CLOSURE OF ACKWORTH SCHOOL DUE TO COVID-19

Mar 20, 2020 | Ackworth School, COVID-19

20th March 2020

To all members of the Ackworth School community,

CLOSURE OF ACKWORTH SCHOOL DUE TO COVID-19

What we earnestly hoped could be avoided has happened; schools have been instructed to close normal operations and we have to support the decision. We are all doing whatever it takes to prepare our pupils and teachers for online learning, which will begin on Monday 23^rd March.

Ackworth School remains open to:

• Boarders
• Vulnerable children
• Children of critical (key) workers

The children of critical workers will be supervised at school and pupils in our Autism Resource will continue with their education until Friday 27^th March when we would otherwise close for Easter. Care for these children will continue as required throughout the Easter holidays, but this will be more akin to childcare than supervised learning.

The most recent scientific advice on how to further limit the spread of COVID-19 is clear. The government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.

We would appeal to parents of children on the list above to follow the principle of keeping their children at home if it all possible from Monday onwards, and to only send them to school if there is no safe alternative.

We have taken steps in recent weeks to ensure that pupils’ education continues in the event of closure. We are well prepared.

ONLINE LEARNING

For Senior Pupils:

• We are moving to online learning to ensure students’ education continues during term time.
• Teaching staff will provide lesson content by email, distributed to pupils directly. Instructions and relevant documents will be included, along with links to any relevant websites or other online resources.
• Additional support to pupils and/or parents will be provided by the Learning Support team by email and by telephone.

For Junior Pupils:

• Teachers will communicate directly with parents via the SeeSaw app to set work as appropriate for the duration of the closure in term time.
• Learning packs will be distributed to parents with clear instructions on how to use them, and the outcomes your child will be working to achieve.
• We will send links to parents who wish to access additional learning activities from several education providers who are offering free resources. These will be made available by the teacher.

FOR BOARDERS

• The school will remain open for boarders for the remainder of term and over the Easter holidays.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC LESSONS

• Instrumental lessons will continue where possible, delivered remotely via Microsoft Teams. For the week beginning Monday 23^rd March, lessons will follow the existing timetable, although this may be subject to change and students should monitor their school e-mail closely for further information on lesson times. Lessons delivered will be chargeable at normal school rates.
• Further details on this will be made available and any queries should be directed towards Daniel Marks, Director of Music via e-mail

to Daniel.Marks@ackworthschool.com

FOR AUTISM RESOURCE STUDENTS

• Ackworth School will be open for children in the Autism Resource until further notice.
• If you have any questions, please contact Lynne Ward.

FOR CHILDREN OF CRITICAL WORKERS

• We have sent a request for parents who are critical workers to confirm whether your child/ren will be in attendance next week.
• Advice is for freshly-laundered own clothes to be worn to school.

MEALTIMES

• We will continue to provide meals to boarders and day students in attendance.

ISOLATION

• In the event that a student or staff member presents with symptoms, we will enact our isolation plan.
• Continuing to protect the Ackworth School community remains our utmost priority.

EXAMINATIONS

• We are waiting for guidance on what the changes to public examinations will mean for students.
• As soon as we know, we will communicate with students and parents.

The School’s management team will continue to meet on a daily basis throughout this period of closure. We will keep you informed via a range of channels as appropriate: email, school website, social media and text message.

I want to thank all of our teachers for their exceptional teaching and support staff for their efforts in continuing to educate and support our students throughout this period of uncertainty.

I believe that we will overcome this international crisis with the assistance of all members of the wider school community and will continue to hope for the safety and well-being of all.

Anton Maree

Head

COVID-19 Update, 17 March

Mar 17, 2020 | Ackworth School, COVID-19

To all members of the Ackworth School community,

I write to you in extraordinary times. The coronavirus COVID-19 continues to dominate world agendas, causing significant disruption and impacting lives.

Following yesterday’s briefing by the Prime Minister on a raft of new social distancing measures, we are responding swiftly to ensure that we are in line with the latest advice.

To summarise, the latest government advice includes:

• Avoid non-essential contact with others, and stop all unnecessary travel
• Anyone who develops a high temperature or a new persistent cough should stay at home for 14 days. Anyone who lives with someone who has a cough or a temperature should stay at home for 14 days
• People should start working from home where they possibly can
• Avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues
• Only use the NHS when absolutely necessary
• From today the government will no longer be “supporting” mass gatherings using emergency workers

We have implemented the above advice as necessary. To be clear, the government has not mandated school closures. Ackworth School will continue to remain open for boarders and day students. Even in the event of a closure, we will remain open for our boarding students throughout Easter.

However, we are making some temporary changes to the way the school operates:

• All fixtures and events have been cancelled with immediate effect
• All parent meetings will now be conducted via phone, email or Skype
• Coram House students must be picked up from outside the main buildings – parents will not be allowed into the building, except in an emergency
• Senior School parents wishing to come into the school shall call the school in advance

We know that you will understand and support these measures. We are concerned about our community and are doing what we can support families and their needs. By trying to keep the school open, we are supporting business owners in our community to continue operating; we are helping healthcare workers continue doing their important work.

Over the past few weeks, here at Ackworth School, we have been proactively implementing our Coronavirus Response Strategy.

Our number one priority remains to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and broader Ackworth community.

To that end, we have been:

• Installing and replacing nearly 100 hand-sanitiser and hand-wash dispensers throughout the school
• Increasing the frequency of cleaning and sanitisation high-traffic areas of the school like dining halls, passages, and classroom door handles
• Regularly disinfecting shared equipment
• Displaying hygiene messages around the school and educate students on how to help
• Restrict staff business travel
• Creating isolation units should we need to isolate a student or member of staff
• Revising risk assessments for activities, trips and fixtures
• And much more in the way of changing policies regarding visits to the school

Following the health and safety of the school community, our next priority is keeping our school open for as long as is reasonably possible. Unlike other countries, for now, the U.K. has not yet decided to close schools.

However, we are preparing for possible closure. We are taking steps to ensure that we can maintain continuous education for students during term time. We will remain open over Easter to provide accommodation for our international students who may sadly find themselves unable to return to their home countries for a time.

To this end, we are in constant contact with suppliers. We have received assurances regarding the supply of food and other essential items for our residential students and staff.

During this time of uncertainty, we must continuously remind ourselves to follow the guidance of the health authorities and the government.

We deeply appreciate the support of you, our parents, and the wider school community during these challenging times.

Yours sincerely,

Anton Maree

Head

COVID-19 Update, 10 March

Mar 10, 2020 | Ackworth School, COVID-19

10^th March 2010

To all members of the Ackworth School community,

This letter and summary of our Business Continuity Plan reflects the situation on the 10^th March 2020 and is subject to change as directed by the UK Government.

I would like to share a summary of our Business Continuity Plan with you which includes information about how we are working to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all members of our community during the on-going international situation. Whilst we are trying to make sure that we minimise the risk we are also aware of the potential for anxiety and distress caused by the uncertainty or separation for families.

Unfortunately, rumours, misinformation and uncertainty abound. Information has been both confusing and contradictory, however there are well documented preventative measures that we can all take in order to limit the impact of this virus. What will also help us is critical and timeous information from parents and guardians about travel, illness or concerns.

What we are now aware of is that the risk to children appears to be very low. The vast majority of confirmed cases have occurred in adults and, globally, there have only been nine cases reported in children under the age of ten; 98% of reported cases are in those over the age of nineteen. All available evidence suggests that the risk of very serious complications occurring in children under the age of 19 is less than 1 in 500. Symptoms in younger people are typically very mild and are most unlikely to progress to a pneumonic phase.

Easter Holidays

The School will remain open for boarders during the Easter Holidays and a holiday programme will be followed which will include study time for pupils facing external examinations. We strongly advise against travel to any part of the world where there is a risk of infection – not least because pupils would be required to self-isolate upon their return. This would present particular problems for our pupils who are due to sit external examinations.

This position could alter rapidly if the situation escalates. If travel restrictions are imposed by the UK Government, all boarders would have to remain at school. Provision has been made for them.

UK Government Advice

The UK Chief Medical Officer continues to categorise the level of risk as ‘moderate’. Daily updates on the situation in the UK can be seen on the UK Government website. The UK Government has produced an Action Plan. We advise that you all take the time to read it to gain a greater understanding of how the UK is currently managing the situation.

Currently, there are no plans for schools to shut and the clear advice from the government is that Schools should remain open. However, it is possible that a school could be required to operate remotely were there to be an outbreak of Covid-19.

The current strategy of the UK Government is:

• Contain: detect early cases, follow up close contacts, and prevent the disease taking hold in this country for as long as is reasonably possible
• Delay: slow the spread in this country, if it does take hold, lowering the peak impact and pushing it away from the winter season
• Research: better understand the virus and the actions that will lessen its effect on the UK population; innovate responses including diagnostics, drugs and vaccines; use the evidence to inform the development of the most effective models of care
• Mitigate: provide the best care possible for people who become ill, support hospitals to maintain essential services and ensure ongoing support for people ill in the community to minimise the overall impact of the disease on society, public services and on the economy.

The UK Government also advises that everyone can support the UK’s response by:

• Following public health authorities’ advice, for example on hand washing
• Reducing the impact and spread of misinformation by relying on information from trusted sources, such as gov.uk.
• Checking and following the latest Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice when travelling and planning to travel
• Ensuring you and your family’s vaccinations are up to date as this will help reduce the pressure on the NHS through reducing vaccine-preventable diseases
• Checking on elderly or vulnerable family, friends and neighbours
• Using NHS 111 (including online, where possible), pharmacies and GPs responsibly, and go to the hospital only when you really need to. This is further explained on the NHS website.
• Being understanding of the pressures the health and social care systems may be under, and receptive to changes that may be needed to the provision of care to you and your family.
• Accepting that the advice for managing COVID-19 for most people will be self-isolation at home and simple over-the-counter medicines

Ackworth School strategy

In terms of the potential impact upon external examinations, we are provided with regular updates from JCQ and OFQUAL. No advice about external examinations has been received as yet except to carry on as normal. Once we have information pupils and parents will be notified.

We consult with colleagues in other independent and maintained schools and receive daily bulletins from the Boarding School Association (BSA), the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and the Independent Schools Bursars Association (ISBA).

The Senior Management Team reviews the latest developments and makes any necessary amendments to our existing position and is dedicated to responding to this situation regularly to agree short and mid-term strategies as the situation changes. The School has a Business Continuity Plan in place, a summary of which is included in this document which takes account of an extensive, if not exhaustive, set of eventualities.

The Situation at Ackworth School

No pupils or staff have needed to be tested for COVID-19.

All pupils who have experienced flu-like symptoms have followed our policy of self-isolation followed by immediate medical advice. All have been given clearance to return once their symptoms (in all cases a common cold) have been identified.

Ackworth School’s Business Continuity Plan

In order to safeguard the entire community, our plan is as follows:

(a) Travel

Pupils and staff must not travel to the regions identified by the UK Government as being most ‘at risk’. Ackworth School reserves the right to interpret a region of a country to apply to the entire country.

All travel plans, including those already approved, must be discussed with a house parent if they are boarders or with their tutor if they are day pupils, prior to any travel.

A pupil or staff member who visits one of these regions or any region which is subsequently added to the list, is expected to self-isolate, away from Ackworth School, for 14 days and seek medical clearance to return to Ackworth School.

Ackworth School advises against all non-urgent foreign travel.

(b) Contact

Pupils and staff must attempt to avoid all contact with any individuals who have recently visited a region identified by the UK Government as being most ‘at risk’. It would be wise to check before meeting to make sure that risk is minimised.

All plans to see friends and relatives who have travelled from a region identified as being most ‘at risk’ must be discussed with your house parent or tutor. Friends and relatives who have travelled from a region identified as being most ‘at risk’ must isolate for 14 days before seeing pupils.

A pupil or staff member who has contact with an individual who has recently visited an affected area is expected to self-isolate, away from Ackworth School, for 14 days and seek medical clearance to return to Ackworth School.

Ackworth School advises that all boarders remain at the School during the Easter holiday.

(c) Prevention of Infection

All pupils and Staff are reminded that they must:

• Wash their hands regularly, with soap and water
• Use of an alcohol-based hand sanitiser (at least 60% alcohol) is also recommended
• Hands should always be washed before leaving home or the boarding accommodation
• on arrival at school
• after using the toilet
• after breaks and activities
• before eating or preparing food
• before leaving school
• cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue and then dispose of the tissue in a bin
• report to the School Nurse, if they feel unwell, for further advice. Local students should remain at home and seek advice from their own doctor or from NHS Direct
• avoid touching their eyes, mouth or nose with unwashed hands.
• avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
• greet each other with a raised hand, not a hand-shake.

(d) When flu-like symptoms are present

Any pupil or member of staff who experiences a fever, cough or shortness of breath (however mild) should:

• Stay at home, in the medical centre or their bedroom in School accommodation.
• Seek immediate advice from NHS England on 111
• Separate themselves from other people.
• Contact Ackworth School, immediately.

Ackworth School reserves the right to ask any member of the community to self-isolate for 14 days if they knowingly act against the current policy.

Additional Measures  

In addition to the plan above, the following additional measures are in place:

Online Education Plan 

A pupil who is in self-isolation can expect to continue to be educated by staff at Ackworth School. Pupils, parents, guardians and agents will be sent a copy of the online education plan, when necessary. In order to ensure that this is possible, they must:

• Check emails regularly and at the start of every lesson time.
• Ensure that they have access to the internet.
• Ensure that they have the equipment that they need to learn in isolation.
• If the school is closed by the UK Government a full timetable would be maintained through the use of videos on Planet eStream. Email will also be utilised to ensure workflow between staff and pupils. GCSE pupils will have access to Century Tech which will enable them to revise for the five core subjects. Parents and pupils should feel reassured that work will be set and marked if the School entered a phase of operating remotely.

Additional hygiene measures 

Door handles and other surfaces where hands may have contact, are regularly being sterilised.

The School will put a ‘no hand shake’ policy in place. We will greet people with a raised hand, instead. Pupils, staff and visitors who wish to wear a face mask may do so. Further advice on Coronavirus is available on the NHS website.

Visitors 

All visitors to Ackworth School are being contacted prior to arrival and asked if they have been to an infected country or region within the last 14 days. They are also presented with a pamphlet on arrival outlining our policy and asking them to adhere to it.

Any visitor who has visited or had any contact with an individual who has recently visited an affected region, will be denied access to the School.

Forthcoming events, trips and activities 

We currently plan to proceed with sports fixtures, Parents’ Evenings, House Plays and other school events but reserve the right to cancel these events at late notice.

Sports staff are in contact with schools we play fixtures against to ask for reassurance that no cases of Coronavirus have been reported at that school.

Our current policy applies to the above events. Visitors who do not meet the criteria of our policy are politely asked not to attend.

Trips, activities and events away from Ackworth School will be cancelled if they do not meet our current policy standards.

Large-scale trips are currently under review.

Preparations for a worsening situation 

Ackworth School is prepared for four scenarios. At all stages, clear, accurate and detailed information will be sent (via email) to all pupils, parents, guardians and agents:

School Scenarios 

1. a) Outbreak escalates, increasing infection rates, no suspected or confirmed cases at Ackworth School – School open

• • Follow current policy
  • Continued, regular communication to all parents, guardians and agents.
  • Daily monitoring of government and health service websites and other information sources.

1. b) Outbreak escalates, increasing infection rates, suspected cases at Ackworth School – School closed temporarily

• • Notify 111, local health service and local authorities
  • Follow all guidance
  • Communicate with all parents, guardians and agents
  • Self-isolation for anyone considered to be at risk
  • Deep cleaning of all affected areas
  • Temporary closure if necessary
  • Restricted leave
  • Online education plan as necessary

1. c) Outbreak escalates, increasing infection rates, confirmed cases at Ackworth School – School closed but boarders remain

As above.

• • Lock-down of Ackworth School (no boarders to leave school or boarding accommodation; local pupils not to commute on public transport).
  • Closure and move to online education plan.
  • Full isolation of boarders who are at risk, in isolation zone unless too numerous, otherwise in NHS facilities.
  • Partial isolation of all boarders who are considered to be low-risk. Everyone to remain in boarding accommodation.
  • Deep cleaning and catering plans are in place.

1. d) Outbreak escalates, increasing infection rates, no reported cases but Ackworth School unable to continue to operate because of UK Government directives – School closed but boarders remain.

As above.

• • Campus in lockdown, no non essential staff or visitors
  • Online education

In Summary 

The support that we have received from the wider community has been overwhelmingly positive. Our position is robust and our single stated purpose is to safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of all members of the community. With everyone’s continued support and cooperation, we are confident of achieving this and if the situation deteriorates due to matters beyond our control, we are confident that we are prepared to continue to educate and care for the pupils at Ackworth School.

If a pupil tested positive, a member of the School’s Management Term would contact parents immediately to appraise them of the situation. The pupil would then come under the care of the National Health Service (NHS) and we would be guided by their recommendations and the local PHE Health Protection Team with regards to further steps. Presuming that they were not hospitalised, then the boarder’s concerned would remain isolated but within our care.

Boarding students would be kept under close medical supervision and looked after by staff members. Day pupils would be expected to be isolated at home.

Parents, guardians and agents may have further questions and we welcome these. We ask that they are directed to your son’s or daughter’s Houseparent or Tutor and that care is taken to read this and previous correspondence from the School, prior to making contact.

As ever, we thank you all for your support throughout a complicated international situation.

Yours sincerely,

Anton Maree

Head

Important update about Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Feb 14, 2020 | Ackworth School, COVID-19

Updated: 26 February 2020

We have been watching the development of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak very closely and are concerned and sympathise with all those who find themselves affected and restricted in their movements.

We have gathered information from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the British Foreign Office, Public Health England, the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) and consulted our local surgery about the spread of the virus. Current thinking is that the virus can be transmitted from person to person before any signs of infection are evident. Therefore the only way in which we can protect our pupils, staff and community is by reducing the risk of transmission from people who have a high likelihood of coming into contact with the virus.

It is important that we remain informed about the virus and I want you to know that we are doing everything we can do to keep everyone safe. There is a limit to what we can do and we are doing all that is reasonable. We are working within the bounds of what we are legally entitled to do and cannot prevent a parent from arranging for a child to travel to a high-risk area. We can, however, insist upon quarantine upon return. Currently, the UK has 10 cases.

High-risk areas are currently defined as China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Italy.

The Boarding Schools Association has advised that it is highly likely that travel restrictions will still be in place after half-term, given the scope and duration of previous epidemics. We will make a decision after half-term about pupils travelling home at Easter but would like to advise strongly against making plans to return to high-risk areas and this may also include areas that are not presently restricted.

The School has taken the following action:

• We have advised Staff not to travel to high-risk areas, and we have cancelled any visits, including parents and recruitment agents, from high-risk areas.
• Pupils have been advised not to travel to high-risk areas during half-term and the Easter holidays. We recommend that they should remain in Britain. We are aware that Guardians may be unwilling or unable to accommodate pupils for this period of quarantine and that the School is unable to make such arrangements.
• Adults or pupils who do travel to a high-risk area must advise the Head by e-mail on head@ackworthschool.com. They will not be allowed to enter the School or come into contact with members of the community for 14 days after arriving in Britain.
• We continue to insist on good infection control habits and are asking everyone to take simple, common-sense steps to prevent the spread of illnesses. It is important to introduce a culture of cleanliness and good health long before the possibility of infection. Washing hands regularly with soap and water and using tissues can help reduce the spread of infection.
• We have introduced signage about the school advising everyone to wash their hands thoroughly and regularly and to sneeze or cough into a tissue and then bin it and not to use a handkerchief. Hand sanitisers have been placed about the school.

In taking these steps, we are making the safety of all members of our School and local communities our overriding priority.  We recognise that these measures may be inconvenient to some families, pupils and staff and we deeply regret this, if this is the case.  We hope you will understand the urgent necessity of our decision.

We acknowledge that this does not protect our community from all risks because pupils, staff and members of the local community may still encounter another person who has returned from a high-risk area.  It follows that we ask you to consider your own travel itineraries and those of friends and family members who may travel to high-risk areas and that you take steps to prevent their interaction with staff and pupils who will return to the School. We discourage families and staff from visiting high-risk areas until the situation is clearer.  If a visit cannot be avoided they should not return to Ackworth School until the necessary quarantine period has been completed. We hope that a combination of travel constraints, swift isolation of carriers and medical intervention will minimise the effects of the virus and its spread.

Further advice is available from the Boarding Schools Association (BSA) and we will provide you with further updates as we receive them.

1. Is there any change to the advice given?

• Schools must ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place for any pupils who need accommodation over the forthcoming half-term break, either with guardians or by keeping school facilities open.
• Schools must assess the risk of any visits by parents and guardians taking any appropriate action and briefing relevant staff as fully as possible. Similar measures must be put in place for any proposed visits by prospective parents, pupils and agents. Schools must consider the impact on those affected when deciding on postponing or cancelling visits, but the safety of the school community must always be the primary concern.
• Whereas schools can put in place reasonable measures to protect the school community, but we do not have the right to stop parents and guardians taking their children out of school.
• Any restrictions imposed by us must be clearly planned and communicated, and must relate to the travel and risk profile of those concerned. We must avoid placing unnecessary restrictions on people who are clearly beyond the incubation period, which is currently 14 days.
• We must proactively plan ahead for Easter. It is highly likely that matters will be very different then. The risk from the virus might have completely abated, or the list of countries where travel is not advised might have increased considerably. We must expect that pupils living in South East Asia might not be able to travel and must also consider that some other countries might also be affected. Anyone choosing to travel should be advised that restrictions could well be in place before they return.
• We must actively support all those whose plans have been compromised by the current situation, and be particularly aware of the impact of enforced separation on boarders and their families. We need to have appropriate conversations with parents and pupils about their plans so that the best advice can be given to each individual family.
• We must ensure that all boarders are protected both in school and outside school. There have been isolated reports of children being targeted outside school on the basis of their ethnicity, and a perceived link to the virus. Reasonable steps will be put in place to ensure boarders are protected when outside school, which includes expecting them not to leave school on their own. We will also take robust measures to respond to any associated bullying within school.

2. How has the situation developed?

The Health Secretary has now put powers into place which would allow for individuals to be kept in “supported isolation” if necessary, and has described the virus as a “serious and imminent threat” to the UK.  However, the UK risk level remains moderate, and it has become clear that these powers are specifically designed to respond to a situation with those who have been repatriated.  The powers will, however, also allow a speedy response should the virus spread more widely within the UK.

3. How widespread is the outbreak?

There are now over 6,358 confirmed cases and over 1,370 deaths, (13/02/20) with the virus still concentrated on Hubei Province in China. The number of reported cases has stabilised, but it is too early to say if this trend will continue. The number of cases in the UK has increased, with the most recent cases coming from Singapore. This demonstrates that the risk profile of the virus is changing dynamically, and school responses must do the same.

4. How has travel been affected?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) continues to advise against all travel to Hubei Province and all but essential travel to mainland China. This advice does not yet extend to Hong Kong, Macao, and other countries in the region, but several countries have put additional screening measures and restrictions in place. FCO travel advice for all countries can be found here. The advice makes it clear that anyone travelling to certain countries in South-East Asia must be prepared for additional control measures and for the fact that travel is being curtailed or disrupted because of airline cancellations, particularly to and from Hong Kong. The picture is changing dynamically, so schools are advised to check FCO advice for any relevant information. Those returning from the following countries and becoming symptomatic are asked to self-isolate and to contact 111: • Thailand • Japan • Republic of Korea • Hong Kong • Taiwan • Singapore • Malaysia • Macau.

5. What about pupils who travel overseas and then return to school?

If a parent or guardian decides that their child still needs to travel, schools must make it clear that anyone returning from China will be required to spend a period of 14 days in the UK before returning to school, and should self-isolate during this time. BSA continues to advise similar action for Hong Kong, and it is very possible that this will need to be extended to other countries in the South-East Asia region. Guardians are highly unlikely to be able to offer guardianship under such circumstances.

Schools have a right to take reasonable measures to protect their staff and pupils and can advise pupils not to leave and advise those from overseas not to visit, but schools do not have the right to prevent any parent from collecting their child if they wish to do so. If a parent visits their child for the whole Easter holiday and has displayed no symptoms before the end of the holiday, current health protection guidance indicates that such a person is beyond the incubation period and does not represent a risk. It would not be reasonable, therefore, to impose additional restrictions at that point without good cause.

6. Possible Arrangements for Easter?

BSA is awaiting specific government advice regarding any school which might come close to the 295-day limit for accommodating children before needing to register as a Children’s Home and/or a private foster care arrangement if caring for pupils for more than 14 days during the holidays. BSA advises that schools must ensure that appropriate risk-assessments and supervision arrangements are in place.  If any staff are undertaking duties which are outside their normal remit they should be suitably briefed and trained. If we need to charge for providing such facilities, this will be reasonable and on a proportionate basis and we will communicate clearly in advance. Where possible a suitable programme of activities will be put in place to address the boarders’ needs and we will consider the impact on any staff who are required or volunteer to undertake additional duties.

7. What should we be doing medically?

We are continuing to monitor advice from Public Health England, Health Protection Scotland and Public Health Wales, as well as other organisations, including MOSA (Medical Officers of Schools Association), and the BSA has written to Public Health England and to the Health Secretary. While there have been no cases as yet at BSA member schools, the rise in UK cases means it is now prudent for us to ensure that we are making plans for the possibility of the virus appearing on site.

We are continuing to insist on good infection control habits, as would always be the case, particularly during the winter flu season and are asking everyone to take simple, common-sense steps to prevent the spread of illnesses. It is important to introduce a culture of cleanliness and good health long before the possibility of infection. Washing your hands regularly with soap and water and using tissues can help reduce the spread of infection.  We have introduced signage about the school advising everyone to wash their hands thoroughly and regularly and to sneeze or cough into a tissue and then bin it and not to use a handkerchief. Hand sanitisers have been placed about the school and we have reviewed our practices and policies. We are introducing a new infectious diseases policy to help if the national situation worsens but it is always advisable to avoid close contact with people who are sick.

There are some links below which I can recommend  to follow the progress of the virus:

• NewScientist – Covid-19: The new coronavirus disease now officially has a name
• ArcGIS
• NHS

The last two links are constantly updated and we have made good use of the information. Public Health England is leading on control measures and is using their established systems for similar situations. We are monitoring the situation and following all the advice but you can read this information for yourself on the Public Health England.

Anton Maree
Head