Whitby's Eskdale School to Close for Two Weeks

A number of members of the school community have tested positive for COVID-19 forcing all year groups to self-isolate.

In a letter to parents the school say..

We have been made aware this morning of a number of members of our school community in Years 10 and 11 who have tested positive for COVID-19. This has had an adverse effect on all school transport and therefore has impacted all remaining year groups.

The school is now closed to all year groups until Thursday 26th November and all students need to self-isolate.

The school say the decision to close has been taken in consultation with Public Health England and has not been taken lightly.

Here is the School's letter in full..

Dear Parents,

We have been made aware this morning of a number of members of our school community in Years 10 and 11 who have tested positive for COVID-19. This has had an adverse effect on all school transport and therefore has impacted all remaining year groups. We know that you may find this concerning but 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.

As a precaution, the school is now closed to all year groups until Thursday November 26th 2020 when the school will re-open to all year groups. All students will need to self-isolate until November 26th 2020 when school will reopen to all year groups. The training day that was scheduled to take place on November 27th 2020 has now been cancelled and therefore students will be expected to attend on that day. This decision has been made in consultation with Public Health England and has not been taken lightly.
Students will be assigned work to complete on Google Classroom, so please ensure that your child accesses the Google Classroom each day. If you do not have a computer or internet access at home, please contact the school and we will ensure that your child has work to complete.

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/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.
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’.

Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.

Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home.

If you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online.

Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community

If you are able, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:

•  a new continuous cough
•  a high temperature
•  a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.

If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from the nhs.uk website at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/. If you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, or they are worsening you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://111.nhs.uk/ or by phoning 111.

How to stop COVID-19 spreading

There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19

Do

• wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• wash your hands as soon as you get home
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

Further Information

Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Yours sincerely,

Andy Fyfe
Headteacher