Staff at Backwell School are working together with NHS Test and Trace to put measures in place to limit any spreading of the infection following a single confirmed case of COVID-19 at the school on Wednesday 23 September 2020.

The school is following the existing guidance for non-clinical settings advice, including providing staff and pupils with guidance on social distancing and hygiene to limit spread. The school has deep cleaned a number of locations.

All staff and students who are deemed to have been close contacts of the confirmed case have been notified and advised to self-isolate as per government guidance (these contacts could have come from classrooms, social space or transport to and from school).  In total 93 pupils across Years 9, 10 and 11 will be self-isolating.  Contacts of the confirmed case should get tested if they go on to develop symptoms of COVID-19. Guidance from the NHS on COVID-19 symptoms and testing can be found here. Contacts without symptoms do not need to be tested. Pupils who have not been identified by the school, or by Track and Trace, as a close contact should continue to attend school as normal.

Headteacher Jon Nunes commented: “Following advice from the Department of Education we have asked people who have been in close contact with the young person who has tested positive to self isolate. We already have significant measures in place to implement social distancing and infection prevention. We will continue to keep parents informed and we’re working with the families of the students who have been asked to self-isolate to ensure that they have access to materials to continue their studies whilst in isolation”.