Health and Hygiene
There are lots of respiratory infections that cause sore throats, colds and coughs circulating at this time of year. Flu and coronavirus (COVID-19) are currently circulating at high levels in the UK population and scarlet fever, which is caused by group A streptococcus, also continues to be reported.
At St Joseph’s we are following government guidance to prevent the spread of infections and to keep our school happy and healthy.
Actions include:
- Keeping classrooms and communal areas ventilated (but not cold) and airing rooms well when not in use.
- Taking regular outdoor breaks
- Teaching children the importance of good hand hygiene, practicing regular handwashing with soap and warm water, especially before eating.
- Providing hand sanitiser gels.
- Ensuring that children have good cough and cold hygiene. Tissues and designated bins are provided throughout the school.
If you child is unwell and has a fever (usually defined as a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius) , they should stay home until they feel better, and the fever has resolved. If a child has vomited and/or had diarrhoea, we ask that they remain off school for a full 48 hours.
NHS Information about flu symptoms and treating them at home
NHS Information about COVID-19 in children
NHS Information about scarlet fever symptoms and managing the illness
NHS Information about fevers in children and how to manage them
NHS guidance poster "Should I keep my child off school?'
Our policy for Supporting pupils with medical conditions
Sun Safety
Whilst we recognise that some sun is good for us, sun safety is an important health and safety issue for schools.
The good news is that skin cancer is almost entirely preventable and with parental support, simple steps can be undertaken to ensure that your child is protected and can enjoy the sun safely.
Please take the time to read through our Sun Safety Agreement (here), detailing sun safety measures. Parental support will play a vital role in our efforts to implement this in the following ways:
We make sunscreen available for the whole school and ensure that every child has access to quality, hypoallergenic sunscreen when necessary. If this is not appropriate for your child, please let your child’s class teacher know.
Children are strongly encouraged to apply their own sunscreen. We will help younger or less able pupils only where necessary, unless otherwise instructed by the parent. Parents can provide valuable support by teaching their children how to apply their own sunscreen effectively, with minimum mess and also by allowing them to practise.
It is recommended that parents also apply sunscreen before school especially if UV levels are high https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2640729
We ask that parents also ensure their child has a suitable sun hat that is clearly labelled and kept at school from May until the end of September. Sun hats should ideally be either broad-brimmed (bucket style) or a legionnaire style to shade the face, neck and ears.
To avoid dehydration in the warmer weather we continue to ask that all children bring in a labelled refillable water bottle each day. We will encourage children to seek out shade and limit time outside when appropriate.
Sun safety will be reinforced in assembly and in class so that children develop an understanding of the importance of keeping safe in the sun.
RESPIRATORY ILLNESS
There are lots of respiratory infections that cause sore throats, colds and coughs circulating at this time of year. Flu and coronavirus (COVID-19) are currently circulating at high levels in the UK population and scarlet fever, which is caused by group A streptococcus, also continues to be reported.
At St Joseph’s we are following government guidance to prevent the spread of infections and to keep our school happy and healthy.
Actions include:
- Keeping classrooms and communal areas ventilated (but not cold) and airing rooms well when not in use.
- Taking regular outdoor breaks
- Teaching children the importance of good hand hygiene, practicing regular handwashing with soap and warm water, especially before eating.
- Providing hand sanitiser gels.
- Ensuring that children have good cough and cold hygiene. Tissues and designated bins are provided throughout the school.
Remember that flu vaccination is still available for all eligible groups and is the best protection against the virus. Flu can be very unpleasant and in some cases can lead to more serious illness. Getting your child vaccinated protects them and others they come into contact with, and it’s still not too late.
Eligible children include:
- those aged 2 and 3 on 31 August 2022
- all primary school-aged children
- some secondary school-aged children
You can get more information getting your child vaccinated against flu on NHS.UK.
Please click links below to read government guidance for families on Scarlet Fever and Group A Strep
Information letter parents - English
Information letter parents - Arabic
Information letter parents - Bengali
Information letter parents - Gujarati
Information letter parents - Italian
Information letter parents - Portuguese
Information letter parents - Punjabi
Information letter parents - Romanian
Information letter parents - Somali
Information letter parents - Spanish
Information letter parents - Ukrainian
ACCIDENTS
Accidents at School
The majority of our staff who are first aid trained for minor injury. We keep a record of injuries and accidents as per our policy. We will always contact the family if there is a serious injury or if we have any concerns or questions.
Accidents at Home
If a child has had an accident at home, please let the class teacher know (either through phoning the office or through an email to the office. Please do not use SeeSaw for this purpose.
If your child needs special assistance (such as staying in at breaktimes or drinking a lot of water), please contact the office and we will write a Risk Assessment which will set out exactly what support is needed for the child. This will then be shared with relevant staff.
School Office - 01865 763357
School Email - office.3838@st-josephs-pri.oxon.sch.uk
HEAD LICE
Headlice are common in young children and their families. They do not have anything to do with dirty hair and are picked up by head-to-head contact.
Head lice are tiny insects that only live on humans. The eggs are grey or brown and about the size of a pinhead which stick to the hair, close to the scalp. The eggs hatch in 7 to 10 days. Empty eggshells (nits) are white and shiny and are found further along the hair shaft as they grow out.
Head lice are spread by direct head-to-head contact and therefore tend to be more common in children because of the way they play. They cannot jump, fly or swim. Itching and scratching occurs 2 to 3 weeks after coming into close contact with someone who has headlice.
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