Letter: Confirmed Case 19th October

19th October 2020

Dear Parent / Carer

Today we were advised that one pupil in Year 8 has tested positive for COVID-19.We have been working very closely with the Local Authority, the Sefton Public Health Advisor in conjunction with Public Health England to manage the situation and respond to the advice given. Following a detailed Risk Assessment, the recommendation is that only pupils identified specifically by School or the NHS Track and Trace will need to remain at home and self-isolate, in accordance with Public Health regulations. In these cases, we have been able to initiate our track and trace systems and therefore apply a targeted approach to our advice regarding self-isolation. While it is clearly a regrettable situation, we are confident that all relevant procedures and Risk Assessments have been followed in coming to this decision.

To reiterate, only pupils identified by the School or Track and Trace will have to self-isolate, and we will contact these families separately. All other pupils are expected to attend school as normal as they have not been identified as having close contact with the pupils who tested positive.

We politely ask that you trust us, alongside the Public Health Teams, to make informed decisions in the best interests of our pupils, families and the wider community. We respect and listen to the views that we receive but we remain firm that the decisions we make are made with the advice of experts and those with the knowledge to assure us of our decisions. Can we respectfully ask that during this time you understand we may not always be able to respond to communication within our normal time frames; please limit your contact with school to urgent issues where possible.

We would like to thank all parents, carers and pupils for the support we have received. We are proud of the way our pupils have adapted to the new arrangements in school and maintained our standards and routines. We have always been committed to maintaining our curriculum despite the significant constraints we are working under. We feel confident that our pupils continue to receive the excellent education they deserve despite the challenges we all face on a day to day basis. We are all doing our best as a community; we must ensure we work together, maintaining a respectful dialogue and a sense of empathy.

Please also refer to the guidance on our website regarding symptoms, isolation and testing on our homepage if you have any concerns.

As always, your support, patience and understanding is greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely

Mrs A Ryan