The Department for Education has published some frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the COVID-19 vaccination programme. 

Information on eligibility, accessibility and advice for parents/carers of children at high risk from COVID-19, has been published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).   

1) What should I do if my child has symptoms of COVID-19?

If your child shows any symptoms of COVID-19, please do not send them to the academy. They should remain at home and self-isolate for 10 days. The rest of the household should self-isolate for 14 days. Visit the NHS website or phone 119 to book a test for anyone with symptoms. Arrange a test for your child as soon as they display symptoms. Do not wait. The test must be done within 5 days of symptoms starting.

If your academy is unaware that your child has developed symptoms, notify them as soon as possible. You must also notify your academy when you receive the test result.

Where the child or young person tests negative and is NOT a known contact of a confirmed case (see below) the child can return to the academy, provided they feel well and they have not had a fever for 48 hours. If your child is a contact of a confirmed case they must stay off school for the 14-day isolation period, even if they test negative. 

Where your child tests positive, they should isolate for 10 days from the first day of their symptoms.  They should only return to the academy after this period if they are well and if they are able to travel to and from the academy safely without other members of the household who will still be self-isolating. The rest of the household must continue to self-isolate for 14 days. If any other member of the household starts to show symptoms, they should arrange a test within 5 days of the symptoms starting.

2) What happens if my child is a contact of a confirmed case?

All direct and close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 must not attend the academy and will be advised to self-isolate for 14 days starting from the day they were last in contact with the positive case. Contacts will not be tested unless they develop symptoms themselves. Household members of contacts do not need to self-isolate unless the contact develops symptoms. If a contact should develop symptoms, then the parent/carer should arrange for their child to be tested via https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/get-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/or by contacting NHS 119 via telephone if they do not have internet access.

Symptoms are described on the NHS website. If you believe that your child is displaying these symptoms, you should arrange for them to have a test immediately. Please inform the academy as soon as you can and do not send your child back into school.

3) What will the academy do if a learner has a positive test?

The academy will inform all of the relevant authorities and will act on the advice of the local Health Protection Team. In the meantime, we shall trace any learner or member of staff with whom the affected learner has come into contact. 

If a member of your child’s class / group develops symptoms of COVID-19, your child may continue to attend the academy, however, please monitor your child’s wellbeing. If they show any symptoms of COVID-19, please do not send them to the academy and visit the NHS website or call 119 to arrange a test for your child. 

Learners and parents will be informed of the situation as soon as possible. We will not name individual learners. 

4) Will the whole year group be sent home?

The academy is unlikely to need to close or send whole year groups home on public health grounds. We will generally only need to close if we have staff shortages due to illness or being identified as contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases. It is expected that only close contacts of a confirmed case will need to be at home (this may be a class group or year group depending on the circumstances).

5) What if my child’s ‘bubble’ is sent home because of a COVID-19 outbreak?

Your child MUST NOT come to the academy and you should support your child at home with remote education provided by the academy. Your child will need to self-isolate for 14 days.  Other siblings may continue to attend school.

6) How will my child learn if they have been told to self-isolate?

We have extensive systems in place to ensure that they can continue to learn online. Most learners will have successfully used them already. We shall contact you and them with details at the time.

7) How is the academy protecting other children?

All of our academies have undertaken a thorough risk assessment to address risks associated with COVID-19, so that a range of protective measures can be put in place. 

The academies have been asked to minimise the number of contacts that a learner has during the school day and have put in place a number of controls to reduce the risk of transmission. 

Essential measures: 

• A requirement that people who have symptoms of COVID-19 stay at home
• Regular hand washing
• Promote ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ message
• Enhanced cleaning of surfaces and equipment
• Working closely with NHS Test and Trace
• Grouping children together (e.g. year group)
• Avoiding contact between groups
• Staff maintaining distance from learners and other staff as much as possible
• Adjusted start and finish times to keep groups apart
• Social distancing for parents/carers dropping off and picking up children
• Staggered lunch/break times
• Masks are being worn in public areas
• One way corridors where appropriate.

These measures are rigorously enforced by the Senior Leadership team in your academy and by the other members of staff.

8) One of my children is self-isolating because they are a contact of a confirmed case. Can my other child(ren) attend the academy?

Yes, other household members do not need to self-isolate unless the person who is a contact of a confirmed case subsequently develops symptoms.

9) Should my child come in to the academy if a member of our household has symptoms of COVID-19?

No. If a member of your household is unwell with COVID-19 symptoms (no matter how mild) then the whole household should isolate for 14 days starting from the day the household member(s) became ill. If your child subsequently develops symptoms, they should get a test and isolate for 10 days from the date they developed symptoms. See Stay-at-home-guidance. If the household member(s) test negative, the child can return to the academy.

10) Should my child attend the academy if they have travelled home from a country or territory that is on the exempt list of countries?

Check the current Exempt Countries and Territories list to confirm the country they have travelled from or through is on the exempt list, contact the academy to inform them that your child has returned to the UK and agree a return date to the academy.   

11) Should my child attend the academy if they have travelled home from a country or territory that is NOT on the exempt list of countries?

If your child has returned from a destination where quarantine is needed, they and the whole household should self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days. Please contact the academy to inform us that they are back in the country and to agree the earliest possible date for returning to the academy.  

Up to date travel information is available from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

12) What if I have travelled from a country that is NOT on the exempt list of countries but my child did not travel?

As long as you do not or have not had any COVID-19 symptoms in the last 14 days your child can continue to attend the academy. The person who has travelled MUST NOT leave the house, including to pick-up and drop-off. Please contact the academy if you need support getting your child to the academy.

13) What if I receive medical advice that my child must resume shielding?

If your child is advised to resume shielding you should inform the academy. Your child MUST NOT come to the academy and your child should shield until you receive medical advice that your child may return to the academy.

14) What if I am unable to get a test for someone in the household who has symptoms?

If you are not able to get a test in the first 5 days of having symptoms, your child and anyone they live with must stay at home and self-isolate for 14 days. Anyone in your support bubble must also stay at home.

15 )Where can I find further information?

If you have specific questions, please ask your child’s academy who should be able to help. Government guidance for parents/carers is available via the government website. 

16) For all information relating to lateral flow testing, please visit the COVID-19 > Lateral Flow Testing area of the website.

17) For information relating to remote education provision, please visit the About us > Statutory Information > Policies and Documents area of the website.