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Parent Update 12th March 2021

12th March 2021

Dear Parents,

 

We look forward to having years 10-13 back on Tuesday, and years 7-9 back on Friday. A reminder that everything you need to know is on our website, under Covid Arrangements. All previous parent updates can be found under News.

 

Saliva Testing

 

We have been really impressed with the uptake of the saliva testing for years 10-13. We are aware that a few results have been slower than we would have liked to return. We expect these to arrive today. If for some reason they do not, pupils in years 10-13 are not prohibited from returning as the test is voluntary.

 

Going forward, the logistics of testing will be easier.

 

From now on, the test days for students will be as follows:

 

  •          Years 7-9: Every Monday. This includes Monday, 15th March.
  •          Years 10-13: Every Thursday. This includes Thursday, 11th March.
  •          Staff: Either day, but only once a week.

 

We will be expected to do the test at home, and then pop it into one of the boxes onsite as we arrive. We will be giving everyone details of where to drop them off, alongside the weekly updates on the importance of testing in tutor time.

 

Symptom-free COVID-19 testing in Southampton for households, support bubbles and childcare bubble with children in school

 

To help keep schools and communities safe, symptom-free COVID-19 testing is now available to many more Southampton residents.

 

The government has announced that any individuals who have sustained contact with school children and early years children can test themselves twice every week as schools return from Monday 8 March. This includes all households with children, members of support bubbles, childcare bubbles, and people working in childcare and in any related occupations.

 

Although COVID-19 cases are falling across the city, we still need to do everything we can to bring them down further to keep ourselves, our families and our colleagues safe, especially as we move out of lockdown.  One in three people with COVID-19 don’t have symptoms, so people could be spreading the infection without realising it. It is really important that we identify those people so that they can self-isolate and break the chain of transmission.  The more people we find who have the virus and then self-isolate, the more quickly we will be able to return to a more normal way of life for everyone.

  

We strongly urge anyone who is eligible including parents and carers to use symptom-free testing and play their part in helping to reduce transmission of COVID-19 and protect their school community. 

 

As a school we cannot give test kits to parents, carers or household members. You will need to organise your own tests and this can be done via a number of options detailed below. Please be aware that further options are being explored, but for the moment you can organise a test as set out below: 

 

  1.        You can book appointments to be tested at Southampton’s symptom-free testing sites. Testing at these sites is assisted, which means you will swab yourself under the supervision of a trained operator. 
  •          Merryoak Community Centre SO19 7JY, seven days a week, 8am to 7pm
  •          A Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) will operate at locations around the city, seven days a week, 8am – 6.15pm, on a rotating basis

o    Lordshill Car Park, SO16 8HY

o    Richard Taunton College, SO15 5RL

o    Shirley Baptist Church, SO15 5LG

 

  1.        You can use the Community Collect scheme to collect home lateral flow testing kits from local testing sites (Marlborough Road, Woodley Road, Guildhall and Avenue Campus), seven days a week, 1pm-7pm, to take at home.  The testing kits you pick up will contain instructions on how to take the tests and register the results via the online registration portal.  No appointment is needed for collection only.  Find your nearest rapid lateral flow test site. 

 

 

  1.        By ordering home test kits online. Please do not order online if you can get a test through other methods. This frees up home delivery for those who need it most. 

 

  1.        You may be able to access symptom-free testing through your employer’s testing scheme, if one is available.

 

Do not attend your test appointment or visit any of the testing sites to collect kits if you develop coronavirus symptoms or are self-isolating.  If you have COVID-19 symptoms you must not use the symptom-free testing and you should book a symptomatic test in the usual way.

 

If anyone tests positive or gets coronavirus symptoms, they should tell the school and: 

 

  

A negative result means the test did not find signs of coronavirus. But this does not guarantee you do not have coronavirus, so you should keep following all coronavirus advice including: 

  

  •          regular handwashing 
  •          social distancing 
  •          wearing a face covering where recommended 

  

There is also more guidance here on who can be tested and how you can get a test. 

 

EU Settlement Scheme 

 

We have received the following message from Southampton Local Authority which they have asked us to pass on to the parents of any children who are from: the EU (except Ireland), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

 

It contains important information that some families with children of EU, EEA and Swiss families do not realise the Settlement Scheme process needs to be completed for any children too.

 

Each child must have their own application. You can apply for your child or they can apply for themselves.

 

Please click on the link below for more information. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKSOUTHAMPTON/bulletins/2c274ac

 

God Bless

James Rouse

Headteacher

Telephone: 023 80328200 Email: info@st-annes.uk.com