COVID UPDATE
Please see an update from Mr Solly below...
Dear Parents & Carers,
Apologies for the intrusion on a Sunday but we have just received guidance from the Department of Education for all at Uppingham Community College to follow from tomorrow (Monday 29th November 2021):
On Saturday 27th November, the Prime Minister announced new temporary measures following the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the UK. The new measures will be introduced immediately as a precaution to slow down the spread of the variant.
Face coverings
From Monday 29th November 2021 face coverings should be worn in all communal areas in all settings by staff, visitors and students at Uppingham Community College, unless they are exempt. This means we are asking everyone in the school community to wear face coverings in corridors, assemblies and in dining spaces (until they are seated).
Students must continue to wear face coverings on public and dedicated school transport unless they are exempt.
Please ensure your children have a face covering (and a spare) when they leave home tomorrow morning.
Testing
We continue to encourage staff and students to test twice weekly using lateral flow device (LFD) tests. We will be distributing further LFT kits to all students as soon as we can, next week.
Contact tracing and isolation
The current guidance on contact tracing and isolation remains in place. In addition to these, any suspected or confirmed close contacts of the Omicron variant will be asked to isolate for 10 days regardless of vaccination status or age. You will be contacted directly and told to isolate.
Students who have a household member test positive for coronavirus (any variant) must remain at home and not return to school until they have received a negative PCR test. Following a negative PCR test they should continue to test daily for 10 days.
Vaccination
All eligible staff and students aged 12 and over are encouraged to take up the offer of the vaccine, including boosters.
Vaccines are our best defence against COVID-19. They help protect young people and adults, and benefit those around them. Vaccination makes people less likely to catch the virus and less likely to pass it on.
If we take these steps quickly and effectively then hopefully, we can get through to Christmas without further disruption to learning. We will continue to keep this under review as the situation develops.
Many thanks for your support.
Mr B Solly
Principal