Back to School? Worried or thinking about things?
Dear Patients,
Although we can’t answer specific questions about your child and the school they go to, we have sourced the following key messages/guidance to parents, carers, associated staff to schools and teaching/faculty staff.
It is as follows from the Local Medical Committee of Derby and Derbyshire:
Schools, colleges and other educational settings are working very hard to review the government guidelines alongside their own risks assessments to determine the safety of a phased reopening of their school
These measures are overseen by the Head Teacher, the Senior Leadership and appropriate Governing Body (or equivalent) for each school’s individual circumstances.
Parents and carers need to work with schools if they have individual concerns about their child.
Our understanding is that it will be parent and carer choice as to whether they feel it is safe, and not for a GP to adjudicate.
Teachers and other employed staff will also need to work with schools if they have concerns about their own health and whether they can safely return to face to face work.
GPs have not been provided with additional/specific guidance regarding decision making for staff or students beyond current public health measures
Unfortunately, GP Practices will not be issuing correspondence on behalf of parents or carers if they do not wish to send their child to school or their child is shielding for themselves, or to protect family members who are shielding and/or vulnerable.
The government has already announced that parents will not be fined for non-attendance at this time.
We have also been given a resource to help parents and families cope with the effects of lockdown, with a number of links to self-help sites, support and interesting articles, videos and practical activities.
Please click on this coronavirus-dealing-with-effects-toolkit-5 to access the PDF with all the information.