I understand how fed up you are with Covid rules and regulations. I am too. I think all of us just want to get back to normal. However, this week, the staff at school have dealt with a number of parents who are cross because we have rung them about Covid symptoms in their child, and asked them to get a PCR test.

We are following advice from the DfE and the Local Authority. I know that it is extremely inconvenient for you to have to leave work, collect your child and get a PCR test. I am a working mother, as are many of the staff here. We also have to deal with our children being sent home- either to get a test, or because their bubble has been closed.

We phone parents when a child shows symptoms because if we don't, we could end up inconveniencing 60 parents for 10 days when we have to close the bubble.

We have had positive Covid results from children in school this week. We have not had to close a bubble because we acted quickly and sent the children home.

If your child, (or anyone in your house) tests positive, please inform school so that we can work out who else at school needs to self-isolate. If you do not tell us, Covid could spread around a class very quickly. The children might only have a mild illness, but they take it home to your house.

Once a child has symptoms, a Lateral Flow Test IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. You can go to a walk-in test centre (there is one in the Alfred Road car park in Sparkbrook) and get a result, often within 12 hours.

Please support us in this. I do not want to be sending classes home to self-isolate this near the end of term. We cannot afford to get lazy about Covid.

Best wishes,

Mrs Seymour