Face coverings to be worn in school from Monday 29th November
I have this afternoon (Sunday) received an email from the DfE as a result of the presence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 stating the following:
“Face coverings
Face coverings should be worn in communal areas in all settings by staff, visitors and pupils or students in year 7 and above, unless they are exempt.
Pupils or students (in year 7 or above) should continue to wear face coverings on public and dedicated school transport, unless they are exempt.
Testing
All educational and childcare settings should continue to encourage staff and students to test twice weekly using lateral flow device (LFD) tests.
Contact tracing and isolation
The current guidance on contact tracing and isolation remains in place. In addition to these, any suspected or confirmed close contacts of 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.”
On this basis, I will be asking all staff and students to be wearing masks inside the building from Monday 29th November 2021 unless exempt - this will be in all areas where groups are in contact - this means masks put on on entry to the school and kept on in corridors, classrooms and indoor spaces.
I apologise for the short notice of this but I also recognise the incredible support that we have had from parents, students and the community to keep our school safe. Please make sure students arrive at school tomorrow with a mask.
Thank you and keep safe.