2nd March 2020 

Dear Parents / Carers, 

Following the news this weekend that a person from Essex has contracted Coronavirus, I am writing to update you and to reassure you that we have procedures in place should the outbreak become a significant issue across the country.  Given that when situations of concern arise there is often quite a lot of rumour, conjecture and misinformation, I felt that it was important to outline how we are monitoring the official guidance from Public Health England and the Department for Education on a daily basis during this rapidly changing situation.

 In addition to monitoring the official advice, I want to reassure you about the precautions we are taking in school to limit the risk of an outbreak as much as possible.

 We already have appropriate hand washing facilities in school for pupils and staff. Our site and cleaning staff will be checking the soap dispensers throughout the day to ensure that they do not run out.

• Our school is cleaned daily. This includes toilet areas, desks and food preparation areas.
• The school has a critical incident plan in place to deal with any emergency situation. This plan will be triggered if we are made aware of a case of Coronavirus within our school community.

 Furthermore, we will be speaking to pupils this week about enhanced hygiene as outlined in the Government's guidance. In particular, pupils will be asked to:

•  Wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially before eating. If you would like your child to bring hand sanitiser to school to use after hand washing, we are happy for them to do so.
• Use a tissue when they cough or sneeze and to then throw it into a bin.
• Avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth if they have not washed their hands.
• Avoid sharing food and drink items with friends.

 To date, there have been no cases of Coronavirus in any Redbridge schools. Indeed, I am not aware of any cases in any Essex or London schools.

 An outbreak such as this obviously has the potential to cause alarm across our school and local community but we will continue to take a measured and sensible approach and follow Government guidance.  I hope that this letter reassures you that we are following official guidance and managing the situation in the professional and appropriate manner you would expect.

 If you would like further details about the Government advice, you can find it by following the links below.

• NHS Coronavirus page -https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
• Public Health Update -https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/01/23/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/
• British Government Public Information page -https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

 Thank you for your support in helping us to reassure your children and to not cause undue alarm at this time. I will, of course, be back in touch should the need arise.