Dear Parents/Carers,

I just wanted to write to you following our news this week regarding positive cases in school. I understand that this will be a worrying time for everyone in the school community and wanted to reassure you that we continue to work within our risk assessment, keeping all recommended restrictions in place to make the school sites as safe as is possible.

We had, of course, hoped to avoid any cases but, inevitably, with the rise in cases across Cornwall, we were always going to be at risk of this situation. Just to confirm that, as of this morning, we have three members of staff affected, two have had confirmed positive tests following PCR tests (those carried out at test stations and tested in a lab) and one has tested positive via the school ‘lateral flow’ test which needs to be confirmed via a PCR test.  Of those three members of staff, one had clear potential symptoms which developed over the weekend and so followed the correct procedures by staying at home and getting tested.  The other two staff did not have Covid symptoms and so their cases were only picked up through the schools testing programme. We will continue to keep you updated with any information.

I also wanted to explain the process we go through when we have a confirmed case. Once we have a confirmed positive case (or possible case via the lateral flow tests) we immediately seek advice from Public Health.  If we need to close a bubble we will then isolate the bubble (so that the staff and pupils do not move to other areas in the school) and contact families to arrange for collection of the children.  Staff within the bubble will stay until the pupils have been collected before leaving to isolate themselves (isolation period is currently 10 days from contact). Once all of the families directly affected by the class closure have been informed we will then send a text message to all staff and families to keep them updated of the situation.

Please feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss anything.  Class teachers will also continue to contact you on a weekly basis.

Take good care.

 Best wishes,

Caroline Jewell

Head Teacher