Covid-19 Information | Ashbrook School

Main symptoms

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Most people with coronavirus have at least 1 of these symptoms.

What to do if you have symptoms

If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus:

Get a test to check if you have coronavirus as soon as possible.
Stay at home and do not have visitors until you get your test result – only leave your home to have a test.

Anyone you live with, and anyone in your support bubble, must also stay at home until you get your result.

What Will Happen if We Have a Confirmed Positive Case of Covid-19

When a child or a member of staff tests positive it is essential that school is informed immediately. School will then contact the dedicated advice service introduced by Public Health England (PHE) and delivered by the NHS Business Services Authority by calling the DfE Helpline to seek advice. The child or staff member who tests positive will need to isolate for 10 days and their family members who they live with, will need to isolate for 14 days.

It is likely that the bubble in which the child or staff member has been working in will be closed and everyone within that bubble will be asked to isolate for 14 days. Any child or staff member within the bubble must isolate as they have been in contact with a positive case.

People who live with a child or staff member who has been exposed to someone who has tested positive, but that person is not displaying symptoms themselves, do not need to isolate.

Once we have received notice that the bubble will need to isolate, a text message will be sent to all families within that bubble informing you of this decision. We would ask that you make your way as swiftly as possible to collect your child from the school building. The children will be released from their usual back doors and you will be able to leave via the car park gate. We ask that you follow the usual end of day procedure, at whatever time of day it is, ensuring social distance between yourselves and we will ensure the rest of the school are kept inside during this time.

Following on from the initial text message to request that you collect your child, an email will be sent to you also confirming that a case has been identified as positive. The email will inform you of what you can expect from remote learning during the period of isolation and it will also include a link to a Zoom meeting. This Zoom meeting will allow parents and carers to take part in a briefing from the Head Teacher followed by a question and answer session to be held, this will take place the following day after the initial closure.

If any further child or staff member develops symptoms, it is essential that school is notified and a test is carried out.

Our expectation is that every family that is isolating will receive one phone call each week from their class teacher or teaching assistant linked to the class, this is in order to keep connected and ensure help is provided if needed.

You will be able to expect full communication from the Senior Leadership Team during these two weeks.

We are all hoping that we will not have to follow these procedures, however, we hope you find this preparation useful. If you have any questions about this plan of action, please do not hesitate in contacting Kelly Cursley, Headteacher or Roxanne Jackson, Deputy Headteacher.