this link. We continue to make LFT tests available to students who need them. Even if you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days, you are strongly encouraged to take part in LFT testing once you have completed the isolation period for prior infection. If your child needs more LFT tests, these can be collected from the school office.

A reminder that the 10-day self-isolation period for people who have tested positive has changed. If your child has tested positive but receives a negative test result on day 5 and day 6 of their isolation period (at least 24 hours apart) then they can leave self-isolation on day 6. For example, should they test negative first thing in the morning on day 5 and again on day 6, they can return to school on day 6.

I hope that the information in this letter is helpful and clear. If you have any questions, please email us on office@holcombegrammar.org.uk We are committed to ensuring that our school is a safe learning environment for pupils and staff and will continue to take decisions in the best interests of our pupils, while following Government rules and advice.

Yours sincerely,

Mr L. Preston Principal

Holcombe Grammar School