How coronavirus outbreaks in Hertfordshire schools will be handled

Thousands of pupils in Hertfordshire will return to schools from next week but for many, it will be a new experience with measures in place to limit the spread of Covid-19.

Children and teachers will be placed in bubbles – small groups - and told to stay in these bubbles to limit contact with other pupils in the school.

Although this is designed to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading, Hertfordshire County Council is well aware that the virus can move around.

What happens if there is an outbreak in a bubble?

The county council says if an outbreak takes place within a bubble at school - an outbreak is defined as two cases or more – it is “likely” the entire bubble and household contacts of any children or staff in that bubble who have tested positive will have to self-isolate.

Household members of a pupil in an outbreak bubble who has not tested positive for Covid-19 will not need to self-isolate unless that pupil begins showing symptoms.

If an infected pupil or teacher has had close contact with other children (or adults) during their infectious period – such as on playdates, or out of school activities, these close contacts will also need to self-isolate.

However, the council stresses that many decisions in schools will be taken on an “individual basis”.

Children, and staff, with symptoms or living with some with symptoms or who has tested positive should not be coming into school.

What changes can be expected at school?

During a briefing this week, senior officers at the county council explained the detailed communications it has had with Public Health England and schools and academies across Hertfordshire to ensure schools are ‘Covid-ready’.

At school, pupils will find assemblies and indoor sporting activities off the calendar, while there will be staggered start and end times.

There will also be physical changes in classrooms and communal areas and one-way systems in place.

The county council has confirmed there will be no coronavirus testing facilities in school because testing is “easily available” around the county.

Attendance at schools is mandatory, but at this stage, the council will avoid fining any parents who choose not to send their children to school.

The council says it is choosing to avoid penalising measures, including fines, unless all possible avenues of support have been explored in discussion with the local authority attendance team.

But it says it is working very closely with vulnerable families that it already knows may be at risk of not sending in their children to school to build their confidence.

'Teachers cannot wait to welcome pupils back'

Terry Douris, executive member for education at the county council, said: "It’s vital that children and young people return to school and college for their educational progress, wellbeing, and for their wider development.

"We continue to work with schools to provide the latest guidance and help them put safety measures and systems in place, so that children can get back to school safely for the start of the new school term in September.

"We’re so grateful to parents and carers for all they’ve done to support their children’s education during the pandemic, we know this hasn’t been easy. Our teachers and school staff cannot wait to welcome you all back, they’ve worked hard to minimise the risks to our young people and to keep themselves and others safe at school.

"They now need your co-operation to help get our kids back into the classroom and achieving to their full potential."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson visiting a school in Leicestershire today. Credit: PA

Will my pupil need to wear a face covering in school?

The county council says it will be following government guidance on the wearing of face coverings in schools.

Further guidance on face coverings in England’s schools has been published by the Government, which sets out when they are required and pupils that are exempt.

Face coverings will not be mandatory in schools in Hertfordshire at the moment. Credit: PA

It says that in local lockdown areas face coverings should be worn by staff and students moving around schools in communal areas and corridors from September 1.

Exemptions to the new measures include those who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if a person is speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate.

Face coverings will be mandatory on public transport. 

Forty 'duplicate' buses have been arranged in the county, funded by the Department for Education, to keep schoolchildren apart from the public to and from school.