Parental Update Health & Safety

Monday 24th August 2020

Parental Information – UPDATE Monday 24 August 2020

This update will report on any matters from the first week of safe re-opening and also inform you of some acting up arrangements in the Senior Management Team.

I would like to note the very positive start that students have made in returning to school and the support you have given them as parents/carers. The school has a positive feel despite the very different environment currently operating.

The last few parental communications laid out our health and safety protocols to enable safe opening of schools but I do think it is useful to remind you of the key health and safety points and add some further information. There is also a new section with guidance on what to do if you think your child or a family member may have Covid 19 and a reminder about travel restrictions. There are restrictions on entry to school where students have been in any of the restricted travel zones.

Health and Safety – key points at a glance

• PLEASE ENSURE – that your child does not come to school if they are generally unwell and/or have any possible symptoms. Remember symptoms in    young people may be mild and there are a range of possible symptoms. Currently         today we have experienced a rash of students reporting illness and we only have        limited isolation rooms.  If in doubt please keep them home and go through NHS             Inform for support. Any student who is unwell will be sent home to protect staff and        students. See the next section for further advice.

 

• All Students from S1-6 have clear supervised venues to go to for lunch and breaks when the weather is poor and students have been told this. If the weather is fine      then they will be encouraged to go outside where they will also be supervised.   Students in the senior phase who arrive early off buses may go to the Assembly Hall  when the weather is poor. We have asked senior students to arrive as close to 8:40 pm as possible.
• At this stage we are being flexible about lateness but if your child does arrive much later for school please contact us or they should provide the office with a note/      appointment card. All LATE students must sign in through the middle door
• Students may go home for lunch. Please confirm this arrangement in writing to the school. There is clarification for parents in receipt of a free school meal allowance on           our website
• It is strongly suggested no student goes out to food shops at lunchtime. S1 MUST stay in school at lunchtime all session. No students are allowed to leave at break time.     If they do enter a shop they must wear masks (unless they have a medical reason)           and not congregate in or around any premises. Shops know our break times and will        call the school if they have concerns. Police will be making safety checks.
• Mask wearing in shops has been problematic and I have been out in the community requesting all our young people comply. We have had a number of           complaints from members of the public worried about their health and safety and I    have communicated my concerns to all young people. Public health science indicates           that young people pose a very low threat to each other if they have no serious             underlying health conditions but they do pose a possible risk to adults in school and       the community. I would respectfully ask that you reinforce the need for social responsibility with you child over this matter. If your child is unable to wear a mask             please contact us to let us know.   
• School bags are allowed. Suggested equipment to bring to school was outlined on Wednesday morning – please see website
• Students must observe social distancing in all interactions with staff. This includes all movements within corridors, around teachers’ desks and in using the one way      system and must not walk to classes in such a way that brings them into close contact with staff.
• We are encouraging and supporting students to wear facemasks in school – particularly those in S5/6 as scientific evidence about the risk of them spreading          infection is less clear than for younger students. We will outline the scientific basis           to students in S5/6 this week but do respect they have the right to make a choice at     this stage.

 

What do I do if I think my child at Penicuik High School or a family member has Covid19 or is sent home with symptoms?

The safety of our pupils and staff is our main priority therefore we ask that parents and carers ensure the following instruction are strictly adhered to.

If your child is showing symptoms of Covid 19 they must stay at home and you should arrange a test. Your child should not return to school until the school has received an email containing evidence of a negative result.  Forwarding the government email or sending a screen shot of the text message will suffice.  If your child returns to school before we received this evidence we will need to remove your child into isolation and arrange for them to be collected.

The same rules must apply if an immediate family member has symptoms and needs to be tested.  Your child should not return to school until we receive evidence of the family member’s negative test result.  Again, if your child is in school before the email is received we will need to remove your child into isolation and arrange for them to be collected.

Results should be emailed to penicuik_hs@midlothian.gov.uk as a matter of urgency.

If you have any queries at any stage then please ask our advice before sending your child to school. We have a direct link to the Public Health team who can advise on all contexts.

 

Our Covid 19 point of contact in school is Ms Hollie Lyon, Acting Depute Head Teacher.

Return from Travel Overseas

We are not aware of any students who have had to quarantine after returning from a restricted travel zone but I would respectfully ask you to observe any requirement to quarantine arising from travel to a restricted zone overseas after the September or October school breaks. If you child is off for this reason please contact the school office and we will arrange work to be set on-line.

I attach a link to the relevant guidance https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-public-health-checks-at-borders/pages/overview/ and to the list of exempt countries https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-public-health-checks-at-borders/pages/exemptions/. Directors of Public Health and local health protection teams are available to offer further support where there are concerns.

 

Acting Up Arrangements – Senior Management Team

Mrs Burgess is currently on leave and we have therefore created two temporary Acting Depute Head Teacher posts in the school

Ms Hollie Lyon will be Acting Depute Head and Acting Head of Liddell house. She is also the Covid 19 point of contact and will assume a range of operational and strategic portfolios including learning and teaching, curriculum and employability/DYW.

Mrs Morven Murphy is Acting Depute Head with responsibility for all aspects of Pupil Support and the Health and Wellbeing of our young people.

We welcome Ms Lyon and Mrs Murphy to our team and I note they are both experienced staff who will make a very positive contribution to our on-going work in school.

If you have any queries about any of the matters raised in this update please email the school office penicuik_hs@midlothian.gov.uk

Craig Biddick

Head Teacher (Acting)

 

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