Dear parents,

Here is the latest information from Public Health Somerset, see below.

What it means for Elmhurst Junior School is that we stay in amber and our current mitigations remain in place. This is not the news any of us wanted to hear but things are working well and our school numbers remain quite low compared to other schools.

Please can I remind parents that you are more than welcome to bring your child/ children onto the playground in the morning during your drop off slot and can remain there if you have a child going in at the later slot. We have staggered times to help reduce the arrival at the pinch points and to spread these times out.

I will be sending out a separate letter regarding the school Christmas Fayre and COVID mitigations for this event.
Thank you

 Miss Airey

“Covid-19 Latest Public Health Guidance: 

Directors of Public Health (DsPH) across the South West have met and agreed that, given rates of Covid-19 in the South West remain the highest in the country, it is appropriate to continue with current Covid-19 response measures in place, until the end of this term. 

In line with this consensus agreement, Trudi Grant, Director of Public Health for Somerset, advises educational settings to keep in place the following control measures, as advised by Somerset County Council Public Health team on the 11th November.

Primary School Testing:

We continue to see a rise in cases in primary schools in Somerset, therefore it’s important to continue all you do to encourage household, parent and staff LFD testing. Please also be aware that Public Health could advise daily LFD testing for certain groups during an outbreak.
 
Any close or household contacts of confirmed cases of Covid-19 to book a PCR test and whilst awaiting test results, undertake a daily LFD test and only attend school if this is negative – this includes students of primary age under parental discretion. The new LFD tests are nasal swabs only and much easier to use than previous stocks. 
 
Advice for Parents Collecting Children:
If a parent or guardian has received a positive PCR test, by law, they must self-isolate at home for the full 10 day period. We remind all parents that collecting children from school is not an exemption to self-isolation.
 
Encouraging parents to have a friend or neighbour in mind that they could ask to do the school run ‘just in case’, will help them avoid breaking self-isolation rules by leaving their home.”