The principal of Sidmouth College has released a statement containing Covid-19 guidance for students returning to school for the spring term on Wednesday 5 January.

The statement includes information on wearing face coverings, testing, and other measures.

Face coverings will have to be worn at school, on public transport, and parents are asked to ensure that if their child is exempt that they wear a lanyard or badge saying so.

Students will be asked to take one on-site test when they come back.

The school will have other measures in place including hand sanitising, touch-point cleaning, staggered lunch timings, and allocated spaces to socialise.

Principal Sarah Parsons said on social media: "...From Sunday 2 January 2022, it is recommended that face coverings are worn in classrooms where students in Year 7 and above are educated.

"The advice is short term only, to support students and teachers as they return to school this term and builds on the existing proportionate guidance that recommends face coverings for all adults and students in communal areas of all settings.

"The advice on face coverings in classrooms will be in place until Wednesday 26 January, when Plan B regulations are currently scheduled to expire, at which point it will be reviewed.

"Face coverings will still have to be worn on school transport and public transport.

"If your son / daughter is exempt from wearing a face covering please ensure that they have a lanyard or a badge which makes this explicit."

Testing

With regard to Covid-19 testing, Mrs Parsons added: "Secondary school students are asked to undertake one on-site test, on return in January.

"Students will then be strongly encouraged to continue testing twice weekly at home and to report all results to NHS Test and Trace and to their setting.

"Even if someone has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days, they are strongly encouraged to take part in LFD [Lateral Flow Device] testing on-site.

"Since Wednesday 22 December, the 10-day self-isolation period for people who record a positive PCR test result for COVID-19 has been reduced to 7 days in most circumstances, unless you cannot test for any reason.

"Individuals may now take LFD tests on day 6 and day 7 of their self-isolation period. Those who receive two negative test results are no longer required to complete 10 full days of self-isolation.

"The first test must be taken no earlier than day 6 of the self-isolation period and tests must be taken 24 hours apart. This also applies to children under 5, with LFD testing at parental or guardian discretion.

"If both these test results are negative, and you do not have a high temperature, you may end your self-isolation after the second negative test result and return to your education setting from day 8.

"People who are fully vaccinated, or children and young people aged between 5 and 18 years and 6 months, identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19, should take an LFD test every day for seven days and continue to attend their setting as normal, unless they have a positive test result or develop symptoms at any time."

Additional measures

Speaking about additional measures, including sanitising and social distancing, Mrs Parsons continued: "In addition to the measures outlined above we will continue to have: hand sanitising; enhanced touch point cleaning; staggered timings for lunchtimes; and allocated social spaces.

"Throughout the pandemic our students have followed all previous protective measures well and it is important that we, students and staff, continue to protect all those within our College and wider community.

"In order to minimise further disruption to face-to-face education for all of our students it is important that we work together to implement this new guidance."

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