Do not visit our school if you have any COVID-19 symptom

Check the NHS website for guidance. 

The school continues to take additional measures to ensure the safety of our community. This includes enhanced cleaning, adequate ventilation and the use of CO2 monitors.

Children, staff and visitors required to wash/sanitise their hands frequently. 

Staff and visitors are required to wear a face mask whilst on-site and in communal areas within the school unless exempt.

We actively encourage all staff and visitors to take regular lateral flow device tests. 

GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE 

TESTING

Confirmatory PCR tests following a positive lateral flow device (LFD) test result are to be temporarily suspended from Tuesday 11 January 2022. This will mean that anyone who receives a positive LFD test result will be required to self-isolate immediately and will not be required to take a confirmatory PCR test.

If anyone has any of the main symptoms of COVID-19, they are strongly advised to take a PCR test, not an LFD test. If someone with symptoms has already taken an LFD test for any reason and the result is positive, they do not need to take a follow-up PCR test.

Pupils who are close contact of someone who has symptoms or confirmed COVID-19

Adults who are fully vaccinated and all children and young people between 5 and 18 years and 6 months (pupils) identified as a contact of someone with COVID-19 are strongly advised to take a LFD test every day for 7 days and continue to attend their setting as normal, unless they have a positive test result.

Daily Testing of close contacts applies to all contacts who are:

• fully vaccinated adults – people who have had 2 doses of an approved vaccine
• all children and you people aged 5-18 years and 6 months (pupils), regardless of their vaccination status
• people who are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons
• people taking part, or have taken part, in an approved clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine

Although close contacts are strongly advised to get a test, they should continue to attend school unless they are symptomatic.

Children under 5 years who are identified as close contacts are exempt from self-isolation and do not need to take part in daily testing of close contacts. They are advised to take a PCR test if the positive case is in their household.

SELF-ISOLATION

As of Monday 17 January 2022, people who are self-isolating with COVID-19 have the option to reduce their isolation period after 5 full days if they test negative with an LFD test on both day 5 and day 6 and they do not have a temperature. For example, if they test negative on the morning of day 5 and the morning of day 6, they can return to their education or childcare setting immediately on day 6.

The first test must be taken no earlier than day 5 of the self-isolation period, and the second must be taken the following day. All test results should be reported to NHS Test and Trace.

If the result of either test is positive, they should continue to self-isolate until they get negative results from two LFD tests on consecutive days or until they have completed 10 full days of self-isolation, whichever is earliest.

Anyone who is unable to take LFD tests or anyone who continues to have a temperature will need to complete the full 10-day period of self-isolation.

How to self-isolate

You must not leave your home if you're self-isolating.

Don’t

• do not go to work, school or public places – work from home if you can
• do not go on public transport or use taxis
• do not go out to get food and medicine – order it online or by phone, or ask someone to bring it to your home
• do not have visitors in your home, including friends and family – except for people providing essential care
• do not go out to exercise – exercise at home or in your garden, if you have one

GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE

Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread

Please refer to the latest travel guidance using the link below. 

If you plan to travel during school holidays, please keep up-to-date with Government travel advice.  If you have booked a foreign holiday in advance, which might now require you to quarantine for a period we would ask that families make every effort to amend their arrangements to ensure that students are available to attend as much school as possible.

The Aquinas Trust and the Academy comply with Government guidance as reflected in the addendum to the Trust Safeguarding Policy (the Addendum), which is found on the ‘Policies’ page of the Aquinas website www.aquinastrust.org.