CV&CC Update 20th October 2020

CV&CC Update 20^th October

1.The Basics (from the NHS web page)

MAIN SYMPTOMS

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

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

IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THE MAIN SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS

1. Get a test to check if you have coronavirus as soon as possible.
2. Stay at home and do not have visitors until you get your test result – only leave your home to have a test.

Anyone you live with, and anyone in your support bubble, must also stay at home until you get your result.

2.Please be Polite to Clyst Vale Staff

We have had a very small number of phone calls in which parents have been frustrated by the covid regulations, especially testing and isolation periods; inevitably, these affect their work and life, and their response has been angry and abusive to my colleagues. There is no excuse for this: my colleagues did not make up the regulations and government guidance !

3.No Circuit Break or Two-Week Half-term

You can’t rule anything out, of course, but there was no mention of any circuit-break or school closure in England in Tuesday’s Prime Ministerial Briefing. It now seems fairly certain that in Devon we will have our normal half-term and will return on Monday 2^nd November (which will be Week B).

4.Situation Update

Student attendance last week was 94.7%, which is really very good. Devon’s attendance is 93% and nationally 89%. We remain fortunate that staff absence remains very low, mostly unrelated to covid, and therefore single-day or short absences. There have been no positive cases among students or staff, although there have been a handful of positive tests among parents resulting in students self-isolating for 14 days. We are therefore able to continue to provide a broad curriculum within a clear daily routine, and are beginning to explore how we can safely and cautiously build on this provision. Nationally, half of schools have at least one student absent because of a “covid incident”; this includes us; 0.3% of schools are closed completely for a period of time.

5.Local Rates

Local covid infection rates still place us firmly in the “Medium” or lowest tier. According to the NEU covid map East Devon has risen to 58 cases per 100,000; Broadclyst, Cranbrook, Stoke Canon and area is 286/100,000 which is around 30 actual cases and is a decrease on last week; Pinhoe is 186, Exeter 382. The BBC, with slightly different dates, has 59 cases for East Devon and a much lower figure of 180 for Exeter. These are below the levels at which we would need to introduce further restrictions, but you will appreciate that we are keeping a very close watch.

6.Exams 2021

We are doing very well (fingers crossed, touching wood), but nationally 400,000 students were absent last week because of covid. Some of them were Year 13 an Year 11 students. Some of them in areas with high infection rates are on their second 14-day isolation. Today at the Education Select Committee Minister Nick Gibb confessed he was worried about the “unfairness an unevenness”, and that work was on-going with the Exam Boards and Ofqual. We expect a “Plan B” for exams in mid-November.

7.Face Masks on School Transport.

A reminder that these become compulsory from 2^nd November. Full details have been sent separately to families whose children use School Transport.

8.Letter to Parents & Carers from Devon County Council

Please follow this link to see a letter to all parents and carers from Dawn Stabb, Head of Education and Learning:

https://www.devon.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-in-devon/children-education/letter-to-schools-to-relay-to-parents-ahead-of-half-term-holiday/

9.NHS Covid-19 App

• The new NHS COVID-19 app is available to download. It’s free and will help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) by supporting the NHS Test and Trace service.

KB

20.10.10