Birkrig, Skelmersdale, Lancashire WN8 9BN. Telephone: 01695 724730.
www.bishopmartin.lancs.sch.uk Headteacher:
Mr IJ McDonald
Headteacher Update 07/01/22
Dear Parents/Carers, Welcome back and I hope you had restful Christmas and New Year with your loved ones. It has been a busy but fantastic first week back in school and it’s been so lovely seeing the children back and happy playing with their friends! I am going to outline below, the main changes to Government guidance around testing and isolating rules as we move forwards through this term. These changes to the COVID measures have been introduced by the Government to try to ensure that schools remain fully open as much as possible for face to face teaching. School Re-opening As Headteacher, I will try my absolute best to ensure school remains fully open, as Government guidance now states. However, please be aware that due to potential staff isolations there may be a need to redeploy staff to cover classes. We are not bubbled up any more and ALL staff who are identified as class contacts will take daily LFD tests for the first 7 days following contact. As a school, we will continue to issue warn and inform letters of any positive cases that are reported to us in your child’s class. Pupils who are 5 and over are advised to take daily LFD tests for the 7 days from the date of last contact (but this is down to yourselves as parents to administer. WE WILL NEVER ADMINISTER LFD TESTS TO PUPILS IN SCHOOL). Isolation Guidance Changes The rules around the isolation period changed on 22/12/21. This has been reduced from 10 to 7 days, as long as there are no symptoms AND there have been two negative Lateral Flow Results on days 6 and 7, taken at least 24 hours apart. Testing Guidance Changes If an individual who has no symptoms tests positive on a Lateral Flow Test there is no longer a requirement for a PCR test required to confirm it. They must self-isolate immediately and contact NHS Test and Trace (this is in force from 11th January). If an individual shows symptoms (outlined below) they SHOULD NOT take a Lateral Flow test and immediately book a PCR. Although people are reporting different symptoms, the 3 symptoms on the official guidance are still: