Hello everyone,

Please find attached a letter sent from Amanda Healy, Director of Public Health and Jim Murray, head of Education and Skills in County Durham, regarding a rise in COVID 19 cases across schools in Durham.

I want to start by reassuring you that at the moment cases in our school remain low, although we do still have them.

They are asking that schools re-introduce measures to ensure the children and staff are safe.

Many of these measures we have never stopped using, including:

• staggered starts and end times,
• staggered lunch times and playtimes to stop mixing of year groups
• asking adults visiting school to wear masks,
• continuing to use hand sanitiser and hand washing regularly,
• continuing to use sanitisation cans weekly in all rooms
• ventilation in all rooms

It is also asking schools to consider not having face to face parent/carer meetings. We have already arranged these but will ask that all adults wear masks to come into school and for the duration of the meeting and that you do not turn up too early for your appointment as only two parents will be allowed to wait outside the classroom. These meetings will last for only 10 minutes.

If you decide that you really don’t want to come into school please let us know and a phone call can be arranged.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this would be the testing of the children if anyone in your house tests positive. This is really important. The children can still attend school if they are negative on a Lateral Flow test.

I will be watching the numbers very carefully and keep you fully updated as to whether our planned events can take place. I really do have everything crossed.

I really do want to reassure you all that we are still, and will continue, to take the safety of all of our children, staff, and parents/carers very seriously.

Thank you for your support

Paula O’Rourke- Headteacher