Dear Parent/ Carer,

Following the Government’s recent announcement and guidance regarding the identification of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the UK,  I am outlining our plans to ensure that the measures we are putting in place at Bishop Douglass School to keep our community as safe as possible. 

• We will re-introduce mask wearing for all staff and pupils in the school buildings from 30/11/21, unless they are exempt.  Your child will be required to provide their own mask.  Masks will be on sale at Student Services at 10p for a disposable surgical mask. We will be insisting that pupils wear the mask properly, covering the nose and mouth to help protect the wearer and others from the spread of infection.   Masks may be pulled up by the straps so that children can respond in class to teacher questions.  Children must wear masks on public transport. 
• We will also continue with measures to ensure handwashing and sufficient ventilation, consequently that pupils should ensure they are wearing sufficient warm clothing.   
• We have supplied your child with a box of lateral flow tests (LFT). Your child continues to be required to carry out a LFT twice a week at home, Sunday and Wednesday mornings.
• The current guidance on contact tracing and isolation remains in place. In addition, any suspected or confirmed close contacts of someone testing positive for the Omicron variant will be asked to isolate for 10 days regardless of vaccination status or age. You will be contacted directly and told to isolate. 
• Advice should be that if they test positive on lateral flow they should stay at home and organise a free NHS PCR test as soon as possible (it must be within 2 days).  This can be organised through the following website: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.  Once we have the result of the PCR we can commence providing remote provision.

Kind regards

Michelle Henderson
Head of School