Kingstone High School in Herefordshire will re-open on Monday 4th October, after COVID-19 cases subsided following a week long closure. The closure was confirmed at the start of the week after a significant number of staff and students tested positive for COVID-19.
An update from Executive Headteacher Mr David Bennett yesterday (Thursday 30th September) said:
Dear Parents and Carers,
First of all, may I thank everyone for the positive engagement with online learning this week. It has been a difficult time for many of you and we appreciate every effort made by the staff, students and parents to make the learning as beneficial as possible.
The figures for positive PCRs have now significantly subsided and, despite a small number still needing to isolate at the beginning of next week, we are intending to reopen as previously planned on Monday 4th October.
The following protocols will need to be observed when the school reopens:
• Masks to be worn in any mixed space, including corridors and the dining
room (and on buses), unless exempt. Anyone who wishes to wear them in class is free to do so.
• Hand sanitising to continue.
• Timed entry into the dining room at lunch time.
• Students shall attend in their PE kit on the day they are timetabled to have core PE.
• Test kits will continue to be provided (please note that anyone who has had COVID should not test for 90 days after recovery)
These protocols will be in place until half term when we shall review the situation.
For those parents who have been contacting the school regarding vaccinations for 12- to 15-year-olds I can confirm that, as yet, we have received no confirmed dates for when Public Health England may request access to the school. I realise that this a subject that some may feel is controversial but please be advised that the school will support patient and parent choice in this matter. There has been a lot of misinformation circulating recently but the school’s only role in the process is as a venue.
Any decisions regarding consent should be made on the basis of medical advice which will be provided by medical professionals not by the school as
educational professionals. When we have been formally contacted regarding timings, we shall send out the relevant information and consent forms for any potential vaccinations.
In the meantime, could we ask all students who develop symptoms to get a PCR test as soon as possible.
