The secondary schools in and around Harrogate have responded to guidance from the government and issued advice to parents and students.
A number of schools have issued advice to self-isolate if there are symptoms.
St Aidan’s have taken a precautionary decision for staff and pupils that were on a recent ski trip to self isolate for 6 days, until 1 March 2020.
The current Coronavirus updated advice for educational settings can be found here:
The school had a half-term ski trip to Bellamonte in Italy. The group was in a category 2 area. It did not visit an infected town and was not in either of the named regions.
They are advising that if anyone shows symptoms they should self-isolate.
The school has issued the following advice to parents:
Dear Parent/Guardian,
As you will have seen in the media, there are updated guidelines with regard to the potential spread of the Coronovirus, especially for those people who have travelled to Northern Italy. The School will continue to monitor the situation and follow any advice that is provided.
As it stands, the school will remain open and good, personal hygiene will be promoted, especially with regard to washing hands and disposing of tissues. The current advice states that anyone who has been to one of the 11 quarantined towns in Italy must self-isolate and anyone who has been north of Pisa is asked to stay at home for 14 days if they develop flu-like symptoms – we would support this.
The BBC has an ongoing update here [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51625733] and it is worth noting that the School Ski Trip did not visit any of the “at risk” areas in Northern Italy and they travelled by bus.
We will keep you updated with any further updates as they arise.
The school had a ski trip to Folgarida in Northern Italy over half-term.
They have taken advice from the Director of Public Health at North Yorkshire County Council and from Public Health England. They are following a guidance that those that have returned from Northern Italy should only self-isolate if they show symptoms.
The school have provided the following statement today:
After a skiing trip to Italy in the half-term break a letter has been written to parents to let them know the trip did not take place in one affected areas and to share with them the most recent guidance regarding Coronavirus which is that children should remain in school unless they are displaying any of the Coronavirus symptoms.
Richard Sheriff, Executive Headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, said:
Like many schools, we had children at a ski resort in Italy over half term, but I would like to stress that this was not in one of the affected areas.
We have been liaising with Public Health England and officials at North Yorkshire County Council and have been following the exact advice they have been giving to all schools.
We have published a letter to parents following this advice and that of the Department for Education, which is for anyone who has been on holiday over half term, whether that be the skiing trip or anywhere else, to continue coming in to school as normal unless they begin to have flu-like symptoms.
If anybody does have any symptoms, they should self-isolate immediately and call NHS 111 – as advised by Public Health England.
King James School
The school has not had any trips during half-term which have visited areas identified as a risk. They are carefully monitoring the advice from public health authorities and the local authority.
During half-term, they have increased the availability of hand sanitisers in school along with additional deep cleaning. They are working to raise awareness in school about good hygiene.
St John Fisher
The school not have a ski tip to Italy. They are currently emailing a letter to parents outlining the school’s response.
Harrogate High School
The school had a ski trip to Pila in italy over the half-term, but that is not in an affected area. The party also did not stop at any services in Italy. They have given the advice to self-isolate if any staff or students show any symptoms.
Dear Parent/Carer,
I write to make you aware that some staff and students attended a Ski Trip in Italy over the half-term break. We would like to reassure our community that we are strictly following the advice from Public Health England, in relation to the Coronavirus.
Public Health England has advised that our school should open as normal, as our students visited Pila, Italy, which we have been informed, is not listed as an affected area and the coach did not stop at any services in Italy. However, should any students or staff show any symptoms of Coronavirus, the advice from Public Health England is to not attend school, to call 111 and to ‘self-isolate’.
The symptoms of the Coronavirus, further advice and information can be found on the government website gov.uk/coronavirus or by calling 111.
Yours faithfully,
Charlotte Clarke
Academy Head
St Aidan’s Church of England, School
St Aidan’s had a half-term ski trip to Aprica in Norther Italy.
The school has asked 34 pupils and 4 members of staff to self-isolate for 6-days until 1 March 2020.
The school has released the following statement today:
During February half-term our Sixth Form Ski Trip visited a resort in the north of Italy. Following the change in advice from Public Health England (PHE) on Tuesday 25th February the school was advised by PHE that the party of 34 students and 4 staff should self-isolate for a period of 6 days. This self-isolation was enacted immediately and will be in place until Sunday 1st March. PHE have not required any other measures to be put in place by the school.
During the 6-day isolation period we will of course maintain close contact with those students and staff involved and will continue to take advice from PHE as required.
Rossett High School
The school had a ski trip to Predazzo in Northern Italy over half-term. This resort is outside the affected areas, and in the Province of Trento.
H Woodcock, Headteacher, said:
The school has taken advice from a number of national and local sources including Public Health England; North Yorkshire County Council; the Department for Education and central Government.
The consensus of all of these public bodies is that those who have returned from Northern Italy and display any symptoms should refer to the most recent guidance to decide whether to self-isolate and call NHS 111, as advised by Public Health England.
[…] Also see Secondary Schools in Harrogate respond to the Coronavirus risk […]