Government guidance - What Parents and Carers need to know about early years providers & schools (click here)

Update 01 April - Revised Risk Assessment (V17)

Following the recent changes in government guidance, our risk assessment has been updated. We will now be working in line with version 17 of our COVID-19 risk assessment. Despite some changes being made, we are still being cautious due to high case rates in our local area and the vulnerable students we have in our care. The changes include: 

• Removal of restrictions surrounding international travel including all red list countries and quarantining.
• Removal of restrictions regarding high temperature symptoms.
• Removal of mentions to NHS Track and Trace.
• Removal of non-shared classroom resources.
• Removal of some restrictions with Early Help services.
• Some restrictions lifted regarding Art & Music activities.
• LFD Testing – still a requirement for staff to test on days when travelling between sites, and still a requirement for staff working with special needs pupils to test twice weekly. Testing to be funded by the Trust which can either be paid by the employee and then re-imbursed with proof of receipt or supplied by the Trust.

The full risk assessment is available to view by clicking here. 

Update 24 March - Letter to Parents/Carers around living with COVID-19 

Please click here to view the letter that went to parents, regarding our plans for living with COVID-19. 

Update 23 March - Revised Risk Assessment (V16)

Following the recent changes in government guidance, our risk assessment has been updated. We will now be working in line with version 16 of our COVID-19 risk assessment. Despite some changes being made, we are still being cautious due to high case rates in our local area and the vulnerable students we have in our care. The changes include: 

• Reminder that staff (& children where appropriate) in special schools and alternative provision are to continue LFD testing twice weekly.
• If travelling between Trust schools LFD tests to be conducted in the morning of any visits.
• Reminder for staff to wear masks in communal areas. Visitors to continue wearing masks.
• Any colleague that tests positive are asked to stay at home, not come to site & avoid contact with other people for at least 5 full days. After this a return to work can only happen after two negative tests on consecutive days.
• Those identified as Close Contacts no longer have to LFD test for 7 days if they are fully vaccinated or if they are under 18 years and 6 months. The legal requirement for Close Contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self isolate has now been removed.
• Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms are to continue to follow government advice and take a PCR test.
• Extra-curricular activities can now take place outside, or inside (where social distancing between bubbles can be maintained).
• Students can access all areas of their normal playground space at break times.
• A Ventilation Strategy is now in place.

The full risk assessment is available to view by clicking here. 

Update 28 January - Revised Risk Assessment (V15)

Following the recent changes in government guidance, our risk assessment has been updated. We will now be working in line with version 15 of our COVID-19 risk assessment. Despite some changes being made, we are still being cautious due to high case rates in our local area. The changes include: 

• Isolation periods reduced to as low as 5 days with a negative lateral flow reading (pg.4-5).
• Face masks no longer to be worn in classrooms, but still worn in communal spaces and for visitors even after 27th January. This is also included when moving between different schools and masks need to be changed (pg.6).
• Under 5’s exempt from isolating and no masks for early years children (pg.4).
• Again despite government guidance allowing people to not work from home from 27th January, Central Team and staff in supportive admin roles are still to remain working from home where possible due to the prevalence of Covid cases in the area (pg.18).
• Visitors are asked to complete LFD tests ahead of visit (pg.30).

The full risk assessment is available to view by clicking here. 

Update 20 January 2022

It is a relief for all of us that virus experts are reporting a reduction in the risks posed to us all by Covid-19.  As a school, we consider that our busy classrooms and corridors continue to offer a risk of virus transmission, we have students and staff who are unvaccinated, and so we have decided to stick to our cautious approach.  This means that we are working to the expectations set out in our Risk Assessment and staff will continue to wear face masks in corridors, work within their groups and rigorous cleaning routines will continue.  

We will continue to ask the Central team to work from home and any essential visitors to site will follow our signing in procedures.  The purpose of visit for essential visitors will continue to need to be approved by the Associate Principal before entering site.

We are keen to return to fling open our doors and to find normality, but we believe, with our children's wellbeing at the heart of our thoughts, that we need to wait a little longer before dropping our guard. We will continue to keep you updated.

Update 6 January 2022 - Revised Risk Assessment

To respond to the recent changes in guidance from the Department for Education, please see our revised risk assessment for reducing the potential for virus transmission at Stubbin Wood School.  The main new developments are:

• Face masks will still need to be worn by staff when moving between classrooms and in communal spaces. Students in Year 7 and above will be required to wear face masks in classrooms and when moving around the school building unless they are exempt from doing so (pg6).
• People who are close contacts of a positive Covid case whether Omicron or not must LFD test daily to help stop transmission (pg5).
• Good cleaning regimes to be maintained (pg 23 & 24).
• Staff absence due to Covid is being managed by Senior Leaders and when implementing staff to pupil ratios the needs of the pupils are taken into consideration (pg 32).
• People who are isolating may return on day 7 provided they have had negative lateral flow tests on days 6 and 7 (with 24 hours between tests) (pg5).
• From the 11th January people do not need to get a PCR test if they have tested positive for Covid on a lateral flow test. They can start their 7-10 days of isolation immediately, and must ensure they log their result so that Test and Trace are notified and can undertake contact tracing. Anyone with Covid symptoms must however continue to get a PCR test and isolate immediately until they receive their result (pg5).

The full risk assessment is available to review by clicking this link.

Update 8 December 2021 - Revised Risk Assessment

To respond to the recent Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, please see our revised risk assessment for reducing the potential for virus transmission at Stubbin Wood School.  The main new developments are:

• Isolating for 10 days when testing positive for Omicron variant regardless of being vaccinated (pg.4).
• Clarity of finishing times for staff (pg.10)
• Reminder of not having to isolate if you are a close contact (of someone that has tested positive) and you have been double jabbed (pg.4).
• Reminders about wearing face masks for staff in communal areas and also mask wearing for visitors (pg.21).
• Reminder about twice weekly LFD testing for staff & daily for those moving between sites (pg.7).
• Year 7 pupils and above are encouraged to wear face masks when moving around communal areas (pg.5)

Update Tuesday 7 December 2021 - Visitors on Site 

Please see below an update from the Trust regarding visitors on site. 

Update, Tuesday 30 November - Omicron variant, update

The recent Government announcements regarding the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been worrying.  We would like to reassure you that we are continuing to work within the guidelines set out within our Risk Assessment to keep our schools open (currently Version 13).  In addition to the 'hands, face, space' expectations, staff continue to wear masks whilst moving around the school site and we continue to operate in groups, discouraging movement around the school site whilst non-essential visitors are currently not permitted.  I anticipate that this will have an impact on our proposed arrangements for inviting parents on to the site but I'm sure that you would prefer us to take this more rigid approach to ensure that our most vulnerable students are as safe as possible.  Please be assured that we are ready to respond rapidly if necessary.

Update, Tuesday 30 November - COVID-19 vaccination booster programme expansion and second dose of vaccines for 12–15-year-olds

Following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the government yesterday announced an expansion of the Covid-19 vaccination booster programme to include all adults aged 18 to 39 years. Government has also confirmed that all young people aged 12 to 15 in England will be offered a second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

This follows on from recent announcement that people aged over 40, and those aged 16 and 17, can book their boosters and second doses online via the NHS.

The JCVI has urgently reviewed vaccine response measures following the emergence of the Omicron variant and has issued advice recommending:

• Young people aged 12 to 15 years should receive a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, no sooner than 12 weeks after the first dose.
• All adults aged 18 to 39 years should be offered a booster dose, in order of descending age groups, to increase their levels of protection. Booster doses should be given no sooner than three months after the primary course of 2 doses. The booster will be offered in order of descending age groups, with priority given to the vaccination of older adults and those in a COVID-19 at-risk group.
• All severely immunosuppressed individuals should be offered their booster dose no sooner than three months after completing their primary course of 3 doses.

JCVI has said: “Optimising individual protection ahead of a wave of infection will provide the largest benefit in terms of reducing the impact of the Omicron variant on the UK population. Additional data regarding the Omicron variant will take some time to accrue. Waiting for such data before taking some actions risks a suboptimal delayed response.”

Speaking at the Downing Street press briefing yesterday, deputy chief medical officer for England Professor Jonathan Van Tam urged that people should not panic: “If vaccine effectiveness is reduced, as seems pretty likely to some extent, the biggest effects are likely to be in preventing infections and hopefully there will be smaller effects on preventing severe disease."

The government accepted JCVI’s advice in full.  Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid gave an oral statement to Parliament on the Omicron variant and the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Further information

• Covid-19 variants identified in the UK
• Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)’s advice on UK vaccine response to Omicron variant   
• UK Security and Health Agency’s (UKSHA) press notice.
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)’s statement on expansion of the COVID-19 vaccination booster programme

Update, Friday 18 June - Letter to parents from the Secretary of State for Education 

The Secretary of State for Education has written an open letter to parents encouraging the continuation of regular testing.

Please continue with regular testing (twice a week) of you and your children who are secondary school age and above. This will help protect our staff and students from COVID-19. Thank you for your continued support.

Update, Thursday 27 May - Update from Derbyshire County Council 

Derbyshire's Director of Public Health has written a letter to parents and carers thanking them for their continued support throughout the pandemic.