Coronavirus remains a serious health risk.

You should stay cautious to help protect yourself and others

New Guidelines

All remaining Covid-19 restrictions in England have now been lifted as part of a wider move from government restrictions to personal responsibilities, supported by vaccines and available treatments.

The Government’s new strategy for “Living with Covid” includes:

• Removal of the guidance for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing from Monday 21 February 2022.
• Removal of the legal requirement for those with a positive test to self-isolate and an end to the routine contact tracing from Thursday 24 February (although those who test positive will still be encouraged to exercise personal responsibility and stay at home, as is the case with other infectious illnesses).
• End of the free universal testing from Thursday 1 April, including those with symptoms and will instead be targeted at the most vulnerable. This means we will not be supplying any more LFT kits to pupils.
• Continued focus on vaccination and protecting the most vulnerable, including plans for a spring vaccine booster for those over 75, care home residents. An antiviral task force and targeted testing will also be maintained.

It is your responsibility as parent/carer to determine if your child is well enough to attend school. Like any infectious disease, you should keep your child at home if they have symptoms of an illness or infection which you might pass on to others, including Covid-19. Work will continue to be routinely posted onto the Google Classroom by teachers in the event that pupils are well enough to continue working at home. While it is not required to isolate for a period of 5 days, we recommend that your child is away from school for this period of time. From Monday 28th February, absences will not be recorded under ‘COVID’ as has previously been the case – this is in line with attendance guidance from the Department for Education. If you wish to notify the school that your child or a member of your family has tested positive for COVID-19 you can:

• call the school on 0208 465 6200 and notify reception
• if it is the weekend, evening or school holidays email outofhours@thekingstonacademy.org

Covid Symptoms

If you have any of these 3 coronavirus (Covid-19) symptoms, even if mild, please take a Lateral Flow Test as soon as possible:

• A high temperature
• A new, continuous cough
• Loss of smell or taste

If the result of either of their tests is positive, they should continue to self-isolate until they get negative results from two LFT tests on consecutive days or until they have completed 10 full days of self-isolation, whichever is earliest.

Testing

Schools are no longer able to distribute tests due to changed Department for Education guidance. If you feel unwell, please stay at home.  Test kits are still available from local collection points but free universal testing will end from Tuesday 1 April, including those with symptoms (the most vulnerable will continue to get free tests if they are symptomatic).

Face Coverings

Face coverings can help to prevent children and adults passing an infection to other people and offer some personal protection. The wearing of face masks is now a personal choice for pupils and staff.