Government have the highest level role in keeping schools safe, but whilst many scientists have made recommendations for changes that can reduce infections in schools [England's schools must be made safe: An open letter to the education secretary] published on The British Medical Journal website - the current Government issued [Schools COVID-19 operational guidance] is what we must work with today.
There are about 25,000 schools currently overseen by 152 local authorities in England.
Local public health teams work with schools and Public Health England to manage outbreaks taking appropriate action based on the current guidance.
The local public health teams receive and collate schools COVID-19 data for the settings within the local authority area.
Data such as positive cases is close to real time and not subject to the 5 day delay seen with government level local authority case number reporting.
As such, local authorities could work proactively within government guidelines to reduce infections and limit disruption to schools in the area.
The ODSS project is looking for real time data for real time analysis. As monitoring events in a number of schools will allow modelling that can identify patterns.
These patterns and a better understanding of what is happening in schools where a few cases lead to larger outbreaks will present opportunities for improved management of future events.
The data you have today could save lives, reduce long COVID and minimise disruption to education.
Example of a possible scenario
An identifiable data pattern emerges where initial low numbers of cases spread through a school year group.
A specific mitigation measure is shown to effectivley break chains of transmission within schools.
Earlier introduction of perhaps a low level short term measure - could stop an outbreak.
Result
Note: You will have direct access to all analysis of real time data, to assist with identifying risk and implementing timely and effective mitigation measures in line with government guidance.
If you would like to know more about the project or share data relating to COVID-19 in schools - please email odss@70p.co.uk
Schools must comply with health and safety law and put in place proportionate control measures.
Schools must regularly review and update their COVID-19 risk assessments, treating them as 'living documents', as the circumstances in your school and the public health advice changes.
This includes having active arrangements in place to monitor whether the controls are effective and working as planned.
Please read the Government Guidance Health and safety: responsibilities and duties for schools to ensure you understand your responsibilities.
Own your Risk AssessmentPlease do not see your schools Risk Assessment (RA) as a chore, a document created in a rush and left as long as possible before reviewing.
Your RA is there to help you identify risks and eliminate or reduce those risks. In the case of COVID-19 it can save the lives of your staff and pupils and reduce the number of children and teachers suffering long term chronic illness.
Schools must therefore make sure that a risk assessment has been undertaken to identify the measures needed to reduce the risks from COVID-19 so far as is reasonably practicable.
Your legal responsibilitiesOverall accountability for health and safety lies with the employer of the members of staff in the school.
However, as head teacher, it is very likely that your employer has delegated the responsibility for the health and safety of staff and pupils to you. If this is the case, you have a key role in making sure risks are managed effectively on site.
For more information about what you need to do as Head Teacher - please read The Health and Safety Executive Guidance The role of school leaders - who does what
Staff TrainingThis is your key role – any head teacher can make a real difference to COVID-19 transmission in their school and help keep staff and pupils safer and healthier to continue with teaching and learning.
Once you are completely happy that the RA for your school will reduce the risks from COVID-19 so far as is reasonably practicable, sign the document and highlight all the measures that your staff will be responsible for fulfilling day to day.
Meet with all your teaching staff to explain the importance of the highlighted measures and ensure that every teacher understands their role, and is happy to implement the measures within their control every day, to keep the school as safe as possible by minimising COVID-19 transmission across the site.
VentilationInformation from: HSE > Coronavirus > Ventilation and air conditioning
The law says employers must make sure there's an adequate supply of fresh air (ventilation) in enclosed areas of the workplace. This has not changed during the pandemic.
Adequate ventilation reduces how much virus is in the air. It helps reduce the risk from aerosol transmission.
Aerosol transmission can happen when someone breathes in small particles in the air (aerosols) after a person with the virus has been in the same enclosed area.
The risk from aerosols is greater in areas that are poorly ventilated.
The more people who use or occupy an area, the greater the risk that an infected person is there, increasing possible exposure to aerosol transmission.
Please read the Ventilation and air conditioning during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic made available by The Health and Safety Executive.
Once you understand how important ventilation is in reducing transmission within schools - please see the Ventilation and fresh air information and ensure all your staff are thinking about adequate ventilation across every part of your school site.
Please also read the School Teachers and Staff section below and consider sharing this information with your staff members.
A great deal has been asked of school staff throughout the pandemic.
It must be recognised that all teachers and school staff have been asked to accept the personal health risk in order to continue with structured on site learning wherever possible.
During the autumn and winter terms - teachers can play a very important role in keeping themselves and pupils as safe as possible during lessons.
If you as the teacher and all your pupils do not have a COVID-19 infection - there is no risk of transmission, so the starting point is to try to keep infections out of the classroom.
As a teacher, you present the highest risk to your students - as you face them and speak more than any other person in the room.
Please follow government guidance on your own testing and be aware of all classic symptoms and new symptoms to look out for. If you feel unwell and consider there is any chance you have COVID-19, your students would ask you to not come in - as some children do suffer long term painful symptoms, for more information please see the Long Covid Kids website.
If pupil testing is recommended, take a few minutes to talk about why it's important with your students - many children are asymptomatic, so it may be the only way to identify infection and keep each other safe.
As a teacher, you know your students - whilst there is no way to spot infection with no symptoms present - you can spot tell tale signs that a child is not themselves - talk to students about how they feel as spotting symptoms can stop a school outbreak - potentially sparing staff, students and family members from the risks associated with infection.
Ventilation and fresh air can be the difference between infections spreading rapidly or no infections.
If any single student in a class has COVID-19 - virus containing aerosols will build up within the room and could lead to many other students / the teacher becoming infected if the fresh air exchange is not sufficient.
Aim for the maximum ventilation possible in any room, thinking about fresh air flow in and how air breathed out is being pushed out of the room.
Open windows and doors to create flow through if possible - openings on multiple / opposite walls can create good flow through ventilation.
On a still day there will be less air flow - do all you can to remove any exhaled virus from your classroom such as opening windows and external doors as wide as possible.
As the outside air gets colder - suggest students bring in an extra layer. Partially closing windows because it's getting a bit cold will restrict air movement and put yourself and students at higher risk. If students close windows or doors during the lesson - remind them of how important ventilation is to keep you all safe and that only the teacher should set the open position for windows and doors.
Note: Viral load at point of infection is likely to have a bearing on the severity of disease and risk of long COVID. If infectious aerosols remain inside the classroom - higher viral load infections are more likely to occur.
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