Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Changes to track and trace
Mon 19 Jul 2021Dear parents
Re: Changes to contact tracing in education and childcare settings
As you know, the Prime Minister announced on 12 July that Step 4 of the roadmap would go ahead on 19 July.
One of the key changes that will take place from 19 July is that education and childcare settings will no longer be asked to conduct routine contact tracing. As with positive cases in any other setting, NHS Test and Trace will work with either the positive case – or in the case of children – the parents, carers or guardian of the positive case to identify close contacts.
NHS Test and Trace already manages the contact tracing process for the rest of society – including children who have recorded a positive PCR test – and has expertise in supporting people to identify close contacts.
This letter sets out in more detail below how that process will work and what you need to do if your child tests positive for COVID-19.
Self-isolating and taking a test
- If your child has symptoms, they and other members of the household should self-isolate – and you should inform their education or childcare setting. You should immediately order a PCR test for them. If the PCR result is negative, they and other members of their household can stop self-isolating (unless instructed to self-isolate for other reasons). If the PCR result is positive, they, other members of their household and any close contacts identified by NHS Track and Trace must self-isolate until 10 days after the onset of symptoms.
- If your child has a positive result from a lateral flow device (LFD) test, they and other members of the household should self-isolate – and you should inform their education or childcare setting. You should immediately order a confirmatory PCR test. If the confirmatory test is taken within two days and the result is negative, they and other members of their household can stop self-isolating (unless instructed to self-isolate for other reasons). If the confirmatory PCR test is positive (or is taken more than two days after the LFD), other members of their household and any close contacts identified by NHS Track and Trace must self-isolate until 10 days after the LFD test.
- PCR tests can be booked online through the NHS Test & Trace website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/ or by calling 119.
- PCR test results will be recorded with NHS Test and Trace automatically, but you should also communicate the result to the education or childcare setting during term time or summer provision.
Contact tracing
- If your child gets a positive PCR test result, NHS Test and Trace will contact you, using the details you registered when ordering the PCR test. You and/or your child will be asked a series of specific questions designed to identify who your child has been in close contact with. Being in an education or childcare setting with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 will not necessarily mean a person is identified as a close contact.
- You will be asked to provide the contact details, if you know them, of any of the individuals – or their parents or guardians – who have been identified as close contacts. NHS Test and Trace will then get in touch with these close contacts and provide appropriate instructions or advice (see below).
Self-isolation and/or testing of close contacts
- At present, anyone identified as a close contact is legally required to self-isolate and must not attend their education or childcare setting (the only exception is if they are participating in a daily contact testing trial). Anyone identified as a non-household close contact by NHS Track and Trace must self-isolate until 10 days after the date of their most recent contact with that person. If they live in the same household, they must self-isolate until 10 days after the date of that person developing symptoms (see point 1 above) or, if that person was asymptomatic, the date of their test (see point 2 above). NHS Test and Trace will notify you of the day on which the self-isolation period ends.
- Close contacts are also advised to take a PCR test. If the test result is negative, they must still complete the full self-isolation period, as the test will not detect all positive cases. If the result is positive, they will need to self-isolate for a further 10 days – and NHS Test and Trace will contact them to identify any close contacts.
- From 16 August, if the close contact is under 18, they will not have to self-isolate (in line with the policy for fully vaccinated adults) but will be asked to take an PCR test immediately, other than for very young children identified as non-household contacts, and they will not need to self-isolate while awaiting the results of the test. If the PCR test is positive, they will be required to self-isolate for 10 days from the date of the test. NHS Test and Trace will then get in touch to identify close contacts (see points 5 and 6 above). Further guidance on these changes to self-isolation will be provided shortly.
We recognise how difficult the past 18 months have been and the sacrifices that all families, education and childcare settings have had to make. This has been an enormously challenging time for everyone and we would like to take the opportunity to thank you for everything you have done.
Mrs Clarke
Academy Principal
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KCSP Term 6 Trust Newsletter
Fri 16 Jul 2021Please use this link to acces the KCSP Trust summer term newsletter:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b-BBNs7QGoI3qLBYsMRPAtejRDs5ych-/view?usp=sharing
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Reconnect Summer Programme
Thu 15 Jul 2021The Reconnect programme is run by KCC and offers support to pupils entitled to Free School Meals during the summer holiday.
Please check the page on the school website for more information and how to claim your subsidised leisure pass and free childcare activity place.
https://www.holyfamily.kent.sch.uk/reconnect-activities-information/
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Update for September 2021 - bubbles
Tue 13 Jul 2021As we approach the end of term it is important to look at how we manage our return for the next academic year.
Until we reach step 4 please remember that isolating requirements are that you or your child remain indoors at home; they should not be attending beavers or scouts, football clubs, shopping or at the local playground. This will keep our whole community as safe as possible.
On the 6th July the following detail was published by the Government regarding Step 4 and the removal of restrictions; this will help inform planning for our return in September.
From 16 August, the legal requirement to self-isolate for contacts of a positive case will end for everyone aged under 18, and for adults who have been fully vaccinated.
This means that from the autumn term, only those who test positive will need to self-isolate. From Step 4, NHS test and trace will carry out contact tracing in all education settings rather than being run by the school or college. Those identified as close contacts will be advised to take a PCR test, and only need to isolate if they test positive. Children must self-isolate if they have symptoms of Covid or a positive test result.
Testing for close contacts under 18 will be split into two categories. All Primary, Secondary and College age children should take a single PCR test. Early Years children should only take a PCR test if a member of their household tests positive.
Once we have been able to review our process in school this will be emailed to all parents over the summer holiday and added to latest news on the school website.
- We expect to maintain good hygiene practices encouraging pupils to continue with their use of tissues, and handwashing.
- Antibac will still be used in school for staff and visitors with handwashing still encouraged prior to entering school.
- We expect to continue with our one way system into and out of school grounds at drop off and collection each day.
- Staff may continue to wear masks in closed contact environments as is being encouraged as part of best practice. We would ask you to consider doing the same wherever possible when in close proximity to others on school grounds
- Practical decisions surrounding PE days, inviting parents onto site for assemblies etc will have to be taken once we are fully aware of the implications of a removal of restriction.
Ultimately the most important requirement is to keep everyone save and able to attend school on a daily basis. We want to take every opportunity to return to our new normal as soon as safely possible and continue with a consistent education journey for everyone.
Please keep an eye on the school website and your emails over the summer break.
Mrs Underhill
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Positive case - Year 5 Isolation required
Sun 11 Jul 2021Date: 8th July 2021
FOR PARENTS / CARERS OF CLOSE CONTACTS IN YEAR 5 OF COVID-19 at The Holy Family School
Advice for Child/ Staff to Self-Isolate for 10 Days
Dear parent or carer,
We have been made aware that we have a confirmed positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19) at The Holy Family School.
We have followed the national guidance and, following a risk assessment with Public Health England (PHE) advisers, have identified that your child (name) has been in close contact with the individual who has had a positive test result for coronavirus (COVID-19). In line with the national guidance, your child must stay at home and self-isolates until Wednesday 14th July returning to school on Thursday 15th July 2021.
If your child is well at the end of the 10 day period of self-isolation then they can return to their usual activities and attend school as normal.
Other members of your household can continue normal activities, provided your child does not develop symptoms within the 10 day self-isolation period.
For more information, please see the guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person:
Getting a PCR test for a close contact of a case?
It is now also possible for close contacts to have a PCR test even where they do not have symptoms through Get a free PCR test to check if you have coronavirus (COVID-19) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or by calling 119. In some areas you may be encouraged to do this by your local authority or local health protection team.
Please note: if your child has a negative PCR test result this does not alter the self-isolation period as a contact. Close contacts should continue to self-isolate for 10 full days, as they could still become infectious and pass the infection onto others. Please make sure you read the full text message from NHS Test and Trace when receiving a negative result. This makes clear that you do not need to self-isolate unless ‘you've been told to self-isolate because you've been in close contact with someone who tested positive’ Negative test result for coronavirus (COVID-19) - NHS (www.nhs.uk).
What to do if your child develops symptoms of coronavirus (COVID 19)
Having been identified as a close contact, if your child then develops symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), they should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are a new, continuous cough, or a high temperature, or a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia). Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for a PCR test - this is the type of test that is normally available and can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.
All other household members who remain well must stay at home and not leave the house for 10 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’.
The household isolation period includes the day the first person in your household’s symptoms started (or the day their test was taken if they did not have symptoms) and the next 10 full days. This means that if, for example, your 10 day isolation period starts on the 15th of the month, your isolation period ends at 23:59 hrs on the 25th and you can return to your normal routine.
Household members should not go to work, school or public areas, and exercise should be taken within the home. If you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online.
Household members staying at home for 10 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community.
If you are able, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period. If that is not possible, anyone with symptoms should try and stay as far away as possible from vulnerable members of your household.
For more information, please read PHE’s ‘Stay at Home’ guidance:
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from the nhs.uk website at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/. If you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, or they are worsening you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://111.nhs.uk/ or by phoning 111.
How to stop coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading
There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with coronavirus (COVID-19):
- wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
- use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- wash your hands as soon as you get home
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
- put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
Further Information
Further information is available at
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Yours sincerely
Nicola Clarke
Academy Principal
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Red and White Day!
Sat 10 Jul 2021Well what an exciting Sunday we have ahead of us!
Whatever the outcome on Sunday (and I know we all are hoping and praying for a successful result!) we would like pupils to come into school on Monday in Red and White, non-uniform, clothing to celebrate the wonderful achievement of the England team.
For the first time in over 55 years England have made it to the final of an international tournament with one of the youngest teams in history. We have seen their resilience, passion and determination to achieve the best they can for both their team and their country and whatever the result on Sunday , Monday will be the day that we will honour their efforts and sportsmanship in school.