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The Blue Tangerine Federation

The Blue Tangerine Federation

Covid-19

RISK ASSESSMENTS are found at the bottom of this page.

SEPTEMBER 2021: Covid-19 NHS Vaccinations for 12-15yr old pupils at our schools

14 September 2021

Covid-19 Vaccinations

A voluntary NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme for children aged 12 to 15 has started.  You may already have been contacted by your GP and made arrangements, whilst we have now been informed that an NHS team will visit our schools to vaccinate children where parental permission has been given with one injection of the Pfizer vaccine.

Please note that we take the view that none of our pupils can self-consent.

  • The Collett School on Wednesday 6th October 2021
  • St Luke's School on Monday 20th September 2021
  • FHEC - no visit

Please be aware that school staff cannot advise you about whether or not your child should have the COVID-19 vaccination – this is an NHS programme.  If you give permission, this is to the NHS via the electronic link below (and not to the school) as it is the NHS who will vaccinate your child.  

 

Children without parental consent will not have the COVID-19 vaccine.

 

The Collett School Consent Form information:

  • The electronic consent form is here:  NHS COVID-19 vaccination consent form.  (or call 01727 732062 to give verbal consent). Online or by phone before 3pm Tue, 05 Oct 2021.
  • You will need this unique code number EE117672 which identifies The Collett School

St Luke's School Consent Form information:

  • The electronic consent form is here:  NHS COVID-19 vaccination consent form.  (or call 01727 732062 to give verbal consent). Online or by phone before 3pm Sun 19 Sep 2021.
  • You will need this unique code number EE117671 which identifies St Luke's School

If your child is 16yrs old, they can also be vaccinated on this day (with your permission).

School staff will be present to support pupils (as we do for other vaccinations in school).

Clinically Extremely Vulnerable Children and Young People (Updated Sep 2021)

DFE (August 26th 2021): Important information about clinically extremely vulnerable children and young people

Clinical studies have shown that children and young people, including those originally considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), are at very low risk of serious illness if they catch the virus. The UK Clinical Review Panel has recommended that all children and young people under the age of 18 should no longer be considered CEV and should be removed from the Shielded Patient List, the national database of people considered clinically extremely vulnerable.

All children and young people should continue to follow the same guidance as everyone else, which can be found at www.gov.uk/coronavirus. For a very few individual children specific clinical advice may be given and this should continue to be followed.

The Department for Health and Social Care have developed an FAQ that can be accessed online.

Covid Testing Collett and St Luke's Schools (Updated Sep 2021)

Covid Testing resources for pupils:

Covid Test social story

Covid Test picture explanation

Click here for a free online book that supports children to understand Covid, illustrated by Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo)

August 2021: Changes to the types of lateral flow device (LFD) self-test kits for testing at home

NHS Test and Trace are introducing new types of test kits for at home weekly testing of staff and students. If you have ordered test kits for use at home, you should expect to receive either Innova (throat and nose swabs), Orient Gene or Acon-Flowflex (nasal only) self-test kits.

As with Orient Gene tests, Acon-Flowflex tests involve double nasal swabbing only – a throat swab is not needed. The instructions on how to use each of these types of self-test kits for use at home can be found in the test kit packaging.

Settings should continue to use any remaining Innova self-test kit stock and only order additional test kits when stocks start to run low. Orient Gene and Acon-Flowflex self-test kits for at home testing are supplied in boxes of 7 to enable testing for 3.5 weeks.

August 2021: COVID-19 vaccination for 16 to 17 year olds

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that all 16 to 17 year olds should be offered a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the government has accepted this advice.

As previously advised by JCVI, those 12 to 17 year olds with specific underlying health conditions that put them at risk of severe COVID-19 should be offered two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Those 12 and over who live with an immunosuppressed person should also continue to be offered two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. This is to indirectly protect their immunosuppressed household contacts, who are at higher risk of serious disease from COVID-19 and may not generate a full immune response to vaccination.

JCVI has also previously recommended an ongoing offer of vaccination to 17 year olds within 3 months of their 18th birthday. This group will remain eligible for two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The JCVI is not currently advising routine vaccination of children outside of these groups, but will keep their advice under review as more evidence becomes available on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in children and young people.

Covid 19 Contingency Planning Safeguarding Emergency Guidance

BTF - Covid 19 Contingency Planning Safeguarding Emergency Guidance

Covid 19 - Guidelines for visitors (Updated Sep 2021)

Although no longer mandatory, visitors to our schools are kindly asked to wear a face covering and wash their hands/ sanitise with alcohol hand sanitiser once they arrive.

For the avoidance of potential embarrassment, we would also like to advise you that our schools are currently operating a ‘no handshake’ policy for all members of it's community.

Gov.uk and Department for Education (DfE) Guidance

www.gov.uk/coronavirus

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/how-long-to-self-isolate/

Does your child have Covid-19 symptoms? (Updated Sep 2021)

What are Covid-19 symptoms?

A raised temperature

A loss of smell and taste

A continuous, new cough

  • We have spoken to PHE about the difference between a cough and a Coronavirus cough as we expect coughs and colds over the Autumn and Winter months . They advised that: 'if the pupil can't stop coughing for up to an  hour (continuous) up to 3 times a day, then it is likely to be a Coronavirus  cough and they will need to self isolate and have a test.'  Coughing doesn't seem to solve the tickle.

Children with symptoms should not come to school but instead, get a test.

When the test result is known then school should be informed.

A positive Covid-19 test:  

  • If the result is positive, the child stays at home to self-isolate for 10 days minimum.  In addition, the child must not be in school 48hrs after the last symptoms have shown.  Depending on the severity, this may be several days.
  • You notify school.   

What if my child only starts to show Covid-19 symptoms during the school day?

Should your child have symptoms during the school day, you will be asked to collect them straight away from a 'quarantined' area of the school, where staff will be waiting with the child, in the same room. You should immediately get your child and your household tested as well and let the school know the outcome.

Self-Isolating - Quarantining

  • Self-Isolating means staying at home; quarantining. 
  • Your child should not come to school and you should not go to work. 
  • As we enter the normal cold and flu season, there is an expectation that we will see a number of pupils self-isolating with symptoms that are associated with Covid-19, and even more who are self-isolating as a result of someone in their household having symptoms. 

Social Distancing Challenges for Kids & how to help

A Staff Member's Personal Story of Covid-19

Karen Thorp, one of our senior teachers at The Collett School was in a serious condition with Covid-19 this summer.  Here, she was asked to write an account for Addenbrooks Hospital and has given us permission to share her story on our website.   If you have a story you wish to share, please let us know; mary.ellis@bluetangerine.herts.sch.uk.  Click:  Karen's Covid-19 Story

Schools' Risk Assessments

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: September 2021

 

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: May 2021

 

Covid-19 Supplementary Conditions for Hire and use of school premises by HCC: April 2021

 

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: March 2021

 

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: End of January 2021

 

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: January 2021

 

Covid-19 School Risk Assessments: October 2020

 

Covid-19 School Risk Assessments: September 2020

 

Covid-19 School Risk Assessments: June 2020

Covid-19 Bereavement

HCC has a page of information regarding Covid-19 bereavement and can be found here:

Covid-19 Bereavement

Blue Tangerine 'Memories of You' leaflet about making a memory box to support bereavement.

 

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