Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQs

Information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms and school procedures

Please see below for information about what parents should do, and what school will do, if Coronavirus (COVID-19) is suspected answered through a series of FAQs.

To help protect your children and the wider community, please be as honest as possible with school around symptoms, testing and results. You shouldn’t be embarrassed or concerned about reporting a suspected or confirmed case. We want to provide as much information as possible on our approach to Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, testing and isolation periods. Please see the answers to key questions below.

1. What do I do if my child displays symptoms?

• In line with government guidance if your child develops symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19), they will need to stay at home and self-isolate until they can be tested. If your child develops symptoms in school, you will be contacted immediately to collect them.
• If your child develops symptoms at home, please keep them at home and call the school to let us know.
• Information will be provided on how your child and household can be tested for coronavirus and we ask that tests be undertaken as soon as possible.
• Remote Learning will be provided for pupils who are well enough to work, and not able to attend school. Class teachers will be able to discuss how the school can support you with this.

2. Will the school tell me if another child in my child's class is displaying symptoms?

• No. The symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) are like many other common conditions. To avoid unnecessary concern, we will only let parents know if there is a confirmed case within the school. Any child showing symptoms will be sent home immediately and cannot return to school until they have had a test or they have self-isolated in line with current government guidance.

3. Does my child need to take a test in order to return to school?

• Any child displaying symptoms should be tested for the virus. Detail of how to obtain a test can be found here.
• Children need to remain off school, self-isolating, for the time required in the latest government guidance.

4. What do I do if my child tests positive?

• Please let us know as soon as possible. Use one or all of the following methods to ensure that you have made contact: e-mail admin@tirlebrook.gloucs.sch.uk or help@tirlebrook.gloucs.sch.uk or covid@tirlebrook.gloucs.sch.uk, phone the school office and leave a message if you can't get through or communicate via Class Dojo.
• You, your child and your wider household will need to self-isolate for the time required in the latest government guidance.
• Your child will not be able to return to school until their symptoms have gone and you will need the contact Mrs Thomas in the school office to discuss this, before they can return.
• Remote Learning will be provided for children who are well enough to work and not able to attend school. Please see our Remote Learning Protocols which provide further guidance about Remote Learning for individuals at home.

5. What do I do if my child tests negative?

• Please contact Mrs Thomas in the school office. Your child should be able to return to school the next day.

6. Will the school tell me if another child in the class tests positive?

• Yes. If a case is confirmed in your child’s class, we will write to let you know. All children and staff in that class will be required to stay at home for the time required in the latest government guidance. If they don’t develop any symptoms during that time, they can then return to school. During that period the classroom and immediate surrounding area will be deep cleaned ready for the children to return.
• Remote Learning will be provided for children who are well enough to work and not able to attend school. Please see our Remote Learning Protocols which provide further guidance about Remote Learning for whole classes at home.

7. Will the school tell me if another child in the school tests positive?

• Yes. We will inform parents of all children attending school if there is a positive case. There will be no need for anyone outside of the affected class to stay at home.

8. What if someone in my household or support bubble is isolating because they have tested positive with the virus? Is my child expected to stay at home too?

• Yes. In line with the Public Health England advice, your child will need to stay at home if a member of your household develops symptoms.
• The latest Government Guidance on self-isolation is here.
• Please see our Remote Learning Protocols which provide further guidance about Remote Learning for individuals at home.

9. What if someone in my household or support bubble is isolating because they are aware they may have been exposed to the virus? Is my child expected to stay at home too?

• No. In line with the Public Health England advice, your child will only need to stay at home if a member of your household develops symptoms.
• The latest Government Guidance on self-isolation, is here.

10. What should I do if my child has had contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus?

• NHS Track and Trace should have contacted you if they feel that you or your family should self isolate
• If you have any questions please contact school to discuss the contact.  
• We will need you to tell us: 
  • when the person's symptoms started?
  • whether your child had 'close contact'* with the affected person and when that was.
  • whether your household and the affected person are in the same support bubble**?  
• A close contact* is a person who has been close to someone who has tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19). You can be a contact any time from 2 days before the person who tested positive developed their symptoms (or, if they did not have any symptoms, from 2 days before the date their positive test was taken), and up to 10 days after, as this is when they can pass the infection on to others. 
• Examples of close contact* include:  
  • anyone who lives in the same household as another person who has Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms or has tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • face-to-face contact, including being coughed on or having a face-to-face conversation, within one metre
  • being within one metre for one minute or longer without face-to-face contact
  • being within two metres of someone for more than 15 minutes (either as a one-off contact, or added up together across one day)
  • having travelled in the same vehicle or a plane  
• A support bubble** is where someone who lives alone (or just with their children) can meet people from 1 other household.

11. What will happen if my child's teacher or TP is off sick?

• For short-term cover (1 or 2 days maximum) - we may cover with other school staff, including Teaching Partners, the Senior Leadership Team and PPA teachers, if this does not involve staff mixing with too may bubbles.  
• For longer-term cover - we will try to cover with other school staff, including the Senior Leadership Team and PPA teachers.
• If we are unable to provide cover with school staff, we will seek to arrange a temporary supply teacher.
• We will not split a class up and mix them with other classes.
• It may be that a class might need to close due to a lack of staff availability. At that point, children will need to access the Remote Learning provision at home.

This information is based on Government Guidance at the time of issue and is subject to regular review.