Hello Everyone,
As I am sure you will have seen in the national media, the missing person with the Brazil Covid P1 variant has been tracked down to the South Norwood area. In response to this, Croydon Council in conjunction with NHS Test and Trace, have introduced extra Covid-19 testing in South Norwood and Thornton Heath. From today, Croydon Council will be going door-to-door delivering home test kits to households in the South Norwood and Thornton Heath area. Croydon Council have published information about this here.
We urge those families and staff who live in these areas to take the test, as requested. This does not affect pupils’ return to school on Monday. Our schools will open as planned tomorrow.
Whilst our schools will be open, it is more important than ever to ensure that we keep everyone as safe as possible. With the South African variant tracked to New Addington and the Brazil variant tracked to South Norwood, the risk to our staff and children remains high. The vast majority of our staff have not been vaccinated against Covid-19, therefore, we all need to work together to make sure that we keep the risk of infection to an absolute minimum.
I would like to remind everyone of our school’s Covid safety rules:
- Everyone aged 12 years and over must wear a face covering at all times when they are on our school site, ensuring that this covers both their nose and mouth.
- Parents should ensure that they remain at least 2 metres away from people from other households at all times. This includes outside the school gates and when entering the school site.
- Parents should put all questions and queries in writing via email to the school office. Please do not approach staff to ask questions or engage in conversation. This is to ensure their safety.
- Parents should leave the school site immediately after dropping off or collecting their child(ren). Please do not wait anywhere on the school site for any reason.
- Children from Years Five and Six must be dropped off and collected at the school gates. No adults will be allowed to accompany children from these year groups onto the school site.
- Only one adult per family can accompany their child(ren) onto the school site.
We remain in a national lockdown. Therefore, everyone should remember that the law states the following:
- You must stay at home. The single most important action we can all take is to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.
- You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary (for example bringing your child to and from school)
- You cannot meet other people you do not live with, or have not formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.
Staff will be on hand to support this at the start and end of each day. Please be thoughtful and work with us. It is vitally important that we all follow the rules and I am sure that you all agree that we need to do everything we can to protect each other and avoid another lockdown.
I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.
Keep safe.
Susan Papas
Executive Headteacher
