COVID 19 Information

UPDATE: January 2022

On 27th January, the country returned to 'Plan A'.  This means that face coverings are no longer mandatory in public places.  However, due to cases in school and the local area, we ask that parents and visitors continue to wear a face covering when entering school.

Please continue to wash your hands regularly and follow the guidance below to help to reduce the spread in our community.

What should I do if my child has Covid symptoms?

Please take them for a PCR test and isolate until the result comes through.  If in doubt, please phone the School Office to discuss.

What should I do if me or my child have come into contact with somebody who has tested positive for Covid?

Please use a daily LFT for 7 days.  You do not need to self-isolate and children can continue to attend school as long as the LFT results are negative.  If you get a positive LFT result, you do not need a confirmatory PCR test, but you must begin isolating straight away.

What should I do if I test positive for Covid?

You must isolate immediately.  If you are fully vaccinated or under 18, you can take a LFT no earlier than Day 5.  If you get a negative LFT result on Day 5 and Day 6, you no longer have to isolate.  Otherwise, you must complete your full 10 days of isolation.

Change to Covid Procedures in Schools from September 2021:

Please see below information from Dr Karunanithi, Lancashire Public Health

CHANGES TO NATIONAL SELF-ISOLATION GUIDANCE

From 16 August, the Government has said that people aged under 18 years and 6 months or who are fully vaccinated will no longer be legally required to isolate if they are a close contact of someone with COVID-19. Instead, such people will be advised (but not legally required) to get a PCR test unless they have had a positive PCR test in the previous 90 days.

Regardless of age or vaccination status, anyone who develops any of the three main COVID-19 symptoms (see below) must get a PCR test as soon as possible and isolate until the result is available. People who get a positive PCR test must continue to isolate as usual.

Some likely scenarios are described below along with our advice:

What should I do if my child develops COVID-19 symptoms?

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• new continuous cough and/or
• fever (temperature of 37.8°C or higher)
• loss of or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

If your child develops any of these symptoms, you must arrange for them to have a PCR test as soon as possible. A PCR test can be arranged via the NHS UK (www.nhs.uk) website or by contacting NHS 119 via telephone if you do not have internet access.

Your child should self-isolate immediately and they should not attend school.

Please contact the school by phone to inform us your child has COVID-19 symptoms and you are awaiting a COVID-19 test.

What should I do if my child has COVID-19 confirmed by PCR test?

Anyone with COVID-19 confirmed by PCR test should self-isolate until the latest of:

• 10 days after the onset of their symptoms, or
• 10 days after their test day if they are asymptomatic

Self-isolation means your child should not go to school, attend any out of school activities or visit a friend’s house. They should not visit any public places, use public transport or go out to exercise. You should not have vistors into the home except for those providing essential care.

Please contact the school by phone and inform us your child has COVID-19 confirmed by PCR test. It is really important you let us know if your child has confirmed COVID-19 so we can monitor the number of children with COVID-19 across the school. 

What should I do if my child is a contact of someone with COVID-19 confirmed by PCR test?

If your child is aged under 18 years and 6 months and does not have any symptoms of COVID-19 (high temperature, new continuous cough, loss of or change in, normal sense of taste or smell) they do not have to self-isolate as a contact of COVID-19.

They are advised to have a PCR test unless they have had a positive PCR test in the last 90 days.

Children aged 5 and under are not advised to take a PCR test unless the confirmed case is someone in their own household.

What should I do if my child has a positive result on a lateral flow device test?

If your child has a positive result on a lateral flow device test, they should self-isolate immediately and you should arrange a PCR test as soon as possible.

Other members of the household do not need to self-isolate whilst you await the PCR test result if they do not have symptoms and are aged under 18 years and 6 months or are fully vaccinated.

What should I do if my child is unwell with signs of an infection but does not have symptoms of COVID-19

Your child should be excluded from school if they are unwell. If concerned you should seek advice from your GP or Pharmacist, they will be able to advise you how long your child should stay off school. Otherwise we would recommend exclusion for 48 hours or until the child is symptom free, whichever is longer. We are not currently advising that preschool children get a PCR test if they do not have the three main symptoms of COVID-19.

UPDATE FOLLOWING GOVT ANNOUNCEMENT 8PM 4 JAN 21

Following the announcement tonight that all schools are to move to remote learning, please be advised of the following:

- ALL children to move to remote learning from tomorrow

- teachers to be in school all day to set remote learning and to prepare classes for re-opening on Wednesday for pupils of critical workers and vulnerable pupils

- please return your booking forms which were sent to all email addresses today: send to office@grange.lancs.sch.uk or call us on 01772 792573

- staff will be manning the phones all day to respond to any queries 

The booking form is also available to download below.

Critical workers - DfE Guidance December 2020

Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined in the following sections.

Health and social care

This includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare

This includes:

• childcare
• support and teaching staff
• social workers
• specialist education professionals who must remain active during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response to deliver this approach

Key public services

This includes:

• those essential to the running of the justice system
• religious staff
• charities and workers delivering key frontline services
• those responsible for the management of the deceased
• journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting

Local and national government

This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of:

• the coronavirus (COVID-19) response, and the delivery of and response to EU transition
• essential public services, such as the payment of benefits and the certification or checking of goods for import and export (including animal products, animals, plants and food), including in government agencies and arms length bodies

Food and other necessary goods

This includes those involved in food:

• production
• processing
• distribution
• sale and delivery
• as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines)

Public safety and national security

This includes:

• police and support staff
• Ministry of Defence civilians
• contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and EU transition)
• fire and rescue service employees (including support staff)
• National Crime Agency staff
• those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas

Transport and border

This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response and EU transition, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass and those constructing or supporting the operation of critical transport and border infrastructure through which supply chains pass.

Utilities, communication and financial services

This includes:

• staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure)
• the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage)
• information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response
• key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services)
• postal services and delivery
• payments providers
• waste disposal sectors