Dear Parents/carers,
As you will be aware, the government has announced the “living with Covid” plan and so I am writing to you to clarify what this means for North Star 240°.
The recommendation is that students and staff in special schools continue to test twice a week with a lateral flow test and so I am asking that you continue to do this at home. If you need any more tests, please contact the school.
If a student or staff member has symptoms then the recommendation is that they stay at home and arrange to have a PCR test and so we are asking that if this is the case then you do not send your child to school.
If a student or staff member tests positive on a lateral flow test or a PCR test then the recommendation is that the stay at home and isolate for a minimum of 6 days. After 5 days, if they no longer have symptoms then they should take a lateral flow tests 24 hours apart. Test should be repeated like this until there are two negative tests in a row. After a second negative test they can return to school.
Finally, if a student or staff member is a close contact of or lives with someone who has tested positive, then they should do daily lateral flow tests and if it is negative, they should attend school.
Lateral flow tests are still freely available and this is being reviewed on 31st March. We have been informed that they can still be ordered online but that some limitations on ordering have been put in place. They should also still be available from pharmacies.
The government guidance can be found here:
COVID-19: people with COVID-19 and their contacts – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Once again, I would like to thank you for your continued support.
Warm regards,
Jo Grayson
Headteacher
