CV&CC Update Tuesday 26th January: local rates falling, and updates

CV&CC Update

Tuesday 26th January

When will students return to school ?

Unfortunately, we don’t know, and there is a lot of pressure on the government about this. There will be a major review on 15^th February, and as there is a commitment to two weeks’ notice, it seems likely the earliest would be 1^st March. However, different ministers have said different things about whether there could be a return before the Easter holidays; whether this could be region by region; and whether certain year groups could be targeted to return first.

There was a statement in the House of Commons that an announcement would be made in “the next few days”. It’s not clear if this means a timetable including dates, or a more general plan. it is very difficult for the government to predict rates of transmission, the impact of the new variants, and the capacity of the NHS, but everyone needs a clearer idea: students, schools, especially parents. Hopefully we will have an announcement this week; if not, I think the only course of action is for us to plan and prepare for no return until after Easter. Then anything earlier would be a bonus.

Lateral Flow Testing:

We have decided to test everyone on site twice weekly in order to maintain a high level of covid security. For students we require parental permission, of course. We do not know what is happening about mass testing when students return to school, however. If you need it, here is the link to the form: Student Consent form for Covid-19 testing, and you can find the accompanying letter and Privacy Notice on our website, at https://www.clystvale.org/c19/

Situation Update

Staff absence still remains very low: with the national lockdown, four clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) staff are shielding but able to work from home. We still have no positive cases among staff at present, or any colleague self-isolating. Student attendance in the KWV provision is 10%, compared to 5% nationally (secondary schools).

Before Christmas 12 students tested positive for covid, as well as 31 family/household members. Over the holiday we were informed of 2 further students testing positive. Since the start of term there have been 2 students with a positive result and 4 family/household members.

Please keep informing us of any positive tests, even it seems daft because you are in lockdown !

Local Rates

Locally to us, numbers of cases have decreased noticeably in the past week and remain well below national averages. According to the NEU covid map for schools, in the last week East Devon has fallen from 259 to 128 cases per 100,000, and the BBC gives 124 cases; Broadclyst, Cranbrook, Stoke Canon and area has also fallen from 246 to 150/100,000; Exeter has almost halved from 297 to 154/100,000 (NEU) or 137(BBC), and Pinhoe and area has increased a little to 167. The national average for the BBC figures is 344/100,000 which is a steady decline from last week’s 432. (The NEU and BBC have different dates)

Keyworkers’ and Vulnerable Children

The link for KWV definitions is:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision?utm_source=11%20January%202021%20C19&utm_medium=Daily%20Email%20C19&utm_campaign=DfE%20C19

Free School Meals

We joined the Department for Education’s Edenred voucher scheme last week. If you have any queries about FSM, please e-mail

Key Points to Remember, please

• Please do not send your child to school if they have covid symptoms.
• Please do not send your child to school if they have had symptoms and are waiting for a test result even if they seem better.
• If any member of a household has symptoms, everyone must stay away from school or work until the test result is known. If positive, everyone must isolate for 10 days from the start of symptoms or 10 days from the test date if there were no symptoms.
• Please tell us [student absence; AtHoS] if your child or household member has symptoms; test dates and results; dates you have been given for a return to school. This applies even if your child is not attending College.
• Please use the number above for reporting an “out-of-hours” positive test result.
• Students should wear masks at all times unless exempt. Except lessons, when actually eating/drinking, and if outside AND at 1m+ distance from one another.