Welcome to a New Academic Year

Welcome to another new academic year at Eversfield albeit full of changes and uncertainties. We have endeavoured to return to as normal operating services as possible but, as you are aware, anything could happen! We are at the mercy of government advice, sensible community action and an unpredictable virus.

There are many wide ranging views of the severity and virulence of Covid-19 and how much care we should all be taking. However, as a school we need to take the utmost vigilance in our care for all our pupils, staff and families. The measures we have put in place reduce the risks but will never fully stop the threat nor the possibility that we may have to close classes, groups or even phases of the school. Let us pray and hope that such action either does not have to occur or that it is short-lived, both in our school and others.

I am really pleased to see all the new pupils who have joined us this year. New faces are always exciting to see for us as teachers and also for current pupils who are already making new friends.

I can already see how happy all the children are to be back at school and the positive effects it has on their mental wellbeing and their motivation to work hard. However, do make sure you inform the school immediately if you suspect anyone in your household has Covid-19 and/or if they have had a positive test and please keep to our social distancing and protective measures scrupulously.

 

Covid-19 – what happens if a pupil or member of staff tests positive

Many schools in Solihull are already being informed of pupils and family members who are either showing symptoms that could be attributed to Covid-19 or have tested positive for the virus. Although these symptoms and effects appear to be mild and almost imperceptible to normal colds or flu precautions have to be taken. Any pupil who has symptoms described by Public Health as symptomatic of Covid-19 needs to be kept at home and tested. That child should not return to school until the test result returns as negative. If the pupil has a positive test result then they should remain at home for the recommended isolation period, which is 10 days form the onset of symptoms or 14 days if it is a household member who has been tested positive.

If a pupil tests positive, the school will send all pupils in the same class or immediate pod home for a period of 14 days isolation. At that time online lessons will be given, similar to those during the period of lockdown. This action is set down in the Government and local authority guidance and is not a school decision. Public Health England will be informed of any confirmed cases within the school.

We all hope that we do not find ourselves at home again and we appreciate the significant inconvenience this will cause, especially as many positive tests are as a result of only minor symptoms. Unfortunately, we are all in this together. I therefore reiterate the importance of abiding by our social distancing expectations both on the school premises and off it.

 

Independence

We like our children at Eversfield to become as independent as possible, as soon as possible. We like them to organise themselves, take responsibility for themselves and above all else think for themselves. This is not always easy and can take time for some. The more you do for them, the more they will rely on you. This applies to all the children in school, whatever their age. As they get older, please release some responsibility to them. It can take a lot of patience but don’t do everything for them, even if it is much quicker to do so. I have been very impressed with the way all pupils have been coming into school, especially Reception children who have been very independent.

It is lovely to see all of our children at school this week, especially our newcomers who, I hope, will soon be feeling settled.

 

Robert A Yates

Headmaster