Covid 19

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School COVID-19 Catch-Up Premium Plan 

COVID Outbreak Management Plan

Introduction

The Government has made it a national priority that education and childcare settings should continue to operate as normally as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. The DfE’s published COVID Contingency Framework states that schools should have an outbreak management plan, outlining how they would operate if any of the measures described in the guidance were recommended for their setting or area.

Measures affecting education and childcare may be necessary in some circumstances, for example:

• to help manage a COVID-19 outbreak within a setting
• if there is extremely high prevalence of COVID-19 in the community and other measures have failed to reduce transmission
• as part of a package of measures responding to a Variant of Concern (VoC)

In these cases, the guidance also states that councils, directors of public health and Public Health England protection teams can recommend certain measures for individual schools or clusters of settings.

If there is a need to address more widespread issues across an area, ministers will take decisions on an area-by-area basis.

This plan should be read alongside the latest guidance for education settings operating during COVID.  The suite of guidance can be found: https://www.gov.uk/government/latest?departments%5B%5D=department-for-education

This guidance changes on a regular basis and so care will be taken to regularly review the guidance and ensure that any steps taken are in line with current DfE guidance.

To reduce the risk of transmission, the school continues to follow robust cleaning regimes in schools such as:

• Additional COVID-19 Response Cleaners
• Enhanced cleaning of school sites
• Enhance touch-point cleaning processes

COVID Outbreak Management Plan

Scenario 1 – isolated case in the setting

• Schools will follow their Local Authority reporting guidance
• Consideration will be given to transport and visitor contacts
• Remote learning plan to be implemented for those isolating
• School Covid Risk Assessment to be evaluated in light of any learning from new case
• School will provide food vouchers for families on FSM

Scenario 2 – Threshold met for outbreak within the setting  

The definition of an outbreak in the setting is 5 children, pupils, students or staff, who are likely to have mixed closely, test positive for COVID-19 within a 10-day period.

The best way to avoid an outbreak in a setting is to ensure preventative measures are in place. Within all settings the following will be in place:

• A risk assessment for each setting that reflects the current government guidance
• Appropriate PPE will be provided and worn in line with Guidance
• Hand sanitiser will be freely available
• Consideration will be given to staff working from home
• LFT testing will be available for staff, visitors and secondary pupils

Should an outbreak be identified, the following steps will be undertaken:

• Seek formal Director of Public Health (DPH) approval for further action
• Schools will follow their LA guidance for notification
• In collaboration with Public Health and the Trust Executive Leadership Team a decision will be made as to whether school can remain open
• DfE will be informed if the school is to close
• LA will be informed if the school is to close
• Remote learning plan will be implemented
• External visits to the school will stop until deemed safe
• School COVID Risk Assessment will be evaluated in light of any learning from new cases
• School will provide food vouchers for families on FSM

Scenario 3 – Threshold met for serious outbreak in the setting and / or the setting is affected by a package of Local or National measures

This threshold will be met if 10% of children, pupils, students or staff who are likely to have mixed closely test positive for COVID-19 within a 10-day period and / or there is the need for a package of local or national measures and / or there is severe illness (e.g. students or staff admitted to hospital due to COVID-19).

The COVID situation is ever changing as are the directed responses. Settings will work with the Trust to ensure that they implement any Local or National restrictions and guidance. Schools will work in collaboration with professionals and stakeholders to limit the impact on educational delivery. This will include seeking formal Director of Public Health (DPH) approval for further action and working with the following:

• Parents/carers
• Pupils
• Local Authority
• Social Care
• DfE

Additional measures

• This Outbreak Management Plan outlines how Pioneer Educational Trust would operate if any of additional measures were recommended for the school sites from national guidance due to a Variant of Concern or extended lockdown measures.
• The school / trust will continue to update site specific COVID-19 Risk Assessments in line with national guidance. COVID-19 Risk Assessments are updated in consultation with school leaders and uploaded regularly to school websites.

Testing

• The school is prepared for the reintroduction of Asymptomatic Testing Sites (ATS).
• The school will continue to provide testing kits to staff and pupils twice a week and encourage their use.
• Additional use of home testing by staff and pupils may be advised and will be encouraged by schools.
• Evidence of negative test results may be requested for access to school sites for events such as taster days and school proms.

Face coverings

• The school may introduce the use of face masks in schools for staff and pupils in cases of Variants of Concern including communal areas and classrooms.
• COVID-19 Risk Assessments will be updated in line with guidance and parents/carers will be informed of the reintroduction of face coverings if required.
• The premises team will ensure that schools have sufficient stock of PPE including face masks.
• The school’s COVID-19 Risk Assessment will state that all visitors to school sites including parents and contractors are to wear face coverings at all times.

Shielding

• Shielding is currently paused. In the event of a major outbreak or Variant of Concern that poses a significant risk to individuals on the Shielded Patient List (SPL), ministers can agree to reintroduce shielding.
• Shielding would be considered in addition to other measures to address the residual risk to people, once the wider interventions are taken into account.
• Risk Assessments will be updated to include shielding and the school / trust will support individuals with remote working if required.
• Please note: Shielding can only be reintroduced by National Government.

Workforce

• The school / trust will continue to support staff and pupils through individual Risk Assessments and support who are:
• Clinically Vulnerable (CV)
• Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV)
• Pregnant/Expectant mothers
• BAME
• The school will continue to implement the system of controls set out in the COVID-19 operational guidance for educational settings. The COVID-19 Risk Assessments explain to staff the measures that have been put in place to reduce risks to staff, including how these protective measures have been reviewed as part of an updated workplace risk assessment.

Educational visits including residential educational visits

• Risk Assessments for trips include COVID-19 procedures and are updated following national guidance.
• Any educational day visits will be conducted in line with relevant COVID-secure guidelines and regulations and a full risk assessment in relation to all educational visits must be undertaken to ensure they can be undertaken safely. As part of this risk assessment, schools will consider what control measures need to be used and follow wider advice on visiting indoor and outdoor venues. School Leaders should consult the health and safety guidance on educational visits when considering visits.
• Educational Day Visits will be reviewed and potentially postponed in the event of a Variant of Concern.
• Any domestic residential educational visits must be conducted in line with relevant COVID-19 guidance and regulations and risk assessments must be undertaken.
• Domestic Residential Educational Visits will be reviewed and potentially postponed in the event of a Variant of Concern.
• Any international educational visits must be conducted in line with relevant COVID-19 guidance and regulations and risk assessments will be undertaken.
• International Visits will be reviewed and potentially postponed in the event of a Variant of Concern.

Open Days

• In the event of a Variant of Concern, transitional, taster and open days will be managed through the completion of a thorough risk assessment in line with agreed system of controls and align with the advice contained from the Government roadmap out of lockdown.
• Open days will be reviewed and potentially postponed/cancelled in the event of a Variant of Concern.
• In the event of cancellation, remote transitional, taster and open days will be managed by school leaders.
• Individual site risk assessments will be completed and may include:
  • parents/carers will be asked to produce a negative COVID-19 test before entry to site or evidence of full vaccination
  • separate entry and exit points to school
  • minimum number of participants (if any)
  • all visitors to wear face coverings and regularly wash/sanitise hands

Parental attendance in settings

• In the event of a Variant of Concern, parents/carers will be advised to limit their access to site as much as possible.
• In the event of a VoC, Parents/carers or visitors may be permitted on school site by invitation only and must have an arranged appointment.
• Visitors will be collected from reception as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary waiting.
• All visitors will be expected to wear a face covering and will be informed of this when a meeting is booked. This can be removed in the venue for the meeting if social distancing is possible.
• Where possible conversations with parents/carers staff will be either over the phone or via the school’s post-box email address.
• Parents/carers will not be permitted to attend school fixtures such as football matches etc.

Performances in settings

• If the school is planning an indoor or outdoor face-to-face performance in front of a live audience, staff should continue to follow the latest performing arts guidance, and the guidance on delivering outdoor events.
• Performances will be reviewed and potentially postponed/cancelled in the event of a Variant of Concern.

Events and proms

• Outdoor events are generally lower risk. Once the school have undertaken a risk assessment and planned the event in line with the system of controls, the school may consider an outdoor event (for example a leavers’ celebration or prom) that caters for more than one bubble or consistent group, as long as the groups continue to be kept separate.
• Events and Proms will be reviewed and potentially postponed/cancelled in the event of a Variant of Concern.
• Local authorities, Directors of Public Health (DsPH) and PHE Health Protection Teams (HPTs) may recommend these precautions in one setting, a cluster of settings, or across an entire area.

Out-of-school settings and wraparound childcare

• If attendance restrictions are needed, vulnerable children and young people should be allowed to attend. For all other children, parents and carers should only be allowed to access these providers for face-to-face provision for their children for a limited set of essential purposes, such as to allow them to go to or seek work, attend a medical appointment, or undertake education and training.
• Restrictions on attendance may need to vary depending on whether provision will be operating during school term-time and/or school holidays, when schools are otherwise closed to ensure sufficient childcare provision remains available to those that need it most. Therefore, the advice outlined above could be subject to change.
• Further advice will be provided should this be the case. In the meantime, providers should continue to refer to guidance on protective measures for holiday, after school clubs and other out-of-school settings for children during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.