21.01.22 - Message from the Director of Education re COVID19 and other Matters
FAO: All School
MESSAGE SENT TO ALL SCHOOLS – PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR CHAIR OF GOVERNORS
Dear Headteacher/Principal,
I hope this message finds you well. It’s been yet another extraordinary COVID week of course – as one headteacher said to me “just as the masks arrive, we are told we are not going to need them!”. There have been quite a number of changes to guidance and these are summarised below. I have attached with this email the latest local data and also a Coronavirus flowchart which we hope you will find useful. The impact of the Omicron variant has been quite variable across borough schools. One school had to close its main site and a further school had 38% of its staff off work. A further school has had its inspection deferred as over 100 of its pupils were off either with COVID or self-isolating. However, some other schools have seen very little impact. As ever, please feel free to call us at any time (24/7) if you need support and advice or just the backup of the local authority/public health with your decision making.
COVID INFORMATION and updates
i) COVID - Full guidance can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1048357/220119_Schools_guidance_January.pdf
Face coverings: From 20 January, face coverings are no longer advised for pupils, staff and visitors in classrooms.
From 27 January, face coverings are no longer advised for pupils, staff and visitors in communal areas. Pupils should follow wider advice on face coverings outside of school, including on transport to and from school.
If you have a significant outbreak within your school Enfield Public Health Team may recommend that face masks are temporarily reinstated.
ii) Tracing close contacts and isolation
Close contacts in school are now identified through NHS Test and Trace and educational settings are not expected to undertake contact tracing.
Close contacts who are under the age of 18 years and 6 months or are fully vaccinated (two doses) adults are strongly advised to take a LFD test every day for 7 days and continue to attend school as normal unless they test positive.
Staff who are not fully vaccinated need to self - isolate for 10 days if NHS Test and Trace identify them as a close contact.
iii) Testing - Staff and pupils should continue to test twice weekly at home, with LFDs. Please communicate this request regularly to your school community. In the event of an outbreak in a class/ year group daily testing may be requested for a temporary period of time.
iv) Vaccination - All eligible pupils and staff are encouraged to take up the offer of COVID vaccination. Dr. Charlie Dearman (Charlie.dearman@enfield.gov.uk ) Specialist Registrar in Public Health works in Enfield Public Health Team and is available for one to one conversation with any unvaccinated member of education staff who is concerned/ has questions about vaccination.
See below for all North Central London walk in clinics:
https://northcentrallondonccg.nhs.uk/my-health/covid-19/walk-in-vaccination-clinics/
To book at appointment see National Booking Service link below:
OTHER UPDATES
v) Police information concerning recent disturbances – I have attached with this email an update from the Police on the disturbances last week and weekend in Edmonton, Enfield & Southgate including two areas which are classified as “dispersal zones”. This has already gone to all secondary schools but primary schools should clearly be made aware too.
Vi Next Headteacher Briefing – Wednesday February 2nd 1:30pm to 3pm. – You will shortly be sent a Teams invitation or this meeting which will a public health update, census information and an offer from behaviour consultant Hannah Hall.
I hope you have you have a good weekend when it comes. Burns night is soon to be upon us and I am off to a Ceilidh this weekend for haggis, maybe a dram of whisky and of course Scottish dancing!!
“Lang may yer lum reek” (Gaelic)
Best wishes
Peter Nathan
Director of Education
People Department
Enfield Council
Direct line: 020 83795492
Mob: 07813995030