Woodland View Primary School

23 September 2020

Dear parents and guardians,

This is an important letter to share some information on how we can work together to make
sure we can continue to give children and young people the best education in the safest
way possible.

One important part of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of pupils, parents and our
communities is testing for coronavirus. We all have a duty to make sure that the right
people have access to get tested at the right time. Every time a test is used inappropriately,
a person with Covid-19 symptoms may miss out on getting tested.

Therefore, I ask that you all follow these principles:

▪ You should only book a test if your child has any of these three coronavirus
symptoms:

1.a high temperature: any new high temperature where your child feels hot
to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the
temperature)

2. a new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three
or more coughing episodes in 24 hours

3. a loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of
smell or taste or things smell and taste different to norma

l▪ Your child does not need a test if they have a runny nose, are sneezing or
feeling unwell but do not have a temperature, cough or loss of, or change in,
sense of smell or taste because these are not normally symptoms of coronavirus.

▪ If you are unsure about whether to get a test, please check the official list of
symptoms on the NHS website, which is reviewed regularly:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/

▪ Only the person with symptoms should get a test. You do not need to get a test
for anyone else in the household unless they also have any of the three
symptoms listed above. All members of the household need to self-isolate whilst
waiting for the test result.

▪ If the person with symptoms’ test comes back positive, other members of their
household should continue self-isolating for 14 days and only get a test if they
develop coronavirus symptoms.

▪ If a pupil in a class or bubble tests positive for coronavirus, anyone who is
advised to self-isolate does not require a test unless they subsequently
develop symptoms.

No one else in the same class or bubble as the symptomatic person needs to take any
action unless advised by the school. Schools have detailed guidance and access to a
Department for Education and Public Health England helpline for advice and support.
Contacts of a person who has tested positive must follow the guidance carefully and in full,
which means they must stay at home for 14 days.

This is because it can take several days following contact with an infected person before an individual develops symptoms or the virus can be detected. Students should only book a test if they get symptoms.

The NHS has produced some guidance to help parents understand when their child can
and cannot attend school which you may find useful: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthybody/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

It is vital for children’s learning and future opportunities that they are able to return to school
and college. It is therefore vitally important that all we work together and do our bit to make
this possible.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Viv Bennett CBE
Chief Nurse and Director Maternity and
Early Years | Public Health England
Head of World Health Organisation
Collaborating Centre for Public Health
Nursing and Midwifery
Follow me on Twitter: @VivJBennett

Dr Susan Hopkins
Interim Chief Medical Officer |
NHS Test & Trace
Deputy Director | Public Health England
Consultant in Infectious Diseases &
Microbiology
Royal Free, London