We have been advised by the UKHSA that there has recently been a rise in the number of confirmed positive Covid-19 cases at Welling School.

In order to protect face to face education we will be returning to some of the methods previously used to control the spread of Covid-19. There are also important measures that are recommended to be in place outside of school.

Control Measures reimposed:

From Monday 21 March, the following will be in place:

• no large face to face meetings will take place for staff, only smaller meetings in controlled circumstances
• non essential visitors/meetings will not be permitted on site  most parent meetings will return to being on-line or by telephone
• staff and students are encouraged to consider wearing face coverings in communal areas, as a personal choice
• all staff have been asked to increase ‘regular’ testing to daily testing
• all students will be asked to sanitise their hands at the gates on arrival at school and when entering classrooms at the start of each lesson
•  we will also ask students to assist us in using disinfectant wipes to sanitise their work area at the end of lessons
•  increased cleaning of communal areas and high ‘touch points’ such as door handles and stairways

How you can help at home:

In addition to the measures in place at school please support us by:

• ensuring your child conducts a LFD test each morning before school
• encourage your child to wash their hands regularly with soap and water or use hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day
• explaining to your child the importance of following the guidance and the measures that are in place at school
• encouraging your child to be sensible about exposing themselves to risk, when not in school
• ensuring that your child does not attend school if they are feeling unwell even after a negative daily test

We will continue to monitor the situation in the same way that we have been - with colleagues in the Trust and Local Authority - and will continue to take advice from Public Health England. We apologise in advance if our measures mean we cannot provide the usual level of service to you in terms of meetings and time spent talking with you. During this period of high staff absence other staff will also be strained and so the speed with which they can respond to your calls and queries may well be different to normal. Please continue to get in touch when you need to and in the usual way and bear with us if it is at a busy time

We must work together to reduce the infection rate in our school and try to keep ourselves and each other healthy. Only by doing this can we keep staff in school and students attending lessons.

Thank you again for the support and understanding you continue to offer the school and rest assured we are always focused on doing the very best for our students and their families.

The Year 10 Parents/Carers Consultation Evening on Thursday 24th March is currently being reviewed

Yours faithfully,

Mr T Loizou

ASSISTANT HEASTEACHER