Head Teacher Briefing / Discussion 1St December 2020
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Head Teacher Briefing / Discussion 1st December 2020 Dr. Louise Dibsdall Trevor Cook Public Health Consultant (Acting) Assistant Director of Education London Borough of Havering London Borough of Havering Tracey Wraight Yvonne Lamothe London Borough of Havering Senior Communications & Campaigns Officer London Borough of Havering Agenda • Current Covid-19 data trends • Lessons learned from experiences in schools • Return to Tier 2 – high level of alert • Risk Assessments • Continuation of relevant comms • Discussions and issues Agenda • Current Covid-19 data trends • Lessons learned from experiences in schools • Return to Tier 2 – high level of alert • Risk Assessments • Continuation of relevant comms • Discussions and issues Current case rates in Havering to 26th November Highest case rates are in south Hornchurch area – Hornchurch Marshes Number of Havering residents testing positive for coronavirus each week from 6 March to 20 November 2020 Data published on: https://www.havering.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/4038/coronavirus_in_havering_weekly_report_-_week_47_-_updated_24_november_2020.pdf Weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 population in Havering, London and England: June – November 202 Data published on: https://www.havering.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/4038/coronavirus_in_havering_weekly_report_-_week_47_-_updated_24_november_2020.pdf Number / rate of new cases in Havering, neighbouring areas, London and England – 14 November to 20 November 2020 Data published on: https://www.havering.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/4038/coronavirus_in_havering_weekly_report_-_week_47_-_updated_24_november_2020.pdf Number of COVID-19 inpatients at BHRUT hospitals July to November 2020 Data published on: https://www.havering.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/4038/coronavirus_in_havering_weekly_report_-_week_47_-_updated_24_november_2020.pdf Number of COVID-19 related deaths each week from 22 March to 13 November 2020 Data published on: https://www.havering.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/4038/coronavirus_in_havering_weekly_report_-_week_47_-_updated_24_november_2020.pdf Agenda • Current Covid-19 data trends • Lessons learned from experiences in schools • Return to Tier 2 – high level of alert • Risk Assessments • Continuation of relevant comms • Discussions and issues Lessons Learned Scenario – Head and Deputy head teacher share an office; one becomes covid positive; both now have to isolate – what is the impact on the senior leadership team? • Be aware of shared office spaces - can you maintain more than 2m distance between you and a colleague in a shared office? • How regularly are the surfaces cleaned? • How much ventilation is there? • Can you wear face coverings to minimise risk? • Avoid face to face discussions • How long have you spent in the space together? • Is the office space big enough to share effectively? • Can you stagger working times to minimise risk? • Is your Business Continuity Plan up to date? Lessons Learned • Position desks to face the wall rather than face to face • Ensure that a safe 2m distance can be maintained between individuals using the space at all times • Ensure the room is well ventilated at all times • Wear face coverings when in any communal areas • Consider operating a rota system for using the space, rather than two or more people using the space at the same time • Consider whether certain members of the office /admin teams could carry out their duties whilst working remotely • Think carefully about regular cleaning of items such as telephones / keyboards / surfaces etc Lessons Learned Scenario – Positive case in one staff member leads to self- isolation of significant proportion of staff in school • Conduct risk assessment with regards close contacts of positive case • If staff have maintained distance, then the children are contacts of contacts and do not need to isolate • Staff identified as contacts need to isolate as soon as possible • Children not close contacts of staff member do not need to isolate • Is it still safe to keep the school open? • It may be necessary for children to be collected early as it is not safe to keep the school open • Notify parents that the need to close the school is due to staffing, not because the children themselves are contacts Lessons Learned Scenario – A member of staff who is a close contact of a positive case, and therefore self-isolating, needs to take a family member to a medical appointment. Can they do so? • ‘Stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection says: • “Health and care services remain open to help people with all health conditions, including Covid-19. All routine medical and dental appointments should be cancelled while you are staying at home. If you are concerned or have been asked to attend in person during this time, discuss this with your medical contact first (e.g. your GP, dentist, local hospital or outpatient service” Lessons Learned Scenario – A sports coach has sadly tested positive for coronavirus. They taught every year group in a primary school during the 48 hours before their symptoms started. The majority of the classes were outside, one was in a hall. Who needs to isolate? • The risk of passing on covid-19 is much lower outside. In this case the sports coach was not wearing a mask, but stayed more than 2m apart from the children whilst outside. The risk is therefore quite low that the children were exposed. • However, the children in the hall are more likely to be close contacts as they are inside where it is less well ventilated. It is likely the coach called out instructions loudly whilst in the hall, which increases the chance of droplets being produced inside. Agenda • Current Covid-19 data trends • Lessons learned from experiences in schools • Return to Tier 2 – high level of alert • Risk Assessments • Continuation of relevant comms • Discussions and issues Tier 2: High Level of Alert Agenda • Current Covid-19 data trends • Lessons learned from experiences in schools • Return to Tier 2 – high level of alert • Risk Assessments • Continuation of relevant comms • Discussions and issues Key Points on the Covid-19 Risk Assessment • Identify exposure areas – class, year group, clubs, sports, music • Identify contacts • Direct contacts – face to face with a case for any length of time, including being coughed on, f2f conversation, unprotected physical contact, including exposure within 1m for 1min or longer • Proximity contacts – extended close contact (within 2m for more than 15 mins) • Travel contacts – anyone who travelled in a small vehicle with a positive case Key Points on the Covid-19 Risk Assessment • Early years and Key Stage 1 (Foundation to Year 2): • All children who had shared a classroom with the case during their infectious period • Children in friendship groups who are known to have had definite direct contact with them during their infectious period. This should be specific identifiable individuals (rather than groups where contact cannot be ruled out) • Staff members who report that they have had contact with the case during their infectious period Key Points on the Covid-19 Risk Assessment • Key Stage 2 (Year 3-6) • If children mix a lot within the classroom then the whole class would usually be defined as contacts. • If there is a seating plan for all lessons and it is felt that social distancing has been observed in the classroom then look at seating plans instead. Identify contacts as children who sat within 2 metres of the case during their infectious period • Children in friendship groups who are known to have had definite direct contact with the case during their infectious period • Staff members who report that they have had contact with the case during their infectious period • Any other people who they have had definite face to face contact with at break times or in another group activities? This should be specific identifiable individuals (rather than groups where contact cannot be ruled out Key Points on the Covid-19 Risk Assessment • Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 (Year 7-13) • The default should NOT be to self-isolate the whole class or bubble in a secondary setting • Class contacts should be found by using the student timetable to identify classes during the infectious period. Look at seating plans and identify children who sat within 2 metres of the case during their infectious period in school • Children in friendship groups who are known to have had definite direct contact with the case during their infectious period • Staff members who report that they have had contact with the case during their infectious period • Any other people who they have had definite face to face contact with at break times or in another group activities? This should be specific identifiable individuals (rather than whole groups where contact cannot be ruled out) Agenda • Current Covid-19 data trends • Lessons learned from experiences in schools • Return to Tier 2 – high level of alert • Risk Assessments • Continuation of relevant comms • Discussions and issues Agenda • Current Covid-19 data trends • Lessons learned from experiences in schools • Return to Tier 2 – high level of alert • Risk Assessments • Continuation of relevant comms • Discussions and issues General Discussion.