MHS Covid update – change to procedures following a positive Covid test in the household

As you know we are keeping a very close eye on covid cases in school and in the local community, and it was a rise in both that led us to bring back ‘Masks on the Move’ last week. Compliance from students not exempt has been fantastic this week, and so thank you very much for your support.

Despite these efforts case rates in school are still very high. In the first four weeks of last year we had zero Covid cases in school. This year we have had over 100, with an acceleration of cases each week as the term has gone on. Parts of our catchment area continue to have some of the highest covid rates in Greater Manchester.

Therefore, we have liaised with Public Health and agreed that we need to bring back a further covid measure to try to slow down the spread of the virus.  

New process for when someone in the household has Covid

From now until the end of this half term (Friday 22^nd October) we are asking that students do not initially attend school when someone in their household develops Covid symptoms or has a positive PCR/Lateral flow test result.

This means that

• If anyone in the household has a positive covid result, any other MHS student in the same household should not attend school for 3 days starting from the day of the positive test or the date of the onset of Covid symptoms within the household
• On the third day, the close contact child should take a PCR test. If the test is positive then they should isolate as normal.
• If the PCR test is negative then the student should take at-home Lateral Flow tests each day for the next 5/6 days before coming to school each day (up to the 10^th day from the start of household symptoms/positive test). If these daily tests are negative then the student can attend school each day. School can help with supplies of home test kits if needed.
• Alternatively families may decide that these close contact children should stay off school for the full 10 days from the start of household symptoms.
• Any student off school for these reason will be coded as an ‘x’ code and will be offered hybrid lessons, learning the same content as their peers in school.

A pair of flowcharts showing this process can be seen here: COVID-19 – Marple Hall School

As always, if in doubt please contact us on Covid@marplehall.stockport.sch.uk

Any parents or carers who still want their children to attend school have the right to send their children in every day. In this situation we strongly advise the precautions above are followed, but we recognise that this cannot be enforced.

We are reviewing the situation daily and this new process will end with effect from Monday 1^st November unless stated otherwise.

Many thanks,

Joe Barker

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