Dear parents/guardians,
I write to update and assure you about the precautions our school community is taking to prevent against the Novel Coronavirus outbreak. We continue to monitor the situation regularly and are taking a dynamic approach to this complex and changing picture, following the advice of Public Health England (PHE) to ensure the health of our whole community, including students and staff, is not impacted.
Due to this outbreak, we are mindful that there will be a number of parents and guardians who are concerned about the health of their children and we would like to assure you that we are assessing any potential risks on a daily basis. The advice we are following is regularly updated and I would encourage you to follow updates on the PHE website, which offers sensible and unbiased information to anyone who may be worried. Based on the current evidence from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and PHE there is no immediate cause for concern, however we have taken the following precautions:
- We are accepting no student or visitor from China and affected regions until the outbreak is contained.
- All staff and students, at a developmentally appropriate age, have been briefed on the signs and symptoms of the Novel Coronavirus.
The latest update from the NHS can be found here.
As half-term approaches, we ask that any student or family who intends to travel to/from, or have direct contact with anyone from, a Novel Coronavirus affected area, to inform us immediately. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently advises against travel to Hubei Province.
Please note:
- Any student, parent or visitor who has travelled to or been in direct contact with anyone from a Novel Coronavirus affected area may be asked to remain at home to prevent the potential spread of the virus.
- We ask our homestay students to speak with their UK guardians to check that they are able to stay with them in the event that they were planning on visiting China over the break. If this suitable care is not available then they should contact the school immediately.
- Our sister school, Qibao Dwight High School will not be attending the Carnegie Hall concert in New York in February.
The wellbeing of our whole school community is of the utmost importance at this time, especially those from China and other affected areas, and I am sure you will join me in supporting them during this worrying period.
We will continue to keep you informed as the situation and official advice changes. Should you wish to discuss any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Warm regards
Alison Cobbin