School Closure: 14th December 2020

 Monday 14th December 2020 

Dear Parent/Carer 

Covid-19 This morning, I received the news that a staff member has tested positive for Covid-19. This case is directly attributable to the recent cases over the weekend after a detailed contact tracing exercise. 

After completing the contact tracing exercise for the member of staff, who remains asymptomatic, it is clear that the number of affected students and staff make it untenable to keep the Academy open this week. 

Therefore, after seeking advice and support from Public Health England, I am taking the decision to close the Academy at the end of the day today until Monday 4 January. Parents may collect their children from the Academy site through the day if they wish. The Academy will keep all students who cannot be collected during the day and they will travel home by bus as usual. 

This decision has not been taken lightly. I have tried, against the odds, to remain open in line with government guidelines but events of the past few days have overtaken us. The online curriculum for all year groups is already in place via the school website for this week and we will make contact about additional remote learning opportunities as soon as possible.

Live Learning for Isolating Students

Sunday 13 December 2020 

Dear Parent/Carer 

Covid-19 and remote learning/live lessons for all isolating students As I write to you early on a Sunday morning, it is fair to say that the past 36 hours have been most challenging for our academy. 

My senior team and I worked through the day yesterday to secure the safety of our students and families for the coming week and the festive break. We go again today to ensure that all home learning is updated for tomorrow for so many of your children. 

It is my intention that all staff who teach Years 10 and 11 will offer live lessons on Microsoft teams to those year groups from tomorrow morning following their normal timetable and timings. Students in those years should receive lesson invitations ready to follow their normal timetable for the four days of this working week. 

Remote home learning will be available by 9am tomorrow morning for all affected students and will be published on Frog as usual. If students cannot access the live lessons in Years 10 and 11, they should complete the home learning instead and submit it to their class teachers in the usual manner. 

Year 7 students should follow the remote home learning plan which will be published in the morning. All students in Years 8, 9, 12 and 13 who may be self-isolating should do the same for their respective year groups and courses. 

James M Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, once said “Always be a little kinder than necessary.” In the past 12 hours, I have been made aware of one of our families who are affected by Covid19 receiving abuse via social media and messages. This must end immediately. I ask for parents who may know this family to ensure their children do not engage in such acts. Parents should also refrain from this please. It is not how the SRPA family should go about its business. It is not necessary and, whilst frustration may have taken hold, this situation is best left with me. I am already in close liaison with the relevant authorities who will take their own view.

'School's Out' for Jamie's Bubble (Year 7)

Saturday 12th December 2020 

Dear Parent/Carer I am writing to you because we have been advised by the LCC Health Protection Team to send home some children from Years 7, 8 and 11 as three students have tested positive for Covid19. This is with immediate effect and for a duration of 14 days since last their contact. 

I have been informed over the last 24 hours that a family whose two children, in years 7 and 11, were in school until Friday 11 December, have tested positive. There has also been a positive case in year 8. 

On the advice of the Health Protection Team, children who have had contact with these youngsters need to self-isolate for 14 days since the last contact. The new regulations do not come into force until Monday when we revert to a ten day isolation period. 

Students do not need to be tested unless they become symptomatic and their household do not need to self-isolate unless they get symptoms. 

However, as close contacts are more difficult to identify in the cases of the year 7 and 11 students, I am closing those bubbles in full with immediate effect with the support of Public Health England. In addition, all students who travel to and from the Academy on the 9199 Skellingthorpe bus must self-isolate and will have received a letter already. I realise that this will be worrying for many of you but I have been left with no choice given the circumstances at hand. 

All parents affected will be notified individually if their child should remain at home. 

We are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness. 

The number of children who have been in direct prolonged contact with the confirmed case will have received an individual letter and will be staying at home for 14 days since their last contact with the child, which was on Friday 11 December for years 7 and 11. For year 8 students, last contact was on Wednesday 9 th December. Therefore they should stay at home for 14 days from last contact and, due to the Christmas break, they should return on Monday 4 January 2021. 

The school remains open and your child should continue to attend if they remain well. 

What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19  If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they must not come to school and should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/askfor-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119. More information can be found regarding testing here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works 

All other household members who remain well, must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’.