Some pupils are falling ill. Some have taken coronavirus tests. No pupil or member of staff has tested positive, yet. Parents must decide whether your child has coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms or symptoms of other colds or flu. Your decision is important because it tells us what must happen next. Your decision should tell you what happens to the rest of your household.

 

Absence from school is higher than usual. I am not worried about our attendance figures. We want parents to make the right decision for your child, your household and our school community. Parents tell us it is difficult to get a test. We're finding the same for our staff. 

 

This text mirrors Ealing’s coronavirus flowchart for parents (Fielding, Parents, COVID-19). We hope it helps your decision making. Key questions and what happens next:

• When must my child stay at home?
• Should I get a COVID-19 test?
• When can my child return to school?
• What about brothers and sisters coming to school?
• What school work will they get when they are at home?

 

When must my child stay at home?

If your child has any of the main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), get a test as soon as possible. The test needs to be done in the first 5 days of having symptoms. Keep your child at home until you get the result.

Most people with coronavirus have at least 1 of these symptoms:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (NHS website says you do not need to measure your temperature, Ealing’s guidance to us also includes a temperature of 37.8°C or above)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if your child usually has a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means your child says that they cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

If anyone in your household has any of the main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), everyone in the household must self-isolate and stay at home for 14 days. Brothers and sisters cannot come to school, even if they have no symptoms.

Pupils only need to get tested if they themselves show symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), even if they have been sent home to self-isolate because they have been in close contact with someone else who has tested positive.

Find out more:

• NHS, Check if you or your child has coronavirus symptoms
• NHS, When to self-isolate and what to do

 

When can my child return to school?

When you tell us that your child has coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms or is having a test, this means:

• your child must self-isolate and stay at home for 10 days;
• we record your child’s absence using a code X for up to 10 days of absence from school;
• your child cannot return to school, even if they feel better, until 10 days has passed or they receive a negative test result;
• everyone else in your household must self-isolate for 14 days, or 10 days from the start of their own symptoms;
• brothers and sisters cannot come to school, even if they have no symptoms. 

If your child has a negative coronavirus (COVID-19) test result:

• they can return to school. We will need to see the test result if you want them to come back to school earlier than 10 days;
• if brothers and sisters do not have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), they can also return to school.

If your child has got a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test result:

• they must stay at home for at least 10 days;
• you should tell us because we must talk to our local health protection team about keeping everyone else safe;
• we record your child’s absence using a code X;
• your child cannot return to school, even if they feel better, until at least 10 days has passed;
• brothers and sisters must also self-isolate and stay at home for 14 days;

 

What learning will my child get while they are at home?

When pupils are self-isolating at home, we will provide learning if:

• we have closed a class or year group ‘bubble’;
• your child has coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms and/or a positive test result;
• your household has been contacted as part of NHS Test and Trace.

For pupils in Years 1-6, teachers will use Microsoft Teams, our digital education platform, to:

• set work matched to the learning that is happening in class;
• receive completed work, handed-in by pupils working at home;
• mark and give feedback about completed work each day;
• contact your child by audio or video conference to check on their learning regularly.

This will start as soon as your child is absent from school. Log into Microsoft Teams and your child’s learning will be ready for them.

For pupils in Nursery and Reception, follow our Instagram posts.

Find out more:

• Fielding, Parents, COVID-19 Remote learning at home