Dear Parents/Carers                                                         

Welcome back after what has been a strange half term with the news of what is happening around the world. It seems like we bounce from one crazy situation into another. A global pandemic followed by a war in Europe. My thoughts at this time are very much with the Ukrainian people who must be petrified as they are forced to hide in underground shelters with their loved ones, as fighting and bombs explode around them. I cannot imagine the worry and fear they are going through. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

I spoke to the staff this morning and said that all we can do to combat greed, hatred and a quest for power is to show as much love, care and compassion as we can. We can continue to do that through working with and supporting our children as best we can.

In terms of Covid, national guidance has changed considerably and as a result, school policy has changed significantly in alignment with this. We have very much entered a phase of learning to live with the virus rather than letting the virus dictate our every-day practice. We are making the following changes to procedures:

• Mask wearing is now non-compulsory within school. However, this will be reflective on case numbers and if there are a number of cases in one area masks may be reintroduced.

• Regular lateral flow testing is not required. However, this may change based on case numbers within a specific area of school.

• If your child has symptoms they should be booked in for a PCR test to confirm. This is so if they are positive you can ensure that they keep their distance from others, whilst they are displaying symptoms. A negative lateral flow is not proof of not having the virus. If your child is unwell, whilst they display any symptoms, then they should not return to school. Once your child is completely symptom free they may return to school. Please err on the side of caution with this. Even though the legal requirement to self-isolate has ended we would not want children who are displaying symptoms of the virus to be in school. We will still be being vigilant in school and if a child appears unwell we will ask for them to be picked up.

As a school we will continue to put increased protective measures in place. These include:

• Washing hands regularly throughout the day
• Maintaining proper cleaning regimes
• Keeping occupied spaces well ventilated
• Following Public Health advice on testing, self-isolation and managing confirmed cases of COVID-19. We will continue to work closely with the local Public Health team and in the event of a local outbreak we may need to put additional, temporary measures in place.

Yours sincerely

Paul McLean

Paul McLean

Headteacher

Kirkleatham Hall Schoo