COVID-19 Information

 

COVID-19 Symptoms

 

Members of the school community must not attend school with coronavirus symptoms or if a member of their household have symptoms they must follow the advice given by NHS track and Trace before returning to school.

 

We would ask that parents closely monitor children for signs of Covid-19.

 

The main symptoms of coronavirus are;

 

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

 

• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

 

• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

 

Most people with coronavirus have at least 1 of these symptoms.

 

---

COVID-19 Risk Assessment

 

What has Longhill High School put into place to reduce the transmission of the virus?

 

• The school follows national and local guidelines from Brighton & Hove, Department of Education and The Public Health Protection Team
• The school will engage with the NHS Test and Trace procedures where a member of staff or pupil is symptomatic or has been diagnosed
• The school will keep the school community informed of any positive cases
• The school is operating a year bubble system, all year groups enter the building by separate year entrances and remain in their year bubble throughout the day
• The entrance to the school from Ely Drive will remain locked to allow the separate bubble entrances to operate
• Pupils and staffs have their temperature taken before entering the building
• The school community is practicing increased hygiene; pupils and staff clean their hands with hand sanitizer on entering the building and when entering and leaving the dining areas. The school community is also sneezing/coughing into their elbows and disposing of tissues in appropriate bins
• The school community is practicing social distancing between adults and pupils
• Face masks must be worn in the corridors
• Windows are kept open to provide increased ventilation
• There are floor markings throughout to ensure the safe circulation of pupils and staff whilst in the corridors
• Additional cleaning of frequently touched areas such as handrails and door plates is taking place throughout the school day
• Individual and very frequently used equipment e.g. pencils/pens are not shared
• Equipment such as musical instruments are cleaned between year groups if they are to be used by other year groups
• Tables and chairs are cleaned between year group use in the canteen and on outside tables
• Face masks  should be worn on public buses
• The Longhill High School Community has been asked to travel to and from school on foot or bike as much as possible
• The Longhill High School community has been asked not to share cars unless you are part of the same household bubble.
• Outside visitors will be kept to an absolute minimum; appointment must be made prior to parents entering the school site
• The school is following the latest government Guidance on shielding and protecting clinically extremely vulnerable people from Covid-19 to support staff and pupils
• School trips are not currently taking place
• Inter-school sports are not currently taking place

 

---

Mass Testing for Coronavirus in Schools – January 2021

 

The government has announced a programme of mass testing of staff and students in secondary schools, potentially starting the week commencing the 11th January 2021. The testing is for those without coronavirus symptoms using the ‘lateral flow tests’. These tests will help staff and students to remain in school safely. One third of people who have coronavirus experience no symptoms.

Here are some documents related to this testing: